The Wizard of Speed and Time (1988)

Director:

Mike Jittlov

Writer:

Mike Jittlov (writer)

Release Date:

September 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Musical | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

His Life Is a Special Effect...

Plot:

A Hollywood filmmaker (Mike Jittlov) makes a short for an evil film studio. Unbeknownest to him, the...

Plot Keywords:

Hollywood | Satire | Autobiographical | Pixelation | Part Animated

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Mike Jittlov	...	Mike 'The Wizard' Jittlov
Richard Kaye	...	Harvey Bookman
Paige Moore	...	Cindy Lite
Deven Chierighino	...	Brian Lucas (as David Conrad)
Steve Brodie	...	Lucky Straeker
John Massari	...	Steve Shostakovich
Gary Schwartz	...	Canadian Thug
Frank LaLoggia	...	American Thug
Philip Michael Thomas	...	Policeman Mickey Polanko
Lynda Aldon	...	Policewoman Minnie Smith
Arnetia Walker	...	Tina Dreem / Running Girl
Ben Kronen	...	C.C. de Schwartz
Angelique Pettyjohn	...	Dora Belair
Will Ryan	...	All the Unions / Mr. President (voice) (as William Z. Ryan)
Michele Roth	...	Mary Lou
Greg Jittlov	...	Brother Greg
Marie Jittlov	...	Mom Jittlov
Harvey J. Alperin	...	Harold de Schwartz
Missy Sauppe	...	Harold's Groupie
Paulette Breen	...	Studio Receptionist
Stephen Stucker	...	Piano Choreographer
Laurie Riley	...	Girl Choreographer
Amy Rose	...	Sun Woman
Mark Conlon	...	Moon Man
Chuck McCollum	...	Meteor Man
Robert Stuart Reed	...	Saturn Man (as Rob Reed)
Patrick McGreal	...	Jupiter Man
Patrick McGreal	...	Jupiter Man
Donovan Scott	...	The Prisoner
Paul Barselou	...	Angus McTavish
David McCharen	...	Video Technician, LSD
Joan Leizman	...	Murial Bookman
Cynthia Frost	...	Soundstage Saleslady
Ward Kimball	...	The IRS Chief
Christopher Barczak	...	Hollywood Tourist
Tim Frisbie	...	Studio Projectionist
Allan Graf	...	Bookman's Guard
Frank Davis Jr.	...	Bookman's Guard
Rick Heebner	...	The Bicycle Thief
Benjamin Lum	...	Studio Guard
Harold M. Etherington	...	Studio Director
Phil Boroff	...	Studio Writer
Steve Ecclesine	...	Video Editor
Doug Crepeau	...	Satellite Buyer
Patricia Ayame Thomson	...	Girl on Suitcase / Dancer (as Patricia Thomson)
Bob Basso	...	Rollie
Annie Livingstone	...	Skatelady
Pete Sorensen	...	Dancing Film Man
Patty Ryan	...	Bouncy Artist
Evelyn Carpenter	...	Old Woman
Eddie Paul	...	Cycle Gang Leader
Slim E. Leatche	...	IRS Agent
Smokey Ochoa	...	Ying
Jeff Knoerle	...	Yand
Wilimeda BeHanna	...	Prison Guard
Anyavel Glynn	...	Prison Guard
Jan Sayre	...	Prison Guard
Randi D. Cogert	...	Girl in Avanti
Tery McPhie	...	Girl in Avanti
Gwen Perlman	...	Girl in Avanti
Monica B. Herzer	...	Girl in Avanti
Beth Sjogren	...	C.C.'s Groupie
Galyn Görg	...	C.C.'s Groupie
Steve Mann	...	Boom Man
Laurie Rose	...	Bellydancer / Running Girl
Chris Coart	...	Blue Wizard
Christine Green	...	White Wizardess
William Hart	...	Swordsman
Jean Hart	...	Swordslady
Jeannie Abolt	...	Dancer
Kristina Adolphson	...	Dancer (as Kristina)
Robin Antin	...	Dancer
Kelly Balfour	...	Dancer
Jody Baurac	...	Dancer
Fyne Companions	...	Dancer
