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This review may contain spoilers.

Disclaimer: haven’t seen Succession

Was pretty annoyed with this at first but once it started to turn and they are having these earnest discussions about killing Jeff it really got my attention and made me laugh a ton

When you think of a police procedural, you might expect something formal, kind of predictable, and mostly by the book. Akira Kurosawa’s how-it’s-done kidnapping drama is anything but. The movie is visually inventive (and that’s with the first 55 mins taking place mostly in the same room with the blinds closed) and keeps you on the edge of your seat for the whole runtime. Near the end it occurred to me where the film’s title comes from. Searching ‘high and low’. Kind of cool. But then I read that the film’s Japanese title 天国と地獄 / TENGOKU TO JIGOKU translates to “Heaven and Hell” and that puts all the class commentary really into perspective. That last confrontation is haunting. 

Can’t wait to see Spike’s version

I usually have a strict “no musical numbers in my noir” policy but when it involves Rita Hayworth, those rules go out the window

Fascinating (and terrifying) to watch in the wake of THE REHEARSAL season 2, and in the midst of living under the rule of a batshit crazy POTUS

No one is writing in journal while drinking in this so it’s different than his last handful of films. Worked for me (almost)

Holy shit! I think I may be too soft for Nicolas Roeg films. Was clutching my pearls hard watching this. Only ever seen this and DON’T LOOK NOW and both rocked me. Oh, and I’ve seen THE WITCHES (lol how?!). I’ll say this, the editing is hypnotic. I that about DLN, too. I cautiously look forward to more of his stuff but this was crazy. 

I think a lot about if my kids decide to marry who their partners will be and will we vibe with them. I mean, it’s out of my hands but it would really suck if they marry someone who fundamentally changes our dynamic. Obviously it’s going to change but you know what I mean. Anyway, if that happens, I hope I handle it better than dude here does

Did not see it ending like that! 

I wonder if the ghost writing profession has taken a huge hit in the ChatGPT era?

Love the metaphysical elements and the overall look

HBD, Pop-Pop! 

The movie has grown on me and the new 4K disc is a huge improvement from the crappy stream I first saw. That said, the movie is still haunted, and that’s before I read the news about the book’s author. Dude loves spitting on dogs. I don’t get it

Not the movie I was expecting! Kept me on my toes. Gives that great knot in your stomach feeling you get when you watch an old noir. Made me think about how wild the ing of time is and how things change. Like can you imagine if you explained the plot of this movie to Glenn Ford in 1953?

Dumb as hell but I love that it exists. Just a serviceable action movie that’s not a streamer. Not sure what Wahlberg is up to here but it’s fascinating to try and figure out if he’s being for real or what. It’s so weird. He’s singing at one point. Always going to love a movie about a witness or prisoner being transported. Perfect narrative device for me. There’s a bit near the end involving handcuffs and skin peeling off that’s genuinely unsettling and made me close my eyes. 

Voicework by Leah Remini - not Maura Tierney or Pamela Adlon who I thought it was until the credits rolled

This doc feels hastily made even though it came out 8 years after Big Man ed. Something about it feels off. And I just have to say that the fact that Bruce doesn’t appear in this even though my guy will show up in just about any music documentary, speaks volumes. Something is not right. 

That said, if you are digging through crates at the record store and come across Clarence’s 1984 album Hero, pick it up. Thank me later

Was so distracted by the color grading in this. The look is washed out and grey but not quite black and white. Made me wonder why they just didn’t make it black and white to begin with. You could still do that beautiful transition to the sunset at the end and it would arguably be more impactful. 

And now I have seen all 40 movies directed by Clint, who turns 95 this week. Now I gotta sort through the rankings

Spent the first 20 mins or so wondering if a full ass sandwich would really stay intact if placed on the bottom of the ocean? My kids won’t eat the sandwiches I put in their lunch because they say they get too soggy and here Lilo is placing a perfect one on the ocean floor? 

I don’t have an attachment to the original so no complaints but I do wish there was more Elvis in this. I know people on here are complaining about the ending in relation to the cartoon but I found it kind of sweet

Bruce being in the thick of it right now with the POTUS reminded me of the trailblazers that came before and how they got railroaded for barely saying anything. I find this doc a fascinating behind the scenes look at crisis management and forced resilience. This may not be fair, and I’m totally projecting, but while watching this drama unfold you really get the sense that the sisters wish Natalie would have just not said anything. Life would have been easier, sure, but this whole thing helped them grow as artists. Went on to write their own songs and get really personal. The first five tracks of “Taking the Long Way” were instant classics and still hold up today. But that’s not to say speaking out didn’t have an impact. They’ve only released two albums in 19 years. What does that tell you about the price they paid?

At one point Natalie references Bruce as an artist not afraid to stand up for what he believes in

When Haliburton did the choke celebration at the end of Game 1, I dadsplained to my son where that came from. Told him I’d show him a doc about it so long as he promised not to repeat the gesture in our little league playoff game this week. Anyway, the 90s are alive again with this rivalry rekindled

Surprisingly stressful at times. But not as stressful as me trying to get my family a reservation for this August and being SHUT OUT in May! 

