Monday, March 11, 2013

The Garbage Pail Kids Movie



Runtime: 97 minutes

Directed by: Rod Amateau

Starring: Anthony Newley, Mackenzie Astin, Katie Barberi, Ron MacLachlan

From: Atlantic Releasing Corporation

Oh my God, this movie... believe it or not I saw it as a kid. I only remembered parts of it, but even then the movie didn't seem quite right to me. Of course as an adult I know how wrong-headed it is and how it's a cult classic due to its badness. But, even though I have had the DVD for a few years now I was quite frankly a little scared to watch it again; I haven't seen the famed Nostalgia Critic review on the movie (I usually don't watch him, to be honest) but I heard a podcast review and they hated the film. I mean, they loathed it. Finally I watched it tonight and yes it is really awful and not appropriate for kids despite it being a PG-rated film and it being based on what was then controversial trading cards for kids; but, it is also horrible in a hilarious way. I laughed often.

Let me try and recap the plot: We find out that the GPK come from a garbage can spaceship and they all fit in it; it must just be like the TARDIS... anyhow, they end up at the antique store of Captain Manzini (Newley; that poor bastard). He has a pal, a boy nearly 15 years old named DODGER (Astin) who deals with bullies that look to be in their 20's. The leader of that is a douche named JUICE. His girlfriend is TANGERINE, who is at least 16 as she drives a Triumph TR6 British convertible, of all vehicles. She doesn't seem like such a bad lady, at least not at first. There's a nameless guy whose best talent is wearing mesh shirts, and a lady who is big and buff; I mean, she could be Ronda Rousey's next opponent! They always pick on poor Dodger. 

Well, as Dodger is a horny 14 year old boy (a redundant statement, I know) he has the hots for Tangerine, who is hot in an 80's sort of way, with her giant hair, hilariously bad clothing and loud makeup. She happens to be in fashion and designs her own clothes, which she sells out of her car in the alleyways of the town's clubs, where the girls of the club go out to buy. Luckily for Dodger, the GPK somehow are great at sewing and making clothing themselves (that must be the talent on their home planet) so he uses them to make clothing and impress the girl he lusts for, and it works... or so he thinks. Turns out she's a bitch who uses him and Tangerine does a good job of cockteasing (to be blunt) that poor sap to do her bidding.

Yes, that is the actual plot of the movie.

That doesn't even take into account how this world has a “State Home for the Ugly”, how the GPK do such things as fart often and piss their pants, or how one of them is even a bigger stereotype than Andew Dice Clay's Diceman character, or how Ali Gator is a humanoid-alligator thing that talks like a sassy old black man, loves eating human toes (foot fetish!) and goes to a biker bar and gets drunk. That doesn't even include them stealing a Pepsi truck, either.

Oh, and a girl wants Tangerine's shirt so she takes it off in front of Dodger, who looked like he almost had an accident in his pants. That doesn't beat, though, the finale where you see dresses ripped off of random adult ladies; yes, women running around in their bras and panties in this PG-rated film.

Like I said, this is pretty awful but oh my God is this bizarre movie so great to laugh at. I guffawed at the music, the clothing you see on everyone, and the hair you see on the ladies. Talk about dating it to the 1980's in a major way. You only see stuff like that in that glorious decade. And let's not start on “The State Home of the Ugly”, an actual thing in this movie. Check this out if you want big laughs; maybe I'm the only one but this is hilarious to me.

I'll be back Friday night.

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