The American Astronaut (2001) User Reviews

Instant Cult Classic

[breezyturtle · 7/10 · 10 December 2005]

The American Astronaut is like a 60s sci-fi on acid. It's warped and doesn't make much sense. It doesn't have a strong plot and definitely isn't for everyone. But, I did find myself laughing at certain points and I enjoyed it.

There is a scene where the main character is on the toilet in the bathroom and two guys follow him in there. You're certain they're about to beat him up....until they plug in their record player and start singing to him. It's like West Side Story in another dimension. The Ceres jumping (their version of moon walking) in sync with the music makes for another great scene. This movie was born a cult classic.

Weird, good, has a few problems.

[BKinzeys · 7/10 · 26 February 2002]

A low budget B&W film. The look is modeled after old Sci-Fi films like Flash Gordon. Including drawings for the spaceship exterior with camera zooms and pans. The cinematography is more "film noir" and is interesting in parts and just contrasty in others.

The acting is very good in this campy storyline. There isn't a plot or character development worth mentioning the campy wierdness and design is what drives this film.

Overall it is an interesting venture with some good jokes and situations but is very quirky for the general public.

As for the ending all I can describe is that it does.

If you have an interest in film, this is an interesting venture. If you are looking for mainstream films, this ain't it.

A wild ride that almost goes somewhere

[poyboy · 8/10 · 27 April 2002]

I saw this film at the International Film Series in Boulder, Colorado, and was initially bowled over by its inventiveness. Even though this appears it's his first film, Cory McAbee plunges us into a bizarre world with supreme confidence. The budget is low but it doesn't seem like the filmmakers sweated it - they spent the money on production design and great costumes rather than trying to do convincing spaceships-flying-through-asteroids shots. It reminded me of Eraserhead more than any other movie - using lighting, props and sound effects to set the tone. But, ultimately, what is this movie other than a showcase for the band's music? The musical interludes occasionally drive the whole film to a grinding halt. They brought me out of the movie and I got very conscious of sitting in a movie theater restlessly waiting. The songs are funny but they frequently have very little to do with the action of the movie. I wonder if all of them were written for the film or if the band just wanted to put in some of their regular songs. And, the ending was very unsatisfying. I mean, I definitely feel like I got my money's worth but after sitting through an amazingly creative patchwork of sci-fi serial/western/off-off-Broadway musical you'd think they could have summed it up with one more setpiece. There seems to be a totally-unforeseen mini-revival of the musical going on nowadays and if you ask me, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is the only film that's really pushed the genre forward into new territory.

A Crazy Silly Musical Space Western

[sneardog · 10/10 · 26 April 2002]

If you like the silly and/or absurd, see this film! It is definitely one of the most enjoyable things I have seen in quite a while.

Bon appetit.

P.S. If you can't suspend your disbelief and just have a good time with it, you will probably not like it.

If Aki Kaurismaki had made Rocky Horror...

[rmwhittaker101 · 31 October 2004]

... you'd have got something like The American Astronaut.

Writer/actor/director/musician Cory McAbee's ultra-low-budget indie The American Astronaut is something that almost defies description. Shot in black-and-white, it hearkens back to the science fiction of the 1900s and its description of the universe as consisting of a series of 'themed' worlds. Venus is inhabited solely by Southern Belles; Saturn by lonely miners; and there's a bar with an all-male dancing contest in the asteroid belt. Space cowboy Samuel Curtis wends his way through this dreamlike universe with a blase charm, like Han Solo if he'd suggested to Greedo that they don't fight, but instead go bass fishing. Pursued by a deranged Pee-Wee Herman-esque mad scientist (played by noted character actor and HBO regular Rocco Sisto), he has to take The Boy Who Once Saw A Woman's Breast and exchange him for a corpse, which he can then take back to Earth, along with the stinking hydraulic gimp that he picks up along the way.

If this all sounds confusing, that's because you're over-thinking it. McAbee's fourth movie and his full-length debut is a collection of oddball moments and weird incidents, told with a certain sweetness of tone. Early David Lynch is a good sign post, but then so are the Quay brothers. Yet neither has McAbee's well-intentioned sense of humor. There are no overt jokes, but somehow he catches that mood of security that pervades the oddest of dreams. No matter how bizarre, it never becomes terrifying. This is, of course, helped by the occasional song and dance number, with music provided by the director's day job in his band The Billy Nayer Show.