We had one of these when I was growing up. I believe it was called The Mayan. Went there a couple times and liked it but it came and went fast. Not long enough to really grab a foothold on our memories. It was cool but I don’t know that I’d spend $40M to bring it back

Not for me. Tubi saved me $39.99 + shipping, and even more importantly, shelf space. If I had only seen this and LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR first, I would have expected Richard Gere to have a much different career

Actions have consequences. Even the best actions and the right ones. That’s life. Almost 20 years with the same person and I now find the ending hopeful. When it was over my wife said, ‘the ending isn’t as sad as I ’. That’s probably because a relationship isn’t about one night (or one afternoon) but the sum total of all of them put together

“I that night better than I do entire years.”

To me, you are perfect

Nothing more romantic than life before cellphones

What’s weird is that if this had come out in the 80s or 90s, I probably would have loved it. Hell, if it had come out in the 2010s maybe I’d be into it. Something about the mid-2000s of it all that I find really unappealing

Owen Wilson is a middle child in real life but he can tap into that oldest child energy like no other

This was available as a free on iTunes before THE DARJEELING LIMITED came out back in 2007. I ed it to my iPod and watched it a ton of times. On an iPod. Always makes me want a grilled cheese

The laugh will haunt me in my dreams

HATARI! got me feeling some kind of way so I was itching for another late-period John Wayne adventure. The early-60s Hawaii vibes are cozy as hell but the story a little thin. Lee Marvin makes it interesting but he disappears for most of the middle and his presence is definitely missed. Stop the movie about 20 seconds early if you don’t want to see John Wayne assault a woman. One of those truly WTF is happening right now old-movie moments

Knocked over by this. Wish I would have seen it a long time ago. A little annoyed by Depp’s performance but maybe that’s the point? The movie looks incredible and I’m impressed by Burton’s restraint and attention to detail when a movie takes place in the real world rather than in his head. 

The first quarter of Burton’s filmography is almost perfect. Then this comes along and it feels like a huge step up in the things he’s capable of. Unfortunately, this marks the end of an era instead of the beginning of a new one. It’s mostly downhill from here

Not a good decision to start this one so late at night. I had forgotten how much brainpower it takes watching an Abbas Kiarostami film for the first time (or any time, really). I was fading in and out and kept having to rewind it. But then that ending really woke me up. Pretty unexpected!

Last summer I ed through Roslyn, WA on my way to a concert. I dipped into the NORTHERN EXPOSURE souvenir shop to pick up a couple things. While I was in the store I could overhear the woman at the regale customers with stories from the show’s production. When it was my turn to check out I told her how impressed I was with how little the town seems to have changed since the early 90s. I told her I’d recently seen JOYRIDE from the 70s that was also filmed there. Surprisingly, she didn’t have any anecdotes from the making of that movie but did start telling me about the time Stanley Kramer and Dick Van Dyke were in town to shoot THE RUNNER STUMBLES. I’d never heard of the movie before and quickly added it to my watchlist in an effort to watch as many things filmed in Washington as possible. 

Finally got around to watching the movie on YouTube and while I can confirm Roslyn and the surrounding areas look beautiful, the movie itself is kind of a slog. Can’t a murder mystery this boring. No tension at all. Also, it takes place in Michigan! Will still eventually buy during a Kino sale to add to my shelf of WA movies. It’s a disease. 

Oh, here is another example of people drinking eggnog out of season. I really think it used to be a thing

Tuesday, May 22, 1990
9/8 Central 
CBS 

Another stellar made-for-TV movie that makes me wonder how we fallen so far as a culture. This premiered on a Tuesday night during sweeps. A night before the TWIN PEAKS season one finale. Great performances all around (except for that part when Candy is recalling past memories - that was mostly uncomfortable). Was hipped to this by Tracy Letts. Directed by Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s dad. Shot by PTA all-star Robert Elswit. 

Watched this on YouTube and you wouldn’t believe the weird-ass commercials I was served. Some were kind of funny, one about rubbing red onions on your skin to help you release more sugar when you urinate. It was weird. But they got increasingly more and more unnerving. So many knife commercials, too. Just how did I get here. Need to refresh the algorithm or just not watch weird tv-movies about murder

Waste of time. Somehow it’s more racist than the installments from the 70s/80s but this one doesn’t have any sexual assault, so that’s a plus. Here’s a question, is the subtitle “The Face of Death” a reference to Olivia’s face being permanently disfigured after being smashed into a bathroom mirror? Or, is it a reference to 71-year old Charles Bronson’s face at this point looking like a weathered catcher’s mitt?

Also, what is the deal with the naming convention?  Here’s the breakdown: 

DEATH WISH 
DEATH WISH II
DEATH WISH 3
DEATH WISH 4: THE CRACKDOWN
DEATH WISH V: THE FACE OF DEATH

Why do we go back and forth with the Roman numerals. It’s super confusing and sloppy but so is this series so whatever. 

