Because comedies, especially the ones that are seemingly low-brow, make Rodney Dangerfield look like Thurgood Marshall, when  it comes to respect.

Indeed, Cabin Boy appeared destined to go down in history as one of the standard yuk-yuk answers to the question “What do you think is the worst movie of all time?” Yes, it was an infuriating turn of events for the Suggestaholic, because he both understood the value of the flick, and knew the real answer to the question (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me).

In Cabin Boy Chris Elliott, a so-called “acquired taste,” plays the part of Nathaniel Mayweather, a rich and snobby “fancy lad” in confusing clothing. Freshly graduated from an expensive boarding school, and preparing to set sail on the luxury ocean liner the Queen Catherine, our hero mistakenly boards a fishing boat instead, called The Filthy Whore.

And comedy ensues.

The movie is absurd and silly, sometimes completely bizarre (there’s a sequence featuring a floating cupcake that spits tobacco juice), and hilarious — especially upon repeated viewings. The scene where the ship’s crew (derelicts all) make Nathaniel dance on a table, while they throw beer cans at his head, is as iconic as anything in Gone With The Wind. To me, anyway.

It feels like there’s been a sea change (so to speak) over the past couple of years, and Cabin Boy is no longer a yuk-yuk answer to a hackneyed conversation-starter. It appears the film is starting to develop a cult-following, of sorts. Which is something, at least.

But I don’t get too wrapped-up in what the masses think. All I can tell you is that I loved Cabin Boy the first time I saw it, sitting in a nearly-empty theater in Georgia, and it’s one of the very few movies in my massive DVD collection that’s actually been played more than twice.

Cabin Boy is stupid done right. Acquire the taste!

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