By: Henry J. Fromage –
This week I had to catch the latest and possibly last from the Jackass crew, plus my ever-present panoply of documentary films and series.
418. Jackass: Best and Last
If this is the last Jackass, and the nostalgic bent and commitment to not giving Johnny Knoxville that one concussion too many sure indicates it is, then the crew is going out with a very literal bang. This is every bit as profane, disgusting, ill-advised, and gut-busting hilarious as its predecessors, blending the sketches and stunts networks shot right down from their youth with aged indiscretions that are just as genital-punishing as ever. If they are done, I can’t imagine we’ll ever see their like again. Two Beers.
419. Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness
This Obama-produced short-form Max comedy series is pretty much an excuse for Larry David to do his Larry David schtick embedded in solid production value skits set throughout American history. Is there an element of hackiness to having him read off a list of extremely Larry David grievances he feels should be illegal that constitutes his first draft of the Declaration of Independence? Sure, and yet… who can say no to more Curb Your Enthusiasm? Not I. Three Beers.
420. Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story
This Max documentary tells the Robin Byrd story- an entrepreneurial woman who grew up in the sexual revolution of the 70s, then started her own sex positive public access show back when cable companies were mandated to offer free airtime to pretty much anyone who wanted to use it. It caught the zeitgeist in the 80s until moral majority politics in the early 90s threatened to end the party. Now she’s every bit the firebrand, but also tenderly caring for the husband she had the entire time (to the surprise of many, but he was as open-minded as they come) who is coming down with dementia. One hell of a lady. Two Beers.
421. The Speedway Murders
This polished documentary examines the to this day unsolved 1978 Burger Chef murders in Speedway, Indiana, in which four teenage employees of the defunct fast food chain where abducted from work and murdered. At first I wasn’t sure I was on board with the dramatic reenactments- I’m usually not for documentaries- but the four actors representing these unfortunate kids are an avenue for an uncommon approach to discussing different theories and suspects as they do so among themselves, and by the end a sneakily emotional and oddly cathartic way to wrap the film. Two Beers.
422. Surviving a Serial Killer
This episodic true crime series gives a forum for the incredibly resilient and undeniably brave survivors of serial killers. Some of their stories helped put these monsters behind bars, while others maddeningly (and unfortunately commonly in the case of young women reporting sexual violence) did not. All are unbelievably strong women, even more so for their ability to build and lead full lives after experiencing the unimaginable. Two Beers
423. Spermworld
This idiosyncratic documentary on Hulu examines the world of amateur sperm donation. Like a lot of the A24/arguably early Errol Morris-inspired fare of this ilk (and a lot of director Lance Oppenheim’s work), it assembles an idiosyncratic cast of characters and lets them tell their unique stories both direct to camera and through the interactions that they allow Oppenheim to follow along and film. It’s clear that those men that are habitual donators have psychological mindsets outside the norm, from the older gentleman who’s perhaps himself starved for companionship to the man with well over a hundred children that he appears to have stipulated he be a part of the lives of going forward (a pretty much impossible time management task). The women are less exotic in their behavior- they want children and this is their best hope to do so (assuredly leagues less expensive than the medical establishment). Dealing with these men comes with the territory. Two Beers.
424. Long Term Parking
Spermworld inspired me to poke into more of Lance Oppenheim’s work. This short hosted by the New York Times (and Vimeo) takes a look at the denizens of a long-term parking lot next to LAX. It’s full of mobile homes belonging to folks in the airline industry, who’ve made the logical determination that for a lifestyle as on the move as theirs, there’s no point in sinking a lot of resources into establishing a more permanent residence. It’s yet another fascinating peek at a lifestyle perhaps on the fringes that most folks likely have never even heard or thought about. Two Beers.
