Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die - "It's Going to Be Okay. Or It's Not. I Don't Know."

AI has been an inevitable enemy in science-fiction for decades now. As it became more and more prevalent in recent years we could all make nervous jokes about Skynet, quietly hoping something or someone would step in and slow it down. And now that it's rearing its awkward head into our everyday life with weird-ass social media profile pics, slightly wrong search results, and somehow worse customer service chatbots than ever before, it’s time to get serious. Or is it?

Before, with film franchises like The Terminator, the AI revolution was treated with apocalyptic dread. But now that it might be real, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (hereafter simply referred to as Good Luck) presents it with apocalyptic humor. AI is inevitable, so why not have a little twisted fun while the world ends?

Just like The Terminator, Good Luck (Gore Verbinski’s first film in nearly a decade) starts with time travel. A crazed Sam Rockwell, dressed in apocalyptic future-chic plastic and electronics, walks into a diner at 10:10 P.M. and tries to start a revolution. He claims to be from the future. A future in which our addiction to our screens has turned the human race into full-on technology addicts unable to take off our VR headsets as we choose a manufactured reality over the actual one. Of course, Rockwell just seems insane, and he pretty much is. According to him, he’s already tried this nearly two hundred times, trying and failing to pick the right combination of unwilling diners to save the world by making it to the house of the child who created the AI program that dooms the world and installing software from the future that will alter it enough to allow humanity to come back to reality. 

This isn’t a mission to destroy AI. AI is inevitable, but with the right safeguards the world can continue to exist. None of this sounds very fun on paper, but Rockwell’s future man is fed up after so many attempts, so while he tries to recruit the unbelieving diners he also gets to point out how terrible some of them have been on past missions, telling certain diners how many times they have died in previous attempts. He’s like a video game player at the end of his rope attempting an impossible level. 

Rockwell isn’t the only player in this particular video game. Through flashbacks scattered throughout the mission, we learn about his ragtag group of world-savers. There’s Mark (Michael Peña) and Janet (Zazie Beetz), teachers who live in constant fear of their phone-addicted zombie students. Susan (Juno Temple) is a mom who recently lost her son in a school-shooting, which is such a common occurrence that a company has now begun cloning victims (and the shooters), allowing grieving parents to tweak their new children by picking their personality, hobbies, and beliefs. And there’s Ingrid (Haley Lu Richardson), a birthday party princess who is so allergic to wi-fi and phones that it causes nosebleeds, who recently lost her boyfriend to AI (he left to go to a facility that will take care of his body while he stays plugged into the VR world that he finds better than the real one). There are a few others, but just like in video games, they’re just there to be bodies as the core group advances.

This still doesn’t sound very funny, I know, and the school-shooting element is sure to ruffle plenty of feathers. It’s satirical, but people have a harder time accepting satire when it seems like something that could really happen in our lifetimes. Satire is easier to laugh at when it takes place hundreds of years in the future like Idiocracy. But when a movie acknowledges that school shootings are so commonplace that we don’t even treat them as major events anymore, then suddenly that satire becomes more scary than funny to some. 

And that’s the balance that will tip people one way or the other with Good Luck. How funny do you find our current path to dystopia? Beyond the school shooting aspect, many people might not find the humor in the film’s commentary on technology and AI, especially with AI starting to take jobs away (they’re even giving away free tickets to the film to anyone who has lost their job to AI). 

Some people, like myself, will find the humor in Matthew Robinson's lively script acceptable and welcome in a genre that is often too serious. Others will either find the film too accurate for comfort or too exaggerated to laugh at. It might be a generational issue, though I can’t stand lumping people into individual generations that all agree on things. I’ll put it this way: if you look around at people, especially younger people, glued to their phones and think the world was better before phones and the internet, then this might be frighteningly on point. Or: if you grew up with social media and phones and everything, this might come across as “old man yells at cloud,” and it could be distractingly alarmist. People like me (millennials, if a generational tag is necessary), who grew up as phones and the internet became more prevalent and adapted along the way, might be able to see the current world with equal parts amusement and fear. And that’s the sweet spot to enjoy this film.

