4.7/10
Senior Film Conservator

A definitive 4.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Amateur Broadcast remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you've got seven minutes to spare and a weird itch for early animation history, Amateur Broadcast is worth a look. It’s perfect for people who like their cartoons a little rough around the edges and honestly, probably annoying for anyone who needs a solid, coherent plot.
Oswald is the host here, and he’s doing his best, but it’s basically a disaster. The whole thing feels like a fever dream of vaudeville acts gone wrong.
There's this one lamb who just won't quit. Watching it try to hijack the stage over and over again is kind of exhausting but in a funny way. It reminds me of that one person at a party who just will not stop talking about their screenplay.
The frog character is the real highlight, though. He shows up, looks tough, and then just refuses to yield the spotlight. Seeing him get 'neatly disposed of' was a moment of pure, slapstick satisfaction. It’s a total contrast to the more graceful stuff you see in The Piano Mover, where the physical comedy feels a bit more calculated.
The pacing is all over the place. One second it’s a smooth talent show, the next it’s total anarchy. Sometimes the animation feels like it’s struggling to keep up with the gag, but that’s part of the charm, right?
It doesn't reach the heights of The Tennis Wizard, but it’s a fun little snapshot of what these studios were throwing at the wall back then. Sometimes the wall is blank, but here, it’s covered in ink and frustration. 🐰🎙️
Don't expect a masterpiece. Just watch the frog get booted and enjoy the ride.