PROGRAMMING NOTE
Folks who watch this space regularly know all-too-well that one of my principle jobs as Editor-In-Chief for SciFiHistory.Net is to pass along what I believe to be some of the very best information and reviews humanly possible. What you may not know is that I'm often engaged behind-the-scenes in creative outreach: I'm constantly firing off email after email -- even letter after letter, for those of you who know old school -- to the movers and shakers I can find on the Information Superhighway. In most cases, I'm asking for product to review, and even in cases where that's unlikely I still do my part to make my brand -- to make SciFiHistory.Net -- known. That way, some folks mark my page and come back later when they do have something to offer.
One of my recent contacts is the firm Rising Sun Media. They were established in 2007 with the goal of providing audiences some of the best sights and sounds possible via through streaming and physical product. There were gracious enough to share with me a link with which I could view Mutant Stranger From Mars, and I'm happy to share their information with you below with links to their presence on World Wide Web. As always, you are encouraged to check all things out on your own ... and happy viewing!
Twitter: Rising Sun Media
Vimeo: Rising Sun Media
Storefront: Rising Sun Media
Watch 'Mutant Swinger From Mars' (with commercials): Link
Take note, friends: comedy – when done right – always was the original ‘meta.’
For those who read here and might be a bit too old to understand the reference, I’ll explain: ‘meta’ is, essentially, being able to see a thing from outside of it in a way that demonstrates complete awareness. It’s the knowing grin. It’s a perceptive glance. It’s a state of being while – at the same time – exercising full recognition that you are, in fact, caught within a state of being. Occasionally, television shows kinda/sorta break that fourth wall with their audiences so that the actors – playing characters – can give a wink and a nod to the viewers, indicating benignly “we’re in this with you.” It’s a rare feat to be accomplished effectively, but stranger things have been tried.
Comedy embraces its own self-awareness. It consciously goes about lampooning reality while instantly mocking itself. Granted, not all comedies do this, nor should it be tried to everyone who engages in capturing humor live, on tape, or in film: it’s a treacherous exercise that – if it comes off badly – truly ruins the work. It is not without great risk, as nothing truly great ever is. But when it’s done right, it’s damn near genius. Think of it as satire that’s lovingly ridiculing itself, and maybe – maybe – you get the idea.
Now, I can’t tell you exactly when Mutant Swinger From Mars truly came to life (more on that in a moment), but I can tell you by appearances everyone involved in the crafting and execution of this comedy was ‘in’ on the joke from the outset. The group behind it undoubtedly knew what they wanted, how they would get there, and even what it would look like in its completion. That doesn’t mean that all of its jokes worked perfectly – there are some ‘groaners’ in there … but that happens when you’ve truly achieved self-awareness.
Are you hip?
Well, if you’re not, then you will be.
Yes. You will be.
For those who read here and might be a bit too old to understand the reference, I’ll explain: ‘meta’ is, essentially, being able to see a thing from outside of it in a way that demonstrates complete awareness. It’s the knowing grin. It’s a perceptive glance. It’s a state of being while – at the same time – exercising full recognition that you are, in fact, caught within a state of being. Occasionally, television shows kinda/sorta break that fourth wall with their audiences so that the actors – playing characters – can give a wink and a nod to the viewers, indicating benignly “we’re in this with you.” It’s a rare feat to be accomplished effectively, but stranger things have been tried.
Comedy embraces its own self-awareness. It consciously goes about lampooning reality while instantly mocking itself. Granted, not all comedies do this, nor should it be tried to everyone who engages in capturing humor live, on tape, or in film: it’s a treacherous exercise that – if it comes off badly – truly ruins the work. It is not without great risk, as nothing truly great ever is. But when it’s done right, it’s damn near genius. Think of it as satire that’s lovingly ridiculing itself, and maybe – maybe – you get the idea.
Now, I can’t tell you exactly when Mutant Swinger From Mars truly came to life (more on that in a moment), but I can tell you by appearances everyone involved in the crafting and execution of this comedy was ‘in’ on the joke from the outset. The group behind it undoubtedly knew what they wanted, how they would get there, and even what it would look like in its completion. That doesn’t mean that all of its jokes worked perfectly – there are some ‘groaners’ in there … but that happens when you’ve truly achieved self-awareness.
Are you hip?
Well, if you’re not, then you will be.
