HEAR YE!!! HEAR YE!!! My loyal followers, my April was booked solid, but I found time to watch these four films.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
They were taking their seat in the movie theater, when the drugs began to take hold. Before I dive too deep into this dark comedy, I must make a public service announcement: Please remember, you are not the only one in the movie theater. I understand the urge to come see this movie as intoxicated as Deep was throughout this film, but if this causes you to cackle like a hyena, then you will ruin the movie for everyone around you. If you can’t control yourself, then enjoy this film and your suitcase full of drugs AT HOME!!!
Despite my first experience with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas being far from ideal, this movie has found a way to burrow into my subconscious. Yes, the comedy of watching Depp and del Toro, high off their minds, trying to navigate the neon infused streets of Las Vegas did have me chuckling. Yet, I felt a deep message was bubbling under the surface. A message about how the hippie love-and-peace movement was stomped out by the Nixon administration and the war on drugs. Some schemed on how to make money on all of those the drug wave left on the streets, and others continued to sink into an absurdist mindset with a fistful of drugs. A message millennials and Gen Z can relate to as we continue to watch government, on both sides of the aisle, ignore our basic needs.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas embodies that infamous quote from Rick and Morty: “Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everyone’s gonna die. Come watch TV.”
In this case, the film is saying nothing matters, come chase the absurdist white rabbit down those neon streets.
Sinners
A confession for you, my loyal followers, I went into Sinners expecting a pretty stock standard vampire film. Yes, I saw the reviews and everyone raving about the film, but I struggled to picture a unique story involving a monster that has been around for more than a century. To all of you, my followers, and to you Ryan Coogler, I am happy to confess I was wrong. If you had not heard, Sinners is a film about two twin brothers, returning to their hometown in 1930s Clarksdale, Mississippi. They start a nightclub where the community can gather and play music, but a mysterious knock at their door, spoils the fun. Similar to Black Panther, Coogler has set up both his heroes and villains to be victims of colonialism, but both deal with that pain in different ways. This film appeals to horror fans, historical film fans and even music fans alike. This is a stunning masterpiece that everyone should witness.
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2006)
We probably owe George Lucas an apology. Ignoring the mess that Disney Star Wars has been, I think we can all agree the prequels were not as bad as the discord back then implied. Are there weird plot points like midichlorians? Yes. Are there scenes that could feel less stiff? Certainly. However, the action and drama on display in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith is simply unmatched. My eyes would light up at every lightsaber fight. My heart broke as Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker had their iconic clash. Yes, George Lucas’s Star Wars was never perfect, but it was at least earnest in its commitment to its story. Disney, if you really want to see more successful Star Wars stories, you should call me. I have some ideas about a pod-racing show or General Grievous shows kicking around in this soapbox.
No Other Land (2024)
I find it incredibly disheartening at the lengths streaming services have gone to bury this film. No Other Land won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, and it has been scrubbed from Amazon Prime, YouTube and other streaming services. Why Doomsayer? How could this injustice take place? My loyal followers, this documentary follows Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham as they witness the Israel Defense Force drive farmers and their families from their West Bank homes. There are many heartbreaking scenes where children watch in horror as their homes and schools are reduced to rubble. There is no doubt in my mind that this documentary was pulled from streaming because it plainly shows an American ally committing cruel acts against people who have nothing. Naturally, the American state department can’t have that.
Watch No Other Land here: here.
Support the Palestinians here: here.