The Wizard of Speed and Time (1988)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Mike Jittlov

Writer:

Mike Jittlov (writer)

Release Date:

September 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Musical | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

His Life Is a Special Effect...

Plot:

A Hollywood filmmaker (Mike Jittlov) makes a short for an evil film studio. Unbeknownest to him, the...

Plot Keywords:

Hollywood | Satire | Autobiographical | Pixelation | Part Animated

Awards:

1 win

Cast

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

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

902 Maltman Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Medusa Produzione

Trivia:

The seal of one of the film unions is a vulture holding a twisted strip of film in its talons.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The movie is set in 1977 but the IBM PC or XT computer in the office at Hollywood Studios wasn't released to the public until 1981.

Quotes:

Steve: Lights, camera, and anguish.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Major Effects (1979) (TV)

Great film, in spite of its production limitations

Jittlov has more talent in his little finger than about 3/4ths of the film directing "talent" of Hollywood combined. The three little film bits he did for Disney during the 1980s was the BEST thing that came out of the Disney studio for that entire decade (AND the decade before), but Disney otherwise rejected his pitches for a feature film entirely.

Jittlov's WIZARD OF SPEED AND TIME feature film is a wonderful romp of a film, in spite of the fact that he was not allowed to finish the film's special effects and sound effects in many places. (As legend has it, the film's co-producer, Richard Kaye, allegedly made off with the film's completion money before the film was done.) Jittlov considers the film to be only about 75 % completed, which accounts for the less than stellar rating from some viewers who don't know of this behind-the-scenes back-story, and who just don't "get" what Jittlov was trying to do with this film.

It boggles the mind to think of how even MORE nifty the film would be is some financial angel would come along and give him the $ to complete it, creating a "director's cut" for release on DVD, with ALL his equally great short films available on the DVD, as well as other extras that Jittlov could add to the DVD also.

Alas, no one has been forthcoming, and Jittlov has suffered financially and emotionally for almost two decades. When will Hollywood learn to NOT destroy the creativity of such filmic geniuses as Jittlov, Orson Welles, Buster Keaton, etc., etc., etc., etc. Join with me: Pound on the sand on the beach and shout, "Damn them all to hell !" for not RUSHING to Jittlov's aid.

Jittlov can do with 5 million dollars what other filmmakers do with 50 million, and with all the poorly conceived, ineptly produced drek coming out on DVD and on TV, the world NEEDS filmmaker's with the talent, vision(s), and attitude of Jittlov more desperately now than it ever did.

And on top of all that, he treats his fans like gold. Returning phone calls (I believe he's still in the L.A. phone book.) and answering e-mails. Even his web sites are more magnificent than most also. (Google can find them for you.) Gawd ! Is there NO justice???? Are ALL the studios in Hollywood so consistently and perpetually STUPID that they don't recognize his OBVIOUS talent? Has the world gone MAD ??? SOMEBODY with money, CALL HIM !!!!!!