Yes. You will be.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com citation:
“A long lost sci-fi film from the 50’s, finally, has been recovered! Martians from Mars come to Earth for its most valuable resource … women! It’s up to Rusty Rave to stop them!”
I’ve mentioned before that I’m forever thankful to have grown up in a time and place wherein kids practically couldn’t suffer from things like Attention Deficit Disorder. Television – on a good day without a thundercloud in the sky – had anywhere from six to nine channels. There was no DVD. There were no VCRs. There was no streaming. In short, you had what you had; and if you wanted to watch something on the Boob Tube then you had to be happy with whatever it was local stations gave to you. Nine times out of ten, I was burdened with the exact kind of films those wonderful satirists at Mystery Science Theatre 3000 parodied. Mountains upon mountains upon mountains of shlock. Pure shlock. Sometimes? Pure dreck.
And, proudly, I made do.
Because that was what syndicated television programming was, I lost count of the number of times I’d likely seen I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957) and fare like it. By the time I was ten years old, I’d probably seen MST3K’s entire library of bad films at least a half-dozen times; and because I had nothing else to change the channel to I stuck with it. All of it. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Like those merry commentators, I found a way to get through, and – you bet – sometimes that meant talking back to the screen. Barking at the characters. Laughing at their circumstances. It’s a uniquely human experience kids today just can’t appreciate.
That’s why a little something something like Mutant Swinger From Mars makes perfect sense to me.
As a comedy, it was clearly conceived (if not executed) by folks who shared a similar childhood. It’s a goofy plot populated by stereotypical characters drawn from a bygone era, and all of it is couched in some irrepressible nonsense about being severely important. It’s all delivered with a kind of ham-handed seriousness to the point of parody. It cleverly upends the conventions of those films – the mad scientist, the alien invaders, the cultural norms, etc. – by putting them on display … and dialing it up to eleven!
It isn’t enough for the inventor to craft his own diabolical Frankenstein … not when this one can be a reanimated 50’s swinger with a ridiculous fashion sense. It isn’t enough to write a single joke mocking a single film from the true dawn of Science Fiction … not when you can build a script around mocking all of them! And it isn’t enough for the brave Martian female who threw herself in front of a laser to save the Earth hero to merely whisper her dying words in his ear … not when she can go out licking it!
(FYI: that was my biggest and best laugh.)
From the film’s IMDB.com citation:
“A long lost sci-fi film from the 50’s, finally, has been recovered! Martians from Mars come to Earth for its most valuable resource … women! It’s up to Rusty Rave to stop them!”
I’ve mentioned before that I’m forever thankful to have grown up in a time and place wherein kids practically couldn’t suffer from things like Attention Deficit Disorder. Television – on a good day without a thundercloud in the sky – had anywhere from six to nine channels. There was no DVD. There were no VCRs. There was no streaming. In short, you had what you had; and if you wanted to watch something on the Boob Tube then you had to be happy with whatever it was local stations gave to you. Nine times out of ten, I was burdened with the exact kind of films those wonderful satirists at Mystery Science Theatre 3000 parodied. Mountains upon mountains upon mountains of shlock. Pure shlock. Sometimes? Pure dreck.
And, proudly, I made do.
Because that was what syndicated television programming was, I lost count of the number of times I’d likely seen I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957) and fare like it. By the time I was ten years old, I’d probably seen MST3K’s entire library of bad films at least a half-dozen times; and because I had nothing else to change the channel to I stuck with it. All of it. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Like those merry commentators, I found a way to get through, and – you bet – sometimes that meant talking back to the screen. Barking at the characters. Laughing at their circumstances. It’s a uniquely human experience kids today just can’t appreciate.
That’s why a little something something like Mutant Swinger From Mars makes perfect sense to me.
As a comedy, it was clearly conceived (if not executed) by folks who shared a similar childhood. It’s a goofy plot populated by stereotypical characters drawn from a bygone era, and all of it is couched in some irrepressible nonsense about being severely important. It’s all delivered with a kind of ham-handed seriousness to the point of parody. It cleverly upends the conventions of those films – the mad scientist, the alien invaders, the cultural norms, etc. – by putting them on display … and dialing it up to eleven!
It isn’t enough for the inventor to craft his own diabolical Frankenstein … not when this one can be a reanimated 50’s swinger with a ridiculous fashion sense. It isn’t enough to write a single joke mocking a single film from the true dawn of Science Fiction … not when you can build a script around mocking all of them! And it isn’t enough for the brave Martian female who threw herself in front of a laser to save the Earth hero to merely whisper her dying words in his ear … not when she can go out licking it!
