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When I checked this new Criterion Blu-ray out from the library, the clerk said “why are you checking out the sad French films of my youth?” I’ll tell you:

In 1920s Provence, Papet and his nephew Ugolin eagerly scheme to take over the neighboring farmland by all means necessary. When Jean and his family move in from the city, the two men think that they can just sit back and watch him fail. The film slowly reveals the lengths that men go to swindle, lie and cheat each other. A masterclass in POV and perspective, as the second half of the film follows Jean. 

Along with being the most brutal films ever to be shot in Provençal , Jean de Florette and the sequel/part II Manon des Source (filmed back to back) were also the most expensive (up until that point). I guess the subsequent tourism kind of tore up the countryside for a while. Gorgeous gorgeous movie that is near perfect in its execution. I saw both movies in French class and it stuck with me for 18 years.

The fact that as of writing NONE OF MY LB FOLLOWERS HAVE SEEN THIS OR WANT TO SEE THIS prompted me to write a non-jokey review. And to publicly shame you. Go watch this. Manon up next…

Much more enjoyable when you’re not having a panic attack… still bleak, slow, hard-to-watch at times. If I had a quarter for everytime I accidentally showed a movie with full frontal nudity at the library surrounded by my regular old men patrons, I’d have at least 50¢.

Probably a generous rating but eh, I was moved. Not my favorite SK short story and so I knew this wasn’t gonna be my new favorite movie in the world, but here’s why you should see it. The best Tom Hiddleston performance I’ve ever seen (an actor I normally can’t stand). Chiwetel Ejiofor is also perfectly cast. Mike Flanagan can adapt King better than almost any other director. Schmaltzy King/Flanagan is still incredibly sincere King/Flanagan.  Gives you a little hope in the end times. But I didn’t cry, surprisingly!

The Giver with drone shots. A little dull somehow but…? Love to see 2/3 of Ghost World reunited.

When the world is falling apart, I pop on a horror movie and suddenly my anxiety is warranted and I’m normal for once. Plus, Black Sabbath is anxiety incarnate— lots of hand wringing. If you’re ever craving a technicolor Italian Twilight Zone marathon, you must put this on. Offensively underrated in Bava’s oeuvre.

Surprisingly solid directing & very good acting. The bones of the story are there but something in the dialogue is just so hollow.

This era of Wes is my era of Wes.

A cursed film.

The ghost being nosy is certainly convenient for us. Callina Liang was great!!

Watched on Sunday June 1, 2025.

Watched on Friday May 30, 2025.

Turned to Ben and said “that should win an Oscar.” Still true.

Watched on Tuesday August 24, 2004.

Watched on Saturday February 2, 2008.

Watched on Saturday January 26, 2008.

Watched on Sunday May 20, 2007.

Watched on Wednesday August 24, 2005.

Watched on Saturday November 18, 2006.

Watched on Sunday May 26, 2002.

Watched on Sunday August 11, 2002.

Watched on Friday August 26, 2005.

Watched on Monday June 27, 2005.

Watched on Saturday February 19, 2005.

Watched on Sunday July 17, 2005.

Watched on Friday January 17, 2003.

Watched on Saturday October 24, 2009.

Watched on Friday March 4, 2005.

Watched on Sunday December 2, 2001.

Watched on Saturday August 8, 1998.

I do not seeing this in theater yet I have the stub— and I’m wondering if I bought a ticket for this to sneak into an R-rated movie.

Watched on Sunday August 1, 2010.

Watched on Friday May 28, 2010.

Watched on Sunday January 20, 2002.

Watched on Friday April 13, 2001.

Watched on Saturday August 9, 2003.

Watched on Tuesday January 22, 2002.

Watched on Wednesday August 16, 2006.

Watched on Sunday August 6, 2006.

Watched on Saturday September 28, 2002.

Watched on Friday November 17, 2006.

Watched on Friday July 24, 2009.

Watched on Saturday October 14, 2006.

