Otto and the Electric Eel, co-directed by Andrew Zuchero and Duncan Skiles (Our RoboCop Remake, The Fuzz), stars Otto Von Schirach as Otto Von Schirach, a weird fellow who, having burnt dinner, uses a bizarre machine to conjure up an electric eel from the ether (a creepy creature that looks like something out of Stuart Gordon's From Beyond). Can Otto catch the eel and cook it before his date arrives?
With direction that brings to mind the early work of Sam Raimi and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, a curious central performance from Schirach, and freaky effects, this crazy concoction of comedy and horror will no doubt delight many fans of offbeat cinema, but I have to admit that I found the overt whimsicality a tad too relentless, even at just five minutes long. There are a few too many rapid cuts (accompanied by quirky sound effects), a few too many strange angles and POV shots, and a few too many knowingly odd moments for my liking. In short: it tries just a bit too hard to earn its cult credentials.
4.5 out of 10, rounded up to 5 for IMDb.
