Campy, kitchy, men dressing up as women. Retro kitchen floors and black and white film. This Kuchar brothers film from 1967 is a grouping (and groping) of a couple short vignettes. One scene is out on the sidewalk, one is a strange scene between husband and wife in their kitchen, and in one scene, we watch Marilyn Marmoset roll around like a cross between Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and an aging European movie star. Then they send in the UFOs. (really!!) nothing really makes sense, so I suspect it's an experiment in visual effects and audience buy-in. Probably a good thing that it's not very long. Anything longer would be too much. Fun way to kill 20 minutes, though. The Kuchar brothers had been making films for 10 years by this time, but it was still in their early years.
4 Reviews
tongue in cheek fun from the Kuchar brothers
framptonhollis21 November 2017
George and Mike Kuchar, what...unique filmmakers! Their works are famously amateurish and avant garde, and have never ceased to divide, please, and annoy all sorts of audiences. The only other film of theirs I had seen until today was "Hold Me While I'm Naked" (which is likely their most famous work, if just because it is featured on the famous list of "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die"), which is probably a better film than "The Craven Sluck", but "Sluck" is, in my opinion, far more enjoyable thanks to its absurd and unpredictable sense of humor. The comedy is constant and the zaniness of the Kuchar brothers' imaginations knows no bounds. Almost every aspect of the film is weird and somewhat wrong, but the Kuchar brothers wear smiles of steel that are hard to break, allowing all the pieces of this puzzle to fit together in a humorously chaotic way.
(also, please note that, although I refer to both of the Kuchar brothers in this review), I actually only mean Mike Kuchar, as he was the only man behind the camera as far as the credits are concerned)
(also, please note that, although I refer to both of the Kuchar brothers in this review), I actually only mean Mike Kuchar, as he was the only man behind the camera as far as the credits are concerned)
Pure Genius
michle532 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
What can I add that hasn't already be said here? This film is one of the best from the brilliant Mike Kuchar. The beautiful and talented Floraine Conners brings glamour, the handsome and versatile Bob Cowan is effective in dual roles, and George Kuchar is the sexy beast who leads Floraine down the path to interstellar destruction. The Craven Sluck is a timeless parable of sin and absolution.
What does this title mean?!
planktonrules4 December 2009
Wow, do the Kuchar brother films stink--or at least the three that are packaged together on a recent DVD release. It includes this film, SINS OF THE FLESHAPOIDS (the worst of the three) and THE SECRET OF WENDEL SAMSON.
The only reason I could see anyone wanting to see this film is to observe the clear inspiration for John Waters' MONDO TRASHO two years later. While I wouldn't say Waters stole any of this Kuchar film, he did borrow heavily and was influenced by it. The most obvious ways they are similar is that both films were shot in black & white using a cheap camera and had bizarre and ridiculous music slapped onto the films. Also, the introduction shows a person who is made up to look almost exactly like Divine in TRASHO, though sadly this is really a woman. But the lipstick, hair and cheap whore fashions are clearly much of the inspiration for Waters and Divine--as is the scene later in the film of the invalid woman--who is a guy in drag. Also, late in the film, you see a dog defecating for no apparent reason and this most likely inspired Waters' disgusting dog crap eating scene at the end of PINK FLAMINGOS. Unlike Waters, though, most of this film isn't that funny--though at least it tried occasionally. I did like the "walk the dog" scene but otherwise, it all fell very flat.
This is a film simply so awful and cheap and amateurish, you have to see it to believe it. If I tried to describe it, it might sound as if the film isn't that bad...and believe me, it is.
By the way, I have no idea what a Sluck is. There is a town of this name in Belarus, though I doubt if this is why the film has this bizarre title.
The only reason I could see anyone wanting to see this film is to observe the clear inspiration for John Waters' MONDO TRASHO two years later. While I wouldn't say Waters stole any of this Kuchar film, he did borrow heavily and was influenced by it. The most obvious ways they are similar is that both films were shot in black & white using a cheap camera and had bizarre and ridiculous music slapped onto the films. Also, the introduction shows a person who is made up to look almost exactly like Divine in TRASHO, though sadly this is really a woman. But the lipstick, hair and cheap whore fashions are clearly much of the inspiration for Waters and Divine--as is the scene later in the film of the invalid woman--who is a guy in drag. Also, late in the film, you see a dog defecating for no apparent reason and this most likely inspired Waters' disgusting dog crap eating scene at the end of PINK FLAMINGOS. Unlike Waters, though, most of this film isn't that funny--though at least it tried occasionally. I did like the "walk the dog" scene but otherwise, it all fell very flat.
This is a film simply so awful and cheap and amateurish, you have to see it to believe it. If I tried to describe it, it might sound as if the film isn't that bad...and believe me, it is.
By the way, I have no idea what a Sluck is. There is a town of this name in Belarus, though I doubt if this is why the film has this bizarre title.
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