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The Wizard of Speed and Time (1988)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Mike Jittlov (writer)
Release Date:
September 1989 (USA)
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Tagline:
His Life Is a Special Effect... more
Plot:
A Hollywood filmmaker (Mike Jittlov) makes a short for an evil film studio. Unbeknownest to him, the...
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| full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 win
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User Comments:
"I don't shake hands"
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Mike Jittlov | ... | Mike 'The Wizard' Jittlov |
| Richard Kaye | ... | Harvey Bookman |
| Paige Moore | ... | Cindy Lite |
| Deven Chierighino | ... | Brian Lucas (as David Conrad) |
| Steve Brodie | ... | Lucky Straeker |
 | John Massari | ... | Steve Shostakovich |
| Gary Schwartz | ... | Canadian Thug |
| Frank LaLoggia | ... | American Thug |
| Philip Michael Thomas | ... | Policeman Mickey Polanko |
| Lynda Aldon | ... | Policewoman Minnie Smith |
| Arnetia Walker | ... | Tina Dreem / Running Girl |
| Ben Kronen | ... | C.C. de Schwartz |
| Angelique Pettyjohn | ... | Dora Belair |
| Will Ryan | ... | All the Unions / Mr. President (voice) (as William Z. Ryan) |
| Michele Roth | ... | Mary Lou |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
95 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Many subliminal messages, in which Mr. Jittlov pays homage to the "Creative Spirit".
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Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: In a shot of the studios from the air, the name is misspelled across the roof of one of the buildings ("Hollywod Studios" instead of "Hollywood Studios").
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Quotes:
Harvey Bookman:
Now I want... Big Bang all around the rocket girls, I wanna see video explosions everywhere. I wanna see little meteors shooting out into space; space everywhere!
Video Editor: Look! I don't do miracles.
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Video Editor: Look! I don't do miracles.
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Movie Connections:
Spoofs Major Effects (1979) (TV)
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (35 total)
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Bizarre and obscure little film that charms you into watching it with gusto once a few minutes of it pass your eyes. It's an homage to struggling independent film makers everywhere, and filled with lots of subtle bits of humor and satire and quick-to-pass messages during the F/X. This film looks like it was made for about 40 bucks but don't let that keep you from watching it. What's more, evidently Mike Jittlov cast all his friends (a LOT of them) and his mom in the film as well, and it appears that each and every one of them are having the time of their lives doing this movie.
One of my favorite scenes is when Mike enters the office that Dora Belair (portrayed by Angelique Pettyjohn, sadly her last film appearance) works from, and there's a poster on the wall behind them of her Star Trek character "Shana" dressed in that aluminum foil bikini from the episode "The Gamesters Of Treskelian". It's a nice sci-fi touch... And nobody seems to notice.
Mike has a hard time trying to get his work recognized by anyone of substance (very much like real life) and it seems there's a crooked producer at every turn waiting to rip him off, and it isn't helped by his stigma about shaking hands... which is never really explained other than that he simply "...doesn't shake hands".
Throughout the film we see Mike working on film F/X in what appears to be his own garage and his own tools and props, and we get to see him actually producing the F/X that end up running in the short that he presents as his product, "The Wizard Of Speed And Time".
This is an astonishing little film that deserves much more recognition than it ever got, and it's a gem in the rough for being so matter-of-fact and innovative. It's also a must-have for any cult film or obscure cinema collector to include in their video collection. Of my all-time top 20 films, this would have to slip into the mix somewhere by its sheer tenacity and strength of will and innovation, if not for anything else. I really would have liked to have seen Mike Jittlov do something else similar to "Wizard..." but alas nothing ever came to be. I can watch this film over and over again, and with each viewing its atmosphere and flavor makes me feel like I'm 20 years back in time.
It's not for all tastes. Some people think it's absolutely wonderful, some people think it's amateurish nonsense. Some people simply won't get it at all. I got it. I liked it a lot, and the somewhat silly segments with the terribly cliche'd producer are forgivable if not perfectly allowable for the sake of comic relief, especially seeing as how that's the real producer of this film hamming it up on camera. If you *do* appreciate films like this, you'll feel refreshed after watching it and you'll feel like you'd like to meet Mike and maybe buy him a coke... just don't try to shake his hand.
Then go out and become an independent film maker yourself.
Bravo Mike, ya done good!