Friday, May 02, 2014

The American Astronaut

The American Astronaut is a 2001 western-styled science fiction film. "Offbeat" is, I think, a good description. Here's the plot synopsis from Imdb:
Samuel Curtis, an interplanetary trader, sets forth through a rustic and remote solar system, unaware that his old friend Professor Hess is trying to kill him.
I watched it at Hulu, but I don't see any way to embed it here. Here's a trailer:


"We'll hide our space ship in the barn."

DVD Talk says,
Though many will argue with its inclusion in the canon of timeless classics, The American Astronaut announces a filmmaker with a vision as valid as David Lynch, a skewed view of reality ala the Coen Brothers, and a Terry Gilliam-esque way of making the futuristic and the fanciful seem soaked in grim and grit. Fans of cinema at its most pure and powerful will absolutely adore this film.
366 Weird Movies says,
Because of it’s intense originality combined with a lighthearted, playful spirit, Astronaut is a movie only the most ruthless reality-worshiper could hate.... The American Astronaut could be described as many things—space western, garage band musical, nonsense comedy—but the one thing it indisputably is is a cult movie. That is to say, it’s a specialized and peculiar little flick that has a devoted group of followers, and a larger contingent of outsiders who are nonplussed by its popularity.
RogerEbert.com has an interview with the director. Rotten Tomatoes has a critics rating of 63% and an audience rating of 89%.

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