#KerriKennySilver

[billybennight]

Here’s my full-length fashion shot of Kerri Kenny-Silver at Hulu's Premiere of “Reboot”. @hulu @rebootonhulu #hulu #reboot #fashionlooks #redcarpetfashion #redcarpetstyle @foxstudiolot @kerrikenneysilver #kerrikennysilver (at Fox Studio Lot) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci6a9zormum/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[doomonfilm]

Review : VHYes (2020)

Back when we were still allowed to visit movie theaters without restrictions, I kept myself informed in future films to cover by those wonderful trailers at the beginning of movies.  80% of the time you see the same four or five trailers, but depending on the quality of theater you frequent, there is a chance that you may find film-lovers that choose a variety of trailers to place in front of films.  As 2019 came to a close, one extremely odd trailer had me excited for the year that could have been : VHYes.  I missed my chance to see it in a theater (for now), but thanks to Hulu, I was able to finally catch it and put it into consideration for my 2020 wrap-up.

On Christmas of 1987, Ralph (Mason McNutty) and his family receive a VHS camcorder as a gift.  Ralph immediately takes to the camera like a duck to water, filming his mother (Christian Drerup) and father’s (Jake Head) actions, as well as much of the content he sneaks watches on late night television.  Ralph soon learns that the videotape he is using contained his parents’ wedding, but due to complications in their relationship, nobody is too upset by it.  Sadly, this lack of caring about the wedding tape begins to mirror Ralph’s parents’ relationship and the way it is falling apart.  As Ralph and his buddy Josh (Rahm Braslaw) continue to explore the world through their VHS adventures, it quickly becomes apparent that their world is rapidly falling apart.  

VHYes falls into the company of films like The Kentucky Fried Movie or Amazon Women on the Moon with its irreverent comedic approach, tapestry of events and vast range of appearances from different actors and actresses.  The film also instantly brings nostalgia to mind with its VHS-based look, a testament to the fact that the entire film was shot on VHS and Betacam equipment.  Many will also overlook the fact that the film serves as an abstract period piece, with tons of costuming and set design that screams of the 1980s aesthetic, the last of what many would consider the simpler times.

Though not the strongest of narrative structures, the balance of having a kid escape into new technology to avoid problems at home versus a series of abstract vignettes works surprisingly well.  The characters built outside of the main “plot” (if you want to refer to any aspect of this film as plot driven) serve as escapists enjoyment, similar to an action figure or a comic book, as each new element introduced has a smaller world build of their own to navigate.  That is what makes this tangled mess so wonderfully strange when all of the aspects find their way into occupying the same space, thus creating a world breaking event that further blurs our receptive lines.

The channel-flip aspect of the editing keeps us holding on from narrative beat to beat, as our curiosity is heightened with each new odd aspect thrown into the overall mix.  The humor is completely off-beat, oscillating between a complete opposite tone of the 1980s era and a very ham-fisted mockery of the era (in all the best ways one can be ham-fisted).  The VHS and low-budget, low technology look helps tie everything together, both for us as viewers and in regards to the diverseness of the stimulus mixed into the visual stew.  

As far as characters go, it is hard to really and truly break down performances, as everyone holds down extremely unique, puzzle piece-like forms that bring the bigger picture together.  Mason McNutty and Rahm Braslaw bring their youth and wonder to the viewer perspective, giving us a sort of baseline in regards to how we are meant to process the stimulus given.  Jake Head emits the frustration of a man who feels as if his potential has been stunted due to a wife and kid, while Christian Drerup moves through the proceedings with a sort of disconnected, inward happiness that plays as acceptance of the situation fueled by unconditional love for her son.  Outside of that, it’s best to let the wave of familiar comic faces present themselves to you in the form of a watch, as the characters that inhabit the world of the VHYes television programming often defy basic description. 

This film is definitely tough to write about, as it is more of a low level drug trip than it is a standard narrative-based movie.  That being said, if you find yourself bored by traditional fare, then VHYes may be worth your time and attention.