Stop Look and Listen

This is a very humorous short film that I recommend to anyone. It features this man who decides to go for a drive, and he gets into his car, and in this world, every vehicle is invisible! Enter this cigar smoking guy who doesn't follow road rules. For some reason, he is after the guy who does follow road rules. Cue a montage of the man failing attempts to get thee other man, such as slipping on a banana peel, driving over his glasses, and a hilarious chase scene you have to see. Which results in him being towed. In the end of the flick, the other man meets a young woman, who smokes a cigar. I recommend this film to anyone who is ready to drive, and wants to be entertained at the same time. 8/10.

With a hat resembling Buster Keaton's, well-suited Len Janson walks out of his sunny southern California home, breathes in some fresh air, and whistles himself into an imaginary car. Through "stop/action" photography, he appears to be hitting the road. Elsewhere, wearing a hat like James Cagney's, sporty Chuck Menville lights up a cigar, vainly checks his appearance, and unsafely shaves while driving. After guzzling some gas, Mr. Menville is pulled over for a speeding ticket. Continuing to speed, he causes problems for Mr. Janson, who tries to drive more safely. The painstaking trick photography got this entertaining short safety film nominated fro an "Academy Award". It was admirably written, directed and performed by Janson and Menville.

******** Stop Look and Listen (1967) Len Janson, Chuck Menville ~ Len Janson, Chuck Menville

This is an inventive film of stop-motion humor that illustrates a few examples of smart, safe driving techniques within the context of an extended, quite humorous street battle between two very different male drivers.

I won't give away any of the visual jokes, but the overall effect is pretty amazing and hilarious.

There is no spoken dialog, just humorous sound effects and original music to accentuate the on screen action. Another incredible aspect of this work is that any southern California streets were ever empty enough to shoot films like this. Watch carefully - there's never even a single automobile in sight!

I was lucky enough to catch this as an interstitial between features on Turner Classic Movies on 6/21/2006. What a rare treat...Thanks TCM!

Most of the time I review films or shorts on IMDb I have a pretty easy time coming up with a rating. This film, though, is so bizarre and unusual that I am at a loss for how to exactly rate it. I know I liked it, but I'm not even sure why! The film is an odd stop-motion film about safe driving versus overly aggressive driving. I wonder if maybe it was intended for teens and drivers education classes--all I know is that I saw it on Turner Classic Movies in between features. The film begins with a man from the late 60s leaving him home in his car. But, when he pulls out of the garage, instead of a car he's sitting on the ground like he's driving an invisible car! And using stop-motion tricks, he moves up and down the road as if he's really driving. Now this cute trick might have gotten old very quickly had it not been for some imaginative writing. By introducing a speed demon in his own invisible car, a cute "tortoise and the hare" style story unfolds. Most of the time, the super-aggressive guy gets in trouble and the "nice" normal driver (at least normal for THIS film) is rewarded for his patience. Despite my description, it really isn't preachy and is a cute short film well worth seeing just for its novelty and ability to keep your attention with absolutely no dialog.

It took awhile for me to get use to the concept here--two male drivers driving around the streets in invisible cars. They're actually shown sitting on the ground as they zoom in and around the neighborhood streets. The regular driver who watches all the stop signals meets his match in a cigar-chomping daredevil type who tries to best him in all situations but ends up losing every time.

I suppose this is the moral that's supposed to teach us safe driving, but it's a very unconventional way to spread a message.

Funny for awhile, but after the first few encounters it quickly becomes a one joke short subject that runs on a little too long for my comfort.

Inventive, yes, but it soon wears out its welcome as a short subject once you get the point.