Flip's Lunch Room: A weird little slice of 1930s chaos

Is it worth the watch?

If you have a soft spot for early, jittery animation where the physics don't quite make sense, then yes. If you need a plot that holds together or jokes that actually land in 2024, skip it. This is strictly for people who like to see how weird cartoons were before they got all polished and safe.

There is this moment near the start where Flip is just setting up his shop. The way he moves feels like his bones are made of warm spaghetti. It’s deeply unsettling and I can’t stop watching it.

The whole conflict is just a guy trying to stiff him on a meal check. It’s low stakes, but the animation style makes every movement feel like the end of the world. The villain has this sneering face that feels pulled straight out of a nightmare, honestly.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Flip's Lunch Room (1933) through its definitive frames.

Compared to something like The Mascot, this feels a lot more frantic. It lacks that eerie, quiet atmosphere. Instead, it’s just pure, unadulterated noise and limb-stretching.

Odd observations from the lunch counter:

• The sound effects are mostly just weird grunts and whistles.
• I’m pretty sure the cook in the back isn't even looking at the stove.
• The chase scene lasts way longer than it needs to. It’s almost impressive how much they milk it.

The ending is a bit abrupt. Flip gets a cash reward and that’s it—the movie just quits on you. No big send-off, no lingering shot. It feels like the projector just ran out of film and they called it a day. 🐸

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a story. But there’s something about the way Flip’s eyes bulge when he gets angry that makes me think Ub Iwerks was having a very strange day at the office.