This is part nine of a 12-part series on my experience re-building my physical film collection in response to streaming fatigue. I’m giving myself a $30/month budget for curating a new personal movie collection from thrift stores. Read the introductory post and follow along here on Retro Chronicle.
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December was somber, marking the start of a new mumblecore collection— and the tragic passing of one of the subgenre’s pioneers, which I’ll expand on in the “Joshy” section. Like in November, this month continued the trend of online-only film acquisitions, as my visits to the thrift store proved fruitless. But once I tightened my focus, I was able to use up my $30 monthly budget online and dive deeper into one of my favorite independent film movements.
eBay: “Saved,” “About Schmidt,” “A Knight’s Tale” – $6.64 (shipped)
Halfway through the month, I’d already visited a few thrift stores without luck and decided to order a few titles my partner and I had recently pondered revisiting. The original cost of this order was $9.64 (from the seller noted in month one), but I was issued a partial refund for some DVDs sent loose in busted-up cases. Fortunately, I was able to swap out the cases for some empties I had lying around.
“Saved!” is still a blast, even if it “pulls its punches,” to use the words from the Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus, which ranks it barely fresh at 61%. The teen comedy follows an Evangelical Christian named Mary who gets pregnant after attempting to “cure” her boyfriend of his homosexuality. Released the same year as “Mean Girls,” it isn’t as highly regarded or revisited. But it was perhaps always destined to be a cult classic among the closeted non-believers who’d appreciate the film’s depiction of what it’s like coming of age around the blindly devout. “Saved” isn’t as clever or iconic as “But I’m a Cheerleader” nor is it as gut-bustingly hilarious as “Bottoms,” but it’s still a must-see for cheerleaders of queer high school comedies.
“About Schmidt” seemed like a natural addition to bulk up the Alexander Payne collection. During winter time (for whatever reason), it can feel comforting to put on a cozy character study movie. Payne seems to excel at those. “A Knight’s Tale” was too ahead of its time to garner the reviews it deserved at its 2001 release. On the topic of Health Ledger, I have never seen “Brokeback Mountain” nor “Lords of Dogtown,” but I intend to seek those out soon.
“About Schmidt” will join “The Descendants” in my Alexander Payne collection, while “A Knight’s Tale” will be added to the Superbit collection. Unfortunately, this copy didn’t include the slipcover but it’s always risky when you order from a listing that doesn’t include photos of the item.
eBay: “Joshy” – $10.75 (shipped)
I watched” Joshy” several years ago and have been wanting to rewatch ever since. The dark comedy-drama follows Joshy, played by Thomas Middleditch, who goes on a trip with his friends during what would have been Joshy’s bachelor party, after his fiancée commits suicide months before their wedding. I had discovered the film after becoming intrigued by the stellar cast, frank discussions on suicide, and its association with a subgenre of film that I’d grown to adore: mumblecore.
mum·ble·core (məm-bəl-ˌkȯr): a genre of narrative film focusing primarily on the intimate lives of young characters and featuring scenes of ample dialogue and minimal action.
Between 2002 and 2010, indie filmmakers behind the mumblecore movement, such as the Duplass Brothers, Greta Gerwig, and Joe Swanberg, produced low-budget films that explored the aimless personal lives of young adults through an filmmaking approach that emphasized naturalism. According to New Yorker staff writer, David Denby, “mumblecore movies are made by buddies, casual and serious lovers, and networks of friends, and they’re about college-educated men and women who aren’t driven by ideas or by passions or even by a desire to make their way in the world.” He expands, “neither rebels nor bohemians, they remain stuck in a limbo of semi-genteel, moderately hip poverty.”
My partner and I rewatched “Joshy” as soon as it arrived in the mail, validating our itch to revisit the film’s honest take on grief and male vulnerability. For the film’s writer-director Jeff Baena, the subject matter of moving on after the tragic death of a partner was a well he’d revisit throughout his filmography. This fact was made more somber with the filmmaker’s passing on January 3rd, a few short weeks after our screening. The similarities between Baena’s death, which was reported to be suicide by hanging, and the tragedies that his protagonists face are not lost on followers of the filmmaker. It’s a beautiful film, informed by a real pain— and brought to life by a cast of comedic geniuses who loved Baena and understood his vision.
The unconventional pace, structure, and character development of “Joshy” was a turn-off for some audiences not accustomed to the often awkward naturalism that defines mumblecore. But for those open to its improvisational rhythm and a notably poignant and sincere performance from Middleditch, “Joshy” is surprisingly refreshing; although future rewatches may invoke a different array of emotions. Jeff Baena was loved in the indie filmmaking community, especially in Los Angeles. He frequently collaborated with his wife Aubrey Plaza, who also plays a role in “Joshy.”
“Joshy” will kickstart my new mumblecore collection. The idea to curate this collection came from a different subgenre-specific collection that I’d developed before the start of this 12-month experiment: my found footage horror collection. That collection started about a decade ago based on my and my partner’s shared love for the subgenre. Like my found footage horror collection, my new mumblecore collection will be sorted in order of release, and I’ll cast a wide net over the entire subgenre in terms of collecting.
eBay: “Funny Ha Ha” – $6.89 (shipped)
After finally deciding to start a mumblecore collection, I had a few ideas of what my next selections would be. But from the onset, the case for “Funny Ha Ha” was pretty strong. It has been described as the very first mumblecore film; it was shot entirely on 16mm film; and the Daily Variety’s Robert Koehler regarded it as “beautifully observant and wholly unpretentious.” I found a DVD copy for less than seven bucks shipped, making it an easy pick for building the foundation of a new collection. Its director Andrew Bujalski followed up “Funny Ha Ha” with another well regarded mumblecore flick in 2005 with “Mutual Appreciation.” I am eager to pop this one in for my first watch. “Funny Ha Ha” will be the second film added to my mumblecore collection.
eBay: “Puffy Chair” – $5.11 (shipped)
“Puffy Chair” felt like a natural next selection (for my budget) and is unique for a number of reasons. It was the writing and directing debut of Mark and Jay Duplass; it had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival; and it was released by Netflix. The roadtrip movie also clocks in at a tight 85 minutes, making it a really engaging yet effortless watch. “Puffy Chair” was added to my mumblecore collection, closing the month and kickstarting the new mini collection with a strong foundation of three. Looking forward to the future of my mumblecore mini collection, there are several notable titles that I’m keen on adding:
- “Nights and Weekends” – Written and directed by mumblecore titans Greta Gerwig and Joe Swanberg, who also star in the film about a long-distance relationship
- “Medicine for Melancholy” – Did you know Barry Jenkins’ feature directorial debut was a mumblecore film? It follows Wyatt Cenac in a one-day romance following a one-night stand
- “Daddy Longlegs” – The Safdie Brothers also threw their mumblecore hat in the rink that was also semi-autobiographical and followed a Manhattan movie theater projectionist.
- “The Overnight” – Patrick Brice dipped his toe into mumblegore with 2014’s “Creep” before delivering the thrilling sex comedy “The Overnight.” I have seen this one already and recommend it often.
- “Jeff, Who Lives at Home” – Jason Segel and Ed Helms make this one of the more accessible and mainstream entries into the subgenre, but its inclusion of a very specific “Signs” reference make it an endearing watch for my partner and me.
- “Support the Girls” – Released in 2018, this post-mumblecore comedy follows the general manager of a Hooters-style sports bar.
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With these first nine months complete, my current collection is composed of these mini collections:
- General DVDs
- General Blu-ray
- Family/Children
- Marvel
- Horror
- Mumblecore (new)
- Documentary
- Stand-up Comedy
- Music/Concert
- Director filmographies
- Wes Anderson
- Noah Baumbach
- Cameron Crowe
- David Fincher
- Michel Gondry
- John Hughes
- Spike Jonze
- Ang Lee
- Richard Linklater
- James Mangold
- Christopher Nolan
- Ruben Östlund
- Alexander Payne
- Lynne Ramsay
- Martin Scorsese
- Ridley Scott
- M. Night Shyamalan
- Steven Spielberg
- Quentin Tarantino
- Lars von Trier
- Gus Van Sant
- Superbit DVDs
- Boutique labels
- Criterion
- Slumber Party Multi-Film Collection
- Television
- Children/Family Television
- For Your Consideration (Special Collection)
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This is part nine of a 12-part series on my experience re-building my physical film collection in response to streaming fatigue. I’m giving myself a $30/month budget for curating a new personal movie collection from thrift stores. Read the introductory post and follow along here.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.