By Robert Scucci | Updated 9 seconds ago If you’re of a certain age, you’re probably familiar with the antics of Ernest P. Worrell, portrayed by the late, great Jim Varney. Before we got the delightfully slapstick titles featuring Ernest as the lead, we first met him in the infinitely strange 1985 entry Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam, which features an endlessly manic Varney taking on six different personalities, all with a hand growing out of their heads. While it’s not the best introduction to Varney’s work, it’s a one-of-a-kind experience for longtime fans that’s so unhinged it’s hard to look away. I’ll be the first to admit Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam makes very little sense. It does, however, do an excellent job showcasing Varney’s raw talent as a comedy actor, voice artist, and all-around force of personality that fans still love to this day. A Chaotic Setup That Keeps Escalating Most versions of Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam get right to the action at Dr. Otto’s lair, where he decides to use his mysterious Gloom Beam device to wreak havoc on financial institutions around the world, starting with Cincinnati, Ohio, of all places. Some VHS releases, however, include a brief prologue where Ernest P. Worrell stumbles upon a device he calls a “changing coffin,” setting off the events of the film. Depending on which cut you’re watching, your introduction may differ, but it doesn’t change much in the grand scheme of things. Once Dr. Otto successfully attacks the banks with his Gloom Beam, he broadcasts a riddle that makes absolutely no sense; a long, rambling poem that’s supposed to be pieced together by his archnemesis, Lance Sterling (Myke R. Mueller). Lance, who was born in the same hospital on the same day as Dr. Otto, is his exact opposite. Raised by a loving family, Lance is a grown-up Boy Scout who jumps at the chance to save the day, and by extension, the world, from Dr. Otto’s latest bout of chaos. Ignore The Plot, Enjoy The Characters The best way to watch Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam isn’t as a coherent film, but as a series of interconnected vignettes. As Lance and his sidekick and implied romantic interest Doris Talbert (Jackie Welch) hunt down Dr. Otto, our gleefully unhinged villain uses his changing coffin to take on different personas like Rudd Hardtack the Australian soldier, Laughin’ Jack the pirate, Guy Dandy the wealthy playboy, and Auntie Nelda, the unwholesome old woman with an intimidating bust size, all of which played by Jim Varney. As Lance struggles to solve the riddle and fight off Otto’s bizarre alter egos, the plot fades into the background while Varney’s range takes center stage. It’s not so much the story that’s appealing in Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam, but the absurd exchanges between Lance, Doris, and Varney’s ever-changing lineup of villains. By the time the third act hits, the film becomes a sensory overload of bright colors, nonsensical energy, and pure camp. You’ll stop trying to follow the riddle and just start enjoying the chaos that spills out from the Gloom Beam itself. A Rough, But Charming Prototype GFR SCORE Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam is pure camp from start to finish. What it lacks in narrative structure, it makes up for with Technicolor set pieces, manic energy, and Varney’s total commitment to the absurdity of John Cherry’s writing and direction. It’s nonsense, but it’s the kind of nonsense only Jim Varney could make work, charged with unfiltered enthusiasm and charisma. If you just want to turn off your brain and watch one of comedy’s most versatile performers cycle through a half-dozen outlandish characters without a hint of restraint, Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam is streaming for free on Tubi. Find out why Ernest Goes To Camp is being erased from existence, and how you can help save it! Related Topics: Source: https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/scifi/gloom-beam-review.html