Snap Judgements 2

Quick reviews of some popular culture I've engaged with over the last week or so...

Movies:
Following Sean: The first documentary that challenged my initial sense of what the form was supposed to be-- namely Disney wildlife adventures or school-approved historical chronologies laid out with journalistic precision-- was Sherman's March (1986).  That film pretended to be an evaluation of the lingering effects of the titular event, but transformed before our eyes into a deeply personal and introspective examination of filmmaker Ross McElwee's romantic history.  The notion that a documentary could be personal, and express the kind of intellectual ruminations associated with an essay, was an eye-opener.  Obviously there have been a lot of very good examples of that in the years since (before too, I just didn't know about them back then).  Following Sean is a great example-- a followup to a student film made back in 1969 about a four year old living in Haight-Ashbury at the height of the hippie explosion.  The newer film picks up the story of Sean and his family-- and not tangentially of filmmaker Ralph Arlyk and his family too-- 25 years later, offering a very compelling analysis of generational change and personal identity.  Really, really good stuff. (Netflix)

Veronica Mars:  The TV show was something of a guilty pleasure, but a satisfying one.  Teenage girl as Chandler-esque private eye.  It got a little soapy at times, but Kristen Bell was terrific as the heroine, and it's underlying theme of seething class tension was not something common on television then (or really ever).  The story behind the movie-- with fans putting up most of the funding via Kickstarter after Warner Brothers rejected the idea of a film-- also made me curious.  The end result is middling at best, as the nature of the exercise compelled writer-director Rob Thomas to shoehorn in virtually all of the characters from three years of the show, and frankly most of them don't fit in a mere 100 minutes of film time.   I wish I had waited for this to pop up on TV, where it'd be easier to accept its shortcomings (if only because I wouldn't have paid for the privilege) though I doubt they would be any less obvious.

Music:
Real Estate, Atlas: I enjoyed Real Estate's previous album, but I can't say it really registered as anything more than pleasant. The new album is much stronger, brighter in production and more immediately engaging.  Definitely shows evidence of the influence of such other New Jersey groups as Yo La Tengo and the Feelies, who are longtime favorites of mine, and these musical descendents do quite well in honoring their antecedents while not coming off as imitators.          

Sun Kil Moon, Benji: I've been reading reviews of this group for years without ever hearing them, and based on those reviews I passed.  Then, a song off this new album appeared on a compilation I picked up and it was great.  The rest of the album is even better.  Goes to show that even after all these years of reading pop music critics, I have not yet unlocked the secret of translating what they say into an accurate appraisal of the music under review.  I wonder what else I've been missing for the same reason?

TV:
The Best of Fridays: I was always a bit of a Saturday Night Live snob, so I only recall watching this knockoff a couple of times in the two years it aired back in the early 80s.  Once was when the Sir Douglas Quintet was on as the musical guest, which was also the infamous Andy Kaufman episode (check YouTube). That episode is included on this anthology, but with the musical performances cut out (licensing issues?  Seems unlikely considering how many bigger acts are featured), which was a disappointment.  I'd say that overall, this was a cut below SNL at its best, but often more adventurous in doing political material.  The highlights (like Larry David and Bruce Mahler as  Bond-ian secret agent rabbis) are pretty hilarious.  Just wish there were more of them. (DVD)