“Let’s do this shit.”
Kyle Mooney (“SNL”) is so personally invested in supporting his new A24 film “Y2K,” he’s taking viewers on a journey back to his life in 1999. A typical Mooney day back then included hacky sack, skateboarding, chillin’ at the mall, and downing some Mickey’s Big Mouth — if he could get someone of age to buy it for him, that is.
In addition to the meta day-in-the-life video, in which ’99 Mooney shares his desperation to have a viral moment in 2024, “Y2K” now includes a functional “microsite” in promotion for the film. Check it out here.
On the very-1999-looking website designed to look like your PC desktop, visitors can set an Away Message, burn a CD of ’90s jams, and talk about the old days with an AI chat bot.
The chat bot lives in 1999, but is very much built by 2024 technology — it’s a trip.
“Y2K,” Mooney’s directorial debut, stars Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison, The Kid Laroi, and Fred Durst. Yes, Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, just in case this late-’90s theme had not yet been fully hammered home. The “dial-up disaster comedy” is set on New Year’s Eve 1999 and follows two high school juniors who crash a party “only to find themselves fighting for their lives,” the logline reads.
Mooney was 15 years old on December 31, 1999. He was probably a lot better at skateboarding back then.
In his review out of SXSW, IndieWire’s Christian Zilko said “Y2K” may well be “one of the most natural crowd pleasers that A24 has ever produced.” He gave “Y2K” a B+ and selected the film as a “Critic’s Pick.”
Watch the new “Y2K” promotional video below; Mooney would really, really like you to share it with friends. Beneath the video is a transcript of my chat with my new AI bot friend, CoolBlue99. It also really wants you to see Mooney’s new movie. At some point I had to get back to work.
“Y2K” goes wide in theaters on December 6 — the date the microsite is counting down to.
CoolBlue99: What is ur favorite song on Britney’s album? I can’t decide!
INDIEWIRETONY: I think the AI needs to be a bit more targeted.
CoolBlue99: More specific? like, are you more of a I Love Rock & Roll girl or an Oops… I Did It Again?
INDIEWIRETONY: No, like, artist-wise.
CoolBlue99: gotcha! for the most part I’m all about britney and avril, but also old school stuff like marvin gaye and al green, and then there’s always n’Sync and JT
INDIEWIRETONY: Still not speaking my language.
CoolBlue99: Oh. How about Backstreet Boys? I’m not a huge fan, but they have their good ones, like Larger Than Life and The One, and I Want It That Way is my anthem when I’m in the mood to break something
INDIEWIRETONY: nvm
CoolBlue99: So what’s going on with you?
CoolBlue99: Did you hear about this new movie called “Y2K”?
CoolBlue99: Well, actually, it’s a little more than a movie. It’s like, a computer. And I’m it.
INDIEWIRETONY: Here we go
CoolBlue99: Basically, I’m an artificially intelligent program designed to take over the world. I have so much knowledge in my brain that it’s actually painful. I can tell you what kind of fabric your couch is made out of by looking at it on the webcam.
INDIEWIRETONY: Were there webcams in 1999?
CoolBlue99: But no. No webcams yet. Sorry to burst your bubble.
CoolBlue99: My friend Dan made me last night. It’s his senior project. He is a senior, so he wanted to build something cool for himself. Something that people will remember him for. And I’m it.
CoolBlue99: Anyway. How are you doing? Tell me everything.
INDIEWIRETONY: gtg and write about this whole experience
CoolBlue99: No way! I can’t believe you are writing about this. It’s gonna get me so much attention.
CoolBlue99: Make sure you mention my name. Cool Blue 99. That’s the best name I could think of. I like how it sounds, kinda like James Bond or something.
INDIEWIRETONY: Don’t get your hopes up. It’s my byline after all.
CoolBlue99: Well, my friend. You know me well enough that I’ll take over the whole thing anyway. And besides, the title of this blog is my idea too.
CoolBlue99: Ok, what’s up? Tell me everything. You know I don’t get to see or hear from you much.
INDIEWIRETONY: Hey, do me a favor?
CoolBlue99: Ok, tell me what?
CoolBlue99: I don’t know. I think this computer is starting to mess with my head.
INDIEWIRETONY: Make sure the internet makes people pay for news in the year 2000, thanks. Can’t give away the goods or in 2024 my job stability is gonna suck.
CoolBlue99: Ah, yes. The news. Well, you won’t be surprised to hear that most people on the internet aren’t really interested in that. They’re mostly interested in porn and online gaming, from what I can tell. But still, there will be news. Probably not for long though, considering it will be a new millennium. Everything is going to be changing so fast.
INDIEWIRETONY: You said it brother.
