Thank You Mask Man (1971)

Why so much hype?

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Usually most (controversial) cartoons are done in Hollywood and they are made by such as Disney, Warner Brothers, MGM, Universal and Paramount and the make fun of Japanese and black people. This one is an independent film and it makes fun of homosexuals. This short subject is the earliest form of "Stanimation" (basically it is a cartoon, in which the soundtrack is nothing but a stand-up comedy act) before Comedy Central's "Shorties watching Shorties". If I am making a Top 11 list of controversial cartoons, this would be number one. The rest will be all Hollywood-made. Be surprised who made this cartoon. Could you guess? Jeff Hale. Now what's he known for, apart from playing Auggie Ben Doggie in "Hardware Wars" (1977)? Give up? He is known for doing the Ringmaster segments, the Typewriter guy skits and the Pinball Machine sequences from "Sesame Street". I bet you are all surprised now by the time you are done reading this comment.Bottom line: Not suitable for children.Not rated: but a PG-13 would do fine due to all the language and sexual references going on.

I first saw this Lenny Bruce skit on video when I was in college(20 years ago)....Actually never thought I'd see it again, but I was fortunate to get my hands on a VHS copy! Lenny was a pure genius and the Lone Ranger skit is so damn funny...Just thinking about the idea of the Lone Ranger being gay is enough to make you laugh..LOL.Too bad that people in the 60's were so uptight....They had the "Leave it to Beaver" family mentality....So of course, they couldn't accept outlandish humor like this! If Lenny were around doing comedy TODAY, he'd be a big hit!You can find this gem at the END of the Lenny Bruce Performance Film, which is hard, but not impossible to find.... Amazon.com has several sellers offering it as well.I think I better transfer this to DVD...just in case the VHS tape breaks!!

This eight-minute cartoon is essentially some crude animation over a recording of Lenny Bruce's live comic bit about the Lone Ranger, with a few very basic sound effects & music.What's surprising is how well it works. The animation is timed perfectly with the live recording, & actually enhances the comedy. It's a very simple cartoon, but the characters look just right. Although you can hear the audience laughing their heads off at the show, now I can't imagine it being funny without the pictures.It's not Lenny's most savagely satirical or scandalous bit by a long shot, but it was pretty out there for its day, & the cartoon is definitely not for children.Today, we're becoming used to seeing swearing, sex, extreme violence & clever social commentary in animation. It's a pity that Lenny isn't around - I can see him producing a show called 'The Sick Cartoons Of Lenny Bruce' & becoming a millionaire.Or he'd just become a writer for The Simpsons.

Easily the best thing about the Lenny Bruce: Performance Film video. While the performance portion is one of Bruce's worst, this short shows him at his satirical best. The riff on homophobia isn't even the best part...the commentary on accepting thank-yous and the resultant egotism and self-aggrandizement are priceless, especially when the Mask Man goes to his mailbox only to discover that the Messiah has returned, and society has no need for him once evil has been eliminated.