APE

It is my personal opinion that Joel Potrykus’ feature debut Ape should be mentioned in the same breath as the early films of Richard Linklater & Kevin Smith. Before reading up on Potrykus and his influences, I knew Ape was, in part, the subconscious result of a healthy obsession with at least one of the affromentioned filmmakers. The subject matter, the settings, the low budgets, certain specific shots, etc. I think what draws me in to Portrkus’ films so much is because even thought he’s so open about his cinematic influences, his movies are still very much his own. They’re also strangely specific. Anyone can enjoy them but beyond that general enjoyment, they’re always made for a specific group of people born in a specific era. Ape should be one of the definitive films for Generation Y in the same way that Slacker or Clerks were defining films for Generation X. It’s the perfect film for/about folks born between 1981-1987 that had no money in their 20’s while trying to maintain employment and follow a non-work related passion. The type of 20-something year olds that were good-hearted and well-meaning but weren’t the best at getting their shit together.

We thought, if this Richard Linklater guy living in Texas can do it, we can do it in Michigan – Joel Potrykus, criterion.com

Slacker / Ape

I understand that comparing modern-day American independent films set in & around convenience stores to Kevin Smith & Richard Linklater is a bit cliche but I couldn't resist...

Suburbia / Ape

Suburbia / Ape

Clerks/ Ape

I’ve dedicated quite a bit of writing to the films of Joel Potrykus on this site. His references go deeper than expected sometimes (click here, here and here to read more). I think because of Portrykus’ aesthetic, folks don’t pick up on some of his references right away. Filmmakers like Linklater, Kevin Smith, Harmony Korine, Jim Jarmusch, Luis Buñuel and Godard are easy to spot but someone like Ozu might go over someone’s head. Portrykus even makes references-within-references sometimes…

My introduction to Ozu was Buffalo ’66 (1998). There’s a scene in which they’re at the dining room table, and they’re all eating. It was shot really weird and I thought, “What is that?” Reading interviews, I realized that was from Ozu, and so that’s where I kind of started watching him – Joel Potrykus, Kinoscope

Early Summer/ Buffalo 66

Late Spring / Ape

Buffalo 66 / Ape

 But it’s Vincent Gallo taking from Ozu. It’s like a reference twice removed – Joel Potrykus, Kinoscope

The Flavor Of Green Tea Over Rice / Buffalo 66 / Ape

Good Morning / Buffal 66 / Relaxer

In the film Josh Burge plays “Trevor” - an aspiring standup comedian struggling to make ends meet. He lives in what I believe is a weekly motel, his employment situation is never solid and he gets screwed over with money regularly. What fascinates me about Trevor is that he still always manages to stay positive. At first glance he comes off like an aimless slacker but when you take a step back and observe his actions you realize he’s got a lot of drive. No matter how much he bombs on stage he’s always eager to get back up and try new jokes.

Ape certainly falls under the comedy category but the more you watch it, the more heartbreaking certain specific scenes are. It’s full of awkward humor and dry surreality, but the more you watch it the more you recognize how lonely the main character is. While there are elements of The Dark Bakcward & How To Get Ahead in Advertising, there’s also unintentional nods to those scenes of Tom Hanks bombing on stage in Punchline. Ape also predates/laid the groundwork for similar films like Rick Alverson’s Entertainment and even Todd Phillips’ Joker. The events in Ape are definitely enough to make a villain origin story but our protagonist has a more positive outlook on life. ...even if his future still looks like a mix of rough & uncertain by the time the movie ends.

This is one of those occasions where a feature debut is the perfect starting point when delving in to a director’s body of work. Not every filmmaker finds their voice right out of the gate. I wouldn’t recommend As Tears Go By to a Wong Kar Wai novice. Neither Fear and Desire or Killer’s Kiss are a good representation of Stanley Kubrick. And I wouldn’t recommend Who’s That Knocking At My Door to someone looking to get in to Martin Scorsese.
Every feature Joel Potrykus has made can be traced back to Ape in more ways than one. The loneliness in Alchemist’s Cookbook and Relaxer spawned from all the scenes of Trevor alone in his room. The protagonist in Buzzard, also played by Josh Burge, feels like an alternate version of Trevor only slightly older but still trying to get his shit together.

