Stars of Tomorrow No. 6: A weird, breezy trip back in time

Is it worth your time?

If you're the kind of person who falls down rabbit holes on YouTube watching 1930s newsreels or old talent show clips, you'll probably dig this. It’s short, weird, and doesn't demand a single brain cell. If you need a plot or a reason to care about the people on screen, skip it. You’ll be bored to tears.

Benny Rubin is our guide here, acting as the M.C. with that old-school, high-energy charm that feels almost like a parody of itself. He’s fine, I guess, but the real draw is how unpolished everything feels.

The Apache dancers

There are these two little kids doing an "Apache" dance. It’s deeply strange. They are trying so hard to look tough and dramatic, throwing each other around with the kind of stiff intensity only kids can manage. It’s the sort of moment that makes you pause and wonder, "What was going on in the room when they filmed this?"

It has that same loose, slightly frantic energy you see in Stranger Than Fiction, #11. Nothing is too precious. Everything feels like it was put together on a lunch break.

• The photography is actually surprisingly clear for a film of this vintage.
• The tap dancer has rhythm, but the floor acoustics make it sound like a drum kit falling down a flight of stairs. 🥁
• The Blane Sisters seem to be the only ones who know exactly where the camera is.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a movie, really. But there's something honest about watching people perform their hearts out for a camera that might not even be turned on half the time. It reminds me a bit of the rough-around-the-edges charm in The Busy Barber, just with more singing and less hair.

Honestly, the best parts are the silences between the acts where Rubin is just sort of hovering in the frame, waiting for someone to give him a signal. It’s human. It’s messy. It’s totally fine.

Don't look for a deeper meaning. You won't find one. Just watch the tap dancing and go about your day. 🎬