Rockwell is another key to enjoying Good Luck. He keeps the film going even if you don’t find the subject matter comedic. He’s perfect at playing a crazed asshole who seems to be annoyed that he has to save the world. The film is at its best when he’s talking to shit to his reluctant team. Aside from that, the pure chaos of the film is fun if you’re just willing to go with it. Once you accept that insane shit is going to keep happening, it’s a fun ride. It’s a long ride, though. There’s no reason for this to be over two hours long. I complain about this too often, but if a film has a character constantly checking a timer on his wrist, it’s going to make the viewer check the time, too. It doesn’t ruin it, but a film with this tone and pace should keep things as brief as possible, especially when the main character seems to be in such a hurry from the get-go. All of these aspects don’t matter one way or the other, though, depending on your fear of technology.

I think we’re all, young and old, on our screens too much, but I also don’t think it’s the end of the world. Every generation hates advancing technology because it’s just another example of our impending deaths. But death is inevitable, and if AI is going to end the world, that’s probably inevitable, too. So why worry so much? The film’s title says it all. In the film it’s a saying used in the VR world that will eventually end life as we know it. But it works for the real world, too. What can we do but hope for some luck, try to have fun, and put off dying as long as we can? 

If that sounds too nihilistic, then Good Luck probably isn’t for you. But if you’re willing to laugh a little at our possible impending doom (because what else can you do) then this overlong, chaotic film can be a good time. 

Random Thoughts (SPOILERS)

Since this is the rare movie I had a chance to watch and write about before wide release, I tried to keep my review as spoiler-free as possible. But there’s a lot I want to get into in spoiler-territory, so here goes.

This film is dark, but I think the darkest element is that the whole film takes place in the VR world, meaning no matter what happens, the humans lose. The film doesn’t acknowledge this, though, as the ending seems almost hopeful with Rockwell seemingly having things figured out because of his mom’s allergy to technology. But the film clearly doesn’t take place in reality. Ignoring the time travel, there are the zombie teenagers and the school shooting clones. Okay, maybe this is an alternate reality. But what about the giant centaur cat that pisses glitter? And the impossibly large room the AI-creating kid is in? That shit means everyone is in a video game. And there’s a reason the title of the film comes from the VR game: they’re in the VR game.

When you think about this as a video game film, a lot of it falls into place. Rockwell talks shit to the diners so much because he’s the main character, and they don’t realize that they are NPCs, to use a gamer term. For the record, I believe everyone in the diner is an actual person with a VR headset on somewhere; but, like in life, some people don’t know that they’re unimportant.

“AI’s gonna try and give you everything you ever wanted: constant distraction, memorable characters, challenges and obstacles to overcome, exciting stakes that matter, and a satisfying ending. But in the end, it will all be a lie. And you’ll live in a cage.” 

This quote is repeated as Ingrid realizes they didn’t complete the mission. I took it to also mean they’re all in the VR world. Once again, the film makes it seem like there’s still a chance they can beat the AI at the end. But that’s not possible within the VR world. Or maybe it is? The ending really has me torn. I just wish there was an acknowledgement that they are in the VR world, but now they’re looking for a way out of it. 

More evidence that they’re in the VR world: the existence of time travel, the clientele of the diner at 10:10 at night (especially the boy scouts), the stuffed animals in the claw game foreshadow future issues (a robot, a rat, etc.), the police response, and the general otherworldliness of it all.

This is not the best movie to watch right after you got your kid a VR headset for Christmas, and he’s pretty obsessed with it. The battery life is shit, though, so I’m sure it’ll all be fine. 

Rockwell’s character is fun because he’s equal parts grizzled vet who knows everything and clueless bystander who doesn’t know what’s going on half the time. And Rockwell is so good at both sides.

Rockwell punching the kid really got me. Best surprise kid punch since Due Date.

John Carpenter vibes, mainly during the school segment. The score is an obvious homage, but I also found the zombie-like teenagers to be reminiscent of the homeless in Prince of Darkness. 

I bitch about movie length a lot, but in this one it just felt like things dragged on a bit too long near the end. Case in point (thanks to getting a digital screener I could check the time stamps because I’m fucking crazy), when Rockwell checks his timer near the end, it reads 5:20. This happens at 1:42:12, but instead of it reaching zero at 1:47:12, it gets to its final seconds at 1:52:12, and then time slows to a crawl as Ingrid is sucked into the machine to talk to the evil AI boy. By the time she comes out and the clock actually reaches zero, it is 1:57:32. Five minutes takes fifteen minutes in this movie. 

