Streamers: Andrew Bujalski Presents Some Favorite Films You Can Watch at Home
It should come as no surprise that Andrew Bujalski (SUPPORT THE GIRLS, COMPUTER CHESS, FUNNY HA HA) is one of our favorite filmmakers. From his micro-budget beginnings to his current status as one of the most respected writer-directors out there, he is a force not only as an artist but also as an educator and reliable source of great movie recommendations.
We asked Andrew for some of his streaming recommendations during this period when so many of us are restricted to our homes. Here’s what he sent.
HIS GIRL FRIDAY (Amazon Prime)
1940, D. Howard Hawks
You’re stuck at home, might as well enjoy pretty much the most fun and delightful movie ever. Don’t think it’s lost a step in 80 years.
W.R. MYSTERIES OF THE ORGANISM (Criterion)
1971, D. Dusan Makavejev
I don’t think anyone before had attempted such a wild, fluid erasure of the walls between fiction and documentary, comedy and politics and fever dream, and doubt anyone’s come close since.
THE LITTLE FUGITIVE (Kanopy, Sundance Now)
1953, D. Morris Engel, Ruth Orkin, Raymond Abrashkin
A total charmer and a mainspring for all indie cinema that followed. If you’re trapped in the house with children whose attention spans haven’t been too Disney-fried yet, they may actually be willing to sit through this with you and you’ll all feel the richer for it.
WELLNESS (Vimeo)
2008, D. Jake Mahaffy
Speaking of indie cinema, this movie won the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW in 2008, it’s one of the best microbudget indies of the digital-video era, and the director is so horrid at self-promotion (a fair indicator of integrity) that you can only–but thankfully!–watch it on his own Vimeo page. Well worth it.
LIFE IS SWEET (Criterion)
1990, D. Mike Leigh
…or maybe bittersweet. Any Mike Leigh should be good for the soul right now, and this one about the people closest to us in particular.
THIS IS THE END (Netflix)
2013, D. Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
I can’t in good conscience suggest you watch apocalypse movies right now, but if you must, this one is funnier than CONTAGION and OUTBREAK combined. (Though I guess Romero’s DEAD series comes close for comedy.) Like all good Hollywood satires it is fueled by blazing coals of self-loathing.
