Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

In a weird future where tubes provide all of lives necessities (and also seem to provide the basis for almost all of the slang that the Hollowhead children use) Meet the Hollowheads creates one of the most unique worlds ever captured on film. Unfortunately that creativity does not carry over to the plot. The films basic story is one of those classic old chestnuts that has been used on virtually every family sitcom. Dad brings the boss home for dinner and wants everything to go right to secure the big promotion. Of course the boss turns out to be a jerk (and eventually much worse) but the family tries to keep the strained smiles on their faces despite his behaviour. Although this film has amazing production design too often is comes across as odd and simply not funny. From the crushing of live creatures to make children's snacks to a tentacled monster who is kept in a fridge so its limbs can be hacked off for dinner there is no shortage of bizarre sights (I won't even get into the family dog or the bizarre means of feeding Grandpa) but only some of it is amusing. Most is just weird. The whole film comes across like David Lynch directing an episode of 'The Jetsons'.Obviously a lot of care went into this film and the acting is first rate.A very young Juliet Lewis may rate the box cover but special mention must be made of both the criminally under-rated John Glover and the remarkably sleazy Richard Portnow. Although they were great there really was no weak link in the film. I just wish that after the writers had created this amazing world they would have spent just a little longer figuring out what they wanted everyone to do in it.Style is important but it is not enough on its own to carry the film. This movie is worth watching for anyone who likes new worlds but do not expect a masterpiece, its more of a interesting misfire. The potential was there but they were never able to bring it to the next level.

This is certainly one cheery little pile of glop but, with its rainbow-dessert/Good n'Plenty visual design, it is hard to digest and rather nausea inducing. It's like a bad dream channeled through a nether world where the brains of Terry Gilliam and Steven Spielberg (in his Goonies phase) connect. Meet the Hollowheads? More like the Jetsons-meets-Brazil-meets-a-hamster-habitrail... well, it's certainly not the usual "meetings" I'll grant that. But it's all contrived weirdness and goopy effects, and worst of all not funny. There's no wit, just a lot of Sid & Marty Kroft-like ('Lidsville/H.R. Pufnstuf', etc.) goings on that might appeal to kids. There's even a section with Anne Ramsey that is so badly acted and recorded that it required post-production sub-titles in order to figure out what was being said (granted Miss Ramsey died, presumably before she could loop her dialogue). There's also a cheesy 80's-cliche guitar & synth music score that ironically dates this futuristic film. Or maybe it's not futuristic, but an alternate universe... being the same place where this film came from, like some of the actors listed: Shnutz Burman, Lightfield Lewis, Shotgun Britton and Jack Cheese (yes, these are the actors names not their characters). Yet it was probably a blast to make, at least for the Burman clan: from the credits it appears the entire Burman family tree worked on this. Then again, Tom Burman is a make-up artist, so this may be the finest directorial achievement of any make-up artist in Hollywood history. Bravo... now let's put a Key Grip in the directorial chair and see what one of THEM can do.

The first time I watched this movie, I wasn't in the mood for camp. What a mistake! This is campy and bizarre, right up there with movies from Tim Burton but stranger, if you can believe that. Condiments are delivered through tubes and food is kept alive in cabinets. Furniture is straight out of the Jetsons and makeup out of the eighties. The kitchen even has a creature that heals black eyes -- while your child is strapped into what looks like an evil torture chair, screaming. Oh yes, and no house is complete without a seeing eye.Definitely recommended. Not exactly fine cinema, but it's got some really worthwhile elements. I bought it on laser disc when I saw it on clearance at Camelot years ago -- I don't know if you can still buy it. Good luck.

This movie is not good or bad its just plain crazy. It takes place in another universe where people get everything given to them through tubes. Its craziness does it good though, it could have cult potential if it were more widely known. The movie features a cameo by the hilarious Anne Ramsey (Throw Mamma From The Train)and very young Juliette Lewis before her breakthrough role in "Cape Fear." Its a silly crazy piece of work, could be worth a see to some people. Not bad.