Don't You Forget About: Best in Show

Sure, it's fun to catch the latest flick at the multiplex, or grab the newest release at a video store, but sometimes you just gotta say, "Out with the new, and in with the unknown." There are plenty of older flicks out there that are worth a rental, but never registered on your radar. In Don't You Forget About, we remember the long-gone gems, so you don't have to.

BEST IN SHOW

WHAT it's about: The top dogs (and their perfect pups!) at a nationally-recognized dog show. Directed and written by Christopher Guest, this mockumentary takes the piss out of every stereotypical pet owner you've ever known, not to mention the dead seriousness of these competitions.

WHO'S in it: All Guest's usual guests, including co-writer Eugune Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey and Michael McKean. Plus, Jane Lynch, Jennifer Coolidge amd John Michael Higgins.

WHEN it came out: 2000

HOW come you haven't heard of (or just seen) it:  Like the majority of Guest's straight-faced resume (Waiting for Guffman, For Your Consideration, A Mighty Wind), this film tickles a specific set of funny bones and could be too dry for some people to handle.

WHY you need to watch it--immediately!

• Did you read the cast list? I mean, come on!
• There is a storyline which involves the creation of a faux dog magazine entitled American Bitch.
• One character may have two left feet. Literally.
• The dogs, for the most part, are adorable. And occasionally, their owners are too. But only because they've got that Fido-esque accidentally identical thing going on. 
• If you have, or have ever had a dog, you will find some of the pet owner idiosyncrasies presented HILARIOUS.  See: one scene in which Parker Posey's character breathlessly searches for an identical bee chew toy at a pet store to no avail. (The dog, of course, doesn't really care.)
• Fred Willard plays the best aging play-by-play artiste in the world.
• Mockumentaries are like so hot right now! On TV anyways...
• Stifler's mom and Sue Sylvester play partners...in more ways than one!
• If you're traveling on Air Canada, apparently it's now offered as an entertainment option on flights! (That's where I rewatched it a week or so back!)

Don't You Forget About: Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead

 

Photo: impaawards.com

DON'T TELL MOM THE BABYSITTER'S DEAD  

WHAT it's about: A group of siblings who have the summer of their lives after the retched old babysitter their Australia-bound mom left in charge suddenly bites the dust. Instead of calling the hospital or their mother, they stuff the woman in a trunk and drop her on the doorstep of a local funeral home, leaving them to their own, adult-free devices. 

WHO'S in it: Christina Applegate, Danielle Harris, Josh Charles and a then-unknown David Duchovny.   

WHEN it came out: 1991  

HOW come you haven't heard of (or just seen) it:  It got some really bratty reviews, leaving it with a Rotten Tomatoes ratting of 33 % and a just over $25,000 box-office gross. And the name doesn't do it any favours. At least with certain mainstream audiences. (I was all over it when I saw it in my print copy of TV Guide way back when.) 

WHY you need to watch it--immediately!: 

Forgotten Frights, Oct. 26: Bubba Ho-Tep

BUBBA HO-TEP (2002)

Section of the cinematic cemetery: The crotchety, yet charming crossroads between Grumpy Old Men, The Mummy and Evil Dead 2

Cause of (premature) death: Definitely not the reviews. It maintains a 78% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and got high marks from tough horror critics like Ebert and Travers. But the lower budget, B-movie name and Bruce Campbell-led cast made it only really appeal to niche nerd like us. 

What its tombstone would read: An old dude who thought he was the real Elvis and a black, wheelchair-set man who was convinced he was JFK defended their East Texan nursing home by taking on the hick mummy that haunted its halls and robbed its residents of their actual last breaths.

Why it needs to be revived: Did you read the last category? I mean, could there be a more original and intriguing horror comedy in the world? And what makes it even better is that, unlike many an awesomely titled indie genre flick, this one is legitimately decent, following through on its ridiculous story every single slightly slippery step of the way and wrangling what I think may just be the best Bruce Campbell  performance ever. It’s not a scary monster movie by any means, but it’s monstrously funny—and creative, to cowboy boot. If the thought of a hunk of no longer burnin’ love walker-ing towards a slow-moving undead Egyptian in rodeo gear sounds like the best thing you’ve yet to see, it’s because it really is.

Forgotten Frights, Oct. 22: I Sell the Dead

I SELL THE DEAD (2008)

Section of the cinematic cemetery: Zombie horror meets illegal crime thriller

Cause of (premature) death: It’s a low-budget black comedy horror that’s only grossed... (wait for it)... $8,050 in its entire theatre run in the U.S. It ran at 17 international film fests (including Toronto After Dark) before its theatre run then came out a year later on DVD. But it’s next to impossible to track down for rental. (But buying it isn’t a bad idea at all.)

What its tombstone would read: Two grave robbers turned zombie traffickers got framed for murder. Zombie traffickers, you ask? When the dead-body snatching business got cold, they turned to capturing the undead (and various other supernatural creatures) for sale.

