knowing is half the battle
Thoughts on Onyx The Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls.
When Gail and I heard that Onyx The Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls was going to play in a movie theater, we had to go. It was like an involuntary compulsion, one that I’ve spent a lot of time trying to sort out the cause.
I don’t think either of us had a strong love or connection to the title character, though we’ve definitely rewatched those viral videos that made the character famous several times through out the years.
Truth be told, I can’t pass an Arby’s without saying “Dem Arby’s Boys….wheels up...skeeet skirrrrt.”
But despite the creativity and humor in these videos, there’s a big risk to turning a 3 minute sketch character into a feature length movie star. It’s a lesson learned from several movies based on Saturday Night Live comedy bits.
I believe the old saying goes “For every Blues Brothers there’s a Blues Brothers 2000.”
That’s not an old saying, according to the title it it can only be 23 years old at best.
Let’s not get off track, okay?
So why this compulsion to see it? Why not wait for it to show up on streaming, as opposed to paying for two movie tickets just to sit in a crappy theater with bad sound?
I’ve been asking myself that question for a week now, and besides a general fear of navigating the endless abyss of the Streamscape, I believe it has more to do with what I think Onyx the character represents.
The Weird Arby’s Guy represents something?
I know. I know. To me, I guess he does. Stick with me on this.
…
Onyx’s trademark vocal pattern is that of a person terrified of sharing their thoughts. It’s like he’s driving a car sliding on a patch of ice, desperately hoping that the tires gain traction again before he wrecks. At the same time, Onyx must speak because he needs that connection, like we all do.
His insertion of the phrase “I don’t know” feels like a defense mechanism, used to create distance from his own thoughts and opinions in case the listener doesn’t like it.
I also feel terribly uncomfortable sharing my thoughts or expressing myself around people. And when I do… I often insert that same stupid phrase...
“I don’t know.”
And I hate it.
I didn’t even know I did it as much as I did until a friend of mine said backstage during a show: “You do too know. You say it all the time, but you know.” All of a sudden I had no where to hide and it shocked the hell out of me. But after the fear of feeling like a fool went away, I felt relief. He was right. I said what I meant to say, and I knew what I was saying. So I might as well own it.
And so I guess Onyx represents a feeling I have all the time, he’s just a more exaggerated and funny manifestation of it.
I don’t know what Andrew Bowser, the man behind Onyx, is like in real life. But his work suggests, at the very least, a fascination with the anxiety of expressing yourself and fitting in. I don’t know if this is something he struggles with personally, but he certainly shows a mature understanding of it.
There’s a great moment in the film where Onyx, after having a terrible, no good, very bad day, prays to both God and Satan, or which ever one is listening and willing to help out, to change his life because it sucks so much.
When people talk about this movie having heart, it’s surely because of moments like this. Moments where a person can feel so low, that they don’t give a fuck who helps them out, even the Devil himself, because anyone would be better than no one. There’s truth in that, and when we’re talking about heart - we’re talking about truth.
Bowser had an opportunity to express himself on a massive stage and, unlike some artists, chose to share the stuff he enjoys. Because it feels genuine and honest, it doesn’t come off like the kind of pop-culture nostalgia bait you’d see from a major studio. Instead this feels more like a hand reaching out, from one mutant to another: “Hey, here’s what I’d love to see in a movie, I could make one…”.
And instead of following it up with a defensive “I don’t know”, it takes a page out of the great Ernest P Worrell’s book and asks a far better question:
“Know what I mean?”
That’s the kind of film making I can get behind.
SUPPORT OUT OF DEPTH
Hey if you enjoy the work we do here, whether it’s this blog post or the podcast, and you’d like to support us, I’d like to show you to our Patreon.
That support is huge and allows us to keep making cool shit for folks just like you.
Thanks