If McAbee has made any mistake, it's that this is almost too relentlessly and resiliently oddball. Conventional audiences will have no truck with this, and those looking for subversive cinema may find that it almost tries too hard to be off-kilter. However, while McAbee does feel like he's pushing his own personal envelope, it's undeniable that he is has unique and perverse cinematic vision. Most importantly, his vision allows him to make a true creative virtue of his low-to-zero budget. Primitive space cowboys who managed to launch their barn into the solar void use tin cans as oxygen filters: space travel is represented through flash cards: and bizarre alien cultures are summed up by raiding the prop cupboard of the local amateur dramatics society. In less talented hands, this would be abortive. Yet McAbee thinks around all the problems out of which so many other directors just buy themselves.

This film is meant for a midnight showing

[loserbeth · 7/10 · 16 September 2001]

I saw this film at Toronto Film Fest's Midnight Madness. This is exactly where it belonged. I laughed myself silly and I LOVED the music, but ONLY at 2AM! If I had seen this movie at 9AM before breakfast, I would have been in awe of it's uselessness. Rent/Buy/See this movie in the wee hours of the giddy night and it is a guaranteed pleaser. A low-budget gem.

The DVD is fantastic

[halfordt · 10/10 · 21 May 2005]

I saw the film at the Toronto Film Festival in 2001 and loved it. Just rented the DVD and it's a treat. Not only did I enjoy the film even more than the first viewing, but I immediately rewatched it via the Director's Commentary. The commentary makes you love the film exponentially more if only because it's done in a unique way: Cory McAbee narrates at a live screening, taking questions from the audience. McAbee is uniquely eloquent in his commentary. I've heard many commentaries that simply leave me numb, praying for narcolepsy to strike. Instead, the heart and mind of a true Renaissance man were revealed, imbuing the film (and the music) with new life (just when you thought you couldn't love a film more). There are some perfect cinematic scenes in this film. I watch literally hundreds of films a year and it's rare that I'm surprised by some narrative trope but to my joy, Hey Boy! is there to give me new faith in cinema. However impressed I was with Cory McAbee before, now I'm awestruck. And it's always a treat to hear Brian Eno's name a few times in a commentary. Wow. Congratulations.

Hilarious and unique

[kegie · 10/10 · 22 September 2003]

Probably one of the best films I have ever seen, this film is a strange science fiction tale about a man who arrives to a space bar, meets an old friend and embarks on a strange mission. Oh, and it's a rockabilly musical. Yes, it's very strange, but not in an incomprehensible or artsy-fartsy way. It is simply put utterly hilarious and wonderful, and the music is incredibly good. I loved every second of it. Please release this film on DVD!

i'm at a loss....

[jonathan941 · 3/10 · 9 December 2006]

..................

all the artsyness/stylish directing and "off-beat" humor in the world couldn't can't save this extremily slow, irritating, and pointless flick. The scene where the main character is in the bathroom and the guys are dancing outside of his stall had me laughing hard, but that was the first and last time I laughed. I just can't believe there was only one other negative review on this site.

...................

WARNING! I would think this would be a shockingly unwatchable film to most people...

McAbee is a Genius

[graham-PA · 9/10 · 12 February 2006]

"The American Astronaut" is the purest of pure examples of how great independent cinema can be. This SciFi-comedy-musical is one of the most cinematically luscious films shot in B&W 35mm by any independent film to my knowledge. The characters are without parallel, especially the genius of Tom Aldredge who delivers one of THE BEST monologue jokes ever captured on film. Cory McAbee not only wrote it and directs it, but also stars in it and co-wrote all the music which is performed by his band The Billy Nayer Show (don't know them? shame shame) Everyone I've ever recommended this film to or who I have known to have seen it raves about this film... except for one guy I know, but his favorite film is "Hard Rain" with Christian Slater... not sure if that should count.

Space is a lonely town. There are some pretty deep concepts to this story that are cleverly interwoven into the comedy of the script. Also notable is how much like an elementary schoolyard the interactions and ethics of this film are. Brilliant, entertaining... pure genius.

Ersatz David Lynch Musical

[large23220 · 3/10 · 2 June 2007]

I just didn't find its idiosyncrasies all that compelling/endearing. I just didn't find its non- sequiturs all that amusing. It was ambitious in some ways, and I admire its lo-tech adventure into the sci-fi genre. On the whole, it was sort of bad though. It has a strong resemblance to "Cannibal! the Musical": an all-male cast with a song in its heart on a mission in the far reaches of the known world; both films have homoerotic-ish moments/themes. The big difference was that the songs and dialogue in "Cannibal! the Musical" were actually pretty funny. "American Astronaut" isn't really so funny. You have to want to try to laugh at some of the absurd stuff, the film doesn't ever really force a laugh out of me. I give it three stars because it was innovative and aesthetically cool sometimes. Minus seven stars because of everything else about the movie.