Why it should be revived: If it’s not already clear, it’s unlike anything you've ever seen. It’s part zombie movie, part crime horror and part black comedy. It’s beautifully stylized; it’s dark, detailed and creepy. It’s silly and slapstick, bordering on over-the-top if not for the actors who fully commit and make it convincing. The score is fittingly a combination of whimsical and creepy (think The Addams Family meets The Nightmare Before Christmas). But this film definitely isn’t for everyone. It’s only for the slightly offbeat horror fanatics. (So in other words, all of you who are just like us.)

Never Seen It! Sunday: A Dirty Shame

You know when you're talking to someone you think is like totally happening in a far out way and they ask if you've seen their favourite movie and you lie and say you seen "parts of it" because you don't want to seem like a total pop culture pariah? Yeah, we do too - and we hate ourselves for it! That's why we're vowing to watch at least one movie we've put off, ignored, rejected or just plain-out forgot about every week from now on. Join us as recount the popping of our cinematic cherries, complete with awkward, over-analytical details!

Photo: impaawards.com

A DIRTY SHAME

DATE RELEASED: September 25, 2004

DATE ACTUALLY WATCHED: Sometime in June 2011 (it was during my wisdom teeth recovery, which seems like a giant, time suck of a blur)

WHY NOW?: Since I am a cult and camp fangirl, I am a  fascinated by the fucked up film stylings of John Waters. (You know him as the man who coiffed the original Hairspray.) And since Mr. Waters is going to be in my hometown (Toronto) later this month for the FanExpo (including a stop at the Toronto Underground Cinema for a one-man show!), I thought I would attempt to watch all of his films I have yet to see. This NC-17-rated comedy, about a prude suburban mom/convenience store employee who becomes a nympho after getting a concussion, was first on my list.

WHY NOT THEN?:  Well, first and foremost, I really couldn't. I was 14 at the time and it was rated 18A here in Canada, which meant I couldn't see it without a parent or some other adult. And considering the blatant sexual content and American rating, there was no way in hell I was going with my mom or dad. But also, I wasn't really sure I was ready. Like the main character, pre-sexual revelation, I was a bit shy about sexy times and was afraid that it might be too much for me.

EXPECTATIONS:

• Tracey Ullman being over-the-top awesome.
• Selma Blair wearing the biggest fake boobs ever created.
• Johnny Knoxville looking skeazy-sexy.
• Dark as old shit Waters comedy. 
• Some sort of dance and or musical number.
• Lots and lots of Baltimore references.
• Full frontal nudity on behalf of both genders.
• Lots of...."SEXIXXN'!" (See: the trailer below.)

WHAT I ACTUALLY GOT...

Never Seen It! Sunday: The Good Girl

You know when you're talking to someone you think is like totally happening in a far out way and they ask if you've seen their favourite movie and you lie and say you seen "parts of it" because you don't want to seem like a total pop culture pariah? Yeah, we do too - and we hate ourselves for it! That's why we're vowing to watch at least one movie we've put off, ignored, rejected or just plain-out forgot about every week from now on. Join us as recount the popping of our cinematic cherries, complete with awkward, over-analytical details!

Photo: impawards.com

THE GOOD GIRL

DATE RELEASED: August 7, 2002

DATE ACTUALLY WATCHED: July 4, 2011

WHY NOW?: It's been on TV a lot lately (which seems to be becoming a very large factor lately in my reasoning for watching a film). Although I'd heard of the film, I decided to Google it for a bit more info. And for two main reasons, I decided to watch this film. The first, this film is supposedly the strongest point in Jennifer Aniston's career. Partly convinced by the rumoured but untraceable Empire Magazine quote: "Aniston may not have received her much-touted Oscar nomination, but this brilliantly funny and often touching film should assure her a solid post-Friends career," when I tracked down the mag's review, I couldn't find this quote but instead found: "If initially one scoffs at cute Rachel, I mean, Aniston playing a straggle-haired cashier at a tacky discount store, she brings you around smartish with her emotional but reflective performance." So rumour or no rumour, this sounds just like what I need after what I said about her in my Just Go With It review. The second reason I needed to watch this film was its connection to one of my favourite books ever, The Catcher in the Rye. Jake Gyllenhaal's character is Holden. Enough said.

WHY NOT THEN?: Well, at 13 years old, I wasn't very much into adult black-comedy indies. Nor did I have any clue who the cast was, except for Aniston who I knew as the actress from that show that was always on TV (but later, I would become a Friends fan). Also, to my young tastes, it looked boring. Does Aniston not look bored out of her mind on the poster? I rest my case.

EXPECTATIONS:

• Jennifer Aniston at the absolute best in her entire career. Yes, I know it's a lot to live up to, but this is what I've heard.
• A cute and quirky Zooey Deschanel, as usual, but even funnier this time.
• A transitional Jake Gyllenhaal on his way to hunk-dom. Not really sure what that means though. I guess I'll find out.
• Simplistic but interesting cinematography.
• Beautiful Catcher in the Rye references.
• Serious, although cliché, romantic drama.

WHAT I ACTUALLY GOT...