Holds up. Fits along with the work of R. Crumb and David Lynch as post-hippie/punk deconstruction of WW2 kids culture. The frightening messages and imagery of Howdy Doody, racist cartoons and deadening B&W TV are satirized and recontextualized as some Hellish black mirror of our own universe... or something.
The film is well-known nowadays for being Danny Elfman's first score, but his brother Richard Elfman is a fantastic first time director. Like Rocky Horror, this was a stoned stage show put to film, but its extremely cinematic and alive technically. I don't think its accidental that its closer in effect to the classic surrealist cinema than any cartoon or musical or 80s spoof. Is it serious art or spoof? Both. You have to list John Waters as an influence on this type of camp.
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