THIS is what I'm talkin' about!

[googlemorf · 25 May 2002]

A true original. I loved this film and the wild wonderful universe that McAbee was able to create on what must have been a $1.80 budget. It has a hypnotic quality, off beat characters, and even a touching father /son relationship.. what more could you want? There is a rousing scene at the beginning when the astronaut walks from his ship to the space bar. His walk goes for some time while a wonderful instrumental plays. If you don't enjoy this part for its simplicity, you probably won't like the rest of the flick. While it dosn't look like this film will get a major distributer ( I got to see it at the Washington DC Film fest with McAbee there to discuss it!) the soundtrack album is available at americanastronaut.com. I'm listening to it as I write this! This is the fist movie in a long time that I have seen that I didn't want it to end.. McAbee knows the first rule of showbusiness: Always leave them wanting more!

Independent film that combines the old style of both science fiction and western movies

[Stew_pac · 9/10 · 10 July 2005]

I saw this movie originally as part of the Southern Film Circuit Series in the Fall of 2003, I was instantly amazed by the entire film, but unfortunately because I had to view at a separate time from the viewing at the theater I did not get a chance to talk with the filmmaker who made it, which I now incredibly regret. During the beginning of the movie when the words are uttered "but it's my birthday" got me immediately interested in the film and its weird quirkiness is definitely held during the entirety of the film. The movie hold an odd mixture between old western and old science fiction movies that give the film a certain nostalgia. The movie is odd, which I love, so if you are looking for a regular run of the mill film, this is most definitely not it. But if you give the film a chance, you just may be able to recognize the various references made throughout the film and the beauty that is this rare gem.

The best film I've seen in years.

[r0der1ck · 10/10 · 3 February 2004]

Entirely absurd, filled with a degree of joyous creativity that I would never have expected, this is the best film I've seen in years. Although the storyline is utterly surreal, it's presented so matter-of-factly that one feels like to doubt the story would hurt someone's feelings. I have real trouble summarizing my reaction to this film except to say that I walked out of the theatre in happy amazement, a smile on my face. In fact, I had the same sensation of light-headed wonderment I felt the first time I saw "True Stories," making this literally the best movie I've seen in at least a decade.

In terms of comparisons, think of this as the light-hearted kid brother of "True Stories" or the farcical, silly, prankster cousin of "Twin Peaks."

It doesn't get any better than this

[killercharm · 10/10 · 19 August 2020]

My favorite musical. So strange, so rock n roll, so wonderful.

Perhaps the all-time worst movie I've ever seen

[jcombs · 1/10 · 7 November 2001]

A local newspaper capsule review claimed that this was a "slapstick sci-fi musical comedy spoof".

I would say that there were no discernable elements of "slapstick" or "comedy" and it barely rates as sci-fi (bad sci-fi). Perhaps that's where the "spoof" comes in -- it is a spoof of sci-fi. The height of the special effects was the cardboard "ray gun", which the guy waved around, and then a camera cut was used to show sand being tossed onto the stage (supposedly all that was left of the person).

The "space ship" was apparently deliberately made to look like a freight train engine, and as the 2D drawing of it was moved across the view of the camera, it even made a sound similar to a freight train as it moved through the vacuum of space.

Rather than sci-fi, I would say that it was closer to the worst imaginable spaghetti western, with a half-dozen "space-like" elements thrown in to weakly suggest sci-fi. (Infinitely worse than the infamous "Shane episode" of the Battlestar Galactica TV show.)

The plot was weak and pointless to the degree of being unfathomable, and of course, no logical consistency, no acting that stood out in the least. Come on guys, a skilled movie maker might be able to get away with black and white film, or cheesy special effects, but there has to be *something* of redeeming value in the production to make it worthwhile!

The movie didn't really come to a conclusion; rather, after the longest ninety minutes of my life, it sort of ground to a halt, having said nothing, gone nowhere, and left me with no memorable emotions other than boredom and wonder that it could have ever made it into any theater, even an art theater.

I suspect that the movie merely exists as a vehicle to show off the music of some San Francisco band. And unfortunately for me, I didn't like the music, so that left absolutely nothing of value to show for my time expended.

My primary regret is that the local newspaper movie critic didn't give me fair warning, but I also regret not simply getting up and leaving early on (I was with friends and I was afraid that one of them might actually be seeing something of value in the mess since they seemed to be paying attention -- but afterwards I learned that we were all as stupefied as me).

