The people waiting in the hospital waiting room must've thought I was watching something perverse as I attempted to multi-task in bringing my mom to her doctor's appointment and take my work along with me. The instructions read to 'PLAY THIS MOVIE LOUD AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR MAXIMUM EFFECT." So, I complied ...

The quizzical look on my face soon cramped and I was then forced to wrap my logic around this mishmash of an experimental film/video. There is something strangely compelling about SPEED MADNESS and FLYING SAUCERS that kept me glued for its 30 minute run.

Attempting to utilize the Hollywood formula of cast, crew, locations, Zederick (Brandon Rivard) and Zipper's (Chloe Griffin) movie falls to pieces in a series of scenes involving their ego and art getting the best of them. Described as part portuguese soap opera and part pop commercial, the film is often sped up and slowed down with no real semblence of going anywhere other than Zederick and Zipper telling us what their movie is about ... although, I doubt that they know themselves.

It's entertaining in that, the result is exactly what they set out to accomplish. A really bad Hollywood-like film that gets lost in its "artistry" - commercial pop culture references and creative differences - than actually tell a good story. I'm reminded of the B-movie Ed Wood cult disaster of Plan 9 from Outer Space. At least you know watching SPEED MADNESS and FLYING SAUCERS that directors, Martin Deckert and Chloe Griffin took themselves seriously enough NOT to take things so seriously in this intended catastrophe of a film.

SPEED MADNESS and FLYING SAUCERS plays for ONE NIGHT ONLY at the METRO Theatre, January 27 at 8:30PM

Tickets are FREE with the after party continuing at Vazeleen @ Lee's Palace.

Photo courtesy of Patrick and Kitty Productions