This film was screened at the 21st annual Tallgrass Film Festival.
Would you like to relive the MAGA movement, “grab her by the pussy,” and Pizzagate all over again? And THEN the COVID-19 pandemic? All of it through clips of various films, newsreels, and television shows with a memetic snark that you’ll either find hilarious or horrifying? Well, this might just be for you.
The last seven years have turned parody into reality, rendering The Onion nigh-on worthless and turning American citizens into cartoon parodies not far off from political cartoons. Australian director Soda Jerk has created a didactically jocose take on modern American social, economic, racial, and political issues that have gone from funny to depressing (and back and forth, over and over) titled Hello Dankness. The film is compromised of hundreds of clips from media like HBO’s Euphoria, The ‘Burbs, Wayne’s World, and an avalanche of Trump press conferences (that would be hilarious if they weren’t such a harsh reminder of the moronic grip we were held in for four years). In some ways, we’re still in the grip of that angry, hateful America.
This film’s response? Let’s have a laugh because it’s never going to get better.
A part of me heavily appreciates this take on the conspiracy theory morons that bought into things like Pizzagate, breathing bleach to cure the ‘rona, and the “Stop the Steal” movement (cleverly represented by zombies whining about losing an election). The choice to cast MAGA citizens as zombies and their opponents as an inconsistent mixture of people supporting three different candidates only to unhappily land on Biden (unless you’re an old, white liberal) is as hilarious as it is biting. The flavor of this particular concoction will not sit well in everyone’s stomach.
The word “agitprop” lit through some of my audience as the credits rolled and the lights came up, with some people cackling and others shifting their eyes back and forth. I couldn’t tell you which were angry, embarrassed, mocking, and onboard but it was a fascinating thing to see. I don’t think that term applies to Hello Dankness, a film so angry at everyone that it turns the entirety of America into a joke. I didn’t always feel like I was watching a comedy so much as our own pop culture references turned around, a looking glass that we’re forced to reckon with as we gear up to do it all again.
Reediting currently existing media to apply to their film should be a cheat, but it’s not. A cat in a MAGA sweater, the creepy house from The ‘Burbs sporting a Confederate flag and Trump propaganda, and even ACAB references (cited as “when America learned that all cats are beautiful”) are jammed into this smorgasbord. You can eat your heart out but you won’t feel full, merely remaining hollow but in a better sense of humor.
This is one of the most aggressive films I’ve seen in recent days and a total dice roll. I have no idea if any of you will love it or hate it and I’m not even sure where I land. As-is, Hello Dankness and Soda Jerk have created a thought experiment that is worth the watch and should make everyone in America feel seen. Almost none of them in a good light, but at least someone saw you.
WRITE DRUNK; EDIT DRUNK 