Watched on Monday December 22, 2003.

Watched on Friday November 3, 2006.

Watched on Saturday November 25, 2006.

Watched on Wednesday October 18, 2006.

Watched on Saturday December 23, 2006.

Watched on Saturday January 13, 2007.

Watched on Saturday December 29, 2007.

Watched on Tuesday July 13, 2004.

I’m young, or old

• The Silence of the Lambs
• Porco Rosso
• Jurassic Park
• Heavenly Creatures
• Whisper of the Heart
• Scream
• Jackie Brown
• The Parent Trap
• Eyes Wide Shut
• Best in Show

...plus 24 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I miss bars (adding to this list as I them and/or view them)

• Train to Busan

  Ludlow Liquors

• Return to Oz

  Reno

• Jurassic Park

  Studio 13

• Kong: Skull Island

  Kite String Cantina

• Pitch Perfect

  Gabe’s

• The Gorgon

  The Foxhead

• Next Friday

  Pinkie Master’s

• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

  Innertown Pub

• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

  Small Bar

• To Die For

  The Foxhead

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

Sean Baker is my favorite director I think.

1. Anora
2. Challengers
3. I Saw the TV Glow
4. Sing Sing
5. Dune: Part Two
6. La Chimera
7. The Brutalist
8. Red Rooms
9. The Substance
10. Hundreds of Beavers

Rhymes. Take a look at my blog for more details on the ranking.

1. I Saw the TV Glow
2. The First Omen
3. The Substance
4. Red Rooms
5. Nosferatu
6. Alien: Romulus
7. MaXXXine
8. Oddity
9. Sleep
10. Love Lies Bleeding

...plus 26 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Listen to my episode of Director’s Club podcast in which I discuss most of not all of these films!

• Pan's Labyrinth
• The Devil's Backbone
• Crimson Peak
• The Shape of Water
• Cronos
• Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
• Mimic
• Hellboy
• The Orphanage
• Pacific Rim

...plus 6 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Here are some Criterion movies that my partner & I own.

Wishlist:
Paris is Burning
Chungking Express
Design for Living
Heaven Can Wait
Petite maman
Freaks
Armageddon 
Carnival of Souls 
Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown 
The Vanishing
Valerie and her Week of Wonders
Virgin Suicides

• Badlands
• Bamboozled
• Barcelona
• Before Midnight
• Before Sunrise
• Before Sunset
• The Devil's Backbone
• Don't Look Now
• Eve's Bayou
• Eyes Without a Face

...plus 63 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

This is my fourth time participating in Hooptober (view my previous watches here, here and here). Thank you, Cinemonster, for organizing this! 

Most of my choices are first time watches, though I usually allow for 1-2 repeats per year. My repeats are usually movies I saw long ago and don’t . You may also notice I have way more than 31 movies on here. Depending on how the mood takes me (and when my library holds come in), I’ll narrow it down eventually… while still completing the prompts. 

QUICK EASY RULES:
There must be 31 horror films:

6 countries
8 decades
ALL of the films from a horror franchise with at least 4 entries (if there is a hard reboot, you can choose whichever has 4+ that you prefer)
1 film by Wes Craven
1 film caused by/worsened by weather
1 film starring a Black woman
1 Donald Sutherland film
3 films from New World Pictures.
2 Indian films.
4 Italian films
2 Horror comedies
2 films made primarily or entirely in Texas
1 film that exists in at least 2 available cuts (you just have to watch one. Bonus if you watch them all.)
1 Robert Wiene film
1 Michele Soavi film
1 film from 2011
1 film from 1984
And 1 Tobe Hooper Film (There must ALWAYS be a Hooper film)

***FOR THOSE THAT LIKE TO DO EXTRA WORK: WATCH Cyclone and Crawlspace. Like last year, there is a third film: We Are Zombies.

• Stage Fright

  *Italy /Michael Soavi

• The Castle of the Living Dead

  *Donald Sutherland/ Italy

• Kill, Baby... Kill!
• The Psychic

  Italy

• The Velvet Vampire

  New World Pictures
  

• C.H.U.D.

