I am not sure why I
cannot be a nice boy, man child who settles in nicely. I am just as confused as
to why I enjoy uncomfortable movies that can be crass and gross. I don’t like
horror or should I say I do not like gore for gores sake.
It’s Monday and I am
writing this in 15 minutes, taking the time out for my dry computer blank eyes
to be working on work to fuck off for 15 minutes while looking over my
shoulder. I don’t want to tip my hand that not only am I watching a movie on
the shot clock but I now write about them too. Opening a Costco size box of
worms (Sam’s Whole Sale Club if you are in my homeland).
Sunday was a big day
for some people I know. Maybe the biggest, earth shaking event. A nice old
hotel with character housing a reasonable wedding but with a lot of window
dressings and trimming for a second go around.
For some reason I
made an odd choice of viewing for a Sunday mid-morning, especially if I was
going to be seeing my recent extended family. Maybe I created some one man
performance art writing piece in my head to watch a grimy movie like Tenement
and then go to an expensive shin dig. Maybe before having to put on a pleasant
and well-mannered face I should watch a good 80s comedy. But this was the
purchase draw of the amazing triple set I got from Oldies.com from reading a
recommendation on Rupert Pumpkin Speaks blog (one of the best blogs around me
thinks).
There are times when
movies affect me in a negative way, not the go out drinking or crying jag but
when I am uncomfortable and start to wonder what does this look like to the
outside world if they happened to look in? I fancy myself a good guy who
normally does the right thing but why am I watching a movie when an older lady
not only gets her throat slashed with a straight razor but also gets a
passionate kiss from a thug to boot? Why?
Tenement kind of put
me in an odd mood direction when I started it the night before. Some of the
hoods played it very camp and Chaco’s broken English kind of took away some of
the edge. It almost kind of lulls you into a false sense of security. This is
just more of a NYC Gang that Couldn’t Shoot, Apple Dumpling group with leather
right? Wrong.
As I was clock
watching to get prepared for a drive to a nice family wedding I started to
fidget. I was kind of balking at the film and started wondering why I am
watching this film that you can practically smell. The set location is no set
and the super looks like he may actually be the super of the building.
The story involves
angel dust smoking (I wish they would have emphasized more of that is why the
gang decided to go all in with the murdering of a whole group of struggling
residents) and not just survival but some revenge. The acting is not great but
has its own charm.
At some point I
relaxed and I really got into the film. What brought me around was the gore
surprisingly enough. Not that the effects were great but it showed this was
true guerilla, small film making on a slight budget. There are many small
nuances in the story that beg a discussion and I just wish I had a film friend
who lived closer by who I could go out to a nice coffee with and discuss this
grimy film in a nice location who would not question why the hell are you
watching this filthy film?
Grade: Solid B+
