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#818: Devil Doll
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Okay, you got a sour ventriloquist/hypnotist, a lady with the bottom half of her butt hanging
out of a skimpy costume, a crabby vent figure containing the soul of a guy, another lady in a
skimpy costume, a mush-mouthed hero, a couple fellows with big beards, some Germans, a
whole herd of rich old ladies: and go!!
And... nothing.
A ventriloquist named The Great Vorelli with the most unconvincing act this side of the
Thames controls women, abuses his dummy Hugo, and employs semi-voodoo to get his puny
way. That's really all you need to know. The leading man is another fine example of our
heroes who get themselves into a scrape and then stumble out of it completely by accident.
There's a real darkness to this movie, too. You can't see a thing.
It's so bad I don't feel like talking about it anymore. North By
Northwest, though, isn't
that a great movie? To my mind, it's the essential Hitchcock film. It's light, yet genuinely
tense; it showcases Cary Grant at his sexy middle-aged height, it contains scene after scene so
well-crafted as to defy belief; it's funny, it's cool, it's got that 1950's color going for it, it
features the line "She really did get under your skin, didn't she, Mr. Kaplan?" It's got Eve
Marie Saint. The auction scene alone is a masterpiece most directors could never even
imagine.
I guess what I'm saying is that North By Northwest is a better
move than Devil Doll.
I'll be very surprised if someone can convince me otherwise.
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Prologue:
Servo arranges a blow-out dorm drinkin' bash with speakers in the window and
everything, but all he can afford is a very nice window. No beer, no speakers.
Segment One:
Still residing in Ancient Rome, Pearl is bored by a "Welcome Gods" party
and tries to turn it into a toga party, which understandably flops. Observer produces pants,
and all enjoy a pants party. On the SOL, Crow (having apparently drunk some nanite-
produced beer) gets sloppy and abusive about "Debbie" and punches in Servo's window.
Segment Two:
Crow consorts with Pitch, a very minor demon from the Comedy Central
years, who is selling very nice collectible "devil dolls." Mike is horrified, which Crow really
can't understand.
Segment Three:
Crow and Servo set up a real nice British pub for Mike, but the excitement
dies quickly as all wait and wait and wait for the fantastically thick brew as it oozes ever so
slowly into Mike's glass.
Segment Four:
Pitch is back, teaching Crow how to transfer Servo's soul into a hastily-
assembled new Servo, a la the movie. Servo's going along of course, but Mike is again
horrified and Crow is again upset that Mike is horrified. By the end, Servo has transferred
his own soul into a toaster pastry.
Segment Five:
Crow dresses Mike up as Hugo, the dummy from the movie, sticks him in a
cage and whispers insults about how he's not going to feed him any ham, also like in the
movie. (It's a weird movie.) Servo shows up as a leggy toaster strudel assistant with its butt
hanging out. In Rome, all attend a fight at the Coliseum featuring the Mad Goth: it's Bobo!!
Stinger: Hugo the dummy attacks The Great Vorelli in a fever of punches.
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