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5.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Believe It or Not #7 remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have any patience for the vintage 'Believe It or Not' shorts, you know exactly what you’re getting into. This is for the folks who love late-night rabbit holes and don't mind when the production quality feels like a postcard from 1930. If you need a cohesive plot or modern pacing, honestly, just skip it.
Robert L. Ripley is basically the original internet clickbait king, except he’s doing it with a tuxedo and a very serious face. The segments in #7 fly by so fast you barely have time to register if what you're seeing is actually true or just a really committed prank.
There is a segment involving a person doing something I can't quite describe without sounding like I’ve lost my mind. It’s bizarre. The way the camera just stares at these people, waiting for them to finish their strange party tricks, is oddly hypnotic.
It’s not quite as charming as Clara Cleans Her Teeth, which has that weirdly specific educational vibe. This feels more like a frantic attempt to keep you awake during a matinee. The transition between facts is basically non-existent. One minute you’re looking at a guy with a weird hobby, and the next you’re watching a blurry shot of a building that supposedly holds a record for being... tall? Short? I lost track.
The whole thing has this gritty, scratchy texture that makes it feel like it was recovered from a basement flood. It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a movie, really. But there’s something about the earnestness of the whole enterprise that keeps you watching, just to see how much weirder it can get.
It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Back Stage, where everything feels like it might fall apart at any second. I’m not saying it’s good cinema, but it’s certainly something. You finish it and wonder why you spent ten minutes looking at this, yet you’re not entirely mad about it. 🧐