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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Betty Boop's Prize Show remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for the Fleischer era, sure. It’s barely a few minutes long, so you won’t lose much sleep if you hate it. People who prefer modern, linear storytelling will probably find the whole thing totally baffling and pointless. 📽️
The premise is essentially a play within a play. We are at the Slumbertown Theatre, and everything feels like it’s vibrating on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Betty is the schoolmarm, Freddie is the sheriff, and Phillip the Fiend is exactly as greasy as his name suggests.
There is this one moment where the background characters start moving in that classic, bouncy, hypnotic way. It’s less about the plot and more about how the ink seems to melt off the screen. Sometimes I wonder if the animators were just making it up as they went along.
Comparing this to something like The Saphead is a bit of a stretch, but you can feel that same frantic energy of early cinema. It’s got that same desperate need to keep you entertained for every single second.
I found myself staring at the way the lines wiggled around the edges of the frame. It’s not exactly The Big Idea, but it’s got its own charm. The whole thing feels like a fever dream you’d have after eating too much cheese before bed.
It doesn’t take itself seriously, which is lucky, because there isn't really a story to take seriously anyway. It just happens. Then it ends. It’s honestly refreshing compared to modern movies that try to explain their own logic for three hours.
If you're looking for deep character development, keep walking. If you want to see a cartoon sheriff get absolutely played by a villain in a top hat, you're in the right place. 🎩