One last thing. The original DEATH WISH is an important time capsule of that period of New York City. Part of the reason to watch it is just to see that period of decay and in rich detail. But now here we are at the fifth installment and it takes place in NYC but looks nothing like it. It’s straight up Toronto and/or soundstages. Has zero authenticity to it and looks incredibly bland.

Was going to watch the 2018 remake next but then I saw the trailer and it looks dreadful. I think I need a break from vigilante justice movies for a bit

At one point the big bad is playing an arcade game and one of his cronies asks if he can have a turn and dude gets pissed off and says: 

“Hey, man, what do you think I am, the Starvation Army? You don’t pay, you don’t play.”

And I just have to know. Who is responsible for the Starvation Army line, the screenwriter or the actor? I’ve since learned that in 1908 the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) gave the Salvation Army the nickname “Starvation Army” as both were campaigning for the and allegiance of the working class. They disagreed with the Salvation Army’s use of religion/faith to address the roots of poverty and inequity. Also, I learned the history of the phrase “pie in the sky”. Kind of interesting. All this shit is more interesting than the movie which is back to being more mean spirited (that opening!) and bland

Dumb as hell but also a lot of fun. Paul Kersey is back in NY where he belongs. This time Home Aloneing his apartment complex to fight off bad guys. It’s hard to tell if they are being serious or not. So much of this is broad and goofy you pray it’s intentional. Bronson is taking it seriously though. He also looks really cool in this one. Got the mustache figured out finally. Thinking about co-opting his look here this fall. A lot of crew neck sweatshirts with a sports coat over it. Oxford button downs with a light sweater over it. True normcore legend

Great. Laurence Fishburne is trying to out-gross Goldblum from the last one. Some of those scenes not fun to watch. Love how this is just the first movie but in LA. Bronson adds the beanie and a little more volume to the mustache and is looking pretty cool. That last shot is simple but effective

“In the city, that’s the way it is.”

I don’t think I’ll ever see Jeff Goldblum the same way again.

Question for married guys. Should I be calling my FIL “Dad”?  Never occurred to me before but dude does it here so many times and with such conviction that it got me thinking maybe I should?

**Update**

Holy crap! This is the second time this spring that I’ve watched a movie and then it was on the rewatchables pod that same day. This is some weird dark magic. Last happened in March when I decided to watch DAYS OF THUNDER on a whim and then the pod immediately did it. The driving factor for watching this was seeing on Sunday that Kino announced a 4K of DW3 and people seemed happy about that so I checked Tubi and all 5 were on there so I started my journey. Crazy stuff

My wife took my son to watch the Mariners get their ass kicked by the Yankees so my daughter and I had the place to ourselves. We landed on this because it was the shortest movie of the three (soon to be four). She did her usual filibustering during the movie which I was lapping up. Her biggest gripe right now with this series has to do with how they name their characters. In this installment, the Werewolves all have “W” names (Wyatt, Wynter, Willa). In the third one the Aliens all have “A” names (A-Spen, A-Lan, A-Li, and **spoiler** Addison). And in the one the Vampires all “V” names (Vargas, Victor, Vera). But the naming convention for the Zombies is all off. There is Zed and Zoey but then Bonzo and Eliza. Could they really not have come up with “Z” names for those characters? What about Zendaya, Zion, Zora, Zack… She has a point

So many shots look just like paintings. Kind of breathtaking. Never seen Daniel Day-Lewis like this before. Really need to make some time for Merchant Ivory films. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon

We are so back! After much whining on my part, we finally carved out time for a family movie night. Sure, it’s only our third of the year but it’s better than nothing. Ordered expensive pizza, ate candy, and watched a middling D+ streamer. These are the days we’ll ! Anyway, I was so happy to have the gang back together it didn’t matter that the movie is the definition of mid. That said, my kids laughed a lot so there are worse things. 

What a curious offering. It’s not a sequel to the 2014 Miguel Arteta movie, or an adaptation of the book from 1972, or one of that book’s THREE (3) sequels. It’s just a movie about a family on a road trip that goes wrong and a kid who feels like he’s cursed with bad luck. It could literally be called anything. This craven thirst for IP driven content is becoming depressing. The movie is not bad (not good, either) and the cast is fine. It’s just held back by this kind of dumb premise. Road trip movies should be the easiest thing ever. You don’t need cursed idol unless you are remaking the “Hawaii Bound” episode of The Brady Bunch. In fact, this movie is closer to that than the OG ALEXANDER…

I can’t the last time I felt this much fomo about not seeing a movie in the theater. The buzz on this has been incredible. Been so busy the last few weeks it’s been hard to get away. Had a rare Friday night off when the kids and their budding social lives had commitments, so I took advantage of the solo time and finally caught a screening. This is the fourth weekend for SINNERS and it felt like it could be the first. Our theater was pretty packed. There was an energy in the room which is something I haven’t felt since BARBIE and then who knows what before then. The usher scanning my tickets told me he’d seen it three times already and made me promise to stay through the credits. Just a fun time at the movies. 

