5.9/10
Senior Film Conservator

A definitive 5.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Katnips of 1940 remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have seven minutes to spare today, yes, you should absolutely watch this. Anyone who loves old, rubbery cartoons where physics don't exist will have a blast.
But if you can't stand screechy audio or nonsensical plots, you'll probably turn it off in thirty seconds.
The whole thing starts with Krazy teaching a group of clowns how to dance. But here is the thing: the clowns are wearing tight leotards and high-heeled pumps.
Why high heels? The movie never explains it, and honestly, the sight of these lumpy cartoon guys trying to balance is deeply weird.
Then this Swedish girl with spiral hair wanders in from next door. She is desperate for a job and starts doing these wild demonstrations of her "talents."
When she sings, her voice is so loud it literally blasts Krazy backward. It’s that classic, aggressive cartoon humor that feels a bit like Mickey's Charity, where the physical comedy is just a tiny bit violent.
To get rid of her, Krazy literally cranks up a movable balcony she is standing on and leaves her stuck at the top. Talk about workplace hazards.
My favorite part is when the actual fancy soprano arrives in her big car. The Swedish girl falls off her high balcony and lands right on top of the soprano, squishing her flat.
The soprano gets up, but her body is completely deformed and her voice is ruined. She just walks away in shame, which feels incredibly mean but I couldn't help laughing.
So, of course, Krazy has to put the Swedish girl in the show instead.
The actual show at the end is just a blur of fast dancing and weird costumes. They do a whole routine, and then suddenly the lights flash and they are dressed as Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty. 🇺🇸
It makes absolutely no sense in context, but that’s 1940s cartoon logic for you.
It’s short, it’s chaotic, and it doesn't try to teach you a lesson. Sometimes that is all you need on a Tuesday afternoon.

IMDb 4.1
1918
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