We have to state from the beginning that ‘The History of Everything’ is among the most unique comedies we’ve had the chance to watch at this festival since day one. Filmed and produced in a ‘short’ period of more than two decades, this brilliant comedy feature is exactly like a good wine: it gets better as time goes by.
The film is divided in two parts that are very important for the storyline – the first one dates back to the beginning of the 90’s, (more precisely 1993) a time when the standards in art were different and when everything looked like an edgy music video for the new wave of teenagers. The second part of it is represented by ‘the present day’ time, where Trump is already an important key figure, and subjects like Obamacare or other news bits appear as everyday subjects. For us, the first part of this feature film is our favorite one because it brings back that vintage yet not that old feeling we grew up with, reason why we literally can see our childhood there. For any 25+ years old viewer, this movie will be like a passage to a brilliant childhood, where monsters were something normal in high-school movies, where loud screamings were covering the fake laughters of the so-called live audiences, where the haircuts were as bad as the pop music (with some exceptions, of course), and where the vintage presence made you feel the dusty smell of a vacuum cleaner on a Saturday morning.
The two main characters, Peter Grover (played by Steve Kearney), and John Potters (played by David Belafonte) are the ultimate typological characters for that generation. Whilst going through Wayne Keeley’s film for the second time, we really felt the true vibe of the 90’s in these two characters, all the more so since their first encounter looked like when Beavis met Butthead. The comedic effect gets more powerful with every scene.
It’s not hard to observe the real subtle side of this movie, which is the general mocking of everything and everyone. In the first part, the old one, Peter and John are making fun of the industry, the actors or the casting habits whereas in the second part they come to focus their attention on mundane subjects. Overall, this film superbly combines the old and new vibes, delivering a set of emotions any generation can relate with. And yes, it is true what the director stated in the plot overview: “The next Rocky Horror”, and that’s because when watching it we felt the same energy and sense of uniqueness we have experienced years ago when ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ was everywhere. ‘The History of Everything’ is nevertheless a timeless (soon to be) classic!
TMFF RATING:
