DVD Review: Cabin Boy

With Chris Elliott appearing in a new TV show, "Eagleheart," Common Sense Media realized that they needed a review of Cabin Boy for their database, and so the job was assigned to me. Good thing, too, because I count myself as one of the movie's dozen or so fans. You can see the full review there, but I have decided to post the gist of it here.

This universally loathed flop may have the makings of a future cult classic, although at the moment it's more of a guilty pleasure; no one wants to admit that they like it. Star and co-writer Chris Elliott had come from "Saturday Night Live" and "David Letterman" as well as his own short-lived cult TV show "Get a Life," but nothing could have prepared audiences for this weird, fantastical adventure with strange visuals and off-kilter rhythms. (Tim Burton was a producer and it definitely seems to have his "touch.")

Nathanial Mayweather (Chris Elliott) is a spoiled, educated "fancy lad," who is destined for a life of ease and luxury. Unfortunately, after graduating, he is waylaid on his way to his ship and accidentally boards a rundown fishing vessel called "The Filthy Whore." He tries to detour the ship to Hawaii but ends up in a mystical region called "Hell's Bucket" where strange things begin happening. The ship's captain and crew can't stand Nathaniel and try many ways to deal with him, both putting him to work and attempting to get rid of him. Meanwhile, a Guinness Book distance swimmer (Melora Walters) also boards the ship, and Nathanial begins to learn to be a man at last. But is it too late?

Elliot plays a distinctly unlikable character, although none of the other characters have much in the way of redeeming qualities either. Yet, this deliberately provocative approach has its benefits. The humor is so decidedly weird and unexpected that open-minded viewers may find themselves amused at any given moment. It might help if you were already aware of Elliott's deliberately annoying comic persona, or if you were a fan of cult actors like Brion James, James Gammon, Brian Doyle-Murray, and Russ Tamblyn. (Even Letterman makes a cameo here.)