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5.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Two Boobs in a Balloon remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you're a massive fan of Edgar Bergen or just love watching vintage oddities that don't make a lick of sense. If you hate ventriloquism or get bored by 1940s pacing, stay far away. It’s a very specific brand of weird.
The whole premise is just an excuse to get Charlie McCarthy into a hot air balloon. The Spirit of Ammonia looks like it was held together by glue and hope, which is kind of the vibe of the whole production.
Watching Professor Pu try to manage a balloon while arguing with a dummy is... well, it's something. Charlie is consistently more likable than the actual humans in this thing. That’s usually how these things go, right?
There is this one shot where the balloon is supposed to be in the stratosphere, but it just looks like they’re hovering over a dusty field in California. You can practically see the wires or the lack of effort in the background matte painting. It’s charming in a way that feels almost accidental. 🎈
The landing sequence is a total disaster of editing. One minute they are in the sky, and the next, they are just kind of *there* on the ground. No transition. Just boom, land.
I found myself comparing the chaotic energy here to the frantic pacing in Destry Rides Again, though that movie actually knew where it was going. This one just kind of wanders off the map.
The movie doesn't try to be profound. It just wants to exist for a few minutes and then disappear. I respect that. It’s not trying to be the next Casanova or anything high-brow.
It’s the kind of thing you’d find on a dusty VHS tape in a basement. You watch it, you blink, and then you wonder if you actually saw it at all. Sometimes that’s enough. 🪵