Storyville (1992) is a southern gothic Spaderama directed by Mark Frost that I had never seen before last night. Even though it’s a political drama (Spader plays Cray Fowler, a lawyer with congressional aspirations who probably shouldn’t have fucked that sex worker and now it’s a whole thing) it has a real Twin Peaks -adjacent vibe that’s sort of hard to explain unless you see it. Roger Ebert said in his 1992 review:

You can see something of the same sensibility – the willingness to follow a tangled labyrinth of evil and deception as it spirals down through the generations.

Now, I’m going to admit three things to you right now.:

1. Though this is named after the red light district in New Orleans, I cannot help but think of StoryLAND, the children’s theme park in Glen, NH, which is… radically different.

2. James Spader talks like Foghorn Leghorn in this movie, but then keeps forgetting he’s supposed to talk like that, and it’s super distracting. I keep saying “Thayer has been a MOIDAH” like that one episode of the Office.

3. I fell asleep for about twenty minutes of this movie because I’m really tired all the time.

Anyway. This movie is good! Competently made obviously, great cast—Piper Laurie is insane! Michael Parks is a creep! I was especially tickled to see Chino “Fats” Williams, especially since I had just watched Action Jackson. Beautiful sets (who doesn’t love New Orleans?) James Spader in an oversized shirt!

One thing about having a night-owl child is that she doesn’t fall asleep til, like, 1130, so I had to start this sucker up at midnight. It’s almost two hours long so that was a bit much, to be honest.

There were some parts of this movie that made me emotional. Cray’s father “died by suicide”, but it’s clear he really didn’t, and the slow unraveling of that particular point of contention is really heartbreaking. In one scene, Cray is duck hunting near the waterfront, which is where his father died. Pudge, one of his dad’s friends who is clearly filled with sadness (and alcoholism), says they used to come out here all the time. The rain pours over them as he looks out at the water and sadly says, “Ain’t no fun no more.” It haunts me!!! I’m tearing up thinking about it!!!

Now, nobody is paying me to write these dumb little things, so I’m not going to beat myself up too much over falling asleep pretty much the minute they get into a courtroom. Maybe I’ll rewatch it again in the daytime. I can’t promise I won’t fall asleep then too, though.

Tonight’s movie is Supernova and I hear it’s a punisher. See you then. This movie is not on Tubi. Take it up with them