A few episodes ago Jim and Teal interviewed Eric Jason Grey, and discussed the year 1993. One film that came up was the independent movie, Bodies, Rest, and Motion. Teal coined it a slacker film, and it got both Jim and Teal thinking. They are both products of Gen-X, and the 90s gave birth to a genre of movies devoted to the struggles of Gen-X. Some were given the name Slacker Films, and it may be due to director Richard Linklater’s debut movie, Slacker (made in 1990, released in 1991.)
Jim and Teal gathered a list of films together, and on this week’s episode they’re ready to discuss. What did they find out? Well, mostly that Slacker films are predominately male and white, from the plot lines to the writers and directors. Jim did find one slacker movie with the focus of the story on people of color, but there isn’t a whole lot of diversity in this genre. Take a listen and see what films did make the list.
The Tenet experience that wasn’t.
Were you looking forward to seeing Tenet? Did you hope WB would release it next year so you could see it in IMAX, or maybe even in 70mm? Jim certainly was, and he was a little more than disappointed that Nolan and the studio decided it couldn’t wait till COVID-19 was in the rear-view mirror to release the film. Or maybe, in its time-bending way, Tenet thinks COVID-19 is behind us, and chose to come out now believing the coast was clear. We’ll never know. The technology doesn’t exist, yet!
But Jim felt seeing Tenet in the theater was better than seeing Tenet on his television set, so he braved the pandemic and went to see Tenet at the only theater open in Vermont. Hear Jim’s experience of seeing Tenet opening weekend at a packed screening of five total people. Are audiences ready to go back to the movies? Not in Vermont they’re not.
Relax, he’s only a slacker.
And speaking of Slacker films, Jim uncovered a gem from 2018 that is set on the months leading up to Y2K. Director Joel Potrykus, who made Buzzard, a film both Jim and Teal enjoyed, gives us his best effort to date with the ultimate slacker movie. Hear what Jim and Teal have to say about it at the end of the episode.
This episode is an action-packed one. It’s the first time Jim and Teal have done a solo episode together since late June, so they have a lot on their plates to discuss. Enjoy, dear listener and pass the word along. The boys are back in town.
