Showing posts with label Documentary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Documentary. Show all posts

Sunday, August 18, 2024

IN SEARCH OF NOAH'S ARK (1976)

Not to be confused with In Search of Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon or In Search of Captain Ahab’s Pequod, IN SEARCH OF NOAH’S ARK is the serious (I…think?) documentary about the real life search for a fictional ship. Serious or not, is IN SEARCH OF NOAH’S ARK a good film? Yeah, it was highly entertaining.

Things start out with some dude who kinda looks like a Muppet dressed up as a human telling us that “This may be the most incredible film you will ever see.” And I’m like holy shit, that’s a pretty big claim! After that, he starts talking about the story of Noah from the Bible. Quick version is, this dude long, long ago hears a voice telling him to make a big ass boat, then stick two of every critter on Earth on the boat (did that include non-saltwater fish critters?) and wait for a flood to cover the entire planet. He does and the flood comes and then like a few months later, the flooding recedes and the boat comes to rest on what would later be called Mount Ararat (in modern day Turkey). After that, his son has sex with his own mother, a.k.a. Noah’s wife. Whoops! Sorry, went too far. The Muppet guy stops the story before the sex part. So anyway, the rest of the film is the dude talking to various people about stories they’ve heard about the location of Noah’s Ark and various experts telling us that the story of the great flood is totally true or might be. No real substantial proof of anything is ever shown, but that just makes the film even more enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the story about the group of “atheists” physically attacking the wreckage of Noah’s Ark. That was awesome! Somebody should make a horror movie about atheists going to attack Noah’s Ark and accidentally waking up an ancient pre-flood critter with nasty, big, pointy teeth. I also like the part where the host calls the story of Noah “The greatest story in the Bible”. You’d think the story of Creation or even Jesus’ death / resurrection would probably be a little more important, but what do I know.

Anyway…quick pace, good editing, funny stories, awesome host (who would later go on to do a fantastic job as the voice on THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 and its awesome trailer), a dude in the credits who has nine (yes, nine) titles next to his name (somebody should make a documentary about that guy!), multiple grainy as fuck pictures that didn’t prove anything.

IN SEARCH OF NOAH’S ARK might not have been “the most incredible film” I’ve ever seen, but it was a fun watch and I would totally watch it again. Check it out. If you need me, I’ll be in my room researching some stuff for the sequel I'm writing, In Search of Noah’s Ark 2: In Search of the Tent Where Ham Banged Noah’s Wife.

Fun fact: according to different box office history websites, IN SEARCH OF NOAH’S ARK made a motherfucking ark-load of money upon its initial release back in 1976. Like enough to be in the Top 10 money makers of the year. Right up there with THE OMEN and the third Dirty Harry film! I would absolutely love to see a well-made documentary about the phenomenon around this film.

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

IN HEAVEN THERE IS NO BEER? (1984)

Straight-forward, no-frills documentary about people (of all ages) enjoying various polka festivals in the US in the early 1980’s. And…that’s about it. Lots of enjoyable shots of people dancing and a few random quick interviews with polka fans talking about different polka-related subjects. My favorite being the high schooler talking about how she fantasizes about walking into her high school with a giant boombox blaring polka. Goddamn, how awesome would that be? How is it that an imaginative filmmaker hasn’t turned that idea into a scene in a movie or an entire movie itself? And, if they have…I need to see it!

Anyway, at only 51 minutes, IN HEAVEN THERE IS NO BEER? goes by quickly enough, but honestly it feels more like a well-made home movie than an actual hard-hitting investigative documentary. Nothing wrong with that though, that was probably the intent of the filmmakers. To simply capture the events as they happen naturally.

No smart phones or tablets, lots of happy people dancing their brains out and sweating all over the joint, a polka pool party, a polka awards banquet, awesome vintage fashions and hairstyles, early 1980’s human bodies, a male wearing female clothing without some brainwashed toughie on social media having a complete mental breakdown about it, great camerawork, people of the same sex happily dancing together and nobody giving a fuck, lots of catchy polka jams that I actually found myself tapping my handsome toes to.

Even if you’re not into polka, IN HEAVEN THERE IS NO BEER? is still an interesting little film that left me wanting more.