So of all the '90s squirm cinema I am most familiar with Solondz's work and Goldthwait's. Never heard of Coldblooded or Deadhead Miles. I guess if we're talking about straight 90s indie squirm without laughs necessarily, might as well add Kids and Gummo. Not as obscure but there you go.
For a real obscure cringe 90’s comedy, I always recommend Wallace Wolodarsky’s “Coldblooded,” starring Jason Priestley as well, I guess the best way to describe it is as Forrest Gump as a hit man. Nobody saw it at the time and it’s even really hard to find on physical media, but it’s a very weird and uncomfortable piece. Great supporting bits from Robert Loggia, Peter Riegert, Michael J Fox, Janeane Garofalo, Kimberly Williams and Josh Charles.
For ‘90s squirm comedy I’d include Todd Solondz, though he played it more straight (pun intended). His style is more cosmic, “Deteriorata”-like (Michael Stipe turning Jane Adams’ song “Happiness” into a great song during the closing credits)
Bobcat Goldthwait’s first film Let Sleeping Dogs Lie was a little later (2006) but also kinda fits.
90s classics that felt transgressive yet somehow wholesome at the same time. Also, it's a good observation that 90s alt-comedies (this is at a time when even things that weren't mainstream still had national distribution in art cinemas and video stores, so even alternative cinema was seen by millions of people) the leaning into discomfort and cringe prefigured The Office and what would become the leading form of comedy moving forward.
Even Ricky Gervais fell to the wholesome aspect with his "David Brent On The Road" movie that redeemed a previously irredeemable character and made you feel for him. While it was enjoyable, I felt like David Brent shouldn't get a redemption, that seemed much more of an American way of looking at it than British.
So of all the '90s squirm cinema I am most familiar with Solondz's work and Goldthwait's. Never heard of Coldblooded or Deadhead Miles. I guess if we're talking about straight 90s indie squirm without laughs necessarily, might as well add Kids and Gummo. Not as obscure but there you go.
For a real obscure cringe 90’s comedy, I always recommend Wallace Wolodarsky’s “Coldblooded,” starring Jason Priestley as well, I guess the best way to describe it is as Forrest Gump as a hit man. Nobody saw it at the time and it’s even really hard to find on physical media, but it’s a very weird and uncomfortable piece. Great supporting bits from Robert Loggia, Peter Riegert, Michael J Fox, Janeane Garofalo, Kimberly Williams and Josh Charles.
A series of these type of movies would rule. Deadhead Miles is another. A little different but woefully underrated
For ‘90s squirm comedy I’d include Todd Solondz, though he played it more straight (pun intended). His style is more cosmic, “Deteriorata”-like (Michael Stipe turning Jane Adams’ song “Happiness” into a great song during the closing credits)
Bobcat Goldthwait’s first film Let Sleeping Dogs Lie was a little later (2006) but also kinda fits.
Love this movie. White Lotus fans, seek this one out.
90s classics that felt transgressive yet somehow wholesome at the same time. Also, it's a good observation that 90s alt-comedies (this is at a time when even things that weren't mainstream still had national distribution in art cinemas and video stores, so even alternative cinema was seen by millions of people) the leaning into discomfort and cringe prefigured The Office and what would become the leading form of comedy moving forward.
Even Ricky Gervais fell to the wholesome aspect with his "David Brent On The Road" movie that redeemed a previously irredeemable character and made you feel for him. While it was enjoyable, I felt like David Brent shouldn't get a redemption, that seemed much more of an American way of looking at it than British.