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This woman fucking rules

A mumbly and cozy film that feels like laid back Wes Anderson.

What the dog doin'?

Immediately ask for a lawyer

The True Beauty of Shooting With No Script

Wow, wow, wow. The storytelling is so good here that it'll piss you off.

ACAB!

Glad I finally got the chance to see this with a packed house! Quintessential talking heads documentary viewing, following a legendary subject with excellent archival and mic drop interviews. Such a lovely team too, who have so much love and ion for bringing Dr. Noguchi's story to light.

"No more Dallas"

Diego is a director to look out for, what a stunning debut! This is an excellent showcase of loser neurosis and awkward dinner party moments that all go wrong. A deep dive of relationship and gender turmoil that unravels in a single night. It encapsulates that feeling of knowing someone is mad at you but you don't know why for ninety minutes.

NAU Productions is really solidifying their style with this one and I can't wait to see what these people do next.

An ASMR comedy drama thriller of sorts. Darker, sexier, funnier then I expected. It's quite unpredictable, tonally a bit of a wild card. But all of these elements mesh very well for a unique exploration of trauma bonding.

I Think You Should Leave

“Depression can often feel like possession”

An effective, and quite unsettling, slow burn. The real spookiness here comes from watching these relatively vibrant people become catatonic and helpless with the changing of seasons. This is visually shown quite nicely, especially in the outstanding winter section. There's some open-endedness as to whether there is a supernatural thing going on or decades of untreated mental illness. I tend to think the latter, as our protagonist Sam lacks a proper system and is instead surrounded by people who either suppress, or unintentionally encourage, her greatest fears. A real haunting performance is given from Gia Crovatin here that sticks with you. Her husband Jack, played by Jeff Ayars, is a real divisive character that I loved to hate.

Amongst all this tension, there is a nice dosing of comedic relief from Jeremy Holm as the neighbor Henry, a scene stealer who gives levity to the atmospheric horror.

Sometimes dicey but quite charming! The chemistry is great as is the quirky, meta humor. The film really shines when Bing and Bob are stuck somewhere together and it becomes a back and forth joke machine.

Watched with Will in Astoria, Queens!

Tony McCall returns with Hazy, Hot & Stupid! A whimsical journey down the Jersey shore. And what a classy aesthetic to the whole thing!

Complimented by Matt Connelly's shots that could be mistaken for paintings. Much like the ones painted by the artist Emily Seabright herself!

Really blown away by Permanent Tourist, a movie shot for under 1k with an iPhone, that looks gorgeous and features an expansive cast of characters and locations in Toronto.

There is a lot of faith put into the actors and it always pays off. Plenty of excellent long takes where college kids sorta talk at each other but it feels incredibly earnest and believable and always entertaining. Even one sided phone calls are engaging to watch here.

Unlike a lot of mumblecore adjacent stuff, this one is actually about something important lol. Permanent Tourist tackles the unfair and troubling system of student work visas in a very digestible manner.

I learned a lot while watching this.

Predictably icky.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Minecraft Movie lol.

I'm mostly surprised that it felt like some actual integrity was put into it. Not all the time, but definitely sometimes! Jared Hess injects his oddball sensibilities and love of Idaho when he can. There is originality in the world building and a good amount of the comedy lands. Jack Black gives an excellent and insanely quotable performance. Maybe a late career best? Jason Momoa was a lotta fun too, and the rest of the cast are serviceable.

Hate to say when Steve first enters the Overworld and that piano starts going, I began to tear up.

Most effective for me are the candid, raw interviews with dad. We watch the humility and introspection expand before our eyes, even if there are always differences between them.

Going to Bill Jersey's house to review the doc and discuss the pursuit of truth really brings the whole thing home. This moment solidifies the two worlds brought together in Omaha.

Big fan of observational docs like this. These conservative cornballs sorta spell out the message themselves. Wonderful irony and symbolism just naturally falls into place. Like eating Chick-fil-A while talking the ethics of conversion therapy. Brilliant.

The film is observational but not super objective. It steers you towards disliking these people pretty quickly, though it's pretty easy to get there. They bemoan cancel culture, only to get cancelled in rural Georgia because they don't bother to adhere basic safety standards. That being said, the film does a great job of humanizing and understanding them. Especially the despicable ring leader Brian, who through excellent editing, we come to see as an insecure guy who desires acceptance.

Really quirky characters and setup overall. Sometimes life really is a movie.

Watched on Tuesday February 25, 2025.

The characters, the setting, everything feels so lived in. The discussions are so seamlessly naturalistic and weave between ramblings and insightful outlooks on the world. A really cozy little flick.

I love you Bean. 

A smart and unassuming look into toxic masculinity madness. A Macbeth-esque fall from grace, college football edition.

A gloriously dark and hilarious ticking time bomb

I play Mike in this movie

Funny satire on pretentious creatives. I wish it was a little longer.

Aaron Katz's third film combines the naturalistic mumblecore of his first two movies with thriller noir. The result, for me, felt like two movies that aren't completely fleshed out. Katz doesn't spend enough time delving into the backstory of his intriguing leads. And the detective solving would sometimes veer into silly over explaining.

That being said there is really good filmmaking here. DP Andrew Reed's frames are like paintings, so stark and great to look at. There is some excellent tension, especially in the wonderfully low budget climax, and the off beat comedy always landed for me.

I really hope Katz returns to filmmaking someday. He's one of the most creative to ever do it.

This review may contain spoilers.

A very compelling film, both in form and material. Long takes, Sony camera, my kind of style. And a very interesting dive into parental favoritism of kids, which tends to be an avoided subject. I loved the familial drama, the script was strong and complimented some great performances.

Not that scary, save for that ending where the mom saw her kid. That was quite unsettling.

Unfortunately I could not buy into the serial killer boyfriend that becomes a major part of the climax. I just don't believe this was a story that really needed a villain like this. There are already many antagonists, from the mom to the son to the aura of the ghost itself. I felt this reveal about the boyfriend was a bit sensational for such a quiet film. For me, it detracted from the stronger themes of mental illness and grief.

Shot on location in New Jersey. It feels just like home.

I suspect as the Squid Game seasons keep getting released we will get diminishing returns.

There's not much here for excitement other than the games. Which are always clever and thrilling. The players are quite dynamic, though this season seemed to play it a little more safe then last time.

The world surrounding the games is not as interesting and anything with the cops was pretty skippable for me.

And not to sound like a boomer but can a season of TV feel complete anymore? I don't mean cliffhangers. I mean so many plot threads that are left completely unresolved and feel like they are going nowhere. I know they shot this with season 3 back to back but this season leaves little room for intrigue for what comes next.

I found Sideways to be a good time overall. It's very funny, at points, while also being quite miserable. But never hopeless!

I think the love interests read a little hallow. Though I certainly enjoyed Maya, I always felt like she was just serving Giamatti's story.

This review may contain spoilers.

I liked it! But I'm straight lol

Feels like Kevin Smith was becoming more of an auteur with this one. The pop culture laden strung out dialogue is here, but it feels a little more purposeful this time. There is commentary and meaning behind the bits, even if it doesn't always hit the mark. There are some strikingly quiet moments as well and some really great New Jersey atmosphere.

I think the character development of Amy gets a little muddled in the third act. But it leads to a hilarious (albeit juvenile) climax where Ben Affleck tries to fix all his problems through a threesome with Alyssa and his best friend.

It's a shame he went in a much sillier direction afterwards. I think if he continued this trajectory, his films could have gotten more layered and interesting. I even enjoyed the Jay and Silent Bