Believe It or Not #10: A weird, dusty time capsule

Is it worth it?

Look, if you want a modern thriller, keep walking. This is for the people who spend their Sunday afternoons digging through the weirdest corners of the internet. If you hate slow pacing or films that don't really have a plot, you'll probably think this is a total waste of electricity. 🕰️

Mr. Ripley just shows up on a boat. He doesn't explain why he’s there or why the sailors are just sitting around watching his little projector. It's oddly charming in how little it cares about setup.

The Highlights

The blind telephone operator bit is exactly the kind of stuff that would get you kicked off social media today. It's framed with such weird, earnest energy. Then there's the 102-year-old guy who keeps voting. I don't know why, but I found myself wondering if he actually kept track of those 81 ballots in a notebook or something.

The billiards finale is… well, it’s a lot of billiards. Otto Reiselt hits balls. They bounce. They hit other balls. It goes on for a while. You can tell the director was just genuinely impressed by the guy's aim.

It’s funny to think about how this compares to something like The Big Party or even the grittier stuff like The Texas Kid. It feels like a fever dream you’d have after watching too many public access documentaries.

Small things I noticed:

• The sailors look mostly confused, which makes total sense.
• The sound quality has that lovely, scratchy texture that makes you feel like you're in a basement.
• Nobody ever addresses the fact that Ripley might be a stowaway.

It’s not trying to be a masterpiece. It's just a collection of "hey, look at this!" moments. Sometimes that's enough, even if the billiards scene drags for about two minutes too long. 🎱