Fast, Cheap & Out of Control (1997)

An exploration of the careers of four unrelated professionals: a lion tamer, a robotics expert, a topiary gardener, and a naked mole rat specialist.

Director:

Errol Morris

Stars:

Dave Hoover, George Mendonça, Rodney Brooks

11 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dave Hoover	...	Himself (Wild Animal Trainer)
George Mendonça	...	Himself (Topiary Gardener)
Raymond A. Mendez	...	Himself (Mole-Rat Specialist) (as Ray Mendez)
Rodney Brooks	...	Himself - Robot Scientist

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.

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Plot Keywords:

robot | lion | topiary | cult film | eccentric | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 October 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ektos elenhou

Filming Locations:

Green Animals Topiary Garden - Cory's Lane off Rt. 114, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$23,665, 5 October 1997, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$832,785, 11 January 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Playhouse, Fourth Floor Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Discussed in Episode 97 of the popular radio program This American Life. The subject was "Death to Wacky" and it originally aired on March 20, 1998.

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Quotes

Rodney Brooks: If you analyze it too much, life becomes almost meaningless.

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Connections

Features Darkest Africa (1936)

User Reviews

My opinion of genius

It's amazing how one film can warrant such diverse audience opinion about "what it all means". That which I took away from this movie is a concept of God's existence that is nothing short of genius. I'm not saying that this is the director's intention...it's only what I took from it.

Four Gods absorbed completely and differently in their four worlds:

1. Artistic God - the gardener - the God who spends his days creating the world for man to live in. "This is my world. I don't care how you live in it, but don't mess it up." Because man has freewill, God is uninvolved in man's evolution.

2. The Bully God - the lion tamer - the God who rules the world with discipline. "This is my world. Do as I say and nobody gets hurt." God won't let man evolve out of fear of losing physical superiority.

3. The Control Freak God - the mole rat scientist - the God who controls man's life. "This is my world. Live in it, but I will observe, limit, and dictate what you do." God won't let man evolve out of fear of losing mental superiority.

4. The Free Thinking God - the robotics engineer - the God who aids and improves man's life with only one commandment/program...respect. "This is our world. We share it. Live in it as you please. I am not expecting you to be perfect. All I am asking for is that you treat each other with mutual respect." Together, we evolve into our creation.

This is the God which I prefer.