Slow burning brilliance

[WolfgangHorizon · 10/10 · 25 February 2013]

This is a triumph of so many genres and ideas. I felt the black and white style was pretentious at first, but this movie just destroyed my prejudices one after another. This is one of those movies you MUST give 10 minutes to, and you'll be hooked. At first it seems silly and a little too given to retro b&w slavishness. Give the stand-up comedian an opportunity for the longest ever joke and the communist-style hero worshipping auditorium scene a chance and you will forever be hooked. Don't listen to me. Just go watch. what did your father teach you? kill a sunflower.

This is imaginative cinema in the best possible style. I could happily go for a year of such style in cinema. Brilliant. Refreshing.

Deep Hurting.

[hime · 1/10 · 1 December 2002]

Most of the other reviews read like they were written by friends of the band. That being said, the music was sorta catchy. I find myself every now and then singing "Hey Boy!" to myself. Then I'm reminded of the Lynch-wannabe tripe I sat through.

Maybe go see the band, get mp3s of the soundtrack (minus the "Vagina Made of Glass" song), but don't see this movie. Not that you're likely to get the chance...

doesn't live up to the hype

[didi-5 · 7 November 2004]

'The American Astronaut' promises much more than it delivers, I'm sorry to say. It has all the hallmarks of a cult movie - comedy musical western with a rock score - but falls short of what it could have been.

Cory McAbee (director, writer, star), who doesn't come across as particularly interesting as himself - guesting at a screening of this recently - plays Curtis, the astronaut of the title who wins a dance contest on Ceres, gets given a job to do, and - well, it's downhill from there, really.

As Professor Heiss, Rocco Sisto comes across as very Ed Wood, moaning about everyone ignoring his birthday, reducing people in his wake to piles of sand. Greg Russell Cook is 'the boy who actually saw a woman's breasts', a bored cutie in a Greek God uniform; while Tom Aldredge is a bitter old man in the pub on Ceres who tells the long-winded, and rather silly 'hertz doughnut' joke.

The main premise of this messy film is to showcase the real-life band (made up from McAbee, the producer, and the Ceres house musicians) who wrote and perform the score. There's a lot of promise in the musical numbers - one performed in the men's room (now, that was funny); one performed in silhouette in a shed floating in space; one performed by 'the Boy' on stage; one performed by Professor Heiss after a murderous spree, one performed by fat dull Eddie the barman on Ceres, etc. etc.

The photography, when it isn't being 'look how low budget we are' (any of the shots with the space ship), is pretty good. The film appears in black and white and uses minimal sets and cheap costume to move its (limited) story along. But it could have been a lot more far-out and wacky. I came away feeling just a bit disappointed and felt that the film-makers themselves lost interest a fair way from the end. Pity.

An antidote to crap

[dannelke · 9/10 · 5 May 2005]

David Lynch meets Fellinni and Salvador Dali in a bar and they form a rockabilly band, and that band then decides to do a musical western comedy as a small noir Indy film.

That's the pitch - if this movie was ever even remotely "pitchable".

I just saw it and was completely blown away. Not since Eraserhead and the earliest days of MST3K has someone so messed with my mind in a mere 91 minutes.

5 stars.

The director's commentary was also quite amusing. You're watching bits of the film being projected on a small screen in a bar while the director does Q&A. Lots of "where the hell did THAT come from?" stuff followed by, "well, there were some things going on in my life..." that actually add to the surreal quality of the film. Also, one of those rare Indy films where the quintuple threat one-man vision approach actually pays some real dividends.

My only wish is that there were more of this director's work to catch up on. And should the director read this;

"Produce! Produce! For the long night is coming wherein no man can work!"

• Barney Dannelke

American Astronaut

[mooniteman · 9/10 · 6 December 2006]

If you're lucky perhaps one out of a hundred movies will change the way you look at film making - for me The American Astronaut was such a movie. From the very first scene your already thinking "What the hell is this?" Now this question doesn't necessarily dictate that the viewer is enjoying themselves, but once that thought occurs it is undeniable that they have just stepped into a completely unique world.

The only way for me to describe what this movie is like is to say: it is as if the director Cory McAbee - hell bent on making a stew that had never been tasted before - went into his kitchen - went through his cupboard pulled out a cup of musical honey for an unexpected sweetness, some robust western beef, a very carefully measured amount of comedic spices, a thick film noiry broth and put them all together in a pot. Not everyone will like this stew - while your eating it you may find that one moment you absolutely love it and nothing before or after has or will taste as good, then you take another spoon full and you wish you'd never started eating in the first place, but when you take yet another you can't imagine what it was you disliked.

I for one loved the movie - It was the dancing cowboy in the beginning that got me. That image really hammered down what this movie was going to be - and that is: exactly what you don't expect it to be.