By the way, it’s just a nitpick. I had a lot of fun with this one.

"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" - Never Meet (and Shoot) Your Heroes

*I write these articles under the assumption that you’ve seen the movie, so...SPOILERS. Though one could argue the title, and history, has already spoiled the main event of the film.

With a lot of people seemingly just now realizing Brad Pitt can act with Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood and Ad Astra, I decided to go with The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford for this month’s western. I have liked Pitt’s work for years, and 12 Monkeys was the first time I saw him more as an actor than a face. He has plenty of great roles under his belt, but I consider his work in this film some of his best. The Jesse James of this film is a mean, brutal, reflective, paranoid, charismatic, and generally complex character, and Pitt handles every element with ease. Perhaps it’s the meta-quality of the film that makes it stand out for me, as Jesse James was a celebrity of the time, Pitt could easily find common ground in that area. How often must Pitt deal with people in his life that come to him with a certain expectation of who he is based on performances and tabloid stories rather than his actual self. Jesse James, at least in the film (and probably in real life), also had to deal with perceptions of him compared to the real, very human, man he really was. Watching Pitt navigate that character is just one of the many pleasures of this underseen, understated western. 

Myth Vs. Reality

It should be clear by my previous choices for westerns in recent months that I prefer non-traditional, or modern westerns. I enjoy traditional westerns, but the westerns I want to own and revisit from time to time usually need to be a bit different, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford certainly qualifies. In fact, the story of Jesse James is the perfect subject for a modern western, because, just like Jesse James, the myth of the Old West time period compared to historical reality is often very different.

In the film, Robert Ford starts off idolizing Jesse James and his gang because he believed the stories he read as a child, which made James out to be a Robin Hood type hero. A big part of the reason Ford eventually betrays James is because he is disillusioned with James after meeting him; don’t meet your heroes, and all that. This allows the film to be a statement about celebrity, as well, and not just in regards to James. Ford becomes a celebrity after killing James, and he gets a taste of the downfall of having your reputation arrive before you. The film is a bit of a condemnation of celebrity culture and the dangers of chasing stardom at the expense of your soul. That element alone resonates with me for days after each viewing because the ending is so depressing and perfect, with Robert Ford dying as a result of his quest for celebrity, with nothing about his life turning out the way he had hoped. 

Much like Robert Ford’s disillusionment, researching the Old West also leads to a bit of disappointment when compared to the Hollywood version we’ve seen for years. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is one of many westerns that highlights the reality of the era rather than glorifying it. 

The most obvious example that this is not a traditional western is the gunfight between Dick Liddil, Wood Hite, and Robert Ford. Dick and Wood shoot at each other at nearly point blank range, unloading their guns without either of them inflicting a mortal wound. Just like Unforgiven (which I will also write about in the future), the shootout is meant to show that when it comes to actually pulling a trigger a lot of factors come into play and the result is more sloppy than cinematic. I love a good Old West shootout as much as anyone, but I also appreciate realism. We all like to think we could be Clint Eastwood when the chips are down, but more likely most of us would be like Dick Liddil, missing shot after shot as we fall out of bed.

Aside from the shootouts, I love it when historical films highlight the mundane day-to-day life of the time period. Travel time and communication plays a big factor in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. People are often gone because a trip from place to place takes weeks. Word travels slowly, so scheming is a bit easier as is hiding from people. Robert Ford is only forced to play his hand when Jesse reads a newspaper article. It’s a slow time, and the film replicates it poetically rather than in a boring manner.

I hate to refer to a film as a “tone poem” at this point, mainly because I’ve overused it over the years, especially in reference to films like those of Terence Malick (whose later films make for an easy comparison to The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford). It’s not that it doesn’t fit, because it certainly does, but I just feel like it has become my go-to descriptor for a movie others might consider boring. I guess I just need to start being blunt about: a lot of people find this film boring, and I can understand why. But I find each frame beautiful and compelling, even when nothing is going on. 

