What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1967)

What's up, Tiger Lily is one of those films you either love or hate. Woody Allen has since said it was a mistake, a throwaway, and indeed it probably is. But's it's such a clever and funny throwaway that you won't regret the time you "wasted" watching it. The idea is at once silly and interesting, an experimental sort of film that really can't be compared to anything else you've ever seen. I guess you could say it's similar to something like Mystery Science Theatre 3000 but that wouldn't be doing it proper justice...whatever it is, it's fun.

What's Up, Tiger Lily is essentially not a Woody Allen film. He took a previously existing foreign film, Kagi No Kag (1964)-- Key of Keys -- and dubbed the film in his own unique style. With a cast of voices, they turn this Japanese James Bond imitation film into a gangster film focusing on a famous egg salad recipe. Admit it, you're smiling a little bit. Allen has said that much of the film was improvised, and indeed some of the film does have an improvisational aura to it, while other gags and jokes seem obviously scripted. The soundtrack is composed and performed by the Lovin' Spoonful, one of the few times an Allen film has ever acknowledged modern popular music made past 1960. The band also appears in the film, in between some of the scenes, lending the film a great 1960's psychadelic quality that only adds to the camp humor of the story. Allen himself also appears at the beginning and ending of the film, in one of his first screen appearances (following What's New Pussycat).

What's Up Tiger Lily? is basically one long joke and you're either in on it or your not, depending on how seriously you take yourself. If you're willing to go with it, you'll have a great time.

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