Where to watch Cabin Boy
1 Star
Snobby school boy goes left and mistakes the “Filthy Whore” for his millionaire dad’s yacht. He joins four filthy fishermen for hijinx on the high seas.
Cabin Boy is one of the best-looking bad movies ever put on screen. The film’s visual design, inspired by cinema pioneers and the modern works of Terry Gilliam, is the only thing of interest in this laugh-less comedy that becomes an endurance test as it crawls through its, barely feature-length, 80-minute running time. Art departments shouldered most of the heavy lifting in bringing this terrible script to life. Tim Burton’s name appears as the producer; rumor is that he considered directing, and while this has similar themes to several of Burton’s previous films, he wisely chose to avoid this dud.
Chris Elliot is an acquired taste, most popular for his supporting role in ‘There’s Something About Mary.’ However, I remember him as the amusing off-beat comedian with a skill set best utilized in his short-lived Fox show ‘Get a Life.’ On episodic television, Elliot’s performance style is palatable. Over nearly an hour and a half, it’s obnoxious. Cabin Boy is an example of hardworking craftspeople employing their talent on a project that isn’t worthy of the time and energy of the creative team behind the scenes.
Directed by: Adam Resnick
Written by: Chris Elliott, Adam Resnick
Starring: Chris Elliott, Ritch Brinkley, James Gammon