Cabin Boy (1994)
The Cast
Chris Elliott .... Nathanial Mayweather
Ritch Brinkley .... Captain Greybar
James Gammon .... Paps
Ricki Lake .... Figurehead
Brian Doyle-Murray .... Skunk
Brion James .... Big Teddy
Melora Walters .... Trina
Russ Tamblyn .... Chocki
Mike Starr .... Mulligan
David Letterman .... Old Salt in Fishing Village
Andy Richter .... Kenny
Alfred Molina .... School Professor
There were a few movies that were nominated in the Worst Movie EVER 2007 Tournament that I felt were unjustly slighted. Citizen Kane, Fight Club and yes, Cabin Boy. I'm convinced that the 3,204 people that rated this movie on IMDB (which has resulted in this movie currently having a 4.3 / 10 rating), I'm convinced that those people don't know shit about shit. Yeah josh5674 that means your wife too, I'm sorry but it's true, please don't hate me for my opinions.
Directed by Adam Resnick and co-written by Resnick and the movie's star, Chris Elliott, Cabin Boy is one of the more ridiculous movies that has ever been made, but that's the embodiment of the whole movie anyways. Nathanial Mayweather (Elliott) has just graduated from Fancy Lad School and is off to work for his very rich father at one of his hotels in Hawaii. During his limo ride to the docks, young Nathanial offends his driver and ends up getting kicked out of the limo, forcing him to walk to the docks to catch his boat. Unfortunately for Nathanial, he has no street smarts or any real world experience thanks to the silver spoon he grew up with in his mouth. He takes a wrong turn, meets up with Kenny (Richter) the idiot cabin boy of The Filthy Whore, and ends up hopping onto the wrong vessel.
I know what you're saying to yourself now. "Clearly this movie already has enormous comedic potential. Is there any possible way it could get better?" The answer of course is that yes, it gets so much better. The crew of The Filthy Whore are delightfully repugnant old men, with huge fat odorous bodies and gravelly voices. Upon meeting Nathanial, they immediately dislike him and set about torturing and teasing the spoiled brat. Eventually the idiot picks up a wayward swimmer named Trina (Walters) who was halfway into her swim around the world quest. Of course Nathanial immediately falls in love with the poor girl and the movie writes itself from there, with ice monsters, talking muffins, a six-armed woman, a man-shark and a really big guy showing up to entertain.
I'll bet if there were a few ninjas in this movie, it wouldn't just be a semi-cult classic. This movie has everything in it, like a lower budget and more ridiculous Princess Bride. Hell, David Letterman joins Alfred Molina in making uncredited cameo appearances in this movie, a film so deliciously bad that it revels in it. Therein lies the difference between this movie and the utter dreck that is the majority of the nominated movies in the Worst Movie EVER 2007 Tournament. This movie doesn't have an agenda, other than to entertain. It doesn't boast about being more than it is through flashy marketing and the huge ego of the director (ironically Tim Burton was set to direct this).
Cabin Boy isn't a great movie by any stretch of the imagination. The set design and special effects are laughable at best, but still charming. Somehow Chris Elliott turns a character that should garner zero sympathy into a bumbling romantic lead. The story is ridiculous, but that was the intent behind the screenplay. Those who pass by Cabin Boy will be missing out on 80 minutes of cheesy goodness. Cabin Boy would be happy with it's nomination in the WME07 Tourney, but it most certainly won't win... er... lose.
3 / 5