(kanopy/VOD) An oddity that starts off as a Linklater-ish teen prom courtship drama and then ever so slowly becomes something else entirely.
Indie
BLISS (2019)
(AMC+/Shudder/VOD) There’s not a lot to BLISS — it’s a horror-fueled drug trip that comes at you like a car crash — but the best moments flash before your eyes right before you’re hit, and I’m not about to spoil ‘em.
Visually compelling (although rarely astounding), Dora Madison (who never quite got to shine on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) fuels the film, playing with crazed-but-grounded intensity, and George Wendt inserts himself into the film because he apparently loves horror and throws himself into his role.
JUBILEE (1978)
(HBO MAX/Criterion) Scrappy, queer, surprisingly melancholy British alt-timeline art-punk film from Derek Jarman, featuring a rather disconnected Adam Ant. “As long as the music’s loud enough, we won’t hear the world falling apart!”
Please note: the following trailer is NSFW.
THE HEART OF THE WORLD (2000)
(Vimeo/YouTube) No one channels the mind’s eye recollection of silent films like Guy Maddin, and here he’s riffing off of Eisenstein, DeMille, and Lang, all within seven dense minutes. Note: this is a short film, so the trailer -is- the entire film. KINO! (NSFW)
PRINCESS CYD (2017)
(Hulu/kanopy/mubi/tubi/VOD) Absolutely charming ‘summer of self-discovery’ film about a teen visiting her writer aunt in Ravenswood, Chicago. As I lived in Ravenswood for several years (and currently live adjacent to the neighborhood) I recognized -every single location- in the film, even down to the church the aunt attends, which means that the film’s home field advantage may unfairly tilt my critical scales, but it really is an extraordinarily delightful film. Pairs well with Showtime’s WORK IN PROGRESS.
(Warning: the trailer is less of a trailer and more of a highlight reel, so you may want to avoid it.)