Martin and Orloff

by Marc Savlov

For South By SouthWest

It begins, as do so many things in life, with a man, in this case Martin Flam, returning to his workplace after an extended absence brought on by mental unrest. A suicide attempt, actually, but when we first spot "Marty," he's on his knees in a bathroom, toweling up huge swaths of gore off the tiled floor.

This may sound like the perfect setup for a murder mystery, of sorts, but the very funny, seriously twisted Martin & Orloff is so unlike any film you've ever seen it defies comparison to anything but its birthplace, the comedic improv troupe known as The Upright Citizens Brigade. Part surrealist manifesto, part Dada headtrip, and "all fun," their show may be off the air, but this, the group's feature debut, is off its rockers.

When Martin seeks therapy to treat his habitual depression, he hooks up with Dr. Orloff, a shrink with dubious credentials and an even more malleable notion of sanity. Hijinks, madcap wackiness, and laughs galore ensue, as do several cameos from the likes of indie comedy queen Janeane Garofalo and former Conan O'Brien sidekick Andy Richter.

Martin & Orloff is psychotronic culture-jamming at its best, a non-stop parade of "I didn't just see that, did I?" that manages to recall both the comedic chaos theory of the Marx Brother and watching the Python troupe while on a supremely mind-warping weekend LSD bender. Fun for the whole family (if your family name is Madness).

March 16, 2002