Episode 251: HI, MOM! (1970)

One of Brian De Palma and Robert De Niro’s earliest features (a big movie for famous guys with “De” in their last names) is a De Mented, De Praved, De Tached experimental film that De Tails (I’m done) voyeurism, vicarity, and white liberal apologia in the Civil Rights era. When Vietnam vet Jon Rubin (De Niro) fails to convey his desire for authenticity through both filming porn and marrying one of his subjects, he trades in his 8mm camera for a TV set (see, he’s no longer just the one who SEES, but the one who is SEEN in return!). That puts him on the trail of a black theater troupe engaged in the interactive piece “Be Black, Baby!”, which, through De Palma’s shaky, uncut, hurried lens, reaches an extreme fever pitch that seems to accept the limits of white American storytelling without settling for ‘not saying anything.’ “Hi Mom!: Smile for the Camera” by Nick Kouhi for Perisphere, the Trylon blog: https://www.perisphere.org/2023/10/27/hi-mom-smile-for-the-camera/ “Turn Your Gaze Upon This Wretched Thing: The Schismatic Spectacle of Brian DePalma’s Hi, Mom!” by Courtney Kowalke for Perisphere, the Trylon blog: https://www.perisphere.org/2023/10/27/turn-your-gaze-upon-this-wretched-thing-the-schismatic-spectacle-of-brian-depalmas-hi-mom/ “Coercive Theater” by Philippa Snow for Artforum: https://www.artforum.com/columns/philippa-snow-on-brian-de-palmas-_hi-mom_-1970-242133/ Check out more Cult Film Collective screenings at the Trylon: https://www.trylon.org/films/category/cult-film-collective/ Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trylovepodcast and email us at [email protected] to get in touch! Buy tickets and support the Trylon at https://www.trylon.org/. Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. "Main Theme” by Eric Kaz from the HI, MOM! soundtrack. Timestamps 0:00 - Episode 251: HI, MOM! (1970) 3:17 - The Patented Aaron Grossman Summary 5:42 - Blunt, effective transgression 12:41 - A membranous meta humor on top of ‘serious’ topics 19:11 - De Palma’s voyeuristic drive 23:45 - Jon Rubin’s pursuit of… what, exactly? 39:11 - The “Be Black, Baby!” middle act and De Palma’s frustrated filmmaking 57:31 - The Junk Drawer 1:04:18 - Good Grief, Give Me a GIF! 1:08:10 - Cody's Noteys: Trylibs – Mommies