"Joe's Apartment" is a 1996 comedy directed by John Payson. Payson also directed a 1992 version of the film as a short, something that MTV was willing to expand upon as their first studio branded film. Being about eleven when this film came out, I saw the contents of the film in spatial passing. I remember the commercials, but I think it took quite some time before I actually saw the film. It's a bit of a crutch when you're the oldest sibling, as you got to forge to find out the cool things for yourself. Either way, I eventually caught this thing either through television or rental after the fact but still at somewhat at a younger age. That being said, my original watch had me enjoying the cartoon-like novelty but much of the actual context of the film outside of face value plot went right over my head.

On my return to this thing, the film is actually wildly brilliant for its time and place. The first thing is within the arena of practical effect. There is a combination stop motion and puppetry in constant use, making all the cockroaches carry out dance numbers in grand older Hollywood studio musical design. This doesn't stop with cockroaches, as sometimes the scenes just call for a dirty rug or discarded piece of pizza to appear as if it has been "talking" in place of a cockroach. Naturally, real cockroaches are also used in scenes, but overall, this film is a crafty production delight that I'm sure many people just fly right over as they are a bit took fixated on aspects of narrative.

Speaking on the narrative, the story is also told in quite an appealing fashion. Thrown in an absolutely full coating of "Generation X", the energy is fast and fierce like an alternative rock aesthetic. This is obviously a film produced by "MTV Studios" so naturally it is going to match their 1996 character. Still, with that temperament in fold (and also with quite a bit of G-Funk attitude as well), "Joe's Apartment" plays wonderfully into spurts of a "Busby Berkeley" musical rendition. Replace the glitz and glamor of it all with singing cockroaches synchronize swimming in rusty toilet water and you easily get the idea.

Easily I can see why the critical design of its current time were low on the film, but then years of marination has shown of the film was a little bit ahead of its time in commentary value. As I already spoke to the face value irony on "Busby Berkeley" musicals done in opposite form, completely entranced in filth, much of the conditioned commentary of the film is a jab against aspects of unaffordability within societal trends. The whole concept of "Joe's Apartment" is the fact that he stumbles upon a "rent-controlled" apartment at the onset of the film's adventure. Everything else on the spectrum of the "American Dream" and "Living in the Big City" is shot down quickly for Joe who arrives to New York City from Iowa hoping to make a name for himself. There are wonderful touches of irony, and while some might be easier noticed like Joe getting mugged three times in a row first stepping foot in the city, other ribs to concepts such as Ronald Regan's "Trickle-down Economics" are dispersed throughout. Honestly, as I sat there viewing the film and watched it in comparison with some current states of things, the film hit even harder home than I ever could realize. This is absolutely a film that people should take in if they haven't seen it in quite some time. It always has been an effort of entertainment, but its underlying application is too brilliant for its own good, something that by now is almost 30 years in relevant fervor.