Anyone who might find this film boring is probably just dealing with incorrect expectations. Many people still want their westerns to be old-fashioned, filled with stand-offs and shoot-outs. I still like that stuff, too, but I knew going in that this movie wasn’t promising anything like that. Perhaps it’s the title. Speaking of which...

TAOJJBTCRF, and Other Reasons Why This Movie May Have Failed Financially.

You may have noticed I have made no effort to shorten the title of this film. First off, the facetious shortening in the title of this section looks pretty stupid. Secondly, a title this long should just be embraced at this point. It is the title of the book the film is based on, and, according to IMDb trivia, Brad Pitt insisted that the title remain. 

I like the title, but for years after this movie came out I would always get a weird look when I recommended it. I had similar issues with The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (another movie I love and will write about soon). I would get into a conversation with someone about westerns and recommend these two films and just get a weird look after spitting out these mouthfuls of titles. If just calling this film The Assassination of Jesse James would have made it more popular, I wish they would have altered it a bit.

Title aside, this film was never going to be a huge success. The aforementioned tone poem aspect is usually an indicator that not many people are going to bother with the movie. Plus, it’s on the long side, and it’s just not a traditional film. All the things I like about this movie are also the things that most likely kept it from being a success. I could accept that if this film had a bunch of nobodies in it, but how did this happen with Brad Pitt as Jesse James?

I remember when this movie (kind of) came out in theaters. I had seen the previews and was very excited to see it, even reading the book beforehand. I thought it looked amazing. The release date came and went and no theaters near me picked it up. It eventually left theaters entirely never getting close to me. (I didn’t check Louisville [an hour and a half away] at the time, but Evansville [an hour away and my go-to for smaller films] never got it.) I couldn’t believe it. Brad Pitt’s new movie did not get a wide release. This was the first time I recognized the death of star power. Years ago, just having someone like Pitt in a movie would warrant at least a small wide release. But now, it doesn’t matter. If a studio doesn’t think the film can make a definite profit, then it doesn’t matter who’s in the cast; that movie is not getting a wide release. It’s always annoyed me so much, especially living in the Midwest. I just want studios to let the audience decide. Give the film a week in wide release, especially since everything is digital now and doesn’t require expensive film reels dispersed nationwide. But it won’t happen thanks to streaming and whatnot. I just wish so much that I had the chance to see this on the big screen.

Roger Deakins didn't win for this?

Until he won for Blade Runner 2049, Roger Deakins’s losing streak at the Oscars for Best Cinematography was a cruel joke. This man has made some of the most beautiful films ever made, and he somehow got passed over each year, including the year The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford came out. Deakins lost to Robert Elswit for There Will Be Blood, so it’s hard to be too mad about that, especially when you realize Deakins was double nominated for this and No Country for Old Men, and he most likely split votes because of it. This film is special, though, because he created such a unique western look for the film.

The narrated moments that show parts of Jesse’s daily life look like moving daguerreotypes of the time, and it’s a magical effect. Not to mention the train sequence early in the film, which Deakins claims is one of his finest achievements. His work in this film is why I want to see the longer cut of the film that was released at festivals. 

Deakins claimed in an interview that Criterion isn’t interested in releasing it (pretty much the only way it could happen). Why the people who chose to give Armageddon a special edition won’t touch this is beyond me. Of course, I want just want to see more of this movie overall, but I also want to see all the work Deakins did that didn’t make it. Apparently there was a four-hour cut originally, but writer/director Andrew Dominik claims he’s happy with the theatrical cut. With all due respect, let us be the judge of that.

I suppose that sums up how I feel about this movie. It’s a nearly three hour, slow moving treatise on celebrity and myths, and I want at least another hour of it.

Random Thoughts 

"The president of the Confederacy discerned his wife's needs and satisfied them, with the utmost skill and the utmost courtesy."

Bob sitting down just as chow is called and everyone else gets up is such a perfect introduction to his awkward, out of place character.

God, Garrett Dillahunt is so good at looking stupid.

Sam Shepard sees through Bob's bullshit immediately. 

"Well, what am I supposed to say to that?"

"Sidekick?!"

"So you can examine my grit and intelligence."

"I don't know what it is about you, but the more you talk, the more you give me the willies."

I don't know why, but it makes me laugh when Frank calls Jesse "dingus."

