Let’s say THE JANITOR embodies Cage’s eccentricities and obstinance to do his own thing—could that be a defining quality of an artist? The janitor has a job to do. He knows what he’s gotta do, what’s in it for him, and he keeps on schedule. And he never utters a line of dialogue. His silence could be seen as representing pure cinema.
But what stands in his way? What opposition is he confronted with? Take the kids for starters. The kids represent commerce. From rock n’ roll flicks in the 50s to superhero tentpoles, teens dictate what dominates the market in Hollywood. In Willy’s Wonderland the kids are in many ways the opposite of the janitor: they’re annoying, always talking, their acting is bad, their dialogue is poorly written and cheesy; for the most part their screen time is cringe-inducing. And it’s apparent he wants nothing more than to be left alone to do his job.
Then there are the evil possessed puppets, who might depict something like the easy cheesy over-used motifs of genre movies. So in this building called Willy’s Wonderland of course the janitor defeats both of these adversaries in time. The kids all get murdered. Who says he has to save them? He dismembers all the big colorful cartoon machines. Because they were in the way of him getting the job done.
The most enjoyable moment in Willy’s Wonderland is a scene where the janitor lets himself go in the reverie of a game of pinball. Cage turns it into something more. There’s dancing, and some contortions best left to be seen for yourself. In addition to the pinball, the janitor’s only other indulgence he allows himself is a can of soda he consumes heavily. Does the soda mean anything? Probably not.
Or does the soda represent artistic satisfaction? Fulfillment? The reward Cage gets from doing his own thing? And yeah, there is a survivor. One person. That segment of the demographic who get it, and their reward is that they get to come along for the ride, and share a soda.
2/13/2021 Plaza Theatre
Atlanta, GA
DCP
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