Great. Ever since this came out, I’ve made note of every time a new Anvil album has come out. I haven’t bought any of them, but I’m glad they’re out there for the people who do buy them.
I've known a few people like the Anvil fellows, whose grandiose dreams of stardom can seem easy to ridicule when considering their art. I've learned to appreciate their art for what it is to me, and I'm forever impressed when they see their creations through to completion. And I do not believe that great art is possible without the existence of "lesser" art -- and reappraisals happen all the time.
1) I hope you do eventually write something on Computer Chess; any new insights or reflections on this film are always welcome.
2) Funny you happen to include Phil Joanou in an article discussing never-quites, and I'm not sure if that was deliberate. I mean, there was a filmmaker with chops and the patronage of Spielberg, and he never really had a career that followed from that early promise. That might be an interesting dive.
Computer Chess has been on my mind, too, since Mike D’Angelo recently noted on BlueSky it’s been twelve years since it came out.
I somehow missed/forgot that the same director made Support the Girls (which I need to see), but I actually imagine a throughline between the two—I just need to rewatch Computer Chess and finally get around to Support the Girls to confirm it.
I have a term I call “The Anvil Test” based on this movie. If a movie is about people involved in something that you know nothing about and have no interest in, but by the end of the movie you are deeply invested in those people’s success (even if you still don’t care about the thing they’re doing), that movie has passed your Anvil test. The Netflix documentary The Speed Cubers is a movie that passes my Anvil test.
First, this film is currently available free to watch on Hoopla.
Second, I do want to watch this as the protagonists sound like people I've met in the fan convention circuit (I help run an anime con). They want to turn what they do at cons (expert panellist, selling their art, etc) to be their "real" job, but that's never going to happen. If they would accept that it's a hobby they do for the fun of it they'd be happier people.
Third, I too would like you to find the time to talk about COMPUTER CHESS.
Well, I guess the people have spoken on COMPUTER CHESS! There is indeed precedent for multiple films by the same director in New Cult Canon, but I guess I wanted to put a little distance between entries. Team Bujalski!
Looking forward to seeing this for the first time.
And I just watched American Movie, and my read is that we aren't supposed to laugh at Mark Borchardt or his dreams, only the circumstances around him. Borchardt has all the pieces to be a director: a good eye, real drive, a knack for improvisation, and an uncle with money. He's just in the wrong damn city.
Great. Ever since this came out, I’ve made note of every time a new Anvil album has come out. I haven’t bought any of them, but I’m glad they’re out there for the people who do buy them.
I've known a few people like the Anvil fellows, whose grandiose dreams of stardom can seem easy to ridicule when considering their art. I've learned to appreciate their art for what it is to me, and I'm forever impressed when they see their creations through to completion. And I do not believe that great art is possible without the existence of "lesser" art -- and reappraisals happen all the time.
Great piece! Two tangents:
1) I hope you do eventually write something on Computer Chess; any new insights or reflections on this film are always welcome.
2) Funny you happen to include Phil Joanou in an article discussing never-quites, and I'm not sure if that was deliberate. I mean, there was a filmmaker with chops and the patronage of Spielberg, and he never really had a career that followed from that early promise. That might be an interesting dive.
Computer Chess has been on my mind, too, since Mike D’Angelo recently noted on BlueSky it’s been twelve years since it came out.
I somehow missed/forgot that the same director made Support the Girls (which I need to see), but I actually imagine a throughline between the two—I just need to rewatch Computer Chess and finally get around to Support the Girls to confirm it.
I have a term I call “The Anvil Test” based on this movie. If a movie is about people involved in something that you know nothing about and have no interest in, but by the end of the movie you are deeply invested in those people’s success (even if you still don’t care about the thing they’re doing), that movie has passed your Anvil test. The Netflix documentary The Speed Cubers is a movie that passes my Anvil test.
First, this film is currently available free to watch on Hoopla.
Second, I do want to watch this as the protagonists sound like people I've met in the fan convention circuit (I help run an anime con). They want to turn what they do at cons (expert panellist, selling their art, etc) to be their "real" job, but that's never going to happen. If they would accept that it's a hobby they do for the fun of it they'd be happier people.
Third, I too would like you to find the time to talk about COMPUTER CHESS.
Computer chess! Please? Do you have a practice of not double dipping on directors?
They just announced a spring tour last week! https://consequence.net/2025/01/anvil-spring-2025-us-tour/
Just want to chime in and join the chorus clamoring for the canonization of Computer Chess
Well, I guess the people have spoken on COMPUTER CHESS! There is indeed precedent for multiple films by the same director in New Cult Canon, but I guess I wanted to put a little distance between entries. Team Bujalski!
Looking forward to seeing this for the first time.
And I just watched American Movie, and my read is that we aren't supposed to laugh at Mark Borchardt or his dreams, only the circumstances around him. Borchardt has all the pieces to be a director: a good eye, real drive, a knack for improvisation, and an uncle with money. He's just in the wrong damn city.
Similar to Herk Harvey?