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Mad Marc Rude: Blood, Ink & Needles (2014)
Blood and Ink Dudes and Needle Chicks Reflect
A terrific documentary about the San Diego punk scene and one of its founders, Mad Marc Rude: Blood, Ink & Needles (2014) follows the exploits of a punk original, Marc Rude, who arrives from NYC and LA to start up the punk scene in late '70s San Diego. Rude was more of a promoter and sometimes a brawler that the younger punks of both sexes love to remember in their many interviews. Rude could also draw so he has left behind some wonderful punk album covers, club flyers and other promotional materials that often took him hours to ink. So, the title of the film says it all: the blood being the legendary fights, the ink being his weapon of choice in art and sadly the needles that would become his drug of choice in life. Throughout, Rude seems like a bad ass older brother that's worshipped by these younger punks and it's their recollections that make this documentary a sort of Citizen Kane of punk documentaries. For Marc Rude was much loved, feared and respected all at once---a worthy figure in the punk movement.
Amor a la vuelta de la esquina (1986)
Night Time Is the Right Time
Amor a La Vuelta de La Esquina AKA Love Around the Corner (1985, Mexico) is a moody 91 minute NC17 flick that sticks to its heroine, prostitute Maria (lean and lovely Gabriela Roel), from its dark and gloomy start to freeze-frame finish. Along the way, director Alberto Cortes captures terrific night time imagery as Maria winds her way through a maze of gritty Mexico City night spots as well as some dingy clubs that she later visits in a costal beach town. With an assist from her sleek body, Maria lies, cheats and steals from most of the men in her life (boyfriends, customers) except for a truck driver, Julian (hunky Alonso Echanove), who had rescued her from a fall early in the film's opening moments. In other words, Maria is a rat unless Julian is around. When she's finally able to share some of her spoils with him, Maria becomes a surprisingly thoughtful creature and its here that her transformation lifts this tawdry tale up a few notches via its lovely shift in tone. Viewers should also get a kick out the film's use of some very '80s pop music selections, from a scene where Maria finds a stash of men's magazines as well as from an interior photo session or two using a Polaroid camera.
Drifters (2013)
Drift to Season 4
Drifters (2013-2016) follows three wacky millennial Brit gals as they stumble and bumble their way through life and love in Leeds, England. Earlier seasons of this series tend to focus on dorky, dark haired Meg, played by series creator Jessica Knappett, who epically fails at a number of jobs and easily blows up more than a few relationships. Her hilarious partners in many funny escapades are her redheaded cousin Bunny, played by Lydia Rose Bewely and bitchy blonde gal pal Laura, played by Lauren O'Rourke.
Season 4 finds the trio as a cohesive comedy team trying their hands at acting in Big Break, attempting to get healthy in order to run a marathon in Sober, wandering the streets of Leeds the night before their high school reunion in Homeless and throwing a "sexy" party in Halloween. These best episodes comically embrace more universal themes and are also the funniest.
Maybe the best episode of all, The Third Way, also from Season 4, finds our trio meeting up at the "dumping pub" while Meg bounces between two blokes, the wholesome Andrew, played by Larry Michell, and sexy jerk Hot and Cold, played by Perry Fitzpatrick, who convinces Meg that "there's a third way" when it comes to relationships.
Look for Laura's long suffering boyfriend Gary, played by Bobby Hirsten, in many episodes; their on-going train wreck of a relationship supplies plenty of laughs to earlier season episodes.
Imitation Girl (2017)
The Double Life of Starwoman
This film seems to be a cross between Starman (1984) and The Double Life of Veronique (1991) with an emphasis on clashing cultures. An alien imitation, born with an assist from a magazine cover, takes human form and absorbs the Farsi language and gentle culture of two Iranian characters living in the rural southwestern United States: her human porn star counterpart (and look-alike) lives an urban lifestyle of sex, drugs and clubbing and she misses an opportunity to leave her chosen work in the sex trade. The duo meet and the open ended finale works for this short mysterious film.