Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "The Amazing Screw-On Head" is a 22-minute short film from almost 10 years ago and it has some famous names attached to it. Director Chris Prynoski may not be one of them, but other than him you will find Bryan Fuller, Paul Giamatti, Patton Osawlt, Mindy Sterling and Molly Shannon in the cast & crew list. I like almost all of them, but unfortunately still I was not really impressed by this one here. It has too much of everything, but does not elaborate convincingly in any area: superhero movie, drama, history, horror, comedy, fantasy... I wish it could have been more concrete in one of these and maybe done without 2 of the other influences. The animation style is also not exactly a favorite of mine, but that is a subjective perspective. Looking at the film's favorable rating, it appears that many think differently here. Still, I myself do not recommend the watch.

jzappa I was not so excited to watch The Amazing Screw-On Head because I was visiting a friend from out of town and he insisted that I sit at the computer and watch this online rather than other things we were planning to do. But I was fascinated by it. The animation, firstly, seemed like it would not draw me in, however it is perfect for the noncomformist comic tone of the cartoon. There are so many pitch-black shades of definition in the images and at times, it's as if over two thirds of the screen consists of shadows. The creatures are watered- down Gothic with a coating of the physical presence of sci-fi and anime-loving, computer- savvy quasi-Goth-dressing teenagers. The colors are never bright or positive, always swampy, antiquated, and moody. Mike Mignola's visual style is carried through motion by director Chris Prynoski, who creates a grungy little onslaught.It begins as if it were a serious cartoon, violence preparing to break out, but then there is a hilarious German accent, played very incidentally. The show progresses into a very offbeat farce with a witty, creative sense of humor that grows elementally out of the material.The material is founded by terrific comic book concept, a robotic head that screws onto compatible bodies who works as a secret agent serving under Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, and fighting battles that lead to points in history in completely different ways than how the nation believes. America having two histories is not something so far-fetched, and it latently satirizes the self-secrecy of this country's history.It's very troubling to think that network heads (no pun intended) didn't find this pilot worthy of a series, because there are many less intelligent and imaginative cartoon shows that have been turned into successful series, and that actually may be the reason why this show was turned down. However, in a sense, it may not be so bad that The Amazing Screw-On Head never grew beyond this twenty-two-minute passage. Perhaps the impact of such ideas that seem so fresh coming straight out of left field is greater and will stay as great rather than becoming old hat after awhile as the creators scramble to concoct more premises and build on the show's substance. The animation, like with many cartoon shows, might have scaled up the ladder to smooth, state-of-the-art, computer-assisted animation, and with a style like Mike Mignola's, it must be preserved in the grungy sketchiness that is present forever in this maintained little cartoon.

Bizzyizzy23 MTV showed potential with "Liquid Television" a few years ago (But never realized that potential). David Lynch proved that weirdness could survive at least one season with "Twin Peaks" and now finally animation AND storyline that truly raises the bar. Sure HBO had Spawn and it was edgy but this is the cream.... I would love to see more episodes of course (Mignolia is the new Kirby). What would be really nice is to see this on the big screen, Say before "Hellboy II", Sci-Fi could use this as a great advertising vehicle.One can only hope that this will lead the vanguard for more interesting projects in animation. I can only dream of a world where "Flaming Carrot" and "The Sandman" are animated fare. Something like "The Invisibles" ,"Preacher" or even the easily contemporary "Transmetropolitan" with Spider Jerusalem tapping away at his powerbook and creating havoc.Sorry, I strayed far....This Mignolia work is amazing and until I can get cable in the alternate universe this will whet my fanboy appetite.

constructive_sarcasm I'm not going to beat around the bush: The pilot of "The Amazing Screw-On Head" blew me away.Here are the reasons why I am so impressed by this show: 1. The StyleThe look of the animation closely mimics the style of comic book illustrator Mike Mignola, giving it a unique appearance.2. The Villains and Creatures Okay, the pilot episode has 3 undead zombie-type creatures, a werewolf, a vampire chick, a demi-god, and a monkey with a machine gun. All this in about 23 minutes! How could I not like this show?3. Off-beat Humor This show is nuts! Just watch the hookah scene and you'll know you're not in the realm of typical animation. Some may be put off by the insanity, but I (personally) was amused.4. Intelligence There is some witty dialogue here that older viewers can appreciate.Also, for me (especially considering the time constraints of a half hour program), the plot worked fairly well.5. Voice Acting Very good performances all around.In short, the pilot for "The Amazing Screw-On Head" is one of the best examples of televised animation that I have ever seen. I highly recommend it.