1990s

‘Boyz N the Hood’ and ‘Friday’ are the Same Film to an Outsider

It’s easy to take a look at my iTunes and stereotype me as a typical white country-boy with delusions of the ghetto. Whether it’s the frequency of seeing artists with “Young” in the name (Young Thug, Young Gangsta, Young Jeezy, Young Dro, Young Roddy) or the overwhelming prevalence of ebonics in the song titles (“Mo Money Mo Problems,” “Ova Da Wudz,” “Workin Em”) or perhaps it’s just the effortlessness at finding numerals in the album titles (Dedication 2, Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition, Hunger for More 2, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx), it’s clear I have a deep well of interest in hip-hop culture and music.

Days of Being Wild (1990)

8.5/10 – Grilled Seal of Approval

I think it’s about time I just came out and said it; Wong Kar-Wai is my favorite director.

There aren’t many directors who can consistently make awesome movies. Tarantino comes to mind, and perhaps his track record is even better because he has had absolutely no major (or even minor for that matter) missteps, while Kar-Wai has the harsh glare of the American 2007 drama-romance My Blueberry Nights in his portfolio.

Blueberry Nights was Kar-Wai’s first (and last?) English speaking film and was a critical and commercial failure. As a matter of full disclosure I will say that I have never actually seen the film. As an additional matter of full disclosure I’ll say that I hope to never see it and have my opinion of Kar-Wai negatively affected.

But anyway, Days of Being Wild. That’s what we’re here to talk about, isn’t it? That’s what you all signed up for? That’s why you found your way to my gloomy auditorium in the basement of this decrepit high school? Isn’t it?

And who told you anyway? I never did. Certainly not! This was not supposed to be a public affair, and, frankly, I’m quite perturbed. I expected to come down here and discuss the finer points of a film most Americans have never heard of by a director most Americans have never heard of in the comfortable silence that occurs without an audience.

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Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)

8.5/10 – Grilled Seal of Approval

Ahhh, so after that stream of excellent high school movies (The Way Way Back, The Spectacular Now, and The Kings of Summer [though I’m sure you already know the titles by now since I repeat them every other posting and because you are completely addicted to my writing – aren’t you? Aren’t you… yes… yes… yes… that’s it… stare into the spinning circle… yes… you’re getting sleepy… very sleepy… now when I snap my fingers… you will remember nothing from your previous life… nothing at all… because you are now a bird… a bird who flies high above the treetops and the wooden blocks and the crystal blue oceans… when I snap my fingers you will be a bird… and only a bird… and have always been a bird… now… fly away… *snap*]) we now finally reach those oft-troubling years of middle school.

I looked this film up because I had remembered always seeing the cover in my local videotape store. I’m dating myself by referring to a time when video cassette tapes were used and there was such a thing as a brick and mortar video shop within five miles of my home. I could also rent Sega Genesis games there so that shows you how far back we are talking. No, I’m lying. Not about the Sega Genesis, but about the reason for watching the film. I was actually researching an article I was tentatively planning on calling – “Awesome Little-Seen Debuts By Great Directors.”

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Happiness (1998)

10/10 – Grilled Seal of Approval

Wow. By far the greatest movie ever made about pedophilia (I’m assuming, it’s not like I specifically set out to watch movies about pedophilia [although I did just see Hard Candy as well…]). Incredibly dark and disturbing, but god damn is it funny. This is black black black comedy at its finest. A world so cruel and bizarre and amazing that it stops being a story and transforms into a horribly realistic portrayal of dysfunction.

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The Crying Game (1992)

9/10 – Grilled Seal of Approval

Merry, merry, merry Christmas! And what better way to celebrate Christ or presents or good ole’ fashioned drunken holiday adventures than with The Crying Game. I avoided this film for a long time because I already knew about THE TWIST, but, of course, a good movie is a good movie regardless if a Twist or two are revealed. And because I know now know, I think I shall reveal the twist: there’s a bomb that randomly explodes that kills everyone at the end. Haha just kidding, that’s not the twist! Or is it? Welllllll you’ll have to find out.

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