Cosmic Slop Movie Review

Disappointing anthology done for HBO as sort of a multicultural Twilight Zone. The three-eyed floating head of George Clinton emcees three tales, and only the first gives this sf cred: In “Space Traders” (based on a story by Derrick Bell), alien visitors take the form of Ronald Reagan (same diff), offering America wealth and prosperity in exchange for all the African-American citizens, no questions asked. What starts off like a sharp sketch ends up mere agit-prop paranoia. Remaining yarns, about an inner-city Catholic priest bugged by a Santeria goddess, and an abused ghetto wife who gets her revenge when the Revolution comes, offer slightly more food for thought, but most viewers will find the ‘Magic Eye’ videocassette cover more engrossing than the contents.

1994 (R) 87m/C Robert Guillaume, Jason Bernard, Nicholas Turturro, Richard Herd, Paula Jai Parker, Chi McBride; D: Reginald Hudlin, Warrington Hudlin, Kevin Sullivan; W: Warrington Hudlin, Trey Ellis, Kyle Baker. VHS HBO