The Thief Collector WRAP-UP
The inaugural month of The WALT has been a lot of fun! Thank you to everyone who has engaged in the discussion threads so far. And there’s still time to contribute if you haven’t had a chance yet. Subscribers on the free tier still have until the end of March to share their thoughts and subscribers on the paid tier always have the option to dip into the archives. Paid subscribers also have access to a fantastic exclusive WALT interview with Director, Allison Otto.
I’d also like to remind everyone to fill out the anonymous survey that just lets me know what streaming services everyone has and some information to best inform future doc selections.
As we prepare for March’s documentary selection, I wanted to cap off the month with a few fun bonuses. First, I want to recommend a documentary with a similar tone to The Thief Collector that was just added to many streaming platforms, The Pez Outlaw (2022). It’s available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Plex (free & ad-supported).
Note: this is NOT the March selection for The WALT. Look out for that message on March 1, 2024.
Set in the glorious 1990s, the film follows the adventures of Steve Glew, a small-town Michigan man who heads to Eastern Europe in a dual effort to pull his family out of poverty and escape his boring job. Steve becomes the hero of his own adventure, smuggling the rarest of goods (Pez dispensers) into the U.S. and making millions in the process. It was all magical until his arch-nemesis, the Pezident, sets out to destroy him. At its core, the film is designed to be fun and entertaining, but Steve’s story is also about family, true love, mental health, and ultimately, a man who defies expectations and finds his purpose.
The Pez Outlaw is a LOT of fun and I highly recommend giving it a watch!
I’ve also made a playlist of 10 songs that fit within the themes of The Thief Collector. Have any other songs that you think fit? Leave a comment!
Track Listing:
1. Round and Round
From The Fantasticks • performed by Jerry Orbach & Rita Gardner
This track was selected not only because the performers are named Jerry & Rita. Pay attention to the lyrics - it’s all about traveling the world and living recklessly with the person you love.
2. All the Things You Are
by Lennie Tristano & Peter Ind/Tom Weyburn
Thinking about when Willem de Kooning painted Woman-Ochre in New York during the 1950s, I understand that he was very much into the NY jazz scene at the time. In fact, he was known to frequent the Five Spot with some of his other artist friends (Philip Guston, Franz Kline, Joan Mitchell, Robert Motherwell, Helen Frankenthaler, Grace Hartigan, Jack Tworkov, David Smith, Larry Rivers, Clement Greenberg and Herman Cherry). At the time, Lennie Trsitano was a regular performer at the Five Spot so it is likely that Willem de Kooning painted Woman-Ochre with the sounds of Lenne Tristano running through his mind.
3. Bonnie and Clyde
by Brigitte Bardot & Serge Gainsbourg
No explanation necessary.
4. Kiss That Wealth Goodbye
by exmagician
This song was featured in the film and can also be heard in the trailer.
5. Our Lips are Sealed
by The Go-Go’s
Jerry and Rita Alter lived their entire adult lives keeping their extraordinary double life secret from their friends and family. Their lips were sealed.
6. Collector
by Here We Go Magic
Listen to the lyrics of this song. They apply so well to Jerry and Rita and how people must have looked upon their lives of collecting items and artifacts during their world travels. I also love the following verse: A peice of wood from Noah's Ark / A thing collected from the start / And if there is another flood / Your house will float on Noah's wood.
7. Been Caught Stealing
by Jane’s Addiction
Even though it wasn’t until after they had both passed away, Jerry and Rita were finally caught. And is there a more iconic song about being caught stealing than this Jane’s Addiction classic?
8. Under the Sun
by DIIV
This is another song that was used in The Thief Collector.
9. Eye of the Jaguar
by Riot City
As the kids say, IYKYK. As the adults say, if you know you know.
10. The Cup and the Lip
by Lima Charlie
There are actually a few songs called The Cup and the Lip, but I felt that this one fit Jerry and Rita’s story the best.