Ticket Stubs #42: Run, Lola, Run
Article by Sean Wilkinson,
a.k.a. the Ticketmaster,
a.k.a. the Time Travel Amateur
This Monday, I did a post about two anime that treated time travel right. But there are two that I forgot to mention: Plunderer and Dr. Stone. Oh, and on the other hand, there's the confusing multiverse theory cluster that Dragon Ball tried to make work. At the end of Monday's Anime Spotlight, I hinted that I would be covering another very profound and beautiful anime (at least on Vivy's level, if not higher) that explores mortality and uses time travel in the slower, more conventional, less obvious way that we are accustomed to (and has the potential to be a Dad Joke punchline); that being forward, second by second, by living through time as it passes. So the good news is, we can all time travel!
Instead of that series, though, I thought it was good enough to put off another week so I could cover Plunderer and Dr. Stone. I will also be doing a Dragon Ball post at some point after Dragon Ball: 2Super, 1Hero comes out on streaming and physical media.
Also, let's talk She-Hulk for a bit. It still looks like it's going to be a set-up show where not much plot happens (for example, Hulk being on his way to Sakaar in episode 2, which touches back to the car accident that got Jen infected with his blood in the first episode, looks like a hint at something big happening later in the MCU, but not in the show). We get more information on her fourth wall ability (while she's driving, and with the background traffic moving, not touching the wheel or looking at the road...how does this work!?), actual legal procedings (Blonsky's parole hearing, and a fraud case involving an Asgardian shapeshifter, a delusional Chad of a lawyer--not played by Josh Segarra--and Megan THEE Stallion--played by Megan THEE Stallion), and a very street-level interpretation of Marvel supervillain team, The Wrecking Crew, who stole Asgardian construction equpment because irony and creative license. There are many things in this episode that both Legal Eagle and CinemaSins would have something to say about (including multiple "[pronoun] survives this," unused and obvious objections, "the bailiff will tackle you," disbarrable actions, serious crimes, conflicts of interest, unqualified expert witnesses, etc.), but it was also the most fun episode of She-Hulk so far.
So with all of that out of the way, let's continue the time travel theme by pretending I got this post written ahead of time and released in time for Throwback Thursday at midnight, and by revisiting an old review of mine FROM SW@ Ticket #45: Happy Accidents (November 22, 2005), which also featured reviews of Crash and 11:14, as it regards the strange things that happen when people and metal crunch together unexpectedly...
Ticketmaster's Note: this was a selection from the International Cinema class that I took during my first attempt at college.
When Lola's boyfriend Manni loses a large sum of money given to him by a mob boss, he must get the money back in the next half hour or he dies. What follows the drop of the phone is Lola's mad dash (in three alternate versions) to get the $10K to Manni by noon before he robs the market across the street. Overly repetitive, but not boring; artistic and energetic; just plain cool.
A-
Ticketmaster's Note #2: Run, Lola, Run is no longer available on Netflix (and at the time, I think they still also had a physical rental infrastructure). Currently, you can watch it on Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime, Vudu, YouTube, and Google Play Movies. Also, because time travel is the theme and I started doing this format with the Assault On Precinct 13 issue of Ticket Stubs, here is the original, pre-Greatest Hits version of the post, complete with different paragraph layouts, unprofessional details, and spoiled plot points:
Run, Lola, Run is a mix of live action (emphasis on the action part) and Home Movies-style animation, abundant linear perspective shots, zoom cuts, geometric set design, recurring imagery, flash photography, French techno music, and (need I say it?) Lola running...a lot. When Lola's boyfriend Manni loses a large sum of money given to him by a mob boss, he must get the money back in the next half hour or go home without a head.
What follows the drop of the phone is Lola's mad dash (in three alternate versions) to get the $10K to Manni by noon before he robs the market across the street. First, Lola arrives late, Manni robs the store, and the police shoot her. Then Lola robs her father's bank and stops Manni, who gets hit by an ambulance. Finally, Manni tracks down the bum who stole his money, Lola wins the same amount at a nearby casino, and the two live happily (and richly) ever after. Overly repetitive but not boring, artistic and energetic, just plain cool. Netflix subscribers be on the lookout.
A-
If the Lyric Fits:
"Deep inside of a parallel/
universe, it's getting harder and harder to tell/
what came first."
-Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Parallel Universe"
Ticketmaster's Note #3: For an English-language, music video take on Run, Lola Run!, check out YellowCard's video for "Ocean Avenue"
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