Dawn Decker	...	Dancer
Mona Devin	...	Dancer
Lisa Durazo	...	Dancer
Ann Elliot	...	Dancer
Steven Espinosa	...	Dancer
Nancye Ferguson	...	Dancer
Lee Forbes	...	Dancer
Kari French	...	Dancer
Kirk Hansen	...	Dancer
Page Leong	...	Dancer (as Paige Leongng)
Tammy Manville	...	Dancer
Avis Minger	...	Dancer
Laura Miyabe	...	Dancer
Rachelle Ottley	...	Dancer
Judy Schwartz	...	Dancer
Laurie Schultz	...	Dancer
Wanda Soileau	...	Dancer
Cheryl Song	...	Dancer
Linda Talcott	...	Dancer
Joseph Taylor	...	Dancer
Genie Valen	...	Dancer
Gwendolyn Wafer	...	Dancer
Jill K. Allen	...	Running Girl
Ramona Andrada	...	Running Girl
Jennifer Ball	...	Running Girl
Jade Barrett	...	Running Girl
Theresa Battle	...	Running Girl
Kim Fitzgerald	...	Running Girl
Jean Graham	...	Running Girl
Beth Holland	...	Running Girl
Barbara Patrick	...	Running Girl (as Barbara Hooper)
Anne L. Kunkin	...	Running Girl
Valerie Maddox	...	Running Girl
Kathleen Moore	...	Running Girl
Laura Morse	...	Running Girl
Elizabeth Oakes	...	Running Girl
Renna Ostoposides	...	Running Girl
Karen Reed	...	Running Girl
Lori Zogaib	...	Running Girl
Marcela Zapf	...	Running Girl
Micky Rossillon	...	Running Girl
Russell Carpenter	...	Officer Friendly (Wizard Film)
Dean Barnes	...	Old Timer - Wizard Film
Jim Danforth	...	Astronaut (Wizard Film) / Union Official
Karen Danforth	...	Astronaut (Wizard Film)
Margie Jesswein	...	Dutch Girl (Wizard Film)
Joyce Siefker	...	Dutch Girl (Wizard Film)
Betty B. Bandy	...	Supporting Cast
Mike Bloom	...	Supporting Cast
Sandra Deakins	...	Supporting Cast
Vern Dietsche	...	Supporting Cast
Marjii Ellers	...	Supporting Cast
Bill Frankel	...	Supporting Cast
Buddy Friedman	...	Supporting Cast
Jennine Siefker	...	Supporting Cast
Gail Sugimoto	...	Supporting Cast
Brianne Siddall	...	Supporting Cast
Michael Gough	...	Supporting Cast
Michael Hyatt	...	Supporting Cast (as Mike Hyatt)
Joseph A. Kerezman	...	Supporting Cast (as Joe Kerezman)
Gary Lowenthal	...	Supporting Cast
Craig Mathieson	...	Supporting Cast
Dan Fiebiger	...	Supporting Cast
Kevin Flannagan	...	Supporting Cast
Bryan Thomas	...	Supporting Cast (as Brian Thomas)
Mike Twitty	...	Supporting Cast
Bongo Wolf	...	Supporting Cast
Harvey Wolfe	...	Supporting Cast (as Col. Harvey Wolfe)
Dave Teubner	...	Supporting Cast
Louis Mitchell	...	Supporting Cast
Bill Morrison	...	Supporting Cast
Jeff Szalay	...	Supporting Cast
Forrest J Ackerman	...	Mustached Man at Garage Sale
Mollie Frankel	...	Extra
Tina Dilley	...	Extra
Colleen Choy	...	Extra
Luba Korinec	...	Extra
Martha Williams	...	Extra
Ella Nachtigal	...	Extra
Lorna Pacolt	...	Extra
Munyin Choy	...	Extra
Ed 'Eon' Kline	...	Supporting Cast
Gerry Furth	...	Extra
Phil May	...	Extra
Alan White	...	The Horned One
Bill Chierighino	...	Extra
Gerald Choy	...	Extra
Dan McLaughlin	...	Extra
Stan Pacolt	...	Extra
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kenneth Luebbert	...	Film Editor (uncredited)
Jack Reifert	...	Film Editor (uncredited)
Sebastián Roque	...	Dark Nerved Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Mike Jittlov

