Blow the Man Down! Good Cod almighty! A person might just go stir crazy cooped up all day with nothing to watch. Don’t worry, Jim and Teal got you covered. Well…Jim does anyway. Teal is still trying to find his grove with this whole self-distancing thing.
Jim was craving a film mission. And for his sins, Teal gave him one. And when it was over, Jim never wanted another. Leviathan is the name of a pretty bad late 80s Alien under the sea movie, and it is also the name of a well-regarded Russian film from 2014. But the Leviathan Teal’s been chatting up on several episodes is an 85 minute sensory ethnography documentary about deep-sea fisherman from New Bedford. One thing’s for certain: Teal was right, there isn’t another film quite like it.
Jim insists that this movie does not qualify as a best of the decade movie, because it isn’t a narrative film. However, Jim does insist it qualifies for best dedicated 6 minutes of screen time to a dented can of Seagrams’ Ginger Ale.
To balance Leviathan, Jim took in another sea-themed movie this week, and it is the Amazon Prime offering, Blow the Man Down. This independent neo-noir set in a coastal fishing village in Maine won’t set the awards calendar ablaze, but it might just be quirky enough to pass the time while you’re stuck inside for the next month or so.
Upcoming Criterion Releases
Want to know what to look out for on the Criterion Channel this month? Jim and Teal highlight a few things you might want to check out in April.
Best Picture Nominees of the 80s Continued
Academy Awards? Academy Awards did you say? This week Jim and Teal complete the Best Picture nominees from the 1980s, and realize there are a lot of movies nominated that no one talks about anymore. But if you are looking for some movies to catch up on, and fill your streaming queues, this episode is going to help you out.
Enjoy!
Bonus: Can you name this week’s opening film dialogue, and film score track?