A FEW MORE WORDS ON THE CINEMATIC INFLUENCES OF JOEL POTRYKUS - PART TWO

The Firm / Ape

Joel Potrykus’ films have the unique distinction of being 100% his own while still being incredibly reference-heavy. Last year we delved in to his many homages & references (click here & here to read more). A handful of comparisons got left on the cutting room floor so I decided to post them before the year is over.

Some of these are straight from the director’s mouth while others are total reaches on my own part. Either way, enjoy…

Don't forget to check out Potrykus' own video montage of references over on vimeo (click here)

I consider myself lucky to have been so moved by Jarmusch's early films, because I'd be living a disappointing existence if I were trying to copy Star Wars - Joel Potrykus, Criterion

Permanent Vacation / Ape

Permanent Vacation / Ape

Permanent Vacation / Buzzard

Permanent Vacation / Gordon

We thought, if this Richard Linklater guy living in Texas can do it, we can do it in Michigan. We filmed ourselves hanging out and talking about nothing - Joel Potrykus, Criterion 

Slacker / Buzzard

Slacker / Coyote

Gummo– this is great, I love it, I can make that movie - Joel Potrykus, hammertoenail.com

Gummo / Ape

I was still trying to emulate Sam Raimi. Raimi is a Michigan filmmaker, and he was the guy that first made me feel I could be a filmmaker - Joel Potrykus, moviemezzanine.com

Evil Dead 2 / Buzzard

Last year we looked at a parallel between Ape and Cassavetes’ Killing Of A Chinese Bookie (click here to read). Hear are a few more…

As Cassavetes says ‘The face is the best landscape’ - Joel Potrykus, Bomb Magazine

The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie / Ape

The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie / Ape

Alan Clarke is one of my biggest influences, because his work feels more raw and real - Joel Potrykus, Bomb Magazine

Christine / Ape

Yeah, The Road Warrior. He's just eating that dog food out of the can. Ever since I was a little kid, I was like, "Wow, if the world goes to shit, you can find dog food or cat food and you'll be fine." I was always obsessed with that. Especially since in the first Mad Max, he's out in a field eating a peanut butter and honey sandwich or something like that. He's gone from the domestic bliss of peanut butter to the wasteland version of dog food out of the can. I loved that. - Joel Potrykus, avclub 

Mad Max 2 / Alchemist Cookbook

Mad Max 2 / Buzzard

Here are some more (non-confirmed) visual similarities that stuck out to me…

Mean Streets / Ape

A Clockwork Orange / Alchemist Cookbook

A FEW MORE WORDS ON THE CINEMATIC INFLUENCES OF JOEL POTRYKUS

A tale straight from the bible...
Snow White /
Ape

I don’t mean for all of my writing on Joel Potrykus to be attached to other filmmakers, but given what my blog is partially about (visual comparisons & connections), it’s kind of difficult to not focus on that.
To be clear - references, similarities & homages aside, I’m a big fan of his work. His openness about his influences just makes my appreciation that more heightened. He made a comparison video of his own films himself (click here). 

...but I think I found a few more visual similarities (or I could be reaching).

Last month we touched on a handful of visual similarities between Portykus’s films and everyone from Haneke & Alan Clarke to Murnau & Linklater (click here to go to the article). After exploring all of his feature films and reading a handful of interviews, I came across a few more homages & visual connections that I wanted to highlight…

In my review of The Alchemist Cookbook I brought up his nods to Alan Clarke (click here).

