What could have easily been just another exploitation documentary doubles back on itself and becomes self critical in its first re-evaluation, then dramatically triumphant in its final act. Hard to believe Crispin Glover did not become a superstar actor given how straight forward and thoughtful of a performance he gives in this. When he storms out of the small town cafe, proud and defiant, punches in the Olivia Newton John 8-track, then speeds off in his classic car, I must admit I had to refrain from clapping.

How I learned to stop worrying and love Olivia Neutron-Bomb

Though it's probably the recreation that comes closest to 'reality,' Beaver Kid 2 is the worst part of this, led by a smarmy imitation from Sean Penn and capped with an ending that feels -- dramatically -- like a weak cop-out; a director trying to save face even as he criticizes his own past actions and culpability for wrecking someone's life. Maybe it's just because I love Crispin Glover (who surely gives one of his best performances here), but The Orkly Kid is so much better, always feeling true to -- if not the real Groovin' Gary -- the character of Groovin' Gary, and doing so without ever being maudlin or coming off like an act of wish fulfillment.

Cinematic telephone. Even if you've never heard Olivia Newton-John's "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting," you'll be singing it by the end of the movie. And crying.

Sean Penn vs. Crispin Glover fuck where has this been all my life?!

Added "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting" to my SPRANGTIME 2020: QUARANTINE SEXXX MIXXX Spotify playlist. I think I'm going to have to write more about this eventually, I can tell this one's going to swirl around in my noodle for a while.

toxic reflexivity

A three part justification for its own existence. Can't top reality in my opinion, but the other sections bring to light how cruel reality can be, albeit in a very dramatized way.

Cool exercise in filmmaking. Seeing the changes across the trilogy is probably the most interesting thing to examine from a filmmaking perspective.

Every young person interested in the process of making films should see this film. It opens you up to all the possibilities of cinematic storytelling.

Plus, Crispin Glover's performance in The Orkly Kid might be his best?

Trippy.

Gary is a sweetheart

Always remember to be human (behind a camera). 

An attempt to atone or exorcise through embodiment. 

Never quite achieves the depth of analysis or introspection that I think is called for, but still manages to be curious, weird, and touching, albeit with a slightly unsettling undercurrent. Desire, lacking confidence, begets disaster...

A fascinating film, one that to this day still feels ahead of its time. Harris has constructed a strange triptych here in this repeated telling of the same story, and yet somehow each of them is incomplete without the other two, resulting in an overarching project greater than the sum of its parts. The big complaint about it is he obviously improves as a filmmaker with each installment, so the tone is probably unintentionally mismashed, as opposed to intentionally so. Still, you should totally try and track this down.

toxic reflexivity

Without Sean Penn this movie would be perfect

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Watched this on twitch for my birthday while eating my favorite sushi and drinking my favorite whiskey so in all honesty it was a nice quarantine birthday and I’m thankful for that

I will never forget seeing Crispin Glover at the Lightbox and he talked for like three hours after a screening of "What Is It?" and it was so surreal and exactly how you'd expect an evening with Crispin Glover to be.

Anyways, when I think of Crispin this is always the first thing that pops into my mind because it is a perfect film.

Crazy set of events that add up to something beautiful yet troubling.