The American Astronaut

Guy Maddin meets early David Lynch...in outer space!
The American Astronaut is the missing link between Guy Maddin and the early films of David Lynch. Cory McAbee's movie is shot in glorious black and white film stock with unabashedly lo-tech special effects that reside at the opposite end of the spectrum of another retro-SF film, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. The American Astronaut has the same grungy, industrial look and feel as Lynch's Eraserhead with the same fierce, independent spirit.

Writer-director-star Cory McAbee has created a unique movie quite unlike anything else out there. While he shares the lo-tech retro look of Guy Maddin's films he isn't interested in recreating the silent era of cinema. McAbee does share a fascination with industrial machinery and the `50s with David Lynch, but he isn't interested in exploring the dark underbelly. McAbee is far more optimistic. The American Astronaut is a fun, off-beat film for people who like something a little different. It has more energy and inventiveness than...

In space, EVERYONE should see this movie!
American Astronaut is brilliantly imaginative. If you need to read reviews or watch clips then please do, but don't find out TOO much; You'll be constantly and pleasantly amazed by the strange and nuanced ideas packed into every well composed shot.

I like eccentric films but I have never seen a movie reinvent what movies can offer in order to create its own engaging world...not to get stodgy: It's still full of Rock and Roll, Space barns, ray guns, shaving and dance contests. Unreal.

Some movies off the beaten track are cheap vehicles for bizarre humor or gimmicks. This is just simply the most Original, Innovative and Imaginative movie I saw in 2004.

gloriously bizzare
Do not believe any of the reviews that state this movie is bad. This is one of the most gloriously bizzare movies you will ever see; a combination of "The Man Who Fell to Earth" and a spaghetti western, with the "7 Lives of Dr Lao" thrown in for good measure. No matter how many times you see this film, it always seems like you came in at the middle of a different movie. The camera work is as done by someone with ADD, sometimes obsessive, sometimes wandering but always mesmerizing. The plot is ... well ... loose. The acting reminds me of walking into a karioke bar. The combination will put a smile on your face and a thought in your head ... unless you are just a "spoil sport."

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