The movie absolutely rocks! Could be talked into 5 stars. Can’t wait to show my wife. So much going on my head was spinning. Love the idea about (good) music transcending space and time. Gave me a lot to think about. Can’t wait to see what Coogler does next. Would love for it to be another original story

I had a lot of fun with this. Laughed out loud tons of times. That said, I would have totally been fine if this thing was just a regular high school movie set in 99/00 since this is exactly the same time I was riding the rap

Something so unnerving about seeing Ethan Hunt inside a 7-Eleven store. Same with him hosting a party at a house in the suburbs. I think that’s the point but it is jarring frfr. This one is a huge step up from the last one and kind of sets the tone for what the series will become. But as a movie, there are a lot of parts that kind of look like TV. J.J. Abrams is certainly no Brian De Palma or John Woo. But for a first-time filmmaker following in the steps of legends, he does a fine job. The casting definitely helps. Philip Seymour Hoffman totally elevates the movie and is hands-down the best part of this installment. You wouldn’t think of him as menacing or threatening, and maybe that’s why it works so well, but he’s downright terrifying here. The rest of the cast holds their own, too. Who would have thought Benji would still be such a big part of the series. All in all a nice course correction from the last one. 

Near the end of the movie, Ethan **spoilers I guess** has a bomb installed in his head that’s about to go off at any moment and he’s forced to figure shit out and fight bad guys all with a massive headache. That’s me just trying to get through every day

Easily my least favorite of the series but revisiting after all these years, it’s not as bad as I . It’s still pretty confusing, corny, and relies way too much on the masks trope* but watching it now in 2025 it’s kind of a fun piece of Nokiawave nostalgia. Rock climbing opening still pretty cool and definitely the most memorable scene in the movie.

My favorite thing about this movie though is this amazing segment from the 2000 MTV Movie Awards 

*One of these movies should do a thing where you are convinced it’s going to end in a mask reveal but it doesn’t. Like the twist is that there’s no twist!

Feels more like an actual movie and less of a spectacle. Wild that this was my first Brian De Palma film back in 1996 and now that I’ve seen most of his stuff I’m even more impressed. There are fewer big set pieces than I but the two main ones are seared into my soul. Instantly iconic. Also, love a fight scene on top of a moving train. Always going to work for me.  

The Cranberries needle drop is kind of funny

What a wild ride. I had no idea where this was going. Thought it was just a doc about a video store but it goes in a direction you absolutely won’t see coming. If you are at all interested in movies, specifically, physical copies of movies, please check this out but don’t read any more about it. Trust me. Dude is kind of annoying but don’t let that stop you

Came out in 1981 but feels deeply 70s. The city looks just like it did in KLUTE but that was 10 years earlier. The tone of the movie is all over the place but the scenery is interesting. Paul Newman often feels like he’s in a different movie but he’s so cool it doesn’t even matter

when Ben Affleck held up production on the set of GONE GIRL, shutting it down for four days because he refused to wear a Yankee cap? That would be me if I was in a movie and my character was supposed to order a Pepsi. 

Lili Taylor is doing some very interesting accent work here

Less of a documentary and more of, I don’t know, an assembly? But that’s OK because I love these guys and it felt amazing hanging out with them for a few hours. Like most dudes my age, Beastie Boys have been a huge part of my life for a long time. Soundtrack to middle school and high school. They’ve been on my mind recently. Mainly because they are an encouraging example of character evolution. These guys started out as one thing and instead of digging in their heels, they eventually grew up. The song “Girls” has to be so embarrassing now for them but instead of leaning into it they owned it in a way tried to atone for it. Kind of cool. Gives me hope for the absolute tools my kid idolizes on YouTube. I my parents not understanding Beastie Boys and just thinking listening to them was a total waste of time. Sure, these goofs my kid and his friends like are making songs like “Last Rizzday Night” right now but maybe they’ll eventually release their version of “Sure Shot”. 

One last thing. I’ve never been known for my fashion sense but watching this made me feel kind of cool seeing that Ad-Rock and I pretty much dress exactly the same. You can almost always find me in a grey crewneck sweatshirt and a pair of khakis

Always going to love a plot involving the transferring of a prisoner. So many ways that story can go. Just this week a man in custody at SeaTac escaped and hopped on the light rail (in shackles!) and is still on the run. Exciting! Same goes for any plot involving someone protecting a witness before they testify. Always works. Anyway, this movie is awesome and I’m mad at myself for only discovering it now. I checked with some of my buddies growing up and this wasn’t on any of our radars, even though it’s made for 15-year olds. How did this miss us? Would make a great double feature with either POINT BREAK or UNDER SIEGE (both Busey ts). The practical stunts are thrilling and the 4K presentation from Cinématographe is perfect. Only thing that doesn’t really hold up are the closeup shots of people skydiving that are clearly done on a sound stage. The cutaway closeup shots look out of a sitcom but the rest is practical magic

This review may contain spoilers.

