Plump Fiction (1997)

A satire of the '90s indie film scene, particularly those convoluted plots that adorned such ultra-violent thrillers as Pulp Fiction, Natural Born Killers and Reservoir Dogs; while also skewering everything from Sling Blade to Clerks to Nell. It's not funny enough just to make tongue-in-cheek references to other films, although it's fun to revisit them if you're familiar with this time period. I'm being generous with my rating because I enjoy the films represented and I find it an interesting snapshot of film history. This is still better than the 2000s trend of spoof comedy which would soon dilute and overwhelm the genre.

It was produced by Rhino Records, so if nothing else, the music is good.

1½ Priscilla, Queen of the Desserts out of 5

Babes (2024)

Girl gets knocked up (unplanned, of course) and while the father is out of the picture, her best friend (who has recently given birth) supports her in her decision to keep it. This inevitably leads to a falling out since one of the women is much more immature than the other. It's a modest comedy that sounds a lot shittier on the surface, but the relationship between the two friends feels very realistic and I had no regrets by the end of it (though you definitely have to be in a particular type of mood). It kind of plays like a cross between Broad City and Better Things, so I'd recommend it to fans of those shows. John Carroll Lynch's hair journey throughout was fucking hilarious.

3 satanic children out of 5