  *New World Pictures/ 1984

• Piranha

  *New World Pictures/ Filmed in TX/ horror comedy

• Deadly Blessing

  *Wes Craven/ filmed in TX

• Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum

  Korea

• The Skin I Live In

  *Spain/ 2011

...plus 25 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I feel like a celeb everytime I watch a movie on a plane, so I’m keeping track in this list. 

Chloe’s tips for choosing the best movie to watch on a plane:
-either long 3 hour movies or tight 90 min, nothing in between
-movies that you kind of want to see but haven’t sought out yet and don’t really care about
-nothing that requires audio cues
-visually dynamic
-if you’re scared of flying, childhood classics

• Bohemian Rhapsody

  Tucson, 2018

• In the Heights

  Las Vegas, 2021

• Cruella

  Las Vegas, 2021

• Get Out

  Las Vegas, 2021

• Where the Crawdads Sing

  Portland, OR, 2022

• Elvis

  Portland, OR, 2022

• The King's Speech

  Portland, OR, 2022

• Matilda

  Boston, 2023

• The Super Mario Bros. Movie

  Boston, 2023

• M3GAN

  Minneapolis, 2023

...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Oppie 🤠

1. Oppenheimer
2. Past Lives
3. The Boy and the Heron
4. Barbie
5. Anatomy of a Fall
6. Saltburn
7. Asteroid City
8. Priscilla
9. The Holdovers
10. Godzilla Minus One

Take a look at my reasoning behind the top ten on my blog.

1. Talk to Me
2. M3GAN
3. Late Night with the Devil
4. Enys Men
5. Birth/Rebirth
6. When Evil Lurks
7. Godzilla Minus One
8. The Blackening
9. The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster
10. Infinity Pool

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I’ve done Hooptober twice now (view my past lists here and here), and I am fully obsessed. I’m changing up my personal criteria this year, and I’m allowing rewatches of movies that I’ve seen but don’t . I have 2 (maybe more?) rewatches on my list this year. Subject to change but I think I’m pretty set!

Cinemonster's List is here!

QUICK EASY RULES:
There must be 31 films:

6 countries.
8 decades.
2 post apocalyptic or natural disaster related films.
1 film with Robert Englund.
1 something is underground film.
3 Satan/Devil centered films.
1 Amicus film.
The worst Dracula film that you haven't seen and can access.
1 LGBTQ+ connected film.
5 Films from De Palma, Wes Craven, Ken Russell, Hitchcock and/or Morehead & Benson.
2 Peter Cushing films .
1 film based on a work of or invoking the name Bram Stoker.
1 film based on a Clive Barker story.
1 film released the year that you turned 10.
1 Mario Bava film.
1 film with an 'x' in the title.
And 1 Tobe Hooper Film (there must ALWAYS be a Hooper film).

***FOR THOSE THAT LIKE TO DO EXTRA WORK: WATCH The Zodiac Killer and 10 Rillington Place. Like last year, there is a third film: Shaky Shivers.

• Saw

  Library

• Incantation

  Netflix

  Devil movie

• Terrified

  Shudder

  Natural disaster?

• The Exorcist

  Theaters

  Devil/ X title

• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

  Shudder

  Tobe Hooper

• Hellraiser

  Shudder
  Clive Barker / LGBTQ

• Blood and Black Lace

  Shudder

  Bava

• Under the Shadow

  Netflix

  Post apocalyptic?

• Dead & Buried

  Shudder

  Englund

• Lost Highway

  Library

...plus 24 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I appeared on an episode of Director’s Club podcast, talking about James Wan directed films. Well, here are my top picks of both directed and produced films (at least the ones I’ve seen). Make sure to listen to the pod to see why The Conjuring 2 is up so high for me.

1. Malignant
2. M3GAN
3. The Conjuring 2
4. The Conjuring
5. Insidious
6. Saw
7. Dead Silence
8. Insidious: Chapter 2
9. The Nun II
10. Annabelle: Creation

...plus 6 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

From MUBI. The ones with a * are the ones he mentions in a lot of interviews.

• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• Vertigo
• Black Sunday

  *

• Carnival of Souls
• Blood and Black Lace
• Planet of the Vampires
• The Exorcist

  *

• Black Christmas
• Jaws

  *

• Deep Red

  *

...plus 25 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Double feature

• Nosferatu
• Freaks

Lydia is queen.

1. TÁR
2. Everything Everywhere All at Once
3. Nope
4. Bones and All
5. Fire of Love
6. The Banshees of Inisherin
7. Medusa
8. Aftersun
9. Resurrection
10. Emergency

A very very specific vibe of psycho-thrillers with paranormal elements. Sometimes horror, sometimes thriller, always spanning the decade of 1998 - 2008.

• Joy Ride
• The Skeleton Key
• Disturbia
• Stir of Echoes
• The Glass House
• The Ninth Gate
• Shutter
• What Lies Beneath
• Gothika
• Swimfan

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

• Resurrection
• Nope
• Watcher
• Bones and All
• Barbarian
• Prey
• Hatching
• The Black Phone
• Crimes of the Future
• We're All Going to the World's Fair

...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Been waiting all year for this. All but 2 are first time watches. 

Full details on Cinemonster’s list

QUICK EASY RULES:
There must be 31 films-

6 countries
8 decades
2 insect centered films
1 horror film set in space or the future (relative to when it was released)
2 animated films
1 bloodthirsty old person/people film
2 1970s regional US films (Thanks Sean Young)
The worst horror sequel from the 1990s that you haven't seen and can access. (I realize that this will take a little work)
1 German Silent
5 Films from David Cronenberg, Ti West, Bill Rebane, Charles B. Pierce, William Grefe and/or Joy N. Houck Jr.
2 Christopher Lee films
1 film with a musician or band in it (A real life musician or band)
1 Stephen King adaptation that is not the first go around. 
1 Lon Chaney film (NOT JR)
And 1 Tobe Hooper Film (There must ALWAYS be a Hooper film)

***FOR THOSE THAT LIKE TO DO EXTRA WORK: WATCH The Last Circus and Silent Madness. Like last year, there is a third film: Pennywise: The Story of It.

****This years surprise: The IT doc is on Screambox. Screambox peeps gave us Hooptober folks a code for a free trial. Everyone can watch the doc, if they want to. The code is HOOPTOBER

-review them all.(eek)

Clearly one film can satisfy multiple criteria. Viewing and reviewing will begin at 12:01am cst on Sept 15th.

• Pearl
• Curtains
• Crimes of the Future
• Creature from Black Lake
• Mad God
• Perfect Blue
• The Oblong Box
• Attack the Block
• The House That Dripped Blood
• He Who Gets Slapped

...plus 24 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Everyone needs a good cry sometimes.

Results may vary.

• Everything Everywhere All at Once
• Paddington
• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
• Bridge to Terabithia
• It's a Wonderful Life
• Roma
• Cinema Paradiso
• Up
• If Beale Street Could Talk
• Steel Magnolias

...plus 4 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

In no particular order

• The Shining
• The Silence of the Lambs
• Black Swan
• It
• The Thing
• It Follows
• Possession
• Candyman
• The Ring
• Caché

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

This is my Marvel.

Criteria and further explanation of my ranking found on my blog. 

1. It
2. Storm of the Century
3. The Stand
4. Rose Red
5. The Shining
6. Salem's Lot
7. The Tommyknockers
8. Salem's Lot
9. Bag of Bones
10. The Langoliers

My favorite movies seen in 2021.