First revisit since 2010 and I spent the whole first half sulking that I knew the twist and thinking this is a bust on rewatch. But then midway through it started to occur to me that maybe it doesn’t matter. Still so much going on that knowing the ending does change the experience but it doesn’t ruin it. That ending has to be one of the bleakest in Scorsese’s filmography. I had to pull out my phone and scroll IMDb just to pull myself out of the moment and not feel the dread. Speaking of Marty, I wonder why he wanted to make this movie at this point in his career?

Another one of those VHS boxes at the rental store where the image is seared into my brain. Turns out it’s pretty good! 

One nit, though. I thought all correspondence between prisoners and civilians was monitored. Didn’t think they could send parts of their “spirit” in the mail like that

Got bored watching SHAZAM! with the kids so I tried to find movies with exclamation points to kill some time

• Airplane!
• Alambrista!
• Anvil! The Story of Anvil
• Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
• Avanti!
• Bandido!
• Burn!
• Boomerang!
• Boom!
• Bopha!

...plus 71 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranked by preference. Just the proper ones. Feels like cheating adding BOB ROBERTS. Kind of funny how starting with WW this became its own genre. We could/should have a lot more of these

1. Wayne's World
2. The Blues Brothers
3. MacGruber
4. Wayne's World 2
5. The Ladies Man
6. Stuart Saves His Family
7. Superstar
8. A Night at the Roxbury
9. Coneheads
10. Blues Brothers 2000

...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Trying to make use of my subscription.

• My Dinner with Andre
• Silence
• Old Joy
• Dont Look Back
• The Player
• News from Home
• Dead Man
• The Night of the Hunter
• Blood Simple
• Paths of Glory

...plus 634 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Truly is a sickness

• Little Darlings
• Are You in the House Alone?
• Calendar Girl Murders
• Child in the Night
• Red Rock West
• The Birds II: Land's End
• Stalag 17
• Kindergarten Cop
• T.R. Baskin
• Ghostkeeper

...plus 90 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

He also invited a few of us over to watch John Leguizamo’s MAMBO MOUTH (1992), had us watch the TV series SPORTS NIGHT (1998), and took our cast of Hamlet to see FIGHT CLUB (1999). What a time

• Barton Fink
• Dark City
• The Game
• Glengarry Glen Ross
• Grand Canyon
• The Fisher King
• Henry V
• In the Company of Men
• Looking for Richard
• Se7en

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Please make more movies!

1. Lost in Translation
2. Marie Antoinette
3. Somewhere
4. The Virgin Suicides
5. Priscilla
6. On the Rocks
7. The Beguiled
8. A Very Murray Christmas
9. The Bling Ring

“Nothing’s going to slow me down. From here on in, I travel in a hurry. What I used to say still goes. Live fast, die young, and have a good-looking corpse.”

Nick Romano (John Derek) KNOCK ON ANY DOOR (1949)

2021 2022 2023

• Framed
• Black Angel
• The Long Night
• Interpol
• Sleep, My Love
• The Face Behind the Mask
• The Killer That Stalked New York
• The Narrow Margin
• Please Murder Me
• Road House

...plus 20 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

A curious phenomenon.

• The Ten Commandments
• The Ten Commandments
• Murder!
• Mary
• I Was Born, But...
• Good Morning
• Lady for a Day
• Pocketful of Miracles
• Broadway Bill
• Riding High

...plus 34 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

The Frank Capra classic has shown up in a surprising amount of movies that I’ve seen recently. Suggestions welcome

• Gremlins
• Cinema Paradiso
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• Dark Angel
• Home Alone
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
• Menace II Society
• Trauma
• The Ref
• Turbulence

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

They say if you die in your dreams, you really die in your bed
But, honey, last night I dreamed my eyes rolled straight back in my head
And God's light came shining on through
I woke up in the darkness, scared and breathing, born anew

• A Nightmare on Elm Street
• New Nightmare
• A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
• A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
• A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge
• A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child
• Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
• A Nightmare on Elm Street

There are two movies with Final in the title and neither are the last one! Also, it really bothers me how these things are named and numbered. Sometimes we’re using numbers, other times Roman Numerals. Sometimes we use Part other times we don’t. Chaotic!

I like the camp setting of the first couple ones but ultimately not sure this franchise is for me. Glad I watched it, though. Also they are short enough that I can watch one here and there without too much commitment

Halloween 2023

1. Friday the 13th
2. Friday the 13th Part 2
3. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
4. Friday the 13th Part III
5. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
6. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood
7. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
8. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
9. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
10. Friday the 13th

...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

There was something in the water in the nineties that led to so many Capraesque movies. Can’t define it completely but I know it when I see it. It’s a vibe

• King Ralph
• The Super
• Hero
• Dave
• Groundhog Day
• Rookie of the Year
• Sleepless in Seattle
• The Hudsucker Proxy
• Forrest Gump
• It Could Happen to You

...plus 14 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

One of the most embarrassing things about me is my physical media collection. Sparks joy and brings shame at the same time! But there are worse habits, I suppose.

