#michael rubbo

[billlaotian]

[thistlemary]

Films I’ve watched during 2022 (102/?) » Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller (dir. Michael Rubbo; 1988) » June 27th, 2022

↳ When Tommy Tricker plays some practical jokes on some of his friends, Ralph, a stamp collector, discovers the secret of "stamp travel" to make him travel around the world on a stamp to bring back the mysterious Charles Merriweather, who never returned on a stamp for 75 years.

[spectacletheater]

Leftist political debate and shift in post-’68 France, all this month.

TUESDAY, APRIL 4 – 10 PM SUNDAY, APRIL 23 – 5 PM FRIDAY, APRIL 28 – 10 PM

Propaganda art by Henri de Corinth.

[mad-prophet-of-the-airwaves]

Waiting for Fidel (1974, Michael Rubbo, Canada)

[retropunch]

The Peanut Butter Solution (1985) - trailer

Peanut butter is the secret ingredient for magic potions made by two friendly ghosts. Eleven-year-old Michael loses all of his hair when he gets a fright and uses the potion to get his hair back.

[mad-prophet-of-the-airwaves]

Waiting for Fidel (1974, Michael Rubbo, Canada)

[dannyreviews]

Tommy Tricker And The Stamp Traveller (1988)

It’s not everyday that you find a film that you love to hate and hate to love at the same time. When it comes to Michael Rubbo’s 1988 Canadian/Australian family film “Tommy Tricker And The Stamp Traveller” it has its good and cringe worthy moments all rolled into one. Sure it might be a film that would benefit from the heckling of the Mystery Science Theater crew, but deep down it has an unlikely story that is executed adequately.

The title character (Anthony Rogers) is the neighborhood punk who has a weakness for collecting stamps as do several other children his age. His good friend Ralph (Lucas Evans) has the largest collection of rare stamps to Tommy’s envy. When Tommy steals the most valuable collectible; a rare 19th century “mistake” print, Ralph discovers the magic to “stamp travel”. With the help of his sister Nancy (Jill Stanley) and other friend Albert (Andrew Whitehead), they help shrink Ralph onto a stamp where he winds up in China and Australia. Their goal is to bring back another “stamp traveler”  named Charles Merriweather who disappeared decades earlier. It also gives Ralph the opportunity to overcome a stutter and assert himself courageously.  

According to a video on Youtube, director Michael Rubbo discussed how he got the inspiration for this story. Apparently, he was in the waiting room of a dentists office in Montreal, when he came across a magazine about China where the feature article was about a Chinese kid who had a dream that he went on a trip around the world in a stamp. It inspired Rubbo to expand on that one article and create probably the most extravagant children’s film plot that I have ever come across.

I have just one word to describe Lucas Evans’ performance as Ralph; TERRIBLE. He seemed almost like the child who just botched up his talent show routine. Just everything about his performance from the stutter, to the knuckle cracking, rounding off to the constantly scared attitude warranted a Razzie award. I would also say the same for Jill Stanley’s Nancy, who was all whining and a mix of underwhelming and over the top acting and Paul Popowich’s performance as Cass; Tommy’s sidekick who was a poor imitation of the dimwitted minion in all those Warner Brothers cartoons. However, I was very impressed with Anthony Rogers, because as Tommy, he reminded me of all the trouble making jerks that I grew up with and were in my elementary and junior high school classes. He was so good, that I almost sympathized with the character’s back story; growing up with several siblings and a hard working single mother. It’s not often where you find yourself more aligned with the antagonist rather than the heroes. Also, it was nice to see a young Rufus Wainwright who is just known as “Singer” performing in a mall, sounding like a young Scott Walker (the singer not the politician).

The scenes with Ralph in China in Australia were mesmerizing because it reminded me of one of those travelogues on PBS. It was like a anthropological survey of the customs that both countries utilize daily. And it was extra fascinating because it was filmed on location in those respective countries. But I felt that the trip could have used more locations, like England, France, Germany, Japan, to name a few. It would have also given actors from different countries the possibility to participate in this film. For example I could picture a Shakespearean thespian like Ian McKellen as some stuffy English lord, or a French New Wave star like Alain Delon as a bohemian near Champs-Elysees. I did like Australian actors Tony Barry and Ernie Dingo’s cameos towards the end and giving other talented people like them similar roles would have been welcoming.

“Tommy Tricker…” was only nominated for two awards at the Canadian Genie awards for Michael Rubbo’s screenplay and Rufus Wainwright’s song “I’m Runnin”. One award that I would have like to see get a nomination for was for the internationally flavored score composed by the McGarrigle sisters; Jane, Anna and Kate (Rufus Wainwright’s mother). It also should have gotten a special award for the special effects involving Ralph on the stamp. For a film that seems low budgeted and direct to video like, it has its strengths, but unfortunately the weaknesses can’t be overlooked and it does drive things down a few rungs.

5.5/10

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