1. Dune
2. Licorice Pizza
3. Pig
4. The Tragedy of Macbeth
5. West Side Story
6. The Velvet Underground
7. ing
8. Parallel Mothers
9. The Worst Person in the World
10. The Green Knight

Every day is Hooptober if you love horror as much as me, but this is a great exercise to force me to watch 31 of the gems in my watchlist instead of lazy rewatches. Excited to participate for the first time!

Cinemonster's master list here.

QUICK EASY RULES:
6 countries
8 decades
2 folk horror
4 films from 1981
2 films from your birth year
2 haunted house films
The worst Part 2 that you haven't seen and can access. 
1 film set in the woods
1 Kaiju or Kong film (not the new K v. G)
2 Hammer films
3 films with a person of color as director or lead. (excluding Asian)
3 Asian horror films.
And 1 Tobe Hooper Film (There must always be a Hooper film).

Review them ALL.

Clearly one film can satisfy multiple criteria. Viewing and reviewing will begin at 12:01am cst on Sept 15th.

• Midsommar

  Folk horror
  Amazon

• Wake Wood

  Folk horror, Ireland, Hammer
  Tubi

• The Wailing

  Folk horror, S Korea, Asian horror
  Amazon

• Possession

  /, 1981
  Vimeo

• Ghost Story

  1981 
  BUY

• The Funhouse

  1981, Tobe Hooper
  Peacock

• The Beyond

  1981
  Tubi

• The People Under the Stairs

  1991, POC
  BUY

• Popcorn

  1991
  YouTube

• Malignant

  Haunted house
  Theaters

...plus 25 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I watched like, so many movies during the pandemic. Here are some of my favorites with a brief contextualization.

• Ma

  Rented from the library to prepare for my months out of work

• Emma.

  First movie we rented from a local theater to watch at home

• Black Christmas

  I got way into slashers and this is when I realized I should’ve done this years ago

• Blood Quantum

  Got L to watch horror movies with me

• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

  I hadn’t cried for maybe 3-4 months into the pandemic and I used an entire thing of tissues during this.

• Inside Man

  Catching up on things I should’ve seen 15 years ago

• Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

  We were depressed on the 4th so we watched this

• Crawl

  Watched virtually with Connor

• Host

  Thank you pandemic for making good horror. Can’t wait to see what happens next

• Tenet

  First movie back in theaters. It was scary to be there.

...plus 24 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

My favorites that I saw in 2017

1. Phantom Thread
2. Lady Bird
3. Saving Brinton
4. Get Out
5. It
6. Logan Lucky
7. The Big Sick
8. The Florida Project
9. Call Me by Your Name
10. Wonder Woman

My favorite movies that I saw in 2018.

1. The Favourite
2. Cold War
3. Shirkers
4. Ocean's Eight
5. Roma
6. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
7. Black Panther
8. BlacKkKlansman
9. Eighth Grade
10. American Animals

My favorite movies that I saw in 2019

1. The Dead Don't Die
2. Parasite
3. The Lighthouse
4. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
5. Us
6. The Farewell
7. Knives Out
8. Little Woods
9. Fighting with My Family
10. Transit

What a year! As you can see, I value escapism as much as high quality filmmaking.

1. Tenet
2. Boys State
3. Nomadland
4. Host
5. Possessor
6. First Cow
7. One Night in Miami...
8. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
9. Lovers Rock
10. Another Round

• The Killing Fields
• Do the Right Thing
• Twilight Zone: The Movie
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Soylent Green
• Cinema Paradiso
• Into the Woods

My mom likes movies, and here are her favorites. In alphabetical order.

• And Then There Were None
• Badlands
• It's a Wonderful Life
• Midnight Cowboy
• Psycho
• Rear Window
• Rebecca
• A Room with a View
• Shakespeare in Love
• The Silence of the Lambs

...plus 4 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

My dad likes movies, so here they are. In alphabetical order.

• Andrei Rublev
• Animal Crackers
• Annie Hall
• Bad Day at Black Rock
• Barry Lyndon
• Carmen
• Céline and Julie Go Boating
• Days of Heaven
• Dead of Night
• Fanny and Alexander

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