RE: 'Gasoline Rainbow' and 'Queen of the Deuce'
Porno theaters and road trips. There's more to these stories, of course.
Dear Moviegoers,
Dust.
I’m very allergic to dust. And shellfish too (I’m a Louisiana guy, and I’m allergic to crawfish dammit), but it’s the dust that really annoys me.
My home office space gets easily covered in it, no matter how often I clean—my computer monitor, television, books and DVDs, etc. And the fan blades? Oh boy…
This doesn’t make for the best remote movie screening environment, especially when allergic reactions occur—sniffles and red eyes mostly, lasting for days. Anti-histamines help, but can also come with complications, like sleepiness (even the non-drowsy ones do me in).
This dusty room. This dusty home theater.
What recommendations do y’all have for cleaning up and making sure that dust becomes less and less of an issue? Leave a comment below or DM me anytime.
And now, our movie reviews:
Wiley, Oregon is a place for sleepers, but not so much for dreamers. Adults live and die here, but the kids plot to leave and let live. Gasoline Rainbow is the latest non-traditional docu-narrative-is film from the Ross Bros, whose previous effort Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets has slowly but surely become one of my all-time favorites. I think what attracts me to how they capture and tell a story isn’t so much the improvisation of scenes, but the restrictions and boundaries they establish. With Gasoline Rainbow, the Ross Bros have given their subjects, a group of five high school seniors on a road trip to see the Pacific Ocean, not just a map and directives to follow, but a tale that the directors have given to these kids to tell in their own ways. A tale that they believe is theirs. And maybe it is.
Of course it is.
It has to be.
Right?
By every means am I suggesting an Inception level mind trip on the subjects, as Gasoline Rainbow’s appearance of spontaneity is but a construct of F for Fake proportions. Orson Welles took on the crossovers of art, magic, and fakery in that docu-essay, which confounds and compliments to this day - a fate that Gasoline Rainbow could see for itself. Here, the Ross Bros may have reached their stylistic zenith, finding comfort in confusing and no more noise in experimenting. Welles continued playing around with film up to his passing, but are Turner & Bill Ross destined for that kind of ending? For that kind of life? For that kind of dreaming?
Of course.
They absolutely are.
Right.
Kicking off as if a heist film, Gasoline Rainbow drives out of a secret midnight rendezvous, into a cool rundown van, and out into the great beyond of parties and fleeting but magical meetups. If it weren’t for the sincerity built into the direction, the film could’ve fallen victim to a Burning Man search-for-self as sold to consumers. Every moment in this picture transitions to the next by leaving behind curiosity and making room for personal growth little by little. Did the Ross Bros craft that for the kids, or did the kids do it on their own? More shadowplay than traditional movie, and more real than reel, Gasoline Rainbow is one of the more fascinating films of the year. That’s worth more than all the beads that Burning Man wishes it could sell. 5/5
Gasoline Rainbow is currently streaming on Mubi.
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To have lived as royalty on 42nd St. in New York City must’ve been…pretty relaxed, actually. Queen of the Deuce highlights the life and adventures of Chelly Wilson, a Greek Jewish woman who made a living for herself through strength, attitude, and street know-how. To have gone thirty-eight-plus years in my being on Earth without knowing of Chelly’s existence is a complete embarrassment on my part. Her story is an absolutely fabulous section of the film exhibition history in America. It is a classic “make it here, make it anywhere” immigrant tale—almost straight out of the movies.
Chelly was gay but made marriage exceptions for men. Chelly could recognize trends, and seize upon opportunities in a split-second. Chelly was a tough cookie, who would fight Nazis decades before owning and operating a chain of adult cinemas. Queen of the Deuce is a great example of a documentary made with family endearment and admiration from strangers, considering all this woman did for her loved ones. With bags of cash lying about her simple apartment (above one of her theaters) and various wheelers & dealers coming around to see her, the best aspect of who she was is expressed here - aside from her tone of voice and iron will - in the family dinners and get-togethers that she would host. The film does transition from family and business perspectives with an editorial harshness, but this could just be how Chelly handled every week-by-week.
Queen of the Deuce was a true and delightful surprise of a documentary for me. Simple and awfully emotive. More than running movie theaters, Chelly’s story is one of rescue and survival, making deals with movers, shakers, and Government officials to secure safety for friends and family just as World War II was speeding up. And, despite how important movies were to her, only her own documentary could summarize who she was so properly: Once when she was sick, she was asked what someone could get for her to feel better. She responded with “A Nazi to shoot.” I’d buy a ticket to that. 4/5
Queen of the Deuce is now available on DVD and on-demand.
I use a nasal spray like Flonase or Nasacort for my all year round allergies (including dust). They don't have the rebound effect like some do. You can get it over the counter. You have to use it every day but it really works!