Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary (2024) ***1/2

 

You have probably heard of yacht rock: soft rock from the 70's exemplified by artists like Michael McDonald and Christopher Cross. There's a Sirius XM channel dedicated to the genre, and there are countless yacht rock tribute acts. It seems in the last decade or so the term is everywhere, but I didn't realize until I watched this documentary that the term “yacht rock” did not exist back when all that music was being made.

As the story goes, a comedian named J.D. Ryznar started reading the album covers from some of his favorite 70s-80s soft rock artists, and noticed that there were certain L.A. based artists of the time who kept cross-pollinating, showing up in the writing and musical credits on each other's albums. The heart of this scene seemed to be Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Toto, Michael McDonald, and Kenny Loggins. For Ryznar, this was the early 2000s, and this music was still just called soft rock or easy listening. Ryznar and some fellow comics created a series of skits about this musical scene and put it on the internet under the name “Yacht Rock.” (Even though almost none of the songs have anything to do with boats.) A genre was born, and for the last 20 years, we've all been talking about yacht rock like we knew about it all along.

“Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary,” streaming on HBO Max, explores the creation of the web series that gave the genre its name and the resurgence in interest in the music that the series sparked. It also does a deep dive into the music. Interviews with the major players give insight into the dynamics between all these artists and really gave me a better appreciation for the musicianship behind all this sweet, smooth music.

You don't have to consider yourself a fan of yacht rock, but this documentary is for people who are at least familiar with the music. If you stopped listening to new music in 1975, or if you don't know any music older than 1985, then this will be wasted on you. For the rest of us, my suggestion is this: first, find the “Yacht Rock” web series on youtube and watch all 12 episodes. The episodes are only 5-10 minutes each, and it's hilarious! Then watch “Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary” on HBOMax, and enjoy a journey to a time when the hair was feathered and the music was smooth. Just don't think that this music is ever going to go away. That's what a fool believes.

3.5 stars out of 5

web series link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNTARSM-Fjc&list=PLBEB75B6A1F9C1D01

The Substance (2024) *****

 

In my favorite movie so far this year, Demi Moore plays Elisabeth, an actress whose star is fading. Over 50 now, her main creative outlet is her morning aerobics show, but she loses even that when her producer Harvey (Dennis Quaid) decides it is time to bring in someone younger. Facing irrelevance, Elisabeth is given a mysterious offer to try The Substance, which promises a “better, younger you.” Of course, there is a catch.

“The Substance” is French writer/director Coralie Fargeat's second film, and it signals a great, new talent. She gets outstanding performances from her stars, particularly Demi Moore, who plays some absolutely devastating scenes. One thing about the film, though, it is incredibly gross. I'm talking Stuart Gordon horror film levels of disgusting body-horror. I would view it as gratuitous and a weakness of the film, except that at the end, Fargeat pulls out all the stops and takes the gore so over the top that it becomes comic relief.

There's a lot of food for thought in “The Substance.” You might wonder why Elisabeth, who is still a fit, beautiful woman, would risk using an unknown “substance” to look young again. We never see Elisabeth with any friends or family or pursuing any hobbies. Her apartment and office are filled with giant pictures of herself. Her career is all she has, and it depends on her looking good on screen. While any normal person would look at her and say she has a lot going for her, Elisabeth internalizes the judgment of her industry, which is that she is old and ugly.

I could go on about the film for pages, but I don't want to ruin any of the surprises. Just. Watch. It! “The Substance” is a cutting, visually disturbing satire about how society views women as they age and how cruel we are to ourselves.

5 stars out of 5

What About Bob? (1991) ****1/2

 

Bill Murray's films have generally aged really well, and “What About Bob?” is a great example. I was lukewarm on this movie the first time around, but over the years it has become one of my faves.

Murray plays Bob, a guy with multiple phobias, whose crippling anxiety makes it almost impossible to leave his apartment. His new psychiatrist, Dr Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss), however, is famous, with a best-selling book, and Bob has great hopes for their therapeutic relationship. No sooner do they meet, however, than Leo leaves on an extended vacation. Bob's separation anxiety is so great that it overcomes his other anxieties, driving him to leave the city and follow Leo to the coast, where Bob insidiously and maddeningly insinuates himself into Leo's vacation and his family.

Bob is the classic interloper character, someone who shows up and insinuates himself bit by bit into another character's life, like a cuckoo laying its egg in another bird's nest. The first time I watched the film, I hated Bob. Despite Leo's conceitedness, I felt sorry for him as Bob screws everything up for him and drives him to madness. Over the years and multiple viewings, however, I came to see that the person primarily responsible for Leo's problems, is – you guessed it- Leo. (Don't you think this is probably something Leo would tell his patients?) Yes, Bob is completely inappropriate, but Leo's inability to enforce boundaries, and the fragility of his success are the result of his own greed and inflated ego. We see that even in his family life, Leo insists on maintaining his self-image as a wise, kindly counselor, making his interactions superficial, even with those closest to him. Bob appeals to people because, even as nuts as he is, he is vulnerable and honest, which makes him accessible in a way Leo cannot be.

We also see a difference in these 2 characters in how they manage change. Bob is terrified of everything, but he finds in himself a willingness to be terrified, to be uncomfortable, and thus, to invite change into his life. Leo, the supposed sane one, is completely rigid, so change, when it inevitably comes, drives him over the edge.

“What About Bob” is directed by Frank Oz, who also gave us the delightful "Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels." He gets a lot of help here from a terrific cast. Murray and Dreyfuss are in top form, even if, as rumor has it, they hated each other on set. The supporting cast is great, as well, especially Charlie Korsmo, who plays Leo's son, Siggy. (Korsmo was a talented child actor who gave up acting to get a degree in physics and become a lawyer.)

Within the Bill Murray oeuvre, “What About Bob?” is not quite as perfect as "Groundhog Day"“ or "Lost in Translation"“, but it's still a classic about a couple of men facing their fears. Don't be afraid to watch it.

4.5 stars out of 5