It doesn’t take much to realize I lift the openings to all my films from Clarke’s MADE IN BRITAIN and Haneke’s FUNNY GAMES - Joel Potrykus, RapportoConfidenziale.com

But it appears that his love of Clarke extends a bit beyond opening scene of This Is Britain…

Elephant /
Buzzard

The Firm /
Buzzard

Road /
Buzzard

Road /
Ape

The way drug use & addiction are casually introduced in Potrykus’ early short film Coyote is similar to how Clarke handles the same subject matter in Christine… 

Christine / Coyote

This connection to Clarke led me to Harmony Korine who Potrykus has shouted in the past…

Gummo / Buzzard

Harmony Korine made it cool to use natural lighting - Joel Potrykus, RapportoConfidenziale.com

This connection makes sense as Korine is also an Alan Clarke Enthusiast…

If there is any British film maker that has influenced me, it’s Alan Clarke. For me he is the most important. He came out at a time in my life when I needed something like that - Harmony Korine, Vertigo Magazine

Rita, Sue& Bob Too /
Gummo

For me Clarke was the most important filmmaker. He made this movie ‘Christine’, which people don't really talk about much, which is one of my favorite movies - Harmony Korine, Vice

Christine / Gummo

That earlier comparison to Gummo is not much of a reach but Potrykus has made it clear that the spaghetti scene in Buzzard was a reference to Kubrick…

The Movie Mezzanine: In the pantheon of movie spaghetti-eating scenes, you easily knock Harmony Korine's Gummo off the throne. It's this rare moment of happiness for Marty. Was that all done in one take?

JP: That's another really important scene, which is originally lifted from A Clockwork Orange when towards the end, [Alex is] all cleaned up and he's taking a shower and wearing a robe and eating spaghetti. He's happy like he's at home, right before they poison his wine. That scene is really important because that's Marty in a foreign environment, the only time we see him clean, and he's wearing white instead of black, and he's eating essentially real food as opposed to, you know, Hot Pockets or Bugles.

A Clockwork Orange/
Buzzard

The idea of a struggling comic that develops a weird growth on his body in Ape appears to borrow from The Dark Backward… 

The Dark Backward /
Ape

The basic premise of the main character with growth forming on his body also reminded me of How To Get Ahead In Advertising which I came to find out was an influence on Potrykus as well…

I saw this one at a young age, and it warped my taste in the best way possible - Joel Potrykus, Criterion 

How To Get Ahead In Advertising /
Ape

We touched on this in my review of The Anarchist Cookbook last month, but there’s some early Linklater in Potrykus' films...

 

It's Impossible To Learn How To Plow... /Coyote

While his latest feature Relaxer is a loose remake of Luis Bunuel’s The Exterminating Angel (the basic idea of not being to leave a room in Exterminating Angel is morphed in to not getting off of a couch in Relaxer)...

The Exterminating Angel / Relaxer

...the final scene where the main character takes on the form of a Christ-like figure has the DNA of what feels Bunuel’s entire filmography…

The Milky Way / Relaxer

L’Age D’Or / Relaxer

Simon Of The Desert / Relaxer

I try to steal a lot from Bunuel - Joel Potrykus, Criterion.com

Un Chien Andalou / Buzzard

We also see shades of everyone from Brian DePalma to John Landis…

                                                                  The Fury / Relaxer

I just spent a whole summer watching, like, two-hundred movies. And in there was American Werewolf in London, and that kind of changed a lot of things for me. Seeing that kind of blend of horror and comedy, and [director John] Landis going whatever direction he wanted - Joel Potrykus, 366weirdmovies.com 

American Werewolf In London / Coyote

Before the year is over I'll be sharing my thoughts on Buzzard but until then I just wanted to share a few more words (and comparisons) on a filmmaker I've quickly come to admire.

THE ALCHEMIST COOKBOOK

These last few years I’ve been fairly aware of all the semi-recent slow-burn psychological horror movies like A Dark Song, The Transfiguration, Saint Maude, Entrance, The Witch, etc, so I’m surprised this underrated 2016 gem never came up until now (courtesy of the criterion channel). The Alchemist Cookbook would actually make for a nice double feature with A Dark Song as both intentionally slowly-paced films have a lot of similar imagery and take a more realistic approach to the idea of black magic and/or casting spells…

The Alchemist Cookbook /
A Dark Song 

The motivation behind using spells & magic is quite different between the two films (A Dark Song is about grief & letting go while The Alchemist Cookbook is more about curiosity & experimentation mixed with mental illness), but  the basic similarities are still there.

