COMEDY WEDNESDAY: CABIN BOY (1994)

Title: CABIN BOY (1994)

   First off, yes this is the immortal classic that features David Lettermans's one scene, with a line referring to the possible offer of the the purchase of a monkey. Beyond that lays a strange absurdest fantasy, the likes of which we rarely see nowadays. It's interesting to look at the movie landscape and how much it has changed since the 90's. The types of films that make it to the theaters vs. the films that land straight to video. How and if of a movie like "Cabin Boy" getting made now, is hard to fathom. The story behind it, is even murkier. "The Lost Tim Burton film" is certainly one avenue, as it was originally to be a directing vehicle for him, though all that is left if a production credit. Yet his fingerprints, a la "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure", are all over this project. It was also seen as a star making picture for Chris Elliott, coming off a short SNL stint and his under-appreciated sitcom "Get A Life'.
    "Cabin Boy" is first and foremost a stupid picture. It knows this and revels in it at every turn. Keeping this in mind, coupled with the secondary talent it carries with it, it should be a cult classic, being shown all the time on late night cable, college dorms, and midnight movie revivals. There's a lot to like and be confused by herein. I always thought the film was some weird period piece, taking place when sailors ruled the seas, under the fearful watchful eye of the Queens and Kings of old. Not so much. The film opens in modern times with Elliott as the titular Cabin Boy attending a finishing school, producing "Fancy Lads". After taking a wrong turn to board his fathers cruise ship, he enters a seaport much out of place and time. He stumbled upon a rickety ship called "The Filthy Whore" which is being watched over by a rather youngish Andy Richter. What follows is a classic fish out of water tale, but done with an absurdist touch that is thick with satire and farce. The great thing is that the film and everyone involved know the film is a joke. There is no possible way to look at it otherwise. The ship's crew does all they can to break the spirits of Elliott, but end up falling short. At 80 minutes, the pacing is brilliant, and fast, if a scene doesn't work, no worries, it will be moving on as soon as possible. Knowing what I did going into the film, it's obvious of Tim Burton's involvement. From the humor, to the various set pieces, it feels like a natural fit. "Nightmare Before Christmas" and "James and the Giant Peach" are his sandwiched producing credits surrounding the film, with "Ed Wood" being the film he directed the same year. Stupidity in comedy is always a fine line to walk, you can play it for heart or sadness, but the best route is humor. If you don't allow the audience to question the stupidity, they can focus more so on the inherent humor. This works even better if your lead is an insufferable stuff-shirt, who doesn't see the error of his ways. An audience can get behind that, for they don't like them based on instinct. Chris Elliott has often gotten a lot of flack for the kinds of characters he plays, as well as his homeliness. What's never made sense to me, is that while Elliott has to scrape by, Rob Schneider is capable of having film after film thrust upon the masses, via theatrical release. Guess it is the old adage of "it's not what you know, it's who you know." Cabin Boy is often met with groans, which is unfounded, due to the fact that it is actually a really funny movie. Nothing about it is grand, pretentious, over-wrought, watered down. It wants to make you laugh, turn your head to the side, while thinking "what?". but with a grin on your face/ Fun it is, and unabashedly so.
  The 90's were an easier time for films. A time where virtually any film could be made, shown in theaters for profit. Experimentation was the key. Movies were cheaper to make, show, profit off of. With the booming home video market, producers could easily rest hoping to make their money back that way. I often miss those days. There was only a handful of summer blockbuster fare, and comedies, both big and small, had a chance to find some sort of fans. "Cabin Boy" will be a film I return to often, when I just want to laugh, without thinking much at all. A fine afternoon of 90's post-SNL work would be "Tommy Boy", "Dirty Work", "PCU" and "Cabin Boy".
*** out of *****