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6.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Chases of Pimple Street remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you’re deep into the history of slapstick or have a weird soft spot for Charley Chase. If you need a tight, logical plot, keep walking. This is for the people who want to see a guy try way too hard to fix his own life and just keep making it worse.
The whole thing feels like it was put together in a basement while the clock was ticking. It’s got that specific, frantic energy you only get from old shorts where everyone is moving at 1.5x speed. Charley Chase is running around like his hair is on fire for the entire runtime.
The plot is basically just an excuse to get people into rooms where they can accidentally spill things or knock into furniture. You can tell they were trying to capture that chaotic energy found in Fools for Luck, but it’s a bit more scattershot here.
There’s a moment with a client that I’m pretty sure was improvised on the spot because the timing is so jagged it hurts. It’s not smooth, but it’s got heart, if you count desperation as a form of heart.
I found myself wondering if they even had a script by the third act. It just feels like someone yelled "go" and everyone started panicking. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Twenty Dollars a Week, but with more shouting.
Don't expect anything profound. It’s a messy little sandwich of a movie. You’ll forget most of it by the time you reach for your next snack, but for twenty minutes? It’s a decent way to kill an afternoon if your brain is feeling a bit fried. 🍿