COUCH FESTIVAL: "SUGAR HIGH" by Jennifer HearneWhile everyone was busy this summer revisiting the original Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, I chose to get my sugar high somewhere else. Not that I don't appreciate the classic: I once planned a wedding entirely around it. But I'd already caught that show a few too many times, so when the Johnny Depp remake rolled around, I was already off searching for sweeter scenes. This month's picks are like most confections: possibly bad for you but a delicious indulgence nonetheless. At the top of my list is 1985's Zuckerbaby (or Sugarbaby). Sugarbaby is typical of German "beziehungskomoediens" or the relationship comedies that were very popular in the 80s. But it is atypical as a love story in that the two protagonists, Marianne (Marianne Sagebrecht) and Huber (Eisi Gulp) are very unusual lovers. Marianne is an isolated, zaftig woman who works for a mortuary. Aside from work, Marianne's primary activity is eating. She is as emotionally dead as the corpses she tends to until a slender train conductor catches her eye. She nicknames him "zuckerbaby" and sets out to seduce him. What follows is a wonderfully human love story told honestly and with a total absence of body consciousness. Marianne's pursuit of Huber might be construed as inappropriate but as the story unfolds, her explanation of her attraction to Huber and what she hopes to give to him redeems her. Huber enjoys every bit of her attention and has no problem making love to a much larger woman. The love story is believable and serves as a gentle reminder that real love looks past external flaws into the soul of the individuals involved. Sugarbaby is recommended viewing for everyone as it challenges our ideas of "weightism" in the same way that Harold and Maude confronts ageism. Unfortunately, Sugarbaby may not be easy to find - VHS copies still exist but like many wonderful films, it is virtually impossible to find on DVD. When I first saw Mary Woronov in the late 70s, she was disturbing but captivating as the butch prison guard in the Charlie's Angels episode, “Angels in Chains.” I never forgot her face or her "weird vibe" and searched endlessly for her until finally discovering 1973's Sugar Cookies. Little did I know that I was not alone in my fascination with Woronov. Made while she was married to the film's director, Theodore Gershuny, Sugar Cookies is the quintessential vehicle for the former Cornell dropout and subsequent Warholite. As Camila Stone, Woronov's steely sensuality is put to great use in this very disturbing tale of lurid lesbian love and revenge in the porn world. Sugar Cookies remains an underground classic, not just for its so-bad-it's-good status but because Woronov has her own following (including Rob Zombie who recently cast her in The Devil’s Rejects). I won't give away the plot of Sugar Cookies but do be warned it's not for the easily offended. Sugar Cookies is currently released in it's original X-rated version by the Troma Team, known for oddities like Tromeo and Juliet and Toxic Avenger, which should clue you in to how high this film scores on the sordid meter. My search for 1967's Peppermint Frappe was fruitless but led me to 1977's Diabolo Menthe or Peppermint Soda As the title suggests, Peppermint Soda tells the tale of Anne (Eleonore Klarwein), a bubbly and pure French schoolgirl on the edge of self discovery. Directed by Diane Kurys, who shares the same age as her protagonist, Peppermint Soda offers a nostalgic look at 1963 with its depiction of fourteen year old Anne and older sister, Frederique (Odile Michel) during an average school year. Anne's parents are divorced and sixteen year old Frederique alternates between accepting and rejecting Anne. Anne's world is shaped by her observations of her schoolgirl chums, her sister's love life and the political climate of the real world that she is just becoming aware of. Peppermint Soda would be an interesting double bill with The Virgin Suicides. Both films seem to fizz from moment to moment rather than focus on a central plot; because of their languid but beautiful pacing, both films are more enjoyable the second or third time around. Francophiles and Amelie fans will love the look of this film but it might be too feminine for a broader audience. If you're still in the mood for French confection, 2000's Chocolat is a decent selection. While the book is much more interesting (the lines between paganism and Christianity are more clearly drawn), the film version of Chocolat is enjoyable, largely due to the massive talent that Lasse Hallstrom signed on to tell the tale of a mysterious pagan woman who transforms a little French village dominated by a sexually repressed patriarch. Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina and even Leslie Caron all show up in this sensual but ultimately average 2000 film. Vianne Rocher (Binoche) is a magical chocolatier who follows the wind, stopping in small towns long enough to set up shop then move on again when the wind calls. When Vianne's shop is boycotted by the Comte De Reynaud (Molina) who influences the townspeople, she can only challenge him for so long before deciding to run away. With the help of stubborn and rebellious Armande (Judi Dench), Vianne eventually finds a way to sweeten the sour Comte. Chocolat is definitely not one of Hallstrom's best, however it is beautifully filmed and heartwarming enough to make it satisfying. Ray Bradbury's short story and play, The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit lent itself favorably to the big screen in the 1998 film version. Gomez (Joe Mantegna) is an East L.A. hustler looking for four guys with exactly the same measurements to chip in equal amounts so they can purchase a shiny, vanilla suit so clean and white that just wearing it can make their dreams come true. Gomez assures every man that for $20 each, the suit will be shared equally. But the other men want to be sure that the conniving Gomez doesn't board the bus to El Paso in it. As the suit transforms them during their first hour in it, the five men embark on magical adventures. When Gomez has the chance to run, his conscience bothers him for the first time - the suit unexpectedly creates a bond with his compadres that is hard to break. Boasting a winning ensemble cast, The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit really is a terrific, feel good film. For that reason, you may only need to see it once to appreciate Ray Bradbury's imagination and skills as a storyteller. The film is ethnically empowering and moves like a Broadway play complete with song and dance. Its suitability (no pun intended) for all ages makes this a film to remember when you start your holiday shopping. The tagline for 1999's Jawbreaker read, "the sweetest candies are sour as death inside." Wicked Courtney Shayne (Rose McGowan) accidentally kills prom queen, Liz Purr, when a birthday prank goes awry. Courtney succeeds in covering it up by painting Purr as a sexual deviant murdered by a kinky stranger (Marilyn Manson). Dowdy Fern Mayo stumbles onto the truth and Courtney reinvents her as popular "Vylette" in exchange for her silence. Things get weird though, when Detective Vera Cruz (Pam Grier) shows up to investigate the strange death by jawbreaker. The cameos are abound in Jawbreaker but aren't onscreen long enough to take the film from dark teen comedy to cult classic. Carol Kane is good, but not great, as dotty school teacher, Ms. Sherwood. P.J. Soles and William Katt are onscreen for a split second as Mr. and Mrs. Purr, and Jeff Conaway plays a dutiful dad rebuffed by too hip daughter, Marcie, devoted second fiddle to Courtney. Jawbreaker 's attempt to be edgy is notable (The Donnas play the prom) but the real reason to watch it is for Marilyn Manson's appearance as the hapless sleaze framed for the murder of Liz Purr. Set as a flashback while Courtney lies to detective Cruz, Manson is onscreen for about 60 seconds but the entire sequence defines how truly debauched Courtney Shayne is. If the film had focused more on Courtney's sex life, it may have saved the last half of the film from becoming a modern derivative of Heathers. Still, Jawbreaker is more fun than most teen flicks – many Jawbreaker fans have been known to obsess over the dialogue and lines like "Tuna much?" are oft quoted amongst the Hot Topic set. If you've never been to Los Angeles, Sugartown should be required viewing before your visit. Allison Anders and Kurt Voss wrote and directed this 1999 insider gem that focuses on a handful of Angelenos and their issues. A shallow young woman pays a junkie to write her hit songs then steals her employers date to further her career. A handful of former 80s icons try to form a supergroup but their only financial backer is a former call girl/millionaire who wants to bed the only one of them unable to handle adult sex. A session guitar player leaves a tour early in order to remain faithful to his pregnant wife. These and other stories imbue Sugartown with a dearth of eclectic characters. Anders and Voss make no apology for the soulless and the ugly while shining a light on those who are vulnerable and hopeful. John Taylor, Michael Des Barres and Martin Kemp as the has-beens bravely embark on self parody as does Rosanna Arquette as an actress dealing with age issues. John Doe, as the guitar player, brings a trademark sincerity that made him so natural in Boogie Nights and Georgia. In spite of its sobriety, Sugartown manages to be hilarious - watching John Taylor and Rosanna Arquette trying to deal with a bastard child conceived on tour is one of the funniest but under-rated situations in filmdom. Angelenos and their issues are a singular planet - for this reason, audiences unfamiliar with real L.A. life might be unmoved by Sugartown. Along with Sunset Boulevard and Short Cuts, it ranks high on my list of essential Angeleno viewing. If you only view one film this month, this one comes highly recommended. Next month: With October comes Sam Hain: the veil between the world of form and the invisible world is thin and the couch will be covered in some quintessential spooky selections (but not the ones you're expecting!!!!!) |  |
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