Tagarchief: Groundhog Day

Double Bill #12: The Big Lebowski & The Jesus Rolls

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

In the nineties the Coen Brothers rolled two strikes in a row with Fargo (1996) and The Big Lebowski (1998), two instant classics that both feature a kidnapping. Fargo is a bloody North Dakota-set crime story with humor that is darker than a black steer’s tookus on a moonless prairie night. The Big Lebowski is a Raymond Chandler-style mystery featuring a valued rug, bowling balls, white Russians and the question of what it means to be a man. I considered coupling them for this feature; in terms of bizarre characters, endlessly quotable dialogues and outrageous situations these movies certainly match, but for some reason I chose The Jesus Rolls (2019, dir: John Turturro) instead. Jesus Quintana (played by John Turturro) was one of the many memorable characters from The Big Lebowski and even though he was only in two scenes totaling less than six minutes in screen-time, he got his own movie. It’s as if Ned Ryerson would get his own flick two decades after Groundhog Day (Ned Ryerson Insures!). The Coens had nothing to do with it: but they gave John Turturrro permission to run with the character. It is both a spinoff and a remake of the French movie Going Places (1974), which was very controversial at the time for its vulgarity, depiction of sexual acts and amorality. The story revolves around a road trip taken by Quintana, Petey (Bobby Cannavale) and Marie (Audrey Tautou) during which they engage in sex and petty crime. Petey is an ex-convict like Jesus and Marie is what Maud Lebowski would call a nymphomaniac: a woman who engages in sex compulsively and without joy. The movie has one bowling scene and Jesus repeats some of his Lebowski lines, but the movie has nothing to do whatsoever with the events of The Big Lebowski (it even turns out that Jesus is not a pederast, he was only falsely accused of exposing himself to an eight year old). For a comedy it is not funny enough, and for a road movie it is too strange. But as a dessert after watching the masterpiece The Big Lebowski for the hundredth time, it is alright.

The Verdict: Palm Springs

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

“It is one of those infinite time loop things.” This familiar premise (“It’s Groundhog Day!”) is unapologetically used for Palm Springs. Nyles (Andy Samberg) is eternally stuck at a wedding in the desert resort city in California. He entered this time loop by walking into a cave that was opened by an earthquake. The major difference with the Bill Murray classic is that Niles can draw others into his comical hell. He did so with Roy (J.K. Simmons) during a drug trip and it pissed Roy off so much that he occasionally comes to Palm Springs to torture and kill Nyles (after which off course Nyles wakes up in his hotel room again with his cheating girlfriend). Things start to change when he meets Sarah (Cristin Milioti), the maid of honor and sister of the bride, and she accidently gets stuck inside the loop as well. After spending a slice of eternity together, she wants out, but is there a way? Spoiler: Improving your karma like in Groundhog Day won’t work. Despite the lack of originality, the time loop gimmick is used to maximum effect in Palm Springs and the result is genuinely enjoyable.

Palm Springs is now available on Amazon Prime

The verdict: to stream or not to stream? To stream more than once

It’s Groundhog Day!

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

“Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties ‘cause it’s cooooold out there today”

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De eerste Groundhog Day (grondmarmottendag) vond plaats in 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania (precieze locatie: Gobbler’s Knob). Volgens de (oorspronkelijk Duitse) traditie is het zo dat de grondmarmot een vroege lente kan voorspellen wanneer hij zijn eigen schaduw ziet. Als hij zijn schaduw niet ziet betekent dat nog zes weken winter. Naast Punxsutawney kregen ook andere plaatsen in de VS en Canada hun eigen knaagdierentradities.

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Waarom vertrouwden mensen toen (en nu nog steeds in zekere zin) op het oordeel van de grondmarmot? Dit had te maken met de landbouw: hoe dieren reageerden op het weer gaf ze aanwijzingen over wat er stond te gebeuren en wanneer ze moesten beginnen met zaaien. Vandaag vertrouwen forecasters meer op data uit satellieten, maar uiteindelijk beslist nog altijd de intuïtie. En die intuïtie wordt gevoed door data. Maar of die data nu afkomstig is van dieren of van moderne technologie maakt in feite weinig uit.

Groundhog Day kreeg bekendheid door de klassieke film ‘Groundhog Day’ uit 1993 met Bill Murray (onderdeel van mijn persoonlijke top 100), waarin weerman Phil  (‘like the groundhog Phil’) dezelfde vreselijke dag steeds opnieuw beleeft. De term Groundhog Day is hierdoor symbool gaan staan voor alles wat zich steeds herhaald. De interpretatie van de film is dat door karma de cynische hoofdpersoon moet leren wat echt belangrijk is in het leven: zijn naasten liefhebben zonder eigenbelang. Pas wanneer Phil zijn les geleerd heeft kan hij aan de Groundhog Day ontsnappen. Over hoe lang deze ontsnapping Phil doet zijn vele theorieën, maar dat het jaren duurt, daar is men het over eens.

It’s Groundhog Day!!!!

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En hoe zit het op 2 februari 2017? Heeft de grondmarmot zijn schaduw gezien?

Watch as “Sir Walter Wally” tells mayor Nancy McFarlane his winter prediction on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, 2017 outside the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh.