This is pretty profoundly my kinda shit to pop on on a Sunday night. Took me a few days to get through the whole thing but I love a long ass essay on some real cinephile nerd shit. I also think the film and ARP (Alex Ross Perry) does a good job as staying relatively neutral and not so “those were the good old days”. If it was all “kids these days don’t know what it was like,” it wouldn’t be half as interesting. Instead using the depictions of video rental stores sort of fills in the gaps and the anthropological nature shines through.
I’d take a dozen more of these long ass explorations with ARP writing and Maya Hawke narrating, tackling lesser-discussed singers and shit.
I do feel that if I were to watch this in one sitting I might not be as psyched on it. I think it does kind of drag at times and the lack of any “documentary” approach makes it feel almost too one sided. Such a vast subject like the decline of video rental stores and their depictions in media feels like it invites many different interpretations and reflections from other smart people. Instead ARP hogs a bit of that spotlight. I think I would’ve just liked to see an insider look at the subject matter. Maybe some of the filmmakers whose work was on display in this film, à la Kevin Smith or something.
But also glad this is available at a time where physical media seems to be making a comeback.
7.2/10
This is pretty profoundly my kinda shit to pop on on a Sunday night. Took me a few days to get through the whole thing but I love a long ass essay on some real cinephile nerd shit. I also think the film and ARP (Alex Ross Perry) does a good job as staying relatively neutral and not so “those were the good old days”. If it was all “kids these days don’t know what it was like,” it wouldn’t be half as interesting. Instead using the depictions of video rental stores sort of fills in the gaps and the anthropological nature shines through.
I’d take a dozen more of these long ass explorations with ARP writing and Maya Hawke narrating, tackling lesser-discussed singers and shit.
I do feel that if I were to watch this in one sitting I might not be as psyched on it. I think it does kind of drag at times and the lack of any “documentary” approach makes it feel almost too one sided. Such a vast subject like the decline of video rental stores and their depictions in media feels like it invites many different interpretations and reflections from other smart people. Instead ARP hogs a bit of that spotlight. I think I would’ve just liked to see an insider look at the subject matter. Maybe some of the filmmakers whose work was on display in this film, à la Kevin Smith or something.
But also glad this is available at a time where physical media seems to be making a comeback.
7.2/10