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mike Jittlov		writer

Produced by
Deven Chierighino	....	producer
Mike Jittlov	....	producer
Richard Kaye	....	producer

Original Music by
John Massari

Cinematography by
Russell Carpenter

Film Editing by
Mike Jittlov

Production Management
Daryl Kass	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mike Jittlov	....	fourth unit director
Daryl Kass	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
George R. Groves Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer
Randy Lawson	....	assistant sound effects editor
Steve Mann	....	boom operator
Steve Mann	....	supervising sound editor

Visual Effects by
Jim Danforth	....	optical effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Thomas Baker	....	animation camera
Kirby Timmons	....	camera operator: "Time Tripper, The"

Music Department
Roy Braverman	....	music mixer
Roy Braverman	....	music recordist
Mike Jittlov	....	composer: original melodies
Steve Mann	....	music editor
John Massari	....	conductor
John Massari	....	music producer
John Massari	....	musician: synthesizers
John Massari	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Roy Braverman	....	synthesizer programmer
Tom Richer	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Medusa Produzione
• Rochambeau

Distributors

• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• SGE Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

902 Maltman Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Medusa Produzione

Trivia:

The seal of one of the film unions is a vulture holding a twisted strip of film in its talons.

Goofs:

Continuity: An early establishing shot shows the Hollywood landmark Grauman's Chinese Theater with Star Wars (1977) splashed across the marquee. However, a later scene shows the film The Right Stuff (1983) is actually showing. This goof is not visible in the widescreen version.

Quotes:

Steve:Lights, camera, and anguish.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Major Effects (1979) (TV)

Soundtrack:

It Ain't Necessarily So

"I don't shake hands"

Bizarre and obscure little film that charms you into watching it with gusto once a few minutes of it pass your eyes. It's an homage to struggling independent film makers everywhere, and filled with lots of subtle bits of humor and satire and quick-to-pass messages during the F/X. This film looks like it was made for about 40 bucks but don't let that keep you from watching it. What's more, evidently Mike Jittlov cast all his friends (a LOT of them) and his mom in the film as well, and it appears that each and every one of them are having the time of their lives doing this movie.

One of my favorite scenes is when Mike enters the office that Dora Belair (portrayed by Angelique Pettyjohn, sadly her last film appearance) works from, and there's a poster on the wall behind them of her Star Trek character "Shana" dressed in that aluminum foil bikini from the episode "The Gamesters Of Treskelian". It's a nice sci-fi touch... And nobody seems to notice.

Mike has a hard time trying to get his work recognized by anyone of substance (very much like real life) and it seems there's a crooked producer at every turn waiting to rip him off, and it isn't helped by his stigma about shaking hands... which is never really explained other than that he simply "...doesn't shake hands".

Throughout the film we see Mike working on film F/X in what appears to be his own garage and his own tools and props, and we get to see him actually producing the F/X that end up running in the short that he presents as his product, "The Wizard Of Speed And Time".

This is an astonishing little film that deserves much more recognition than it ever got, and it's a gem in the rough for being so matter-of-fact and innovative. It's also a must-have for any cult film or obscure cinema collector to include in their video collection. Of my all-time top 20 films, this would have to slip into the mix somewhere by its sheer tenacity and strength of will and innovation, if not for anything else. I really would have liked to have seen Mike Jittlov do something else similar to "Wizard..." but alas nothing ever came to be. I can watch this film over and over again, and with each viewing its atmosphere and flavor makes me feel like I'm 20 years back in time.

It's not for all tastes. Some people think it's absolutely wonderful, some people think it's amateurish nonsense. Some people simply won't get it at all. I got it. I liked it a lot, and the somewhat silly segments with the terribly cliche'd producer are forgivable if not perfectly allowable for the sake of comic relief, especially seeing as how that's the real producer of this film hamming it up on camera. If you *do* appreciate films like this, you'll feel refreshed after watching it and you'll feel like you'd like to meet Mike and maybe buy him a coke... just don't try to shake his hand.

Then go out and become an independent film maker yourself.

Bravo Mike, ya done good!