So you’ve caught a case of the blues. You’re feeling a little down in the dumps. You failed the most recent math test. Or maybe you’re good at math, and instead you spilled coffee on your favorite white shirt.
Whatever it is, here’s a hint for everyone that’s feelin’ like a plastic bag drifting through the wind.
Step One: Get a tub of ice cream from a nearby store. I recommend Trader Joe’s Coffee Bean Blast – it’s deliciously bold.
Step Two: Open Netflix, but make sure not to get distracted by your queue full of half-watched TV series.
Step Three: Search for “The History of Future Folk” (trust me on this).
Within 30 minutes, you should feel better. It works like a charm.
What gives “The History of Future Folk” more power than 100 mg of Prozac?
“Future Folk” is cute, fun and heartwarming, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
John Mitchell and Jeremy Kipp Walker’s film is the fictionalized origin story of the real-life folk comedy band Future Folk. And admittedly, it’s a little weird.
The story goes that the alien planet Hondo becomes uninhabitable, so a Hondoan (Hondoese?) general is sent to find another planet, kill its inhabitants, and colonize it.
But just as General Trius (Nils Daulaire) is about to wipe out Earth’s population with a flesh-eating virus, he hears something for the first time; music.
Fortunately, after a few bars of elevator music, General Trius decides not to kill everyone on Earth.
Instead he blends in with earthlings, starts a family, and, naturally, he plays the banjo in an underground folk act.
Now if “Future Folk” doesn’t sound ridiculous enough yet, it gets stranger.
While the Hondoans all look like humans, they certainly don’t dress that way.
Instead of baseball caps, the Hondoans sport cherry-red, bucket-shaped helmets. And instead of Levis and a shirt, the Hondoans prefer bright red jumpsuits.
Later in the film, things get more comically absurd when the portly, mustached Hondoan assassin Kevin (Jay Klaitz), clad in red jumpsuit, lands on Earth to finish General Trius’s job.
Of course, Kevin also becomes enamored with music, and after making up, the two gather quite an underground following as a folk duo.
Meanwhile, they still have to deal with the impending Hondoan invasion force that wants to kill earthlings and colonize Earth, but somehow they make time to sing.
The ridiculousness of the costumes, the poor special effects, the likable characters, the overly dramatic music and the alien-themed folk songs make “Future Folk” really enjoyable.
And it’s not enjoyable in the way a great, really polished film is. It doesn’t try hard, and it’s lighthearted in just the right way.
But at times the low-budget feel was too much, especially when some of the less important actors weren’t convincing. While he only had a few lines, the music venue owner’s overly theatrical attitude was a tad bothersome.
A mistake in the movie’s music was also slightly aggravating. During one of the band’s acts, Trius leaves the stage with his banjo, yet we can still hear him playing.
But these are minor blemishes in an otherwise entertaining movie.
So get your carton of ice cream and enjoy the comical ridiculousness of “Future Folk.”
Even if you’re not sad, you’ll have a good time.
