Ooga Booga (2013) | Film Review

(Originally published on Letterboxd on Feb 1, 2014) - If you looked up the definition of Ooga Booga in the totally made up film dictionary I created just now to service this opening statement, you'd likely see something like this: Ooga Booga (ooo'guh boo'guh): Racism, corrupt cops, racism, corrupt judges, racism, voodoo dolls, racism, Maddox, racism, crazy stuffed animal ladies, racism, grape slushies, racism, Siri the pornstar (not the OS), racism, that dude looks just like the Blue Meanie minus the make-up, racism, Stacey Keach's hairlip is working overtime, racism, and racism. 

Ooga Booga + Nutshell = Boom.

I used to be a big fan of Charles Band's schlocky brand of B- horror comedy, particularly TerrorVision and the Puppet Master series. He had a few other films I found enjoyable at the time, but could barely stomach today. My enjoyment of his work likely stemmed from three things: They often featured boobs, which were a new and wonderful thing to me (they're still wonderful, just slightly less new); I was an early teenager and had yet to develop my critical perspective, so I couldn't tell you what was well made from what was total shit; and, I caught a lot of his films courtesy of "USA Up All Night," and I don't think there isn't anything I couldn't enjoy when Gilbert Gottfried is making fun of it. Fast forward twenty plus years, the idea of sitting through a poorly made, purposefully racist film starring an African spear wielding voodoo doll with a bone through its nose has transformed from thrill to heavy sigh.

Filled with every possible stereotype, Ooga Booga wants to be a revenge fantasy for the black community against racist white authority figures, but feels more like white filmmakers putting on black face for cheap laughs and even cheaper social commentary. For instance, there are only two black people in the entire film, and one of them dies almost immediately. The other one is treated horribly, and just sort of takes it. It was nice to see these characters written to be high achieving members if society, instead of gang bangers, or welfare recipients, but since they're reduced to stereotypical African savages anyway, gang bangers probably would have been more interesting.

The worst part of Ooga Booga is that for as far as it goes, it doesn't go all the way. It lacks conviction. Because of this, you'll likely spend the bulk of the film playing the "Will they say it, or won't they?" game. While they throw around every other derogatory term, they don't drop the N-bomb once. That might have been a good thing, if it wasn't clear that Charles Band definitely wanted to. Hell, Stacey Keach looked like he was barely able to contain himself. The fact that they don't say it comes across more like fear rather than compassion or empathy. Funny that a movie that swims in racist waters doesn't want to come out looking racist.

Ooga Booga is a mess. Charles Band is a hack. Siri has above average mammaries. And, I now know what really killed B movie icon, Karen Black.