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4.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Buddy's Show Boat remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you are in the mood for something that feels like a fever dream from the 1930s. If you hate old-school cartoons where the logic is thinner than the paper they were drawn on, stay far away. But if you want to see a boat do things boats shouldn't do, pull up a chair.
The whole thing starts with Buddy just floating down the river. It’s remarkably peaceful until someone decides we need a musical number every three minutes. The energy is relentless.
There’s this one sequence with the dancers that just keeps going. It’s like the animators realized they had extra film and decided to just keep drawing legs kicking until they ran out of ink. It’s hypnotic, but also kind of exhausting.
I found myself staring at the background art more than the actual characters. Sometimes the river looks like it’s made of glass, and other times it’s just scribbles. It’s not exactly the precision you’d see in 42nd Street, but it has this weird, frantic charm.
Buddy himself? He’s fine. He’s just a guy on a boat. He doesn't have much to do other than look happy while things explode into song around him. It’s a bit like watching a host who forgot he was supposed to actually lead the show.
It’s definitely not a masterpiece. It’s more of a curiosity. You watch it, you smile at a weird dance move, and then you move on. It’s not trying to change your life, which is kind of refreshing in a way.
Compared to something like Circus Life, this feels way more disjointed. At least there you had a tent to keep the chaos contained. Here, it’s just wide-open water and musical madness.
I’m still thinking about that one turtle. He didn’t even do anything, he just blinked at the camera for five seconds straight. Why? 🐢