Meet the Hollowheads (1989)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Thomas R. Burman

Writers:

Thomas R. Burman (written by)
Stanley Miese (additional dialogue)

Release Date:

15 November 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Sometime, somewhere, the Hollowhead family is having a bad day ....

Plot:

The Hollowheads are a strange, futuristic family that live in a Jetsons type world complete with many cool gadgets...

Plot Keywords:

Boss | Gadget | Dinner | Futuristic | Factory

Cast

John Glover	...	Henry Hollowhead
Nancy Mette	...	Miriam Hollowhead
Richard Portnow	...	Mr. Crabneck
Matt Shakman	...	Billy Hollowhead
Juliette Lewis	...	Cindy Hollowhead
Joshua John Miller	...	Joey
Shnutz Burman	...	Spike
Lightfield Lewis	...	Bud Hollowhead
Lee Arenberg	...	Ream Instructor
Barney Burman	...	Young Reamer
Anne Ramsey	...	Babbleaxe
Logan Ramsey	...	Top Drone
Layne Britton	...	Grandpa Hollowhead
Chaz Conner	...	Oliver
Bob Goldthwait	...	Cop #1 (as Jack Cheese)

Also Known As:

Life on the Edge

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Australia:M

Company:

Moviestore Entertainment

Trivia:

Anne Ramsey's last film.

Soundtrack:

I FEEL GOOD ABOUT MYSELF

A little-seen offbeat sci-fi/horror/comedy/something-else movie.

Imagine a bizarre fusion of Terry Gilliam's Brazil and TV sitcom I love Lucy. Now add a dash of Cronenbergesque body-shock horror and a soupçon of sixties sci-fi idealism. The result might look something like Meet The Hollowheads, the only directorial effort (to date) from movie make-up maestro Tom Burman. And then again it might not.

Set in a strange world where all of life's necessities are supplied (and disposed of) via tubes, where strange creatures are used both as food and household tools, and where clean living wholesome folk are driven to violence, Meet the Hollowheads is definitely a film that needs to be seen to be believed.

Henry Hollowhead (John Glover), loving husband and father of three, is United Umbilical's top meter reader. Hoping for a promotion, he brings home his new boss, Mr. Crabneck, to meet his family and stay for dinner. But Mr.Crabneck proves to be a less than perfect house-guest, insulting Henry's youngest son, and leching after both Henry's tasty wife and his jail-bait daughter (played by a very sexy and very young Juliette Lewis). Soon enough the situation turns ugly and the Hollowheads are forced to fight back.

Extremely imaginative and downright freaky in places, this movie is certainly not going to be to everyone's taste, but those with a taste for the unusual and absurd should really give this one a try, if only to witness the sight of Juliette Lewis singing and dancing whilst her (real-life) brother plays a 'half-mutant-chicken/half-trombone' musical instrument.

And if that isn't enough to tempt you, the film also contains these treats: Ms. Lewis trying on a range of garish but very-body-hugging dresses, Ms Lewis feeding her grandpa green goop though a tube while he gropes her, Near Dark's Joshua Miller playing 'Splatspray' with huge lice, Bobcat Goldthwait (credited as Jack Cheese) talking normally, and Anne 'Throw Momma From The Train' Ramsey (in her final role) requiring subtitles due to her throat cancer.

Quite insane and quite possibly brilliant (but don't quote me on that), Meet The Hollowheads is well worth checking out if you love obscure cinematic oddities.