‘Skywalkers’: Meet Ivan and Angela from Netflix documentary

Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who wants to put their vertigo to the test.

Because anyone prone to dizzy spells will find themselves reeling from the feats on display in Netflix’s “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” whose “rooftopping” subjects, Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, drop in for this week’s Guest Spot.

Also in Screen Gab No. 140, a look back at three of the late Shelley Duvall’s best performances, and two TV series to stream this weekend.

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Turn on

Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

Foyle’s War (Acorn TV)

If, for some reason, you are currently seeking a cinematic narrative to help restore your faith in humanity, allow me to recommend, as I have so often, the British World War II-era police drama “Foyle’s War.” Chief Supt. Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen) is a World War I veteran who would much rather be actively helping the Allied Forces defeat Hitler but is, instead, consigned to investigating crimes at home. Some involve the military; others do not. But each episode serves as a blessed reminder that even against the backdrop of a world war, individual acts of service, integrity and compassion matter, both in the moment and the grand scheme of things. Beautifully written and exquisitely performed (at times by not-yet-famous stars including Emily Blunt, Andrew Scott, David Tennant and James McAvoy), “Foyle’s War” reminds us that the greater good is never served by sacrificing justice. —Mary McNamara

“Smash” (Peacock)

In 2012, this NBC series — chronicling the tumultuous development of a new musical about Marilyn Monroe, with a seasoned theater actor (Megan Hilty) and a naive newcomer (Katharine McPhee) vying for the lead role — had everything going for it: major names (Anjelica Huston, Uma Thurman, executive producer Steven Spielberg), critical buzz (“It’s all totally absurd, of course, but in a breathlessly wide-eyed and knowing way that is terrific fun to watch,” read The Times’ review) and a seemingly endless budget (price tag per episode: $3.5 million). It was not to last: The convoluted prime time soap, which popularized “hate-watching” and echoed “Glee” with its cringey pop covers, was canceled after just two season. Still, the original Marilyn-centric music written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman made the show a must-see, then and now, where it’s just become available to stream on Peacock. These stunning compositions, which Hilty regularly sprinkles into her concert setlists, are the foundation of the “Smash” stage musical opening on Broadway later this season. —Ashley Lee

Catch up

Everything you need to know about the film or TV series everyone’s talking about

Gen-X-ers reeled last week upon learning of the death of Shelley Duvall, a chirpy tour guide to some of our most bedrock dreams (and nightmares). Here are three wonderful ways to celebrate the actor’s uniqueness. —Joshua Rothkopf

“Brewster McCloud” (Kanopy): If you’re going to steal a car, try to have the good luck of bespectacled Bud Cort in Robert Altman’s loony counterculture comedy, sliding into an orange Plymouth Road Runner and quickly followed by Duvall’s winsome Suzanne, the owner. She doesn’t really mind the crime (it’s raining cats and dogs) and only wants to come along for the ride. Altman shot the movie in Houston, and Duvall was a real Texas discovery, immediately hypnotic with her wide-eyed gaze, sing-song voice, chatterbox patter and liberated, angular presence. Altman, a genius judge of untrained talent, favored her with “Introducing Shelley Duvall” in the movie’s opening credits and came to her many times more over the coming decade.

“The Shining” (Shudder): Stanley Kubrick notoriously terrorized her, but it should be equally well known that Duvall, after hundreds of takes, emerged with a beautifully calibrated, intentionally distracted performance. Her Wendy is a mess of jittery dangled ashes at the ends of cigarettes, flyaway bangs and unraveled dreams. Somehow, with a minimum of dialogue, she makes it clear that her character has bet on the wrong man, a phony talent suffering from more than writer’s block. (Duvall is the reason why that iconic typewriter scene works, melting with the realization that her all-work-no-play husband is a sham.) If her performance isn’t often lopped in with horror’s “final girls,” that’s because she was playing a complicated woman.

“Popeye” (Kanopy): Reuniting with Altman on his misbegotten comics adaptation, Duvall was, at least, perfect physical casting, bringing her gangly charm to Olive Oyl. A case could also be made that it was she — more than her director or co-star, Robin Williams — who understood that guilelessness was the only way this project was ever going to fly. Her scenes are animated by off-kilter rhythms and weird whims, while the rest of the film crashes into deadening realism. If “Popeye” has an afterlife, it’s due almost entirely to Duvall’s open-hearted performance of the original song “He Needs Me” (also used in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Punch-Drunk Love”). Open-hearted was the only way she knew how to be.

Guest spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

Whether in spite or because of my fear of heights — I have been known to freeze up on a mere fourth-floor balcony — “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” about a pair of daredevils/influencers/lovers who perform harness-free acrobatics atop some of the world’s tallest buildings, was one of my favorite films at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Combining the death-defying feats of “Man on Wire” with the first-person-perspective footage made possible by smartphone cameras, GoPros and other nimble advances in cinematographic technology, the documentary, directed by Jeff Zimbalist, is exhilarating, even — and I mean this as a compliment — stomach-turning. (There are also thrills of another sort thanks to the duo’s climactic building break-in and their sometimes tumultuous romance.) “Skywalkers” subjects Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau stopped by Screen Gab ahead of the film’s Netflix premiere on Friday to talk about what scares them, what they’re watching and planning for their next climb. —Matt Brennan

What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?

Beerkus: We’re big fans of “Blue Eye Samurai” on Netflix. We really love the anime genre as a whole, and the animation on that series is exquisite!

Nikolau: Also, that it follows a strong female protagonist is amazing. That’s always very exciting and inspirational for me.

You were obviously comfortable recording and disseminating videos of your endeavors before they became the subject of “Skywalkers.” What’s the biggest difference between what you were used to and the workings of a feature-length documentary?

Beerkus: As short-form artists, we’re used to choosing only the absolute best image to represent the creative idea. Ninety-nine percent of the reality stays outside that one perfect frame. We also weren’t used to sharing everything on camera: What goes on behind the scenes, or the ups and downs of our creative process or relationship.

Nikolau: In the beginning we didn’t understand how much work — and how much time — it takes to really capture the essence of someone’s life, so it took us a beat to develop complete trust with the filmmakers and to get used to having them around practically all the time. But we eventually did, and we loved getting this new look at our own life through their lens.

I found myself experiencing vertigo watching this film, as I’m afraid of heights. I’m curious, what are you afraid of?

Nikolau: I am super afraid of insects. I made the crew laugh multiple times when we were on some roof and there was an insect passing by and I totally freaked out. There was a moment on that spire where [Ivan] and I were arguing when an ant showed up as well. I was like, “Please not you now on top of everything else.”

Beerkus: Most of all I’m fearful for Angela’s safety and well-being. That’s the biggest one.

What’s the next challenge you want to undertake, in climbing or otherwise?

Nikolau: I continue to create paintings in addition to my digital art, and I want to keep growing as an artist.

Beerkus: I’m learning to compose music and I hope one day I’ll find a way to combine that with rooftopping. We’d also like to try our hand at filmmaking, both behind or in front of the camera. As for our next climb, I’m sure you understand that we can’t really tell you any details about it ahead of time. But stay tuned.