(FYI: that was my biggest and best laugh.)
I’d be remiss in my duties as a SciFi Historian, though, if I didn’t pause to tell you a bit of history which might also tweak your interest.
The sad truth is that Mutant Swinger – like so many of the films it idolizes through mirth – is itself an almost forgotten flick. From information that’s been passed on to me via its publicist, it was filmed some time in the late 1990’s and then just kinda/sorta dropped off the radar, never finding a distributor or outlet for airing. Writer/director Michael Kallio did as industry professionals do and, simply, moved on to other work. (Those bills aren’t gonna pay themselves, am I right?) Still, labors of love do not go away quietly, and – from the looks of its history on IMDB.com – it’s clear that he kept it afloat when opportunities presented themselves, making festival and ComicCon-style appearances for showings.
For what it’s worth, dare I suggest that it’s the kind of film that never truly goes out of style?
Comedy changes – what’s funny today isn’t necessarily what was funny ten, twenty, and thirty years ago – but I’ve always argued that there’s a timelessness to authentic parody. Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein (1974) is the type of motion picture that’ll always have an audience; while the wifey and I noticed some of the Millennials in attendance at a recent screening took issue with some of its bawdiness, they still ‘got’ and appreciated the overarching tone. Same thing with Airplane! (1980). Same thing with Hot Shots! (1991). These are films that clearly knew their target, so it was hard to miss. Mutant Swinger accomplishes much the same – any lover of traditional SciFi might be giddy with delight over its endless caricature – and I hope my two cents here encourage readers to seek out and explore this delightful 90-minute laugher.
Highly recommended.
Because Mutant Swinger From Mars is about as close to a pure comedy as one can get, I’ll caution readers that it won’t be for everyone, though I suspect everyone will find something worth-the-laugh in here. It’s a gloriously demented experience intended especially for lovers of SciFi, Fantasy, and Horror from the Golden Age of Television, but it’s smart and prescient enough to not stop there. I lost count of the in-jokes about halfway through, and you will, too, if you know what’s good for you. This low-budget independent comedy knows just how to hit the gas, sister … and then some.
In the interests of fairness, the fine folks at Rising Sun Media, Inc. provided me with a complimentary streaming link of Mutant Swinger From Mars by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
The sad truth is that Mutant Swinger – like so many of the films it idolizes through mirth – is itself an almost forgotten flick. From information that’s been passed on to me via its publicist, it was filmed some time in the late 1990’s and then just kinda/sorta dropped off the radar, never finding a distributor or outlet for airing. Writer/director Michael Kallio did as industry professionals do and, simply, moved on to other work. (Those bills aren’t gonna pay themselves, am I right?) Still, labors of love do not go away quietly, and – from the looks of its history on IMDB.com – it’s clear that he kept it afloat when opportunities presented themselves, making festival and ComicCon-style appearances for showings.
For what it’s worth, dare I suggest that it’s the kind of film that never truly goes out of style?
Comedy changes – what’s funny today isn’t necessarily what was funny ten, twenty, and thirty years ago – but I’ve always argued that there’s a timelessness to authentic parody. Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein (1974) is the type of motion picture that’ll always have an audience; while the wifey and I noticed some of the Millennials in attendance at a recent screening took issue with some of its bawdiness, they still ‘got’ and appreciated the overarching tone. Same thing with Airplane! (1980). Same thing with Hot Shots! (1991). These are films that clearly knew their target, so it was hard to miss. Mutant Swinger accomplishes much the same – any lover of traditional SciFi might be giddy with delight over its endless caricature – and I hope my two cents here encourage readers to seek out and explore this delightful 90-minute laugher.
Highly recommended.
Because Mutant Swinger From Mars is about as close to a pure comedy as one can get, I’ll caution readers that it won’t be for everyone, though I suspect everyone will find something worth-the-laugh in here. It’s a gloriously demented experience intended especially for lovers of SciFi, Fantasy, and Horror from the Golden Age of Television, but it’s smart and prescient enough to not stop there. I lost count of the in-jokes about halfway through, and you will, too, if you know what’s good for you. This low-budget independent comedy knows just how to hit the gas, sister … and then some.
In the interests of fairness, the fine folks at Rising Sun Media, Inc. provided me with a complimentary streaming link of Mutant Swinger From Mars by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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