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7.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Shoein' Hosses remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have about seven minutes to spare and want to watch Popeye and Bluto treat a blacksmith shop like a punching bag, absolutely. It’s perfect for anyone who likes their animation loud, fast, and entirely devoid of workplace safety regulations. If you’re looking for a plot that actually goes somewhere, well, keep walking.
Wimpy starts the whole mess, which is honestly on brand. He’s such a disaster at being an assistant that Olive fires him on the spot. Watching him get the boot is pretty funny, mostly because he doesn't seem to care as long as there’s a sandwich nearby.
Then the competition starts. Popeye and Bluto show up, and you just *know* the shop isn't surviving the next five minutes. It’s not about shoeing horses at all. It’s about who can hit the other person into a pile of scrap metal first. 🛠️
The pacing here is frantic. There’s a specific bit where they’re both trying to hammer the same horseshoe, and it turns into this weird, rhythmic violence. It’s hypnotic, in a way. You start wondering if they’ve ever actually seen a horse, or if they just really like the sound of heavy metal clanging together.
I noticed the background details in the shop start disappearing pretty early on. A shelf here, a wall there. By the end, the place is basically a skeleton. It’s the kind of reckless destruction that makes The Stunt Man look like a gentle documentary.
The animation style has that classic 1930s jitter. It feels raw and slightly unhinged. There’s no transition between “we are working” and “I am going to throw this anvil at your head.” It just happens. That’s the beauty of it, I guess.
It’s not trying to be high art. It’s not trying to teach you about the history of metalwork. It’s just a cartoon where two guys hit each other until the building gives up. Sometimes, that’s all you need. 🥊