TWST- Things We Said Today (2024) Movie Drinking Game
Take a Drink: every time conversation turns to The Beatles
Take a Drink: for reference to the influence of radio
Take a Drink: for every onscreen drawing that appears
Do a Shot: whenever we turn to more sobering realities than a Beatles concert
By: Henry J. Fromage (Two Beers) –
On August 15, 1965, The Beatles played a concert in Shea Stadium, Queens. This was arguably the height of Beatlemania, that early career phenomenon characterized by hordes of teen girls screaming their heads off.
TWST- Things We Said Today is a documentary set on that day, consisting of primary footage taken from a variety of sources, seeking to paint a fuller picture New York City on this day, in this moment, than just its inciting incident.
A Toast
We’ve seen documentaries that are built exclusively from primary footage before, but I’ve never seen one quiet so playful with it. The footage that is chosen is fascinating on its own, and the idea of using a famous event and radiating out from there to paint a portrait of a particular place and time, exploring what else was concurrently going on, is a brilliant one.
Director Andrei Ujica and his production team aren’t afraid to keep going, though, overlaying additional creative conceits, like on-screen drawings and non-primary voiceover to also try and convey even more than this footage does- elevating a certain mood and emotion coursing through it. It’s one of the more audacious documentaries we’ve seen in recent years.
Beer Two
I don’t know that the voiceover that is used to add perspective and even a bit of narrative to the footage we’re watching works entirely. Other documentarians have shown us that primary footage can speak for itself, and as enthusiastic as these vocal performances are, they feel like putting a thumb on the scale to make sure we’re taking away what we should.
Verdict
TWST is an inventive and vibrant documentary that seeks to transport you to one particular day in the summer of 1965.
