Philadelphia Film Festival 2009

In order to earn back their freedom and get off parole, two cowboy space-convicts must accept a dangerous mission to save an innocent young girl from a self-obsessed ruler in this one-of-a-kind science fiction musical comedy.

In a bar on Mars, an unsuspectingly gentle outlaw that goes by the name of Stingray Sam has turned to a life of lounge singing as he hides out from the law during the decline of the interplanetary economy. Much to his surprise, he is greeted mid-barroom brawl by his old friend, The Quasar Kid, who has come in the hopes of reuniting with Stingray for one final mission that will wipe their records clean. Their task: To rescue a carpenter’s unsuspecting daughter from the clutches an evil bureaucrat named Fredward, a ruler from a curious planet where men procreate with each other to create children with compound names. Pretty soon, the duo is back on the road in an enthralling adventure, jam packed with hilariously self-aware comedy involving miniature robot suits, olive chugging and plenty of dancing.

Director Corey McAbee (The American Astronaut) returns from his eight-year hiatus with a six-part episodic series. Flawlessly blending genres to create rare hybrid that induces nostalgia in any classic film lover, Stingray effectively maximizes its use of low budget filmmaking as McAbee mixes gorgeous black and white cinematography with color collage art to create a unique and fascinating world. Each mini episode comes complete with a song courtesy of McAbee’s own band, American Astronaut, a cliffhanger, and a sponsor advert, reminding us of the early days of film-going where the price of admission got you a little bit of everything. –– Michael Lerman