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What's the Matter with Helen? (1971)

This 1971 exploitation film stars Debbie Reynolds, Shelley Winters, and Dennis Weaver. And it's raunchy, weird fun. You can tell it was made by some people who truly understand the craft of filmmaking. But it's very uneven. For the most part, the script is incredibly tight. This film moves, and you're never bored. Agnes Moorehead (Endora from Bewitched) is nothing short of brilliant in a supporting role as a radio evangelist.

The fact that Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters were best friends only adds the to strangeness of this situation. I will cop to the fact that the only reason I checked this out was because I'd recently read Rachel Syme's excellent New Yorker article titled, Watching Shelley Winters Go Rogue in Debbie Reynolds’s 1983 Exercise Video, “Do It Debbie’s Way.” This is weird stuff, indeed.

So take a chance on this and peer into the weird and wonderful friendship of Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters.

All Night Long (1962)

Patrick McGoohan and Charles Mingus walk into a bar...

I'll admit it. I watched this film because of the jazz and fact that it was released by Criterion. I kept watching because I was sucked into the plot of Shakespeare's Othello set in a 1962 London jazz club. 

The film mixes actors and jazz musicians on the same stage. And it quite successfully sets the scene of a private jazz club on the Thames owned by ultra-wealthy Richard Attenborough in the role of Roderigo, or in the hipster parlance of the jazz scene, just "Rod." Dave Brubeck shows up and everyone stops and says, "Hey, it's Dave Brubeck!" exactly the way that they would have in 1962.

All Night Long is definitely worth your time. It contains some amazing performances from both actors and musicians. Whenever I watch an old film like this, I invariably end up on imdb and Wikipedia reading about the lives of the actors and directors. In this case, Betsy Blair, former wife of Gene Kelly and American ex-patriot who left America because of the Hollywood blacklist, was one of the more interesting paths of discovery.

My Favorite Shapes by Julio Torres (US)

Saturday Night Live writer and co-creator of Los Espookys, Julio Torres, has an HBO special where bric-a-brac is delivered to him via a conveyor belt that he controls with a foot pedal. Torres then gives you the back story, the hidden secrets, and the drama behind each object. Sometimes these objects have interior monologues which are voiced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Also, Torres is dressed as some sort of gay alien, and apparently he has the ability to teleport around the stage.

There are exactly two kinds of responses to this comedy special. There are those who will enjoy it precisely because they are unable to fully understand it. And then there are those who will hate it precisely because they are unable to fully understand it. Which are you?

Los Espookys (US)

I don't remember who recommended Los Espookys to me. But if you're reading this, Thank You! This new HBO comedy series is delightfully off kilter in a relaxed kind of way. It's mostly in Spanish with English subtitles, except for the English parts, which have Spanish subtitles.

Los Espookys is, I don't know, Latin American millennial Scooby-Doo? Except the kids in the Mystery Machine are now the ones creating the deception rather than solving it, because millennials. Los Espookys works on its own logic. And to attempt to describe it further would just be excruciatingly boring -- like that office coworker who insists on telling you all about their dreams. The bottom-line is that Los Espookys is refreshing and different and fun. And highly recommended.

Skidoo (1968)

Grouch Marx plays the role of God. And did I just watch Jackie Gleason drop acid on Alcatraz island?

This film is the document of a time -- a time when mid-20th century entertainment stars felt that they needed to get on the bandwagon of the changing times in order to remain relevant. Think Ethel Merman's disco album. It's almost unwatchable, yet you can't look away.

This Way Up (UK)

This Way Up is a six-episode series staring Aisling Bea and Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe). It would be unkind to call this "Irish Fleabag," but it does work in the same dramedy genre. Kinder and less biting that Fleabag, This Way Up finds its footing in the relationships between characters. I am struck by just how thin the plots are, and how much emotional depth can be found in the day-to-day goings on of two Irish sisters living in London. It's kind of like real life, that way.

Bea and Horgan have a sisterly chemistry that is wonderful to watch. And they are both genuinely funny, entertaining people. This Way Up is definitely worth you time.

They Might Be Giants (1971)

The quirky, obscure rock band, They Might Be Giants, took their name from this quirky, obscure 1971 film staring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward. Based on a 1961 play by William Goldman (The Lion in Winter), Goldman adapted his play for this film.

Justin Playfair (Scott) is a respected judge who, after the death of his wife, retreats into a fantasy world and is convinced that he is Sherlock Holmes. Playfair's brother is trying to have him committed to a mental institution in order to steal Justin's considerable wealth. But Playfair must first be certified insane by Doctor Mildred Watson (Woodward). The movie chronicles the development of Playfair and Watson's relationship.

This film is about what it means to be sane in a world that seems to be spinning into insanity at a faster pace every day. It is oddly comforting to watch this film from the 21st century. We have the same worries about the future as the characters of 1971 while simultaneously knowing that, as far as 1971 is concerned, it all worked itself out more or less alright. Time marched on and the world changed for better and for worse.

The defining quote of the film references Don Quixote, not Sherlock Holmes, and it speaks to the idea that reality is exactly what you make of it at any given time. Speaking of Don Quixote, Playfair states:

"Of course, he carried it a bit too far. He thought that every windmill was a giant. That's insane. But, thinking that they might be... Well, all the best minds used to think the world was flat. But, what if it isn't? It might be round. And bread mold might be medicine. If we never looked at things and thought of what they might be, why, we'd all still be out there in the tall grass with the apes."

I absolutely loved the first two acts of the film, but it all fell a bit flat for me towards the end. What starts as a romp through every crazy character in Manhattan becomes a Felliniesque farce that feels far too over-indulgent for 21st century sensibilities. Still the ideas of wonder and fairness resonate throughout. And I will forever associate the phrase "they might be giants" with the possibility, however remote, that a little bit of magic might be just around the corner.

The Second Coming (UK)

The Second Coming is a two-part series created and written by Russell T. Davies (Doctor Who, Years and Years), and stars Christopher Eccleston as a regular guy who gets lost on the moors outside of Manchester for 40 days. When he comes back to civilization he claims to be the son of god who has returned to bring a message to humanity.

This is touching and charming and small in a way that American television isn't. It grapples with larger issues by intimately connecting with characters living through them in their day-to-day lives. No spoilers, here. But this is a hearty recommendation to watch.

Moon (2009)

Sam Rockwell deserved an Oscar for his portrayal of Sam Bell in Duncan Jones' Moon. But that's not why I watched it.

Duncan Jones deserved an Oscar for his directing and his screenplay for his film, Moon. But that's not why I watched it.

David Bowie was reported to be extremely proud of his son, Duncan Jones', film Moon. But that's not why I watched it.

No, I'm a HUGE Matt Berry fan. And when I saw that Matt Berry was in a film, I just had to watch it! And while Matt's 30-45 seconds on screen definitely do not disappoint, I was blown away by the tight script, the crisp directing, and the amazing performances in Duncan Jones' Moon. And you will be, too. Don't read anything about it. Don't Google it. Don't look it up on imdb.

Just watch it. I guarantee you won't regret it.

Years and Years (UK)

This is a new show from Russell T. Davies (Casanova, Doctor Who, The Second Coming) that, as of this writing, has just completed its six-episode run on BBC One and is just about to be broadcast on HBO in America. 

Davies creates shows which are both deeply engaging and quirkily English. And with Years and Years he has created an ensemble drama that follows an extended family through the technological, social, and political changes coming in the next 15 years. Part Black Mirror, part The Day After, and part Eastenders, this show poignant, funny, and always very British. It reminds me quite a bit of the 1984 post-atomic war drama, Threads.

I've only watched the first of the six episodes, so far, and I'm hooked. Davies deftly creates well-formed, real characters that we can relate to, and then casts them into the world identify politics and populism. The result is a fuller picture of the motivations and attractions of our current political landscape. This can be dark stuff, but nothing as dark as the first season of Black Mirror, so far.