The Wizard of Speed and Time (1988)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Mike Jittlov

Writer:

Mike Jittlov (writer)

Release Date:

September 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Musical | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

His Life Is a Special Effect...

Plot:

A Hollywood filmmaker (Mike Jittlov) makes a short for an evil film studio. Unbeknownest to him, the...

Plot Keywords:

Hollywood | Satire | Autobiographical | Pixelation | Part Animated

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Mike Jittlov	...	Mike 'The Wizard' Jittlov
Richard Kaye	...	Harvey Bookman
Paige Moore	...	Cindy Lite
Deven Chierighino	...	Brian Lucas (as David Conrad)
Steve Brodie	...	Lucky Straeker
John Massari	...	Steve Shostakovich
Gary Schwartz	...	Canadian Thug
Frank LaLoggia	...	American Thug
Philip Michael Thomas	...	Policeman Mickey Polanko
Lynda Aldon	...	Policewoman Minnie Smith
Arnetia Walker	...	Tina Dreem / Running Girl
Ben Kronen	...	C.C. de Schwartz
Angelique Pettyjohn	...	Dora Belair
Will Ryan	...	All the Unions / Mr. President (voice) (as William Z. Ryan)
Michele Roth	...	Mary Lou

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

902 Maltman Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Medusa Produzione

Trivia:

This movie is based on a 3 minute demo reel Mike Jittlov made in 1977 in an attempt to get a job at Disney Studios.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Set in 1977, features The Evil Dead (1981) (released in 1981) on a theatre marquee. This is only viewable in fullscreen versions, as letterboxing corrects this.

Quotes:

Mom Jittlov: You got a job today?
Mike: Yeah, almost; I sold my car.
Mom Jittlov: [aghast] Your wonderful car?
Mike: Mmm-hmm. Sold my property to pay property taxes.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Dr. Strange (1978) (TV)

High enjoyment, Low-Tech

What began as a three minute student film has become a cult classic that seems to snowball with the years. Mike Jittlov, film-maker/animator/writer/director/editor/co-producer/calligrapher/cult figure and iconoclast, created this cultural cul-de-sac as almost a love story to film-making. The sequence where he applies for various Union memberships to complete his film is probably too close to the truth, and the hyper-kinetically edited sequence near the end of the film is a wonder to behold.

Bootleg copies of the (now long out-of-print) SGE release have been passed around fandom like pieces of the true cross, and the popularity of the film, as well as it's creator, only grows stronger.

This film should be required viewing for all film students, as well as those who want to know how to make a film on a low budget (and how there are many sharks in the waters of Hollywood, which this film so clearly points out).

Hunt down this film (copies can be had in one form or another, check the related websites), watch it, and cherish it. You may end up wearing out the pause and slow-scan buttons on your VCR trying to figure out how he did these special effects without a computer!