Cheap

I first saw this movie in high school when one of my friends rented it from an independent video store (VHS) in the late 80's. We all loved it, and I have always tried to spread the gospel of Dirty Duck since. It is the only movie that I ever owned both on VHS and now on DVD. The director of this movie, Charles Swenson, also made a little-seen kids movie called Twice Upon a Time, which is also recommended viewing for fans of subversive animated movies. That film has no gratuitous nudity or profanity, but has a very similar animation style (hand-drawn/cut animated scenes over collages). I watch it a few times a year now and always recommend it to friends. The songs are fantastic, I would love to see a soundtrack at some point. Unique animation style, wildly offensive dialog, and a rambling story make for a very entertaining 75 minutes!! It also pays to pay very close attention to the screen, because there are several throw-away gags that appear for only a few seconds scattered throughout.

Yeah, I get it. This movie is supposed to be offensive and cheap or whatever and that's the beauty of it but come on. This movie would not be acceptable if they tried to release it today. It's easy to say that this is easily one of the most homophobic, racist, and sexist cartoons ever made. And the said jokes involving that content aren't even funny. On top of that, the animation was very crudely done and was never easy to look at. Only watch this hippy crap if you're wasted.

D-

Exciting movie made with Flo & Eddie after their edition of the Mothers of Invention's splitting up in the wake of Frank Zappa's being injured by a deranged fan onstage in London in 1971. This included Mark Volman, Howard Kaylan, Jim Pons, Aynsley Dunbar, and more surprisingly, Tim Weissberg. This movie fits well into Zappa's Conceptual Continuity, and even provides links not common in Zappa's oeuvre. People who find 200 Motels entertaining and funny will find this movie uproarious.

Many people seem to think this movie is a Fritz the Cat knockoff, but it is lightyears from that movie; all the two really share in common is an X rating and that they're animated. The biggest difference is that Dirty Duck, like most of Zappa's work, does provide social commentary, although it might not be exactly what you want to hear.

Plotwise, it may be confusing to today's viewers given that many references have passed out of mainstream popular culture, especially those who were born in the early 70's. For those who were there, it'll bring back things you thought you forgot about. Many old movie cliches are bandied about mercilessly.

Some of the sexual humor is a bit juvenile, like the Flo & Eddie era Mothers, but at no point is it gratuitous. This movie has everything in its place for a reason even if it's not readily apparent, much like Zappa's music. Zappa fans (especially Flo & Eddie era Mothers) will flip. The rest of you may scratch your heads and find it funny in spots. I just rewind my copy and watch it again and pick something new up from the plot (it's *that* layered, folks).

So anyway you might think this is just an animation movie whole but just you wait till you see all the things that are going on a little the great references to Claudius all the great good jokes and nudity to all the great things it's like the great things you want to do in life always so incredible you should see this movie it's incredible yes yes yes everything about this movie is so great that you just follow your head and you keep on talking haha so funny oh so great and it's wrong because of this you should see it in the music and animation sequence is and everything about it is so incredibly great cuz you can just say great great great great great and it's wow you understand me now you just see this movie and

The soundtrack is fun and the movie feels self aware for the most part, but there is an underlying sense that it may not be smart enough for that. Add to that the deeply unsatisfying ending and it's difficult to tell what this movie wants to be.