The American Astronaut (2001)

Uh-oh, watch out everyone, I have achieved obsession status with this one. In no way can I accurately summarize/explain/encapsulate the wonder of The American Astronaut, but damn if it isn't something truly special. Cory McAbee wrote, directed, starred in, and (along with his band The Billy Nayer Show) wrote the music for this ridiculously idiosyncratic space-western musical comedy. It's... so cool. The story is set in an ambiguous time period (though Wikipedia says it's "a fictitious past", which I don't recall being mentioned), during which the various planets and moons are populated by shady, slightly greasy dudes, with most of the women isolating themselves on Venus. McAbee plays Samuel Curtis, an interplanetary trader who picks up a complicated but lucrative job from his friend and former dance partner, the Blueberry Pirate (Joshua Taylor).

He must travel to Jupiter, where women are unknown, to deliver a Real Live Girl held in a small container, in exchange for the planet's teenage hero, The Boy Who Actually Saw A Woman's Breast (Gregory Russell Cook). Sam can then take The Boy to Venus, where he will be made the women's sex object and treated like royalty until he dies. In exchange for The Boy, Sam will reclaim the dead body of their last sex companion, whose wealthy family wants him back to be buried. Sam will receive a nice sum for the corpse, and can settle down on Earth. It seems like a pretty sweet set-up, but he's being closely followed by the skeevy Professor Hess (Rocco Sisto), who vaporizes everyone with whom Sam comes in contact.


There is no denying that this film is incredibly, indescribably strange. A lot of it doesn't make much sense, but that doesn't matter, because I was instantly drawn into the story by the likable characters, insane music, and unique universe. Cory McAbee is probably the most affable guy I've ever seen, and his characterization of Sam is just a pleasant experience to watch. He's funny but not over the top, and an impressive dancer. I also really enjoyed Greg Russell Cook as The Boy Who Actually Saw A Woman's Breast (that remains his name). Not only is he freaking adorable and a good singer, the fact that he spends the entire film dressed like Hermes is just too endearing. I was extremely creeped out by Professor Hess due to his profound ickiness, but I guess that's the point. And it was a pleasant surprise to see Annie Golden's cameo, though I didn't recognize her initially (she's in the movie version of Hair).

Visually, The American Astronaut has a combination of beautiful black and white stylization and DIY aesthetics. It looks amazing, but some of the cost-effective aspects are apparent. For example, McAbee does his own jumping moon walk when he first lands, and in lieu of CGI or models, the shots of his spaceship flying around are done as a series of paintings (by McAbee himself). Really these sort of effects-on-a-budget just serve to increase the film's already wildly imaginative outlook. The little details in the set and costume design are quite charming, from the ship's bedroom-like interior to penchant for cowboy hats.

One thing I'm a little iffy on, story wise, is the approach to women. A lot things about this universe aren't really explained fully, so I'm not sure what we are supposed to take away from it. I think that either all women, or just most, are relegated to Venus to make their way without men, except for one they use as a companion/sex slave. That is an ok idea, but when we actually meet them, they're very frilly and light-headed and giggly, dressed in these Rococo-esque gowns and literally tripping over themselves to catch a man. And then Sam is singing about "The Girl With the Vagina Made of Glass" which to me is just harking back to the stereotype of Woman as Frail Victim. Because the film is generally pretty light-hearted in other ways (well, except for all the vaporizing), I don't think any of the scenes on Venus were meant to be taken seriously, but I couldn't help but be a little perplexed. And obviously the concept of raising the Real Live Girl to become a wife/sex object for the head of Jupiter isn't cool, but that never plays out.


The story is engaging and fanciful, and the way it was approached really reminded me of The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai; in both films, it feels as if the audience is entering the story in the middle of things, with a lot of unexplained references to past events or relationships and little insight into their developments. It's kind of cool to get the impression that all of this awesome stuff was going on before we were privy to these characters' lives, but it's also really frustrating because I want to know everything about these people. It's a good tactic though, as I know I'll be watching The American Astronaut again and again, attempting to glean new clues to certain mysteries and questions about everyone's past.

While undeniably weird and often ambiguous, this film is refreshingly original to the point of being unprecedented. It's got a great cast, great music, and a great look, with an odd but wholly engaging and funny script. Unfortunately it's really hard to find, and as far as I know the only way to get it is directly from McAbee's website. Otherwise, you could check out his newest venture, Stingray Sam, a miniseries with a lot of similar themes, characters, and of course, rockin' songs. I can basically guarantee you've never seen anything like his work before.

4.5/5

"The American Astronaut"
"Hey Boy"