Best Geeky Finds – Review: The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985)

bestgeekyfindsIf you were a kid during the 80s, you most likely recall watching the California Raisins or Will Vinton’s Claymation Christmas. Aside from stop-motion animation, Claymation was one of the most popular animation forms during this era. There is one Claymation film that many do not recall though. Will Vinton’s The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985) tells the story of Mark Twain and his trip to see Halley’s Comet. In his aeronautic machine where people can walk through the walls and flies through space and dimensions, Twain exclaims:

“I’ve seen all the foreign countries I care to see, except heaven and hell, and I have only a vague as concerns one of those. No friends, I go to meet the comet…I came in with Halley’s Comet in 1835 when I was born and I expect to go out with it.”

Meanwhile, Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, and Becky Thatcher sneak aboard the ship, only for Twain not to care one bit (I mean why not, he did create them).
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During the trip, Twain tells different stories to the children, all adapted from his own tales, including The Mysterious Stranger, The Diary of Adam and Eve, and Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven. Perhaps the reason the film fell off the radar for many was The Mysterious Stranger sequence. Aboard Twain’s ship exists a mysterious elevator that can transport oneself to whichever Twain book they wish to enter.

When they reach The Mysterious Stranger, the children are greeted by an angel named Satan, a tall creature who grows from the ground, and who holds a mask which acts as his face and regularly morphs. Satan shows the children how easy it is to create life, as they mold their own clay people and watch as Satan causes pain for thSatan-0e new civilization, up to creating an earthquake, destroying the entire village. Satan’s face continues to change shape, from a dangerous-looking Twain, to a skull, and even a horned figure.

Other disturbing images are found throughout the film, including Injun Joe from The Adventures of Huck Finn. Due to these scenes, the film was never seen on television and was lost in obscurity. Watching as an adult, however, it is worth watching for not just this scene, but for the dual comical tales of Adam and Eve.

Overall, I give this film 5 out of 5 stars. While it may be disturbing to a younger child, for adults who grew up with Claymation, this is too good not to watch. You can find The Adventures of Mark Twain on Netflix, for rent on YouTube, and on DVD/Blu-ray.

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