The American Astronaut

You cannot "make" a cult movie--it happens organically when audiences, through accident or word of mouth, discover a hitherto unknown gem of a film that never quite clicked in its first go-round. The American Astronaut attempts to put down roots as a new cult classic with its creepy black-and-white cinematography, wildly offbeat story (involving outer space travel and the search for feminine company at the far end of an asteroid belt), low-budget but high-imagination production values, endless supply of weird characters, and wacky musical score (provided by The Billy Nayer Show, which the press notes claim is a "legendary cult band"). But what it lacks is a personality of its own: the film wants desperately to emulate the David Lynch canon with its mix of the outlandish and the deadpan, but unlike Lynch's cult classics, The American Astronaut has no sense of humor or irony. It also doesn't help that Cory McAbee, the film's star-writer-director and the front man of The Billy Nayer Show, is the wrong man for the job. Onscreen, he is a monotonous presence; behind the camera, he is clueless when it comes to blocking scenes or maintaining a natural flow (too many scenes dribble endlessly); and musically, well, let's just say that his band might be legends in their own minds. If you want a cult movie, stick with the real classics and leave this space oddity in its own tiresome orbit. Not recommended. (P. Hall)