Watch Out! Dustin Likes These

I recently watched The Last Blockbuster (which - to be clear - I don't actually recommend), and in part of it, people spoke about how the death of the video store killed off the beloved "Staff Picks" section. Nowadays with the ease of streaming movies right to your TV at home rather than putting on pants to go out into the world, people don't have the interactions with other movie buffs to discover any hidden gems that might be out there. I found myself screaming at Kevin Smith "BUT THAT'S WHY WE HAVE MOVIE MADNESS!!" But because this was in the comfort of my own bedroom (to his point), he didn't hear me. 

The NEW Blockbuster

So if nothing else, to prove Kevin Smith wrong, I've decided to start up a virtual Staff Picks section of Movie Madness modeled after my parents' old video store, Bridgeport Video. They had a mini-shelf with maybe 10-15 movies in a section called "WATCH OUT! Glen likes these." So every week, I'll try to find another "staff member," and highlight 5 of their favorite movies. Maybe they'll be hidden gems, maybe they'll be mainstream faves. It depends on the staffer. But hopefully you all get as much out of these recommendations as I have been getting. Because I'm me, I'll start.

I decided to mostly include my old VHS favorites to stay on theme

Beautiful Girls: I didn’t see this movie for quite some time because I thought the title was so stupid. And it still is, but I understand it. It’s a movie about a group of high school friends who get together for their 10-year reunion and despite having not seen each other in years and grown in different directions, pick up their friendship right where they left off. And of course, talking about girls is a large part of that process. It discusses and exposes many kinds of romantic relationships and friendships in a very real way – not overly dramatic and not watered down.

Starring a young Natalie Portman and a middle-aged Timothy Hutton. This movie is especially good for anyone who has a strong bond with high school friends or enjoys watching a real discussion about relationships.

Available to stream on HBO Max.

 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri: I wanted to include at least one recent movie, and this is probably my favorite of the last 5 years. It’s about a small town mother who starts a small town political war with the Ebbing police. This movie has some of the most multi-dimensional characters I can remember seeing develop in a singular movie. Maybe it shows how people can change, or maybe it shows that people are both good and bad at different times, but I never once questioned whether or not this is how the characters would act in these situations.

Starring Frances McDormand, Woody Harrellson, and Sam Rockwell. This movie is best for anyone who wants to see complex characters portrayed perfectly.

Available to stream on FXNOW, FXM.

 

Undercover Blues: This movie is funny. Some of my favorite lines and favorite moments are from this. Don’t watch it expecting a super-clever reveal or major plot twist, but it is perfect for a low-budget spy comedy. Randy Quaid and Kathleen Turner are so funny in it, it’s easy to forget Stanley Tucci is in it as well.

Starring Dennis Quaid, Kathleen Turner, Stanley Tucci, Larry Miller, Tom Arnold, Fiona Shaw, and Richard Jenkins. This movie is perfect for people who want to laugh and not worry about being an amateur critic for a night.

Available to stream absolutely nowhere, but Jeff Higgins and I both have it on VHS.

 

Who Is Cletus Tout?: This could likely be considered a neo noir. After escaping from prison, a bank thief is mistaken for a journalist by a hitman hired by the mob. The hitman happens to be a movie buff and gives the thief a chance to win him over by telling him a story in the form of a movie plot.

Starring Christian Slater, Tim Allen, Richard Dreyfuss, and Portia de Rossi. This is a good movie for people who like bank heists, prison breaks, mistaken identity, redemption, non-linear storytelling, and a bit of comedy with their action.

Available to stream on Pluto TV, Tubi.

 

Zero Effect: This is definitely considered a neo noir. Daryl Zero is the world’s most private detective, and he has taken a case while writing his own memoir, which gives the movie a voiceover that makes sense. There are several very clever moments in which we are given a glimpse into Zero’s process, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey he took us on in this movie.

Starring Jeff Daniels, Kim Dickens (who I really thought was going to break out after this, but never really did), and Ben Stiller. Great movie for anyone looking for a good neo noir they probably haven’t seen or heard of before.

Not available to stream for free, but you can rent from Amazon for $1.99. I’ll take it out of the Movie Madness budget for 2021-22.

Mom and Dad at Bridgeport Video on its 10th Anniversary

Review of Two Distant Strangers

 Two Distant Strangers is the best use of a narrative structure to convey an idea maybe ever

You probably missed it because it’s a short film and they don’t get much fanfare. I almost did too. And rarely do I ever throw my full unconditional weight behind a film like I do Two Distant Strangers. But really, you all should go watch this right now. I don’t know all of you well, but if you’re reading this, I already know you well enough to determine it is worth a half hour of your time.

I am usually a champion of the narrative. It annoys me when a movie’s message gets in the way of the narrative. I understand that you occasionally need to sacrifice meter for rhyme and vice versa, but if you break character to drive home a point, it’s annoying. Two Different Strangers is the best use of a narrative structure to convey a concept possibly ever.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Every time a black person is killed by a white cop in America, the same thing happens. Condolences, outrage, protests, and then it slowly fades away. After all, it didn’t happen to us. I’ve even heard some use the phrase “It’s like Groundhog Day.” So that’s exactly what they did. And when it started, I thought I was going to have to go on another diatribe about how everybody should watch Replay, the episode from the new Twilight Zone, even though you can’t because who the heck has CBS All Access? And Two Different Strangers basically said “Thanks, Jordan. Replay was a hell of a first draft. But we got it from here.”

It follows a black man just trying to get back home to his dog as he is killed by the same white cop time and time again. And when it finally looks like he’s gotten through to the cop by talking to him and he’s going to make it, the episode proves to have the same guts the song its title references has in its third act. In Tupac’s Changes – possibly the most influential rap song of all time – there is a bridge which slows down the song with some soft spoken words of hope overtop of a couple almost-ethereal sounding background singers soothing us into believing it was all going to work out. “And still I see no changes…” And the beat picks right back up from where it left off. I didn’t think a film could carry the weight that Changes demands, but they are perfect compliments to each other.

The final act of Two Distant Strangers gives us exactly the same thing. The cop is also in the same time loop. Narratively, this was perfect, as we realize that this cop knew the whole time – or at least after the first couple replays – that he could kill this black man with impunity because when you live the same day over and over, there are no consequences. Allegorically, this says that police know they don’t have to be accountable for killing black men because there are no consequences for it. Rarely do you see that kind of marriage of form to content, maybe never. Yes, the movie lacks subtlety, but perhaps this is a message that necessitates a little less subtlety.

Two Distant Strangers, starring Joey Bada$$, Zaria Simone, and Andrew Howard, directed by Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe, and produced by (among others) Puff Daddy, Kevin Durant, and Mike Conley, won the Oscar for the Best Live Action Short Film four days after Derek Chauvin was convicted of George Floyd’s murder.