I spent the first half of the month not seeing movies, apparently. I worked the box office at Translations but didn’t see any films (I did see El Sanchez’s stand-up show, which was obviously great) & I wanted to catch up on some tv before SIFF starts (primarily The Americans & Superstore) but movies? Very few. Possibly just RBG, which was interesting and engaging, but also very slight.
Other highlights of my life continue to be Dirty Computer and Killing Eve, and if you’re not on those bandwagons, time to catch up.
Even at home I haven’t had a lot of time for film. I did finally see Lost in Paris, the first Abel & Gordon film that I didn’t manage to catch in the theater (I think it only had a single screening in Seattle).
Judging by the box office, no one else saw the other three, which is too bad, because no one else is doing what they’re doing. They work in a hundred year old style, vaudeville burlesque comedy, most comparable on film to Jaques Tati: quiet, stylized and precisely physical. They’re not silent films, but they share a lot of the same DNA, so much so that I’d really love to see a FilmStruck theme exploring Abel & Gordon and their influences.
I did have hard time with this one, even though I understand the Chaplin-Little Tramp character, because I had trouble finding homelessness whimsical in 2016 Paris. A lot of this film depends on you finding Dom’s character – and his situation – charming. A lot of it also depends on not being terribly worried about Emmanuelle Riva and her likely dementia, and I don’t know if it’s the present day setting or me getting older and more sensitive, but I couldn’t avoid worrying about them
To be honest, mostly this month I’ve been devoured by The Penumbra Podcast, particularly the Juno Steel stories for their noir tropes on Mars and canonical casual queerness. It’s ruining my life. You know, in a good way.
(I’m always taking recommendations for fictional serial podcasts. Lay it on me, folks.)
Tomorrow SIFF starts for me with my first round of press screenings, and if you’re new around here, get ready, because it’s a 25 day festival and I have a full series pass. This is my 22nd year attending. It’s the happiest time of the year, & if you see me out and about, be sure to say hi!
wicked jaws 