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6.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. In a Pig's Eye remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Look, if you have twenty minutes and you really, really love old-school slapstick, sure. It’s a relic, plain and simple. If you find theatrical, over-the-top mugging for the camera annoying, you will absolutely hate this. It’s loud, it’s silly, and it moves at the speed of a caffeinated squirrel. 🐿️
Bobby Clark and Paul McCullough are clearly having a blast, even if half the jokes land with a dull thud. There’s a segment where Clark is wearing a kilt and playing the bagpipes that feels like it went on for three lifetimes. It’s weirdly hypnotic in how committed he is to the bit.
The whole premise is just an excuse to break things. They are supposed to be tailors, but I wouldn't trust them to stitch a button, let alone a suit. The movie doesn't really care about the plot, and honestly, why should it? It’s just one physical gag after another until the reel runs out.
Sometimes the rhythm is so off it feels like watching a rehearsal that they just decided to film anyway. It makes Cockeyed Cavaliers look like a masterclass in tight editing. There’s a specific moment where a prop clearly wobbles and you can see someone in the background almost lose it.
It’s not trying to be high art. It’s just a couple of guys trying to make people laugh in an era where that meant falling down a lot. If you compare it to something like Artist's Muddle, you can see the same DNA of pure, unfiltered chaos. Sometimes the silence between the jokes is louder than the sound effects, which is a choice, I guess.
Don't look for meaning here. There isn't any. It’s just a loud, dusty, and occasionally funny little piece of film history that someone dragged out of a basement somewhere. I think I liked it more for its flaws than for the actual comedy. That’s probably the wrong way to watch it, but here we are. 🤷♂️