Ivan Kander
They say there’s nothing quite like the first time. And, well, that adage is especially true when it comes to movie watching—I mean just imagine if you could watch your favorite movie again with fresh eyes? The suspense…the jokes…the plot twists…all of it would could be new again. Well, fortunately, writer/director Maureen Bharoocha has imagined this ingenious premise with her mockumentary, Movie Mind Machine.
High-concept comedies are often hit or miss for me—some never manage to ever surpass the central pitch. But, here, fortunately, Bharoocha delivers a slew punchlines that match the clever idea driving the narrative. Even the mockumentary format (something I often consider to be a comedic crutch) works well in this film. Both lead actors are so charismatic (comedians Ron Funches and Matt Braunger) that giving them more direct camera time is a smart choice that keeps the pacing snappy.
It feels like Movie Mind Machine is tailor-made for the internet—it’s funny, fast moving, and filled with callbacks to old movies. The premise may be sketch-like, but there’s deeper stuff here too. Let’s face it: culturally, we are nostalgia obsessed (i.e. see the stratospheric success of Stranger Things). Bharoocha is skewering this mindset: what if we literally could make everything that is old new again? As movie goers, we often claim that we want things that feel new and innovative. But, as outlined is this excellent article from Vox, nothing could be further from the truth: we like our entertainment very familiar with just a hint of novelty.
And, well, that perfectly encapsulates why Movie Mind Machine works—it’s a smart, fresh concept that still manages to appeal to our love with affair with what we already know. We can have our cake AND eat it too!
Bharoocha is a rising star on the Hollywood scene. Beyond crafting comedic work for outlets such as Comedy Central, College Humor, and Upright Citizens Brigade, she directed a feature film, Fatal Flip, which aired on Lifetime last year.
It’s great to see more female centric voices making breakthroughs in a male dominated system. Here’s hoping we can catch her latest short film, Hairpin Bender, online in the near future.