In addition to the coincidental visual & thematic similarities to A Dark Song, The Alchemist Cookbook has subconscious ties to everything from early Richard Linklater…

as much as I thought I hated it [SLACKER] it was one of my earliest influences. And now watching it as someone much more educated in my film experience, I understand what he was doing - Joel Potrykus, gavinschmitt.com

Slacker /
The Alchemist Cookbook 

To unexpected sources like The French New Wave and more traditional horror films like The Invasion Of The Body Snatchers…

Some people hate the ending of ALCHEMIST COOKBOOK. I get it. Obviously, it's ripped from 400 Blows (and Body Snatchers remake). I stick by it - Joel Potrykus, twitter

The 400 Blows /
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers /
The Alchemist Cookbook 

I also found some other coincidental visual similarities between The Alchemist Cookbook and other random horror films and psychological thrillers from over the years…

Twin Peaks /
The Alchemist Cookbook 

The Fly /
The Alchemist Cookbook 

Ganja and Hess /
The Alchemist Cookbook 

I know I’m going a bit overboard with the comparisons but the more I read about Potrykus the more I appreciate his wide variety of influences. 

Take these audio/video comparisons below for example:

It doesn’t take much to realize I lift the openings to all my films from Clarke’s Made in Britain and Haneke’s Funny Games. The opening to those films make me want to punch someone in happiness. I want anarchy in character motivations and story structure - Joel Potrykus, rapportoconfidenziale

Or this direct nod to Jim Jarmusch in his feature debut Ape...

Or what I believe to be a reference to Cassavetes’ The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie (right down to the Nightclub setting and both of these scenes taking place at the end of their respective movies) 

His 2018 film Relaxer is a one long loose homage to Bunuel with an opening scene right out of Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange...

I’m sure I’m reaching on this one but one specific moment from the movie reminded of Murnau…

Sunrise /
The Alchemist Cookbook

Joel Potrykus is open about the things he borrows from yet none of his films could be called clones of Alan Clarke or Michael Haneke. It’s rare to be able to pull from so many sources yet not come off like a copycat. In my opinion it is possible to wear certain specific influences on your sleeve all while still having your own unique voice/approach and Potrykus is a great recent example of this. 

Influences and visual nods aside, this is still very much it’s own movie…

In The Alchemist Cookbook we follow “Sean” - a recluse with deteriorating mental health living off the grid in a tiny house/caravan experimenting with various potions Igor unknown reasons. Sean is visited by his friend Cortez who brings him supplies, groceries & meds from time to time (it isn’t fully laid out but Potrykus gives little nuggets of information about Sean & Cortez’s relationship prior to the events of the film).

Although Sean is unsuccessful with his spells & experimentations (…at first), he is still haunted by unknown sounds at night. Much like other slow burn horror films in the vein of Entrance (2012), the typical horror elements of the story don’t hit until the final act. Prior to the finale, this is a film about mental illness & isolation with little hints & implications to horror and psychological unease.

Because The Alchemist Cookbook is a film about both mental illness and the supernatural, this is something that can be over-analyzed to death (and it has been). My fascination with this movie is the deliberate transgressive approach (from being a horror movie that holds back on the cheap jumps & scares) to the conscious casting choices of only Black males (this is the kind of independent movie that wouldn’t typically include Black men in the lead).

Even though I’m a Black male viewer and the cast of this movie consists of only two Black male characters - I kept race out of my analysis until reading a quote from Potrykus himself saying he wanted to “take the white people out of the movie”. Once I read that I reassessed everything and I now think The Alchemist Cookbook belongs in an unofficial updated modern Black film canon (even with a White director). A few strides have been made when it comes to the portrayal of Black people and mental health on the big screen (Black men specifically in the case of The Alchemist Cookbook), but it is still kind of a rarity to find what I consider a good film that focuses on these issues. This is certainly of them.

Between the subconscious racial elements to the slow pacing, this isn’t a film for everyone (and I’m pretty sure it was never intended to be for everyone) but it is quite rewarding if you have the patience to stay the course (and to be fair the movie is only 80 minutes).