The approach of the train has so many beautiful moments: the train hitting the camera and continuing forward, the flashing lights revealing the robbers, Jesse's silhouette as the train approaches, etc. Not to mention the score.

"I about heard all I want to about sidekicks."

I wish Shepard was in this longer. I could watch him talk shit to Casey Affleck and Sam Rockwell all day.

What happened to Paul Schneider? After he left Parks and Rec, he has worked sparingly. He gave an interview about being more selective in his work, but it just seems strange to drop off as much as he has.

Brad Pitt's fake laugh when he visits the Fords after Renner's death is amazing. 

This movie could also be called The Many Tense Conversations of Jesse James with Ed Miller, Dick Liddil, Charley Ford, Robert Ford, and Others.

Ted Levine!

I don't mind the casting of James Carville as the governor, but it is a but distracting.

The noise Pitt makes when he says he could see the "gears grinding" after he almost cut Bob's throat might be my favorite moment from his career.

So much of this film is shot through that old timey glass that obscures the view a bit. It's like the era itself: everything we know about it is a bit blurry, the full vision forever elusive. Sorry for the poetic analysis; this movie brings that out in me.

The actual death feels staged like a play, which is, of course, fitting since the Fords would go on to put on the play.

Sam Rockwell is so good during the play sequences, first acting terribly, and finally becoming incredibly dark.

Everything after Jesse is killed is my favorite part of the film. The transition of Bob from annoying murderous fanboy to tragic man of regret is perfect.

"Charley was only expected not to slouch, or mutter. And to transport his sicknesses to the alley before letting them go."

I love Nick Cave's score, and his cameo singing a folk song about Jesse James.

I can't think of another film that truly made me end up liking, or at least sympathizing with, a character I initially hated. A lot of that is because of Affleck’s performance, which I still consider the best of his career.

Because of that, the last moment of the film now gives me chills and nearly made me cry this time.

..

Weird '90s Comedy Trilogy #2: "Glory Daze"

*I write every article under the assumption that the reader has seen the movie, so...SPOILERS.

For part two of my weird comedy trilogy of the ‘90s, I’m revisiting Glory Daze, which was written and directed by Rich Wilkes, the co-writer of The Stöned Age. This film about coming to terms with the end of college could easily have come and gone without notice, but the cast made it stand out, especially as many of them became increasingly famous afterwards. For me, this movie stands out because of a few random moments that my brother and I still quote. Revisiting it, however, made me realize how much I’ve aged since I last watched it.

This movie made me feel old.

I first watched this movie back in the ‘90s, when I was not even in high school, so I just found it to be a weird little college comedy. Now that I’ve gone through college and am now a parent in my mid-30s, I see it a bit differently. It’s still a weird movie, and I like it for that (more on that later), but what struck me the most was how much I hated Ben Affleck’s character this time around. I can’t remember if I found the lovesick, whiny, pretentious, and flat out dick Affleck this annoying originally. I’m afraid I may have found him interesting at best and relatable at worst. This time around, I related more with his father, who is presented here as a soulless art-hating asshole.

It might be the art major stuff that bothered me the most. What was Affleck’s goal? Had anyone ever told him he had talent? He didn’t seem to be passionate about art, since his final project was only mentioned in a couple scenes. He certainly wasn’t presented as an artist in his downtime. He was more interested in just fucking off all day and wanting to do that for the rest of his life. So when his dad yells, “Go out there and see how many people are going to pay you to arrange garbage in neat little piles!” I wanted to go through the screen and high-five him, but I’m supposed to want to punch him.

I think a lot of it has to do with Affleck’s narration, both the content and the delivery. Affleck seems to be really phoning it in, but can you blame him with lines like “I’m Jack, happy-go-fucking-lucky as the day I was born” and “he changed majors more than he changed his underwear”?

Affleck does get called out for his shit multiple times throughout the movie, so perhaps we’re meant to hate him, but I don’t think we’re supposed to hate him this much. I think he’s meant to be a bit annoying but overall a protagonist we relate to and want to see succeed. But I just wanted to see him fail and finally realize what a bitch he’s been. He does sort of realize it by the end, but not enough to my liking.

Affleck aside, I hated most of the rest of the “crew,” as well. Mickey, who inexplicably dresses like Charlie Brown at one point, is just as whiny and annoying. Sam Rockwell’s character is a complete dick to his fiancée. French Stewart is actually more tolerable than I remember, so he gets a pass. The only one who is living an honest life is Slosh, who is presented as the fuck-up of the group. Once again, this is most likely intentional (the fuck-up is actually the guy who has it figured out!), but it seems tossed in like an afterthought near the end rather than getting fully explored.

I’m still young enough to relate to the fears all of these characters, especially Affleck, are going through, but I’m also old enough to want to tell them all to grow the fuck up. Who doesn’t want to just keep partying aimlessly and hanging out with their friends every day? But like Affleck’s movie dad says, “You’ve had four years to be happy and do what you want.” It’s meant to be some old man not understanding the young line, but I agree with it. Also, everyone looks back on those college (or any other carefree moment in life) with rose-colored glasses. Yeah, when you get a job, get married, have kids, etc. life becomes a bit more tame. But there’s something to be said for building a life for yourself and others compared to scrounging up beer money for the weekend and getting fucked up every day. Plus, your body eventually can’t handle that type of drinking all the time, anyway. I’m not saying it’s bad to want to that time of your life to last longer or to revisit it, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, either.

I still like this movie for all the little odd moments.

Most of my favorite weird moments will be mentioned in the Random Thoughts section, but I wanted to comment about them a bit in general. I read somewhere (not sure where and how many people are reading this anyway and how many of them are wanting to fact check me?) that this was semi-autobiographical. I’m sure that means Wilkes went through a similar experience, wanting his college days to last forever and perhaps feuding with his parents about going to college for filmmaking or writing. But something tells me that all the random moments in this film are from his experiences in college, too.

There must have been a truck rental dude like McConaughey. He must have seen a man slapping a fish. He probably almost pissed on a dude in the bushes who then asked about a band of orcs and claimed that he, in fact, had not been in the bushes. There must have been some dickhead jokester handing out caps and gowns.

It doesn’t matter whether these moments really happened or not, but their inclusion makes this movie stand out. It’s nothing new to make a film about wanting to cling to your youth; it is something new to devote an entire scene to a miserable truck rental salesman; it’s something new to cut to a man slapping a fish in the middle of a “my parents don’t understand me” scene. That’s the kind of stuff that will bring me back to this movie, even if I do cringe when I see Affleck’s stupid face and hear his pathetic thoughts.

Random Thoughts

Oscar winners in this movie: Affleck, Damon, Rockwell, McConaughey. Crazy.

One of the worst DVD covers ever. And it makes no sense because the poster is okay. I guess they really wanted us to know Affleck was in it, and that he had a stupid face.

McConaughey’s cameo is my favorite part of this movie. “Me and the missus, couple weeks ago come out here in this particular machine. Her mother rode along with us. We got here. Ten minutes later, hell, they hit the road. I ain't seen her since. I don't know. God damn. It's what it’s all about…”

It's hard to be sympathetic for Affleck. The narration is one thing, but we're supposed to care about this guy just because he misses his ex and doesn't want to grow up? There just doesn't seem to be much reason for him to be pissed. Rhys-Davies does call him out on it, but it doesn't make it any easier to like him. He should have gotten over being pissed about being from the suburbs his freshman year, if not sooner.

Subtle touch with Affleck literally stopping the clock during the scene in which he convinces everyone to stay at college another year.

What is with Mickey's wardrobe? Charlie Brown one scene, half buttoned overalls the next? Why would Milano want to get with that?

“I wasn't in the bushes, man.”

Affleck's fucking dog tags…Stolen valor, fucker!

It's all very ‘90s, which I like.

Affleck sort of quoting The Catcher in the Rye. Come on! Although that’s another narrator I dislike more and more with age.

“We're not so happy you got a degree in art.”

“I want to do what I want my whole life.”

What restaurant serves a whole...duck?...to be carved by the diners? Is this some fancy thing I've never experienced?

Brendan Fraser and Leah Remini on the bus are great. “You’re lucky I don’t know karate!”

Also, the bus driver taking Affleck’s shirt is pretty great.

Because of this movie, there is a punk song with Sam Rockwell singing. That alone justifies its existence.

Remember when trailers were considered special features? What an odd trio of previews.