• Blade Runner
• Memories of Me
• Police Story 3: Super Cop
• All Is Lost
• Arrival
• Leave No Trace
• La Dolce Vita
• Born to Be Bad
• I Was a Male War Bride
• People Will Talk

...plus 77 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I love discovering baseball movies. But I also hate watching bad movies. So I’ll probably never see these. Let me know if any are actually good. The one with the gorilla looks kind of fun...

Happy Opening Day!

Removed:
PINCH (2020)

• Good Friday
• 108 Stitches
• Pitcher and the Pin-Up
• Brampton's Own
• Romance in the Outfield
• Romance in the Outfield: Double Play
• Twelve
• Full Count
• Benched
• Past the Bleachers

...plus 50 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

“Sometimes, a thought can be like a malignant disease and start to eat away the willpower”

Dr. Mark Hamilton (Sydney Greenstreet) CONFLICT (1945)

Another November spent watching black & white noir films from the 40s/50s. Some of these are instantly forgettable, but some will stay with me for years to come. It’s the hunt that makes this tradition so fun

2021  2022

• Ride the Pink Horse
• Illegal
• Green for Danger
• Too Late for Tears
• Cover Up
• Killer's Kiss
• The Hoodlum
• Shock
• Christmas Holiday
• D.O.A.

...plus 20 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Current rankings by personal preference

1. Rushmore
2. The Royal Tenenbaums
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox
4. Moonrise Kingdom
5. Bottle Rocket
6. The Grand Budapest Hotel
7. The Darjeeling Limited
8. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
9. Asteroid City
10. Isle of Dogs

...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I made it 11 days into the new year before buying more crap. Significantly less than last two years so that’s a bonus. Still stupid and embarrassing though.

Of course some of these are 4K discs. Ask me if I have a way to play them…

• Harry & Son
• Cinema Paradiso
• Force Majeure
• Love Affair
• All About Eve
• Written on the Wind
• Some Like It Hot
• In the Heat of the Night
• Miller's Crossing
• Parenthood

...plus 76 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

As always, don’t sleep on Barry O! I mean half of these are 2021 releases but we’ll allow it. Sometimes I think we didn’t even deserve him. The best!

• The Fabelmans
• Decision to Leave
• The Woman King
• Aftersun
• Emily the Criminal
• Petite Maman
• Descendant
• Happening
• Till
• Everything Everywhere All at Once

...plus 7 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

“I wake up in the night sweating and there’s no way out. No way out!”

- John Garfield (Harry Morgan) THE BREAKING POINT

My second year participating and I followed the same template as last year which is to watch a b&w noir from either the ‘40s or the ‘50s each day in November. It’s fun to explore this genre and come across absolute bangers. But there are some that are almost instantly forgettable. But the ones that stick… hard to shake them. They are listed in order of when I watched them.

• Caught
• The Glass Key
• The Blue Dahlia
• Call Northside 777
• Fallen Angel
• The Dark Corner
• The House on Telegraph Hill
• Moonrise
• The Maltese Falcon
• The Big Heat

...plus 20 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Every movie mentioned (in order) in Chuck’s most recent book about the decade.

• SlamNation
• Slacker
• The Big Chill
• Reality Bites
• Forrest Gump
• Airplane!
• Ghost
• The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
• The Big Lebowski
• Falling Down

...plus 101 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Doing my best to keep track this year. If previous years are any indication, this list won’t be remotely interesting until December or January 2023.

• RRR
• After Yang
• Top Gun: Maverick
• Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood
• Kimi
• Turning Red
• Elvis
• The Janes
• Hustle
• The Batman

...plus 17 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

As far as pop culture goes, 2002 and 2003 are my lost years. I was busy doing full-time volunteer work and didn't have access to films or TV. In the years since, I've tried to catch up on what I missed but haven't been too successful. This is a list of movies that came out during that time that I haven't seen but have some interest in.

I'm sure I'm better off not seeing some of these but maybe I'll discover some gems. It also is a good reminder that I haven't seen Kill Bill, probably the most embarrassing ission on this list.

They are listed in order of release date.

• Gerry
• Hart's War
• We Were Soldiers
• Panic Room

  Released: 03/29/2002
  Viewed: 03/16/2014
  Quick take: Never cross Dwight Yoakam.

• Insomnia
• Bend It Like Beckham
• Road to Perdition
• K-19: The Widowmaker
• Full Frontal
• 24 Hour Party People

...plus 43 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

A list of the films covered in Michael Koresky’s memoir which is an actual book I read last year. A book! I’ve also included Koresky’s picks for the Mother’s Day Selection he curated over at the Criterion Channel this month. The channel continues to be the best $9.99 I spend every month. Movies from the 1980’s featuring powerful leading women are my go-to comfort movie. Excited to dive into this list and catch the ones I haven’t seen and revisit some old favorites.

• Nine to Five
• Resurrection
• Mommie Dearest
• Raggedy Man
• Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
• s
• Losing Ground
• Personal Best
• Bless Their Little Hearts
• of Endearment

...plus 16 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

“You’re nothing but a no good, washed out, beat up bronc rider. All you know is how to bust a gut and that’s all you’ll ever know. The more bones you break the bigger man you think you are.”

“That’s right, honey. Broken bones, broken bottles, broken everything. There never was a bronc that couldn’t be rode, there never was a cowboy that couldn’t be throwed. Guys like me last forever.”

This is one of my new favorite sub-genres. Didn’t see it coming. We don’t pick this stuff people, it picks us!

Let me know if there’s some I missed. Still need to see a couple of these.

• The Lusty Men
• The Misfits
• Junior Bonner
• J.W. Coop
• The Electric Horseman
• Bronco Billy
• The Rider
• Cry Macho

With the unexpected news today that Wildlife is getting the Criterion treatment, it got me thinking about what other titles I’d love to see the collection. I limited it to one film per director (otherwise it would all just be Coen Bro films), and some of the choices are because they are harder to track down in good quality. Also, because I’m awful, almost all of these are American films. I’m working on it.

• Breaking Away
• Return of the Secaucus Seven
• Waiting for Guffman
• Sugar
• The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
• Nobody Knows
• American Movie
• Room 237
• Rachel Getting Married
• High Fidelity

...plus 31 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Please don’t ever direct a Marvel movie, Kelly (unless you want to). Keep making movies your way.

1. Old Joy
2. Wendy and Lucy
3. Certain Women
4. Meek's Cutoff
5. First Cow
6. Night Moves
7. River of Grass

• Downhill Racer
• The Cutting Edge
• Cool Runnings
• Miracle
• Eddie the Eagle
• I, Tonya
• Olympic Dreams

I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Pre-pandemic I had all but stopped buying physical media. A once huge collection had been curated down to the essentials. Then theaters closed, libraries closed, and my kids were doing remote school, I’m working on a card table in my room. There are worse habits I guess. Goal in 2022 is to not buy more than half of this list. Wish me luck.

Removed from list:
CHILD’S PLAY (1972)
THE LAST MARRIED COUPLE IN AMERICA

• WUSA

  Hamilton

• A New Life

  Hamilton

• Misery

  Hamilton

• King of the Hill

  B&N FP

• of Endearment

  Hamilton

• Bustin' Loose

  Hamilton

• Into the Wild

  Target B2G1

• Brewster's Millions

  Target B2G1

• Three O'Clock High

  Target B2G1

• His Girl Friday

  Flash Sale

...plus 143 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I had no idea what I signed up for when I decided to watch every Jane Campion movie in preparation for THE POWER OF THE DOG. It’s been quite the journey and I’m am leaving a little scarred but I’m glad I did it. She’s one of a kind.

• Bright Star
• The Piano
• An Angel at My Table
• The Power of the Dog
• Sweetie
• The Portrait of a Lady
• Two Friends
• Holy Smoke
• In the Cut

I heard an interview once years ago with John Cusack where he referred to his film THE ICE HARVEST (2005) as Film Noir. I had heard of that before but I didn’t really know what it is. I asking my friend Curt who was older and super into movies what Film Noir means. He told me that it means a movie that’s in black & white. I knew that wasn’t right but I just kind of went with it.

I still don’t exactly know what it means but like the saying goes, I know it when I see it. To me they are movies where someone gets in way over their head, paints themself in a corner, or make one bad decision that spirals out of control. Another thing I know is that I love them.

• High Sierra
• Laura
• Ace in the Hole
• I Wake Up Screaming
• Hangover Square
• Pickup on South Street
• Somewhere in the Night
• Cape Fear
• Murder, My Sweet
• No Way Out

...plus 20 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

After watching Onward, we all sat around ranking our favorite Pixar movies (mine is Coco, btw) and it turned into a quarantined homeschool project. Look, we’re doing the best we can but school was just canceled for the rest of the year so here we are.

Read the notes for his takes. 

(This was all kid-led)

1. Cars 3

   "I like the song 'I'm Gonna Run that Race'."

2. Inside Out

   "I liked it because they had funny balls.”

3. Finding Nemo

   "I haven't seen it a lot but (not the 'butt' on your body but the 'but' you actually say) I still love it.”

4. Luca

   “I like it because they can turn into sea monsters.”

5. Up

   "I like the part when Russell comes into the house."

6. Toy Story 4

   "I loved it because I saw it with my cousins.”

7. A Bug's Life

   "I like it because it's about animals that talk."

8. Ratatouille

   "I like it because it's about a chef because they cook a lot of good stuff."

9. Monsters University

   "I like the part when my favorite team at Monsters University won."

10. Toy Story 2

    "I like the part when they found Jessie the cowboy."

...plus 14 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Discovering Albert Brooks was a Godsend in 2020. I knew there was a reason that Marlin has always been my favorite Pixar character.

1. Defending Your Life
2. Real Life
3. Lost in America
4. Modern Romance
5. Mother
6. Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World
7. The Muse

After a long hiatus from buying physical media, 2020 hit and my public library closed so I went nuts spending money on movies that’ll I probably only watch a couple times, maybe. We all cope in different ways. I guess it could be worse.

• Moneyball
• Planet of the Apes
• Beneath the Planet of the Apes
• Escape from the Planet of the Apes
• Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
• Battle for the Planet of the Apes
• Sugar
• Spectre
• The Princess Bride
• Broadcast News

...plus 90 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

In February, I watched Harold and Maude on a whim. When the opening credits finished, I started it over again because I was so taken with it. I’d never seen a Hal Ashby movie before but instantly felt a kinship. When it was over I went to his wiki and discovered that we have a lot in common. I was compelled to watch all of his feature films (didn’t get to the concerts) this year. Not all of them are bangers but most are. Even my least favorite had a lot to like. It’s been a joy getting to know a new director and diving into a back catalog. Peace and Love!

1. Harold and Maude
2. Coming Home
3. Being There
4. Bound for Glory
5. The Last Detail
6. Shampoo
7. The Landlord
8. Second-Hand Hearts
9. Lookin' to Get Out
10. 8 Million Ways to Die

...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I would have liked to see The Rider and Beale Street but didn't have the time.

• Roma
• First Reformed
• Shoplifters
• Hearts Beat Loud
• Eighth Grade
• BlacKkKlansman
• Minding the Gap
• Tully
• Lean on Pete
• Thunder Road

In anticipation of the Mariners 2015 season, I decided to fill in some gaps in my baseball movie history. I set out to watch at least five films about baseball that I have never seen, all before the M’s play the Angels on April, 6th. After that my (already truncated) movie watching will take a hit for the next 180 days.

• Bull Durham
• The Bad News Bears
• Inning by Inning: A Portrait of a Coach
• No No: A Dockumentary
• Eight Men Out
• Pastime
• For Love of the Game
• The Natural

2014 was a big year for me, just not for watching movies. From the day my son was born in February, my movie viewings took a dramatic hit, as did my back, sleep, patience and free-time. The best part is that I don’t really feel like I missed all that much because this year has definitely been full and rewarding just in other ways. Also, the Seahawks won the Super Bowl the same week my son was born so I’m still riding on that high to notice that I haven’t seen Nightcrawler , Whiplash or Birdman yet. If I have one regret it’s that the little time I spent watching films in 2014 I mostly spent watching new releases. In a desperate attempt to stay current I neglected decades of movies. Also, for some reason I watched Escape Plan and in what can only be described as sleep deprived delirium I allotted in 2.5 stars.

1. Boyhood
2. The One I Love
3. Obvious Child
4. The Lego Movie
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel
6. Chef
7. Happy Christmas
8. The Battered Bastards of Baseball
9. The Trip to Italy
10. Calvary

As far as entertainment goes, 2002/2003 are my lost years. I was doing full-time volunteer work and didn't have access to movies. In the intervening years I've caught up with a lot of the movies that were released during that time but every now and then I notice something that completely escaped me. The other day at work someone was talking about a Ron Howard movie with Cate Blanchett and I had no idea what they were talking about. Turns out they made a movie called The Missing and I didn't even know it existed.

Anyway, I am compiling a list of movies to catch up on to fill in some of my cinematic gaps. I have about 50 movies on that list and all of them I am relatively interested in watching. THIS IS NOT THAT LIST! However, while scouring lists of movies released in those two years there are some titles that sound marginally interesting or somehow impacted pop-culture that I wonder if I should see them.

Feel free to chime in to see if any of these films are worth adding to my list. I'll maybe add 3 or 4 to my list. Thanks!

• The Life of David Gale
• The Quiet American
• Rabbit-Proof Fence
• Once Upon a Time in Mexico
• The Truth About Charlie
• Moonlight Mile
• The Salton Sea
• Antwone Fisher
• K-19: The Widowmaker
• Tears of the Sun

...plus 27 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Of the 89 new releases I saw in 2013 here is what resonated with me the most. I plan on making a second top 10 in June of 2014 to make up for what I haven't seen. Having since seen 'Nebraska', expect it to top the list.

Honorable mentions include: 'Drinking Buddies', 'Captain Phillips', 'The Spectacular Now', 'The Way Way Back' and 'Side Effects'.

1. Inside Llewyn Davis
2. 12 Years a Slave
3. Mud
4. Her
5. Before Midnight
6. s Ha
7. Gravity
8. Blue Jasmine
9. The Place Beyond the Pines
10. Enough Said