Magic Movie

I didn't see it noted, but there were 2 versions of this movie released on video. One from SGE and one from StarMaker. Both have the same picture on the box, but the StarMaker version is easily recognized by the gold border around the picture. (The one pictured on IMDb while I write this.)

Most people agree, the SGE version is the better version.

A lot of the jokes in the film do revolve around Hollywood, unions or the IRS and the characters' somewhat Dilbert-like frustrations that the process of making films or money is not nearly the straight-forward process they'd expect.

A good bit of lore has built up around the movie as well, as many ironic stories have sprung up around it. A usenet newsgroup dedicated to Mike Jittlov fans has been around for a long time (relative to the internet anyway.)

It also has the unusual distinction of having parts being played by the real people: the filmmaker is played by a filmmaker, the evil producer is played by a ....well, producer, the musician is played by a musician, his mother is played by his mother, his brother is played by his brother... etc, etc, etc.

I finally managed to track this down at a cult-film video store, and it was worth all the effort. Do whatever you have to do to see this one! It vaguely reminded me of the low-budget inventiveness of Weird Al's "UHF," only multiplied 1000 times, and the "let's make a movie while the executives are out to lunch" zaniness of "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure."

There's a lot more to this movie (or movie-within-a-movie, or is it a movie-within-a-movie-within-a-movie?) than might appear. Subliminal messages, Hollywood major-studio politics, art vs. commerce, a startling new use for a chrome bust of Mickey Mouse, fantasy vs. reality, the horrors of dealing with unionized labor, some plugs for the Church of the Sub-genius, lots of deftly-employed stock footage, and the most terrifying "pizza with everything" you'll ever see. And there's even an intentionally-horrible musical number about the creation of the universe, which is thankfully interrupted by a ridiculous Presidential announcement.

You'll also get a fascinating look at the art of low-budget special effects production. Some of the visual treats Jittlov comes up with are astonishing, even in the post-CGI era, and particularly since he shows you how a lot of it is done.

There are some profound insights and a lot of laughs. I nearly fell on the floor laughing during the scene with the police helicopters, and why is one of the thugs Canadian? (why not?) How in the world did Jittlov film the suitcase/car chase at the end? Look for Philip Michael Thomas in a rare post-Miami Vice role. And make sure you stick around for all of the credits!

Mike Jittlov may not think of himself as a "real" actor, but he's got a lot of charm and he comes off as a genuinely likeable guy. And it was nice of him to cast his friends and family as themselves.

It might be too weird for some viewers, but if you're game, "The Wizard of Speed and Time" will put a smile on your face like few other films.

Bizarre and obscure little film that charms you into watching it with gusto once a few minutes of it pass your eyes. It's an homage to struggling independent film makers everywhere, and filled with lots of subtle bits of humor and satire and quick-to-pass messages during the F/X. This film looks like it was made for about 40 bucks but don't let that keep you from watching it. What's more, evidently Mike Jittlov cast all his friends (a LOT of them) and his mom in the film as well, and it appears that each and every one of them are having the time of their lives doing this movie.

One of my favorite scenes is when Mike enters the office that Dora Belair (portrayed by Angelique Pettyjohn, sadly her last film appearance) works from, and there's a poster on the wall behind them of her Star Trek character "Shana" dressed in that aluminum foil bikini from the episode "The Gamesters Of Treskelian". It's a nice sci-fi touch... And nobody seems to notice.

Mike has a hard time trying to get his work recognized by anyone of substance (very much like real life) and it seems there's a crooked producer at every turn waiting to rip him off, and it isn't helped by his stigma about shaking hands... which is never really explained other than that he simply "...doesn't shake hands".

Throughout the film we see Mike working on film F/X in what appears to be his own garage and his own tools and props, and we get to see him actually producing the F/X that end up running in the short that he presents as his product, "The Wizard Of Speed And Time".

This is an astonishing little film that deserves much more recognition than it ever got, and it's a gem in the rough for being so matter-of-fact and innovative. It's also a must-have for any cult film or obscure cinema collector to include in their video collection. Of my all-time top 20 films, this would have to slip into the mix somewhere by its sheer tenacity and strength of will and innovation, if not for anything else. I really would have liked to have seen Mike Jittlov do something else similar to "Wizard..." but alas nothing ever came to be. I can watch this film over and over again, and with each viewing its atmosphere and flavor makes me feel like I'm 20 years back in time.

It's not for all tastes. Some people think it's absolutely wonderful, some people think it's amateurish nonsense. Some people simply won't get it at all. I got it. I liked it a lot, and the somewhat silly segments with the terribly cliche'd producer are forgivable if not perfectly allowable for the sake of comic relief, especially seeing as how that's the real producer of this film hamming it up on camera. If you *do* appreciate films like this, you'll feel refreshed after watching it and you'll feel like you'd like to meet Mike and maybe buy him a coke... just don't try to shake his hand.

Then go out and become an independent film maker yourself.

Bravo Mike, ya done good!

I first saw this movie back in 1989 with some friends of mine, we were in the habit of going to the video store and TRYING to find a movie none of us had seen. One trip brought us this rare gem. We watched it and were thoroughly amused by this story of Mike Jittlov vs. Hollywood. The stop-motion effects were simply amazing, executed with skill that would make ILM green with envy. The story was funny in a poking-fun-at-Hollywood-and-ourselves kind of way. NOTE: Our rental copy included the movies own hilarious trailer, this trailer does not seem to be included in copies available today (5 YEARS in the making! 5 DAYS in the theaters! ect). Watch it, love it, share it with your friends.

What began as a three minute student film has become a cult classic that seems to snowball with the years. Mike Jittlov, film-maker/animator/writer/director/editor/co-producer/calligrapher/cult figure and iconoclast, created this cultural cul-de-sac as almost a love story to film-making. The sequence where he applies for various Union memberships to complete his film is probably too close to the truth, and the hyper-kinetically edited sequence near the end of the film is a wonder to behold.

Bootleg copies of the (now long out-of-print) SGE release have been passed around fandom like pieces of the true cross, and the popularity of the film, as well as it's creator, only grows stronger.

This film should be required viewing for all film students, as well as those who want to know how to make a film on a low budget (and how there are many sharks in the waters of Hollywood, which this film so clearly points out).

Hunt down this film (copies can be had in one form or another, check the related websites), watch it, and cherish it. You may end up wearing out the pause and slow-scan buttons on your VCR trying to figure out how he did these special effects without a computer!