Bring 'Em Back a Lie: A Strange Kind of Hunting Trip

Should you watch this?

Honestly, only if you're a massive fan of old-school slapstick or just really curious about how they used to do parodies back in the day. If you hate slow pacing or jokes that land with a thud, skip it. It's a bit of a relic, really.

The whole thing feels like it was put together on a lunch break. It's supposed to be mocking those grand safari movies that were everywhere, but it ends up feeling like a home movie that accidentally got a budget.

The vibe

Phyllis Fraser is doing her best, but she's trapped in a script that doesn't know if it wants to be a comedy or a nature doc. Ben Turpin is in this, and you can tell he's just waiting for the craft services table to open. His eyes are going in two different directions, and honestly, that's the most excitement you'll get for twenty minutes straight.

• The jungle set looks like it's made of wet cardboard and hope.
• There's a scene involving a trap that goes on for way too long.
• The dialogue is just... rough.

You can tell they wanted to capture that Lightning Speed energy, but it just falls flat. It’s not quite as charming as A Pair of Tights, which had that perfect level of chaos. This one is just messy.

There's this moment where Ray Corrigan is supposed to be intimidating, but he's standing next to a prop that is clearly just a stuffed animal from a thrift store. I laughed, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to. It’s not as sharp as The Girl Hater, that's for sure.

Is it a disaster? No. It’s just kind of there. It feels like someone watched a better movie, decided they could do a version for half the price, and then lost the script halfway through filming. It’s a bit like watching Manhattan Moon, but with more fake trees and less rhythm.

Maybe it’s worth a look if you're doing a marathon of oddities. Otherwise, maybe just watch the trees sway and imagine a better plot. 🌿