I remember going out to bars, oh how I took those nights for granted.
In this current COVID-19 world, the simple pleasure of making small talk with a bartender or cheers-ing with new friends are only fond memories now. Filling the cinematic void of going out to a bar is the Sundance selected Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, a hidden gem that gives you the feeling of debauchery, togetherness, and nostalgia from the comfort of your couch (and best viewed with a Gin & Tonic in hand).
It’s 10:59 AM and the Roaring 20s Cocktail Lounge in a Las Vegas strip mall is in full swing, bittersweetly celebrating their last day in business. A local favorite among misfits and loners, the dedicated patrons consider the dimly lit, smoke-filled bar their safe haven. Society may not accept them, but at Roaring 20s, they’re loved for who they are. As day turns into night, the small talk among bartenders and customers turn into more drunken, heartfelt conversations as they pay homage to the friends and memories made throughout the bar’s long history. People sharing their stories of vulnerability and uncertainties are not only relevant in this current moment, but it also taps into our universal, timeless desire for comfort. For a film about a dive bar, Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets is so much deeper than I expected.
Directed by Bill and Turner Ross, the reason why Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets is a hidden gem is because of its cinéma vérité style within the subject matter. This unconventional mumblecore is so believable, and it’s ensemble cast so terrific, it’s as if we’re watching a documentary. At certain moments you can even see the cameraman’s reflection in the bar’s many mirrors, adding to the loose, docu-style. In other instances, you can see the lavalier mic attached to a character’s shirt. I’m not sure if these sightings were intentional, but it works for this film.
The stale, sticky, smoked filled image of the Roaring 20s Cocktail Lounge brings back memories of a time pre-COVID-19 when a night out meant a night of possibility. But all good things must come to an end, and Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets is an uplifting ode to the good times. It was fun while it lasted.
Special nationwide virtual event screenings will be held for National Dive Bar Day today, July 8th, benefiting USBG Foundation’s Bartender Emergency Assistance Program.
Utopia Films will release Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets on Friday, July 10th, via Alamo Drafthouse and others.
