There are positives and negatives to living a super world like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World or Superman.
Sure, the positive is you get to see someone fly and shoot lasers out of their eyes. Good for you. The negatives, however, are sure to be the supervillains who plot the demise of the heroes by blowing up the building you work in or the bridge that your work commute is on. And, because you’re not the hero or the villain, you will be one of the people trapped in a collapsing building.
This is why I am taking an absurdist route to today’s pick. First off, let’s just imagine this like the T.V. series Sliders, Quantum Leap, or Highway to Heaven where every week will put us in a new environment and a new adventure. Or like the comic book Resurrection Man, where the main character had a new power every month (because every time he died, he came back with a new power…and he died a whole lot). Or Scooby-Doo.
So, let’s jump into the wormhole of alternate universes and see where the swirling blue lights take us:
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
What?! Why?! What the hell is wrong with you? (Shut up, Macho Voice in my head.) Because, wouldn’t it be nice to live in a world of such vibrant colors where everyone sang everything? In French? Well, it would be different, at least. Anyways, the chance to walk down the street with Catherine Deneuve on your arm is worth the price of admission alone.
Roger Rabbit poster by Tom Whalen for Alamo Drafthouse screening.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
Think of what a blast it would be to actually be able to intermingle with cartoon characters. Unfortunately, I think this would bring out the sadist in a lot of people. Could you cut off a cartoon character’s head without it killing them? Maybe. Hey, let’s find out!
Henry & June (1990)
Sitting around Paris, drinking coffee & wine, conversing about the nature of art, AND having hot affairs with Uma Thurman and Maria de Medeiro?. Sounds like a pretty good life Fred Ward had for himself.(By the way, Fred Ward doesn’t exactly jump out as a name to be associated with “sexy”, but he makes a pretty good Henry Miller.)
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Maybe if I had somebody narrating my life, I could actually understand why I do some of the things that I do. Are they part of a larger context of my “character” or am I simply doing shit “just because?”Also, the opportunity to woo a tattooed Maggie Gyllenhaal…..
1960s French Film (1960s, duh)
Just imagine a jazzy film score by Mancini or something and we'll be all set.
Going back to Henry & June and Umbrellas of Cherbourg, it’d be pretty cool to hang around in a cafe all day and shoot the breeze with other Bohemians while dressed all snazzy. In shades, of course. And it would give me an excuse to like smoking again.
