Ebony and Ivory

Once upon a time, Weird Al dared us to be stupid. Years later, Bay Area rapper Mac Dre coined the phrase “stupid doo doo dumb” in celebration of that mental state. With his latest feature, Jim Hosking turns his eye toward another crucial moment in pop history: the fateful meeting of two musical heroes, taking their life experiences and artistic genius to craft a song that would unite a generation in racial harmony. I am, of course, speaking of Paul and Stevie—the subjects of Hosking’s latest feature-length practical joke, Ebony and Ivory. Ensconced in his Scottish cottage, Paul (Sky Elobar) invites a perpetually enraged Stevie for a meeting of musical minds, continually running afoul of his sensibilities with every passing interaction. For a film nominally about two performers known for their ability to play every instrument, Hosking takes that Ramones approach of playing three keys well and stretching that sensibility to its breaking point over the course of 80 minutes. If you, mighty viewers, are willing to plunge into the depths of idiocy to truly achieve the level of stupid doo doo dumb to be on this film’s wavelength, you will be rewarded with the greatest of gifts: the gift of laughter. (Fantastic Fest)