An exploration of the careers of four unrelated professionals: a lion tamer, a robotics expert, a topiary gardener, and a naked mole rat specialist.
"The Mandalorian," "Gravity Falls," and Free Solo top our list of the best Prime Video recs to watch now or add to your Watchlist.
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Fast, Cheap & Out of Control (1997)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
11 wins & 2 nominations.
See more awards »
Edit
Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Dave Hoover | ... | Self (Wild Animal Trainer) | |
| George Mendonça | ... | Self (Topiary Gardener) | |
| Raymond A. Mendez | ... | Self (Mole-Rat Specialist) (as Ray Mendez) | |
| Rodney Brooks | ... | Self - Robot Scientist | |
Learn more
More Like This
Documentary
|
Biography
Director:
Errol Morris
Stars:
Fred A. Leuchter Jr.,
Robert Jan Van Pelt,
David Irving
Standard Operating Procedure
(2008)
Documentary
|
Crime
|
War
Director:
Errol Morris
Stars:
Megan Ambuhl Graner,
Javal Davis,
Ken Davis
Vernon, Florida
(1981)
Documentary
|
Comedy
Director:
Errol Morris
Stars:
Albert Bitterling,
Roscoe Collins,
George Harris
Gates of Heaven
(1978)
Documentary
|
Comedy
|
Drama
Director:
Errol Morris
Stars:
Lucille Billingsley,
Zella Graham,
Cal Harberts
Documentary
|
Biography
|
History
Director:
Errol Morris
Stars:
Robert McNamara,
John F. Kennedy,
Fidel Castro
Tabloid
(2010)
Documentary
|
Crime
Director:
Errol Morris
Stars:
Joyce McKinney,
Peter Tory,
Troy Williams
A Brief History of Time
(1991)
Documentary
|
Biography
Director:
Errol Morris
Stars:
Stephen Hawking,
Isobel Hawking,
Janet Humphrey
The Thin Blue Line
(1988)
Documentary
|
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
Errol Morris
Stars:
Randall Adams,
David Ray Harris,
Gus Rose
The Dark Wind
(1991)
Drama
|
Mystery
Director:
Errol Morris
Stars:
Lance Baker,
Betty C. Barlow,
Gary Basaraba
The Unknown Known
(2013)
Documentary
|
Biography
|
History
Director:
Errol Morris
Stars:
Donald Rumsfeld,
Errol Morris
Documentary
Director:
Errol Morris
Stars:
Elsa Dorfman
Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows
(TV Movie 2007)
Documentary
Director:
Kent Jones
Stars:
Martin Scorsese,
Elias Koteas,
Orson Welles
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
What do an elderly topiary gardener, a retired lion tamer, a man fascinated by mole rats, and a cutting-edge robotics designer have in common? Both nothing and everything in this unconventional documentary directed by Erroll Morris. Fast, Cheap & Out of Control (Referring to the robot specialist's strange philosophy of robot design structure, not Erroll Morris's documentary techniques!) interplays, overlaps, and interrelates these four separate and highly specialized documentary subjects in order to in truth study all of humanity, raising questions about the future of mankind. Written by Matthew F. Griffin
Genres:
DocumentaryParents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
Edit
Rodney Brooks, Robot Scientist: I think there's some deeper-seated thing which crosses the sex boundary of understanding life by building something that is lifelike.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider. See more »Quotes
[Why build robots]Rodney Brooks, Robot Scientist: I think there's some deeper-seated thing which crosses the sex boundary of understanding life by building something that is lifelike.
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
Edit
Edit
See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
3 October 1997 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Schnell, billig und außer Kontrolle See more »Edit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$23,665, 5 October 1997Gross USA:
$878,960Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$878,960Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1Contribute to This Page
On IMDb TV, you can catch Hollywood hits and popular TV series at no cost. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free!
Somehow the Morris mix just doesn't jell this time. I'm normally a huge fan of Mr. Morris's films, especially the truly great Gates of Heaven. But Fast, Cheap & Out of Control is ironically aptly titled. Instead of providing some quirky insight into the human condition, the film only manages to annoy. And our four subjects? Well, they grate on the nerves to be honest. It's hard to say what's missing, maybe a sense of humor, maybe some more directorial involvement. In any event, I wouldn't go out of my way to catch this flick.