By: Deny Staggs
Assistant Professor – Theatre/Video
Missouri Western State University
When I was asked by The Regular Joe to come up with a few unsung films to talk about in their inaugural issue I wanted to be sure I was not going to be “that guy” who suggested a “great” movie only to make you scratch your head and wonder, “How the Hell does he know what I like?” I am sure you have all had a friend or relative give a boisterous and rave review of a movie you must see, only to be extremely undreamed.
Film viewing is a very personal experience. I have heard it described as the closest thing to dreaming. The non-linear narrative has the ability to take each of us outside of ourselves and transport us into a place that, well, we could only experience in a dream or movie. It is an extremely powerful medium. This has been proven throughout history. So in order to be successful in recommending films, I started to think about St. Jo, its character and what makes this town so unique.
Beyond the Pony Express and Jessie James, St. Jo contains a diverse mixture of culture that is very, very unique. I describe it as a town where, “the east meets the west and the north gives way to the south.” I guess it is in the Midwest, but it doesn’t feel mid-western, like a town in Iowa or Ohio does. But what St Jo does have is character…lots of it. (Full story)
