Young Einstein

This comic variation on the iconic Einstein image plays more like a series of skits, writer-director-producer and star (he also did his own stunts) Yahoo Serious (real name Greg Pead) throwing everything into the mix to give the film an 'off-the-wall' wackiness. Somewhat surprisingly, at least in a commercial, sense it worked (no doubt the fact that after a rocky production history it was picked up by Warners helped) and the film did well at the box office, taking some $14m domestically and $11.5 m in the U.S. (the latter no doubt piggy-backing on the success of Paul Hogan's Crocodile films), making Serious. an industry outsider with no money, a pop cultural phenomenon Down Under on a par with Hogan. At least briefly. He made a couple more films, Reckless Kelly in 1993 and the apparently accurately-named Mr Accident in 2000 before his well ran completely dry.

If you're a fan of Jerry Lewis style slapstick you will probably find this amusing, if not,although it's well-made and Serious has an evident idiosyncratic integrity, it's likely to test your patience. \

 

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