Geriatrics: The Musical

Geriatrics: The Musical

***1/2

Reviewed by: Scott Macdonald

This is a black and white stop-motion animation, with overlaid live-action lips with superb songs (the lyrics are such that I will not repeat here) and horrifying vocals by Brian Ramage. There are seriously taboo gags throughout, even if none of it is taken seriously.

The setting, a geriatrics ward in a hospital. One of the characters is practically begging to be allowed to die, another repeatedly soils himself and chucks it at everyone within flinging distance, another is senile beyond belief and the last is a maggoty corpse. This leads onto a number by "The Maggots", a rock band performing live on the dead biddy's flesh.

A surprisingly funny and dry take on being a geriatric, even if the laughs can't quite vault over the horror of my nightmares of getting old, losing your mind, friends, and waiting to die in a place you can't call home. It made me shudder every time it eked out a chuckle. A curious and strange experience. Add another half a star if your nightmares aren't as vivid as mine.

Reviewed on: 28 Jun 2008
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Stop-motion claymation musical about four geriatrics in a ward.

Director: John Douglas Dodds

Writer: John Douglas Dodds, Brian Ramage

Starring: Brian Ramage

Year: 2007

Runtime: 5 minutes

Country: UK

Festivals:

EIFF 2008

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