Time Out for Trouble

Non-Professional actors, State of Oklahoma, so I'm not expecting much. Very similar to the Public Service shorts of the 50's and 60's.

There are some decent shots of home and bedroom decor, kids playing in the yard etc. I find myself looking at the period sets and props as much as the actors. The clock, its creepy voice and blurry human face are very campy but that's why I watch these things. This is for people who like off-beat, somewhat eclectic films.

I kind of enjoy low budget flicks, especially those that aren't too long. Not a film I'll watch over and over, of course but I can see myself watching it again a year from now.

Jane Rawson hurts her back as she struggles with the vacuum and yelling kids. Apparently, people just need to handle their emotions. A breathy lady's voice tells us this and many problems that people get into. This is University of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

I am not sure how this short is supposed to help anybody. Don't be distracted. Maybe Jane shouldn't have had those kids. I really don't know what this is trying to tell us. What does it mean to pay attention to your feelings? Beware of boredom. Watch out for dangerous situations. Honestly, it may be good advice for drivers, but how do one use this as everyday rules. This is a little funny.

The guys have their own issues for sure, I am glad that Jane straightened herself out. The kids are pretty bratty, but I found Jane to be pretty attractive.

"Time Out for Trouble" is a super-bizarre film made by the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the University of Oklahoma that was inexplicably shown on Turner Classic Movies. I THINK its purpose is to help mentally ill women learn better coping skills by anticipating problems and having alternatives. However, I really am not sure what the film was trying to do...and it even could have been made to make folks crazier...it's THAT weird and confusing!!

The film was made with what looks like a cheap 8mm camera and organ music as an accompaniment. The plot involves some evil mantel clock that mocks a woman and encourages her to go off the deep end....and it's very sad when she instead takes care of herself. It's so wacky and weird and confusing...and horribly made...that you really have to see it to believe it. A truly dreadful and useless film with dubious production values...or even value to any viewer!

The Oklahoma State Department of Health produced this movie in which a vengeful mantle clock expounds in a breathy whisper on how people cause their own accidents because they're crazy. This point is emphasized by extreme point-of-view shots and really creepy organ music.

The movie takes the contemporary special effects of horror movies, distills them into one reel and uses them to make the point that .... well, it looks to me like the people at the Oklahoma State Department of Health needed a lot of therapy if they thought this was a good way of getting people to be more mindful.

I have the same issues with this movie as with many of educational movies of the 1950s and 1960s. In an attempt to make their points forcefully, they become ridiculous and take any possible positive message with them.