$55.00
I popped in the ORDINARY PEOPLE “Guest” 5c90 cassette, and let me tell you: as someone who can’t see a thing, I judged this movie entirely by sound and texture. Right away, I could tell the opening scene was… something. The insert rattled in the boxset like a cage of confused crickets, and the sculpture included was clearly making noises too—clanging, scraping, like it was trying to tell me a plot point I couldn’t see.
The characters had very distinct sounds: one sounded like a leather boot squeaking on tile, another like a bicycle horn stuck in molasses. Every line of dialogue was delivered with the kind of passion usually reserved for someone trying to explain mouth larva to a toddler. And speaking of mouth larva, let me interject: apparently, these little critters hatch from certain fly species, invade soft tissues, and—get this—can even end up in humans’ mouths if you’re not careful with your food. Now, the movie never shows them (thankfully), but I could hear them in the soundtrack: tiny, subtle screwlike wriggles—like the screwworm fly larvae were the true stars.
Halfway through, I realized I was holding the sculpture upside-down and it made no difference. Its scraping, rattling noises were basically a narrator for me: “This is the plot! This is the twist! Now here comes the climax!” The insert kept rattling, like it disagreed with the actors’ choices. Side A of the cassette hummed with dramatic tension; Side B gnawed into my eardrums with suspense, just like actual larvae gnaw into gums.
Highlights:
The protagonist’s footsteps sounded exactly like chewing larvae. Accidental genius.
There’s a scene where a door squeaks. I swear, I felt a tiny screwworm fly hatch inside my imagination every time.
The boxset sculpture doubles as both art and a percussion instrument for someone like me who can’t see the visuals. Bonus!
Bottom line: ORDINARY PEOPLE “Guest” 5c90 is like eating food with larvae by accident—it’s surprising, a little unsettling, sometimes disgusting, but oddly memorable. The soundscape alone made me laugh, cry, and feel tiny imaginary larvae crawling in rhythm to the plot. Would I recommend it to a fellow blind cinephile? Absolutely. Just bring headphones, a strong stomach, and maybe some gum to distract your mouth larvae.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (Four out of five screwworm larvae, gnawing gently, insistently, and unapologetically).
Numbered edition of 1.