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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
If you have ten minutes and like weird old cartoons, then yeah, definitely. It is perfect for people who like that creepy-but-cute vibe from the early sound era.
People who need a plot or *logical character choices* will probably hate it though. It is mostly just stuff happening for the sake of a rhythm.
The whole thing starts with Krazy Kat following footprints in the dirt. We never really find out who they belong to, which is a bit annoying if you think about it too long.
The trees and birds start playing music almost immediately. It feels like the entire landscape is just one big instrument. 🎵
There is this clock tower that looks like it hasn't slept in a week. It just starts jamming along with the rest of the scenery.
Then the rain comes down. It is that thick, black ink rain that you only see in these old 1930s shorts like The Big Burg.
Krazy ducks into a house to get dry, but the house is arguably worse. The furniture starts attacking him.
A chair literally tries to kick him out. It is one of those moments where you realize how much work went into animating things that shouldn't move.
The physics are all rubbery and strange. It reminds me of the energy in The Big Hop, but much darker.
Eventually, a ghost shows up and just... grabs him. No explanation or anything. 👻
They go underground to this hidden room where a bunch of ghosts are having a party. It is basically a 1930s club scene but for dead people.
The singing and dancing go on for a while. It is impressive how much they fit into such a short runtime.
Manny Gould and Ben Harrison really leaned into the surrealism here. It doesn't feel like a corporate product at all.
Krazy Kat just joins in the dance eventually. He seems to forget that he was being chased by a violent stool five minutes ago.
The ending is very abrupt. It just kind of stops once the music is over.
I caught myself staring at the background details more than the characters. There is a lot of small, jittery movement in the corners of the frame.
It is not a masterpiece, but it is memorable. If you like things that feel a little bit haunted, give it a look.
