“Distinctly of the Era” 

Last friday night I had the pleasure of attending the premiere for the film Y2K directed/written by Kyle Mooney and co-written with Evan Winters, both SD locals. The movie was a refreshing take on a relic of the past, the scare of Y2K. As a person born in 2000, I became aware of Y2K in the aftermath. Short for “year 2000”, it was a shock to many that nothing dire happened when the date changed from 1999 to 2000. However, Mooney had a thought one morning: what if something had actually gone wrong? In the film, technology bands together against humans, and the human spirit must resiliently fight against machine men. The movie was lighthearted, nostalgic, and thought provoking. 

The next morning I met with Kyle and Evan to discuss the film and to gain some of their points of view. They drew inspiration from The Lawnmower Man, Beyond the Mind’s Eye, Nintendo 64 graphics, R2D2, and early CGI stuff. The soundtrack to the film was riddled with gems, as well as music being instrumental to the plot- with Fred Durst starring as Fred Durst. I asked Mooney and Winters what they liked to listen to in high school, and they both identified as underground hip hop guys. Kyle’s answer included the album untitled/Fantastic Vol 2. by Slum Village, notably produced by J. Dilla who he called the “greatest hip hop producer to ever live”. Winters recalled the project Reflection Eternal made by Dj Hi-Tek and Talib Kweli, honoring it as a no-skip album. Both writers recalled fondly “Dammit” by Blink 182, and its video from ‘98, which coincidentally begins with a marquee above a movie theatre. They are also all from Poway. At this point in the interview, Kyle revelled back upon the memory of getting burritos from Sombreros, which has remained timeless since. The friendship and honest humor of the two writers is reflected in the film, bringing forth a refreshing film that portrays the appreciation they hold for the Y2K era. 

Related Music Recommendation:  Skelephant – People Are Machines (Album)