This is quite odd, which I guess is the point. I got all of Jeff Baena’s movies after watching his most recent one, Spin Me Round, and it was just the right amount of zany fun. I’m just ten minutes in here, but this is not… that movie.

Wow! Can on the soundtrack! This is some kinda hipster movie!

Oh, OK, it’s a comedy/horror movie…

It’s just a bit frustrating, because it seems obvious where all this is going now, it’s taking its time.

OK, zombies liking smooth jazz — that’s a solid joke.

They’re going for zany chaos instead of doing actual jokes (with soft jazz blaring), and it’s just a bit exhausting.

Life After Beth. Jeff Baena. 2014. ⚂

I’ve watched quite a lot of movies from 40-45, and surprisingly (to me), very few actually deal with the war at all. But it’s not that strange — audiences want to be diverted, right? But it looks like this is going all in on the war?

Oh, it’s .. it’s… whatsername. Georgia Caine — she’s in a bunch of Sturges films, in small roles.

He’s tall!

Google Translate says that that may mean something like “joyous road”…

This is very funny.

It is somewhat surprising that they’d make something like this at this time — the premise is a guy that’s failed out of the marines (for having hay fever) after a month, but is then mistakenly taken for a war hero when returning home. Hi-jinx ensue. So that’s a normal enough premise, but his soldier buddies (who’ve arranged the whole thing) are slightly sinister, and keep on lying. It’s just a bit… off colour?

I.e., the implication seems to be that all tales told by returning soldiers are lies.

This movie just doesn’t let up. There’s so many chaotic, zany scenes… I don’t think I’ve quite seen anything like it. It should be exhausting, but instead it’s exhilarating.

(He’s the villain.)

It’s very funny, and it’s extremely well made (in that Studio way), and it lands the ending.

Hail the Conquering Hero. Preston Sturges. 1944. ⚄

A new restoration is always a reason to watch an old favourite again. This is a 2K version from Studiocanal, and looks really nice. (I think I’ve seen this before in a small cinema, on VHS, and on DVD.)

I remember the colours being more unreal and deeper, though?

It’s such a lovable movie… it’s not exactly slow and gentle — it’s pretty brash in parts — but it’s got a magical glow and a satisfying progression of nonsense that build into something more.

Now, that’s more like the colours I remember.

This movie is perfect — I have no notes. The soundtrack, the cinematography, the pacing, the performances: It’s all exactly the way it should be.

Perhaps there’ll be a 4K version, so I’ll have an excuse to watch it another time?

And I hope they get their acts together and make a 2K release of Zuckerbaby, which is Percy Adlon’s other Great Movie.

Bagdad Café. Percy Adlon. 1987. ⚅