A few reviews

[TM2YC]

I didn't like the book or movie of The Day of the Locust, but I had to read and watch it for class. Maybe that's why I had a negative reaction to it and should probably revisit it.

I expect the roster of completely horrible characters would be a turn off for many, so instead, here's something joyous, without an once of cynicism...

True Stories (1986)
Talking Heads' David Byrne co-writes and directs a fantasy, documentary-style, musical exploration of the fictional town of 'Vergil Texas' (although it's often filmed with real Texas locations and people).  Byrne himself plays the narrator and interviewer, questioning people about their "Sesquicentennial celebration of special...ness". That's what his film is all about too, celebrating the uniqueness of everyday people and the eccentric lives they live, which seem perfectly normal to them. It's like a more down-to-earth Wes Anderson, or like the more joyful, frivolous parts of 'Twin Peaks'. There's a married couple who don't speak directly with each other, a woman who never leaves her bed and a lady who spins the most elaborate, hilarious and inventive lies to anybody who will listen. If there's a main character, it's John Goodman's 'Louis Fyne', an irrepressibly good natured single guy looking for the right girl to marry. 'True Stories' is a vision only Byrne could've brought to life, touching on themes of consumerism, technology and small-town life with such an inquisitive and embracing attitude. The onscreen titles by frequent collaborator Tibor Kalman and his design firm M & Co. are noticeably beautiful and having the end titles scroll at different speeds was a unique touch. The 4K scan on the Criterion blu-ray looks pin-sharp but I don't care for the new colour timing and I wished they'd included the old 4:3 version too, it often looked great in that ratio. Still, it looks fine with the some adjustments to the brightness/contrast/saturation and it's great to have the soundtrack on CD too.

I took some screenshots: