What I Watched in February, Part 1

Here goes, at long last...


February's semi-accidental David Mamet month continued into March with a viewing of this 1997 comedy that, though it was made before the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke, actually told the story of an administration that staged a fake war to distract from a presidential sex scandal. Real-world parallels aside, it's a damn smart movie with late career best performances from Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman (this, and not that terrible "Meet the Fockers" movie is the comedy that duo should be remembered for). It's all fueled by a whip-smart script from Mamet and Hilary Henkin (based on the book "American Hero" by Larry Beinhart) and smooth, unobtrusive direction from Barry Levinson. Check this one out, people -- it's worth another look, even if the Clinton era feels a million years away.

Low-budget, performance-heavy documentary centered on the Sex Pistols' 1978 tour that's a fascinating, entertaining slice of history if you're into this sort of thing (and I obviously am). Besides the Pistols footage (which includes their legendary final flame-out at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom), the film also includes live material from the Dead Boys, Generation X and other bands of the era, plus plenty of stuffy authority figures bemoaning the Pistols, the music, the kids and the fall of civilization. It's most notorious for the interview segment with Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungeon, with Sid (sporting a swastika T-shirt) and nodding off on a heroin binge while Nancy raises nasally whining to an artform. To sum up, if you don't care for punk, you'll hate the whole movie. If you do like punk, you'll probably love it. Just like the music, in other words.


I've seen it before, of course, in the theater and on Blu-ray, but HBO put it into rotation, so I watched it with the kid, figuring she might enjoy its mix of crazy, videogame inspired action and offbeat comedy. And she was right. What's more, I was reminded once again just what a wild ride this movie is -- one of the most purely entertaining movies of the 20th century and proof that Edgar Wright is possibly the best fun filmmaker working today.

Up next: Disney animation, a vintage 1970s disaster flick and Sly Stallone not playing Rocky or Rambo.