Le monde en 1981

Having read some earlier user comments and Maltin review, I wasn't expecting Citizen Kane; rather, that this was one of those "so bad it's good" films. I would comment rather: "so bad it's incredible". It makes Reefer Madness and its like appear as cinematic art. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen, since I was sure that matters could not get worse. The futuristic earth scenes from 1980 (!) were not bad despite a trite story, since the sets must have seemed impressive at the time, and are about as good as those in the British film Things to Come. El Brendel was not as poor a performer elsewhere as he was here, given the poor material he had to work with. His hat sequence, probably perfected over years in vaudeville, is the most entertaining moment in the film. Who thought up the Mars sequence? A number of silent filmmakers had already done the alien or primitive world with much more sophistication, and not unbalanced between comedy (Brendel) and adventure (the heroes). To do justice to the cast: they were attractive performers doing their best.

I finally got to see the film that haunted me since childhood. For years I saw stills from what I was told was a lost film and was amazed at the huge scale of the sets that rivaled what Fritz Lang had done with Metropolis. They were amazing and awe inspiring.

I wish I could say the same about the whole movie.

Made in the early days of sound this movie is terribly dated. The music seems to be only used during the musical numbers and the jokes seem to be a step above okay vaudeville. Its not bad, its just not good, or good consistently.

The plot has a world where everyone is a number some fifty years in the future (ie. 1980). In connected plot lines a man from 1930 is brought back to life and his antics form a ind of comic relief. Meanwhile a young man, unable to win the hand of his lady love ends up going to Mars. Its all a bit madcap and silly.

The amazing thing is how much of this has been stolen from over the years with films like Queen of Outer Space and Sleeper seeming to have pulled off bits of plot for their own.

Is it worth seeing? Yes. The sets are amazing, even today. The problem is that the rest is hit or miss and the film now is little more than a curio and entry in film history.

One of the weirdest movies of the 1930s, this sci-fi musical is set in 1980 and includes a trip to Mars as well as moderne sets, clothing, and vehicles. This film is an explosion of creaky production numbers and vaudeville set pieces (starring the famous fake Swede of the era--El Brendel). Along for the ride are Maureen O'Sullivan (she sings!), Frank Albertson, and John Garrick. The real gem here, however, is the wonderful Marjorie White, a pudgy dynamo who reminds me of Bette Midler. Tragically, White was killed in a car crash in 1934. Brendel is funny, White is a whirlwind of talent, O'Sullivan is lovely, BUT this whole does not equal its parts. Best line in the film is when Brendel spies the Queen of Mars but then points to her mincing minion and states, "She's not the queen ... HE is."

This is one trippy movie from 70 years ago! A combination of booze jokes, sci-fi, lewd sex, vaudeville jokes. El Brendel plays a poor sap who is struck by lightning in 1930, and winds up in 1980 New York, where flying Rosenbergs and Goldbergs have replaced earthbound Fords and Chevys. Babies are gotten through vending machines, and a trip to Mars proves Martians to be twins, (Each set has a good over-sexed one, and an evil homicidal one.) I'm not making this up!! Pepper this oddity with bad puns, miniature effects, and musical numbers and you got, you got.... this film.

It has a pretty bad reputation, but Just Imagine is such a unique film that it's essential viewing for those who can overlook the bad songs and the unfunny antics of El Brendel. The art direction is, of course, inspired, the dance sequences wonderful (especially on Mars), and the joke about Henry Ford is truly hilarious. Despite it's creakiness, there's no more lovable film than Just Imagine.