ABBOTT AND COSTELLO GO TO MARS (1953) ** Bud goes over quota on grabbing Lou's ass, and soon they've accidentally absconded with a rocket. Shortly thereafter, in New Orleans, they mistakenly believe that they're on Mars. It's a common mistake, actually. Most people in New Orleans for the first time feel like they're on Mars, and as one who has partaken of the charms of the Crescent City on many more occasions than anyone could be expected to remember, I assure you that it is indeed inhabited by multitudinous martians...and vampires and werewolves, and Baptists; cultists of every stripe. Generally a harmless lot, though, and fun-loving except for the honkey Baptists. After involuntarily picking up two hitchikers on subjectivist parole from Mandeville, Lou and Abbot confuse Venus with Los Angeles. Again, the misconception is a common one: fog/smog is one thing, but all those leggy babes on the make only happens in Hollywood-one can hardly fault our heroes for deficient perusal of the other architecture. Plus all those crystals, and when Mari Blanchard says that they have "a pill for everything"-well where else could it be? It's not a great film, or a very funny one, but it has an appealing personality. The stock military shots are amusing, and the juvenile representations of a rocket are fantastic.
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