Liberty Chew Chewing Tobacco presents!
Stingray Sam is a six-part 2009 Space Western musical written by, directed by, and starring Cory McAbee. They also made The American Astronaut.
Stingray Sam, a lounge singer on parole on Mars, finds himself invited kidnapped by his former partner-in-crime The Quasar Kid on a mission to rescue a girl child being held by Upper-Class Twit Fredward. This provides an excuse for much social satire, Big-Lipped Alligator Moment songs, and dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing!
Tropes:
- Alliterative Title:
- The film itself. Also a Protagonist Title.
- Episode 1: "Factory Fugitives"
- Batter Up!: Stingray Sam's "Asking Stick" is a baseball bat he uses to placate unruly customers.
- Bounty Hunter: The Quasar Kid turns out to be one.
- Bragging Theme TuneStingray Sam is not a hero
But he does do the things that folks don't do that need to be done
He's got a bravery inside
That won't let him run away
It will not let him run... - But Now I Must Go: Stingray Sam has to leave the Carpenter's Daughter at the end because, well, he's a lounge singer, and folks need to be sung to.
- Cliffhanger: Stingray Sam is produced in the form of a weekly serial.
- Homoerotic Subtext:
- Fredward's attraction to the Quasar Kid after the latter dances at his party (not to mention that Latex Spacesuit he wears).
- Then there's all those rich men having kids with each other.
- Homosexual Reproduction: The rich have only been having male children (via gender-decisive drugs) in order to perpetuate their dynasties and so are in danger of dying out. Doctors Fred and Edward come up with a solution by combining their DNA to create their son, Fredward. This leads to another
Big-Lipped Alligator Moment from our heroes, as they sing of this miraculous invention and all the ensuing Portmanteau Couple Names.Fredrick and Edward had a son named Fredward! Max and Clark had a son named Mark! Aldo and Rex had a son named Alex, Bob and Ringo had a son named Bingo, Zack and Deke had a son named Zeke... (etc) - Incredible Shrinking Man: Mass matter compression is used to put people inside the Tiny Little Robot.
- Industrial World: Spoofed with Durango, a planet of rocket builders which after an economic slump turns into a planet of criminals and then a planet of prison factories (in which they build rockets).
- Look Behind You: How the Quasar Kid abducts Stingray Sam. With his own Asking Stick, no less.
- The Plot ThickensThe Narrator: And so the plot begins to thicken... but not by much.
- Nobody Poops: Averted, which is why the Corporate Mascot Rehabilitation Program failed. Turning a corporate mascot into a solitary confinement Mobile Suit is not a good idea. After a while they start to...smell.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: The receptionist at the Intergalactic Hall of Records and Trivia.
- Offhand Backhand: When Stingray Sam swings his 'Asking Stick' at the back of the Quasar Kid's head, the latter blocks it without looking.
- One Last Job and Stingray Sam pays his debt to society.
- One-Product Planet: Every planet has only one industry or social class. The planet Durango changes from Planet of Rocket Builders to Planet of Criminals to Planet of Prison Factories.
- Professional Butt-Kisser: Fredward has spent his entire life surrounded by sycophants praising everything he says. As a result he thinks his thoughts are divinely inspired. When they object to the Quasar Kid however, Fredward has them all arrested for trespassing.
- Protagonist Title: "Stingray Sam".
- Running Gag: Folks plugging Liberty Chew Chewing Tobacco.
- Shout-Out: To The Manchurian Candidate with the brainwashed visitors at Fredward's party smoking "bizarre tobacco substitutes".
- Scifi Writers Have No Sense Of Scale: Stingray Sam Has No Sense of Scale: The scientists on Planet Fredward point out that you only have to cross one galaxy to get there, not two.
- Swiss-Cheese Security: No-one dares see Fredward without an appointment, so his fortress isn't even guarded.