As for direction - I absolutely loved the way it was shot. It's very minimal as far as lighting goes, you can almost actually see where the lights have been set up. I remember in the bathroom scene when the two cronies are dancing you can blatantly tell how the light kit has been arranged because of the obvious shadows. We accept this very obvious lighting, because, though it seems very rushed and in your face, you know it's actually very carefully planned and stylistically consistent.

Over all the editing didn't bother me and flowed quite nicely. There was one particular cut when they flash to the workers that bothered me. It was very quick and such a specific moment that I almost feel silly mentioning it, but it didn't seem to have any flow with the other cuts and seemed unnecessarily disjointed. It reminded me almost of one of my first editing projects I did on I Movie - just one of those moments that makes you go - "Ooh ouch." But other then that moment, the editing didn't faze me.

The music is so unusual - I have to comment on it. Sometimes it just doesn't match the action at all. There may be vague hints like in "The Girl with the Glass Vagina" you think "Okay I'll accept that he's singing about Vaginas- it's Venus the planet of women - there's lots of those there." but by that point your brain is pretty much mashed potatoes anyway, having sat through nearly the entire thing. I love that the songs take you out of the absurdity for a moment only to bring you to a level even more surreal then before.

Over all I really enjoyed the American Astronaut. It was like falling down the long dark halls of my subconscious with a faulty flashlight, and I loved almost every flicker.

Secure Opinion

[icethorn · 9/10 · 25 August 2003]

I viewed this film as part of the Midnight Series at the theater I work for, and it looks destined to be a cult hit. It's crowd pleasing, hilarious, and silly. Also very beautifully made for the budget. Many films I find myself ambivalent about; I'm not sure whether I really like them or not. That's likely a result of thinking too much about what I see. But I can safely say that I was grinning throughout virtually the entire film. I was indeed very impressed, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys film.

The soundtrack is also upwards of keen, it being a musical and all. We were selling them after the show, and I bought one myself.

I hope the Billy Nayer Show has plans to release this on DVD, for it shouldn't be limited to Midnight Showings. It's something to be enjoyed with friends, anytime.

Not the worst film I've ever seen ...

[pmj-8 · 1/10 · 23 December 2006]

... simply the worst film I can think of at the moment.

Comparisons to David Lynch's early work are unfair blemishes on his reputation. Surely the only ways in which this film resembles 'Eraserhead' are that it's low-budget and shot in B&W.

There is no content or depth in this film, it is just a long set of scenes loosely strung together, held together by one running joke. What is that joke? Others have commented on it here -- professor Hess's birthday.

There is nothing else. Period.

Note that the lack of special effects isn't an issue. Tarkovsky's 'Solaris' and Godard's 'Alphaville' both satisfactorily represented space travel with limited technology, as does 'The American Astronaut'. The problem is that there's nothing for the space travel scenes to bind together -- the film is empty.

It was difficult to believe that the film was *only* an hour and a half long. It felt like an eternity. There was a constant trickle of audience members leaving all through the session. Well, that was at MIFF, maybe the viewers were a little more discerning than the usual crowd. I stayed because I felt that there must be at least an attempt at redemption at the end. Sadly, no. Just a continuation of that joke.

Maybe I'm just spoiled by the likes of Bela Tarr, Wim Wenders, Mike Figgis, Jim Jarmusch, Terrence Malick and other mind-alteringly talented directors.

Then again, maybe there's a simpler answer -- that this film really is devoid of all worth.

Not the best, but better anyway . . . so there!

[Uuah · 10/10 · 6 May 2008]

After a series of ridiculously amusing shorts, Cory Mcabee made this amazing movie. Not the best film ever made by any means but my personal and eternal favorite. Terry Gilliam had once been my favorite directer. His entire catalog has been trumped by this single film and my own wiry anticipation of what Cory Mcabee might do next. This was the only 100% blind buy I've ever made on a DVD. I bought this based on nothing but stills accidentally found in a Google image search and the synopsis on Amazon.com. It's the best blind buy I've ever made. I've shown it to as many friends as possible. I'm sure the DVD has been in the hands of my friends as much as it has been in my own. All of my friends have grown fond of it. Some have bought it. For me, this movie comes with a higher recommendation than any other I have ever seen.

def not what I hoped for

[calirachela · 3/10 · 11 August 2022]

If bizarre was not on the map, this movie would certainly put it there. Strange is not a powerful enough word to describe what I just watched.

It scores highly on orginalnality and very high on atmosphere. Story wise, I have no clue how to rate due to the strangeness of it.

Only because of the atmosphere was I able to finish it, its not only a movie that would not recommend, I would tell you to avoid as its pretty pointless to be honest.