The manager at our favorite liquor store offered us a nice bottle of wine for a ridiculously low price warning us that about 1 in 4 of the bottles had bad corks, so it was sort of a gamble. He went on to explain how one must always have a back-up bottle of wine or two because you can never really know for sure how a bottle’s bound to taste even if it’s supposed to be great. The fellow said once upon a time he’d drink the bottle regardless, feeling it was wrong to waste it. But now he realizes life is too short for bad wine and if it’s still no good after breathing for 20 minutes, he tosses it. Agustin and I were musing how this is not unlike movies…
How many times have we put one in the dvd player or even gone to the theater only to have to turn it off (or walk out) within the first 20 minutes. Once upon a time we used to endure the entire 2 hours, committing to the experience. But now if it’s not even suggested it will “taste better with breathing” within the first 20 minutes, we’re outta there. Life’s too short for bad movies.
Unfortunately, it seems fewer and fewer films are passing the 20-minute test these days. Is it really so hard to write an engaging story with compelling characters? So many features have about 20-minutes of story stretched out into 90 minutes trying to rely on eye candy alone as filler. Please, folks, heed Bob Dylan’s sage advice…
What kills me the most is that the best films I’ve seen this year have been out on the fest circuit and many will not get the opportunity to see the inside of a mainstream theater. Audiences are missing out and the filmmakers who should be awarded for a job well done are virtually ignored.
So here is a call to action for a film that most definitely passes the 20-minute test. In fact, it’s one of the top 5 films I saw last year (I saw hundreds). I spent much of it with tears streaming down my cheeks from laughing so hard (as did much the rest of the audience.)
Fortunately, IFC had the good sense to pick it up and it’s getting a limited theatrical run and is currently available on demand (for a mere $3 – find it online or on cable). The film is called The Overbrook Brothers (I wrote about hanging with ridiculously talented supporting actor, Mark Reeb, when I was at the Bendfilm fest here). Incidentally, I highly recommend not watching the trailer first as it has spoilers.
The film is directed by John Bryant whose short film “Oh My God” (online here) is one of my all-time fave shorts. It is nothing like Overbrook aside from the fact that it, too, nearly made me pee my pants laughing.
This is a film you can rent by yourself, with your friends, family, even your grandparents if they don’t mind a bit of language and adult humor (and let’s face it, most grandparents like that stuff even more than we do!) There is honestly something for everybody 13 and older. Please support their film and I suspect you will thank me for the recommendation. If you rent it and don’t enjoy it, I owe you a drink next time we meet up, fair enough?
Indeed a great topic to read and learn about too. Thanks bud