Nova CarltonCINEMAS

WHAT THE FEST 2! Filmed in Technicolor and billed as 'The Wonder Musical of the Future!' (whatever that is), Dr Seuss is the writer behind this 1953 musical fantasy of a boy who travels to a magical world where a diabolical teacher has enslaved children to practice on a piano so large that it requires no fewer than 500 students to play it! Inspired by the oppression Dr Seuss witnessed throughout the second World War, this mid-century fever-dream recreates the writer's signature designs through staggering sets and sequences. Too bizarre and psychedelic for cinema audiences at the time, it was reported that so many people walked out of the film's premiere that only a single child remained at the conclusion of the screening. Later described by Seuss as a "debaculous fiasco", the film is gradually developing a contemporary cult audience who are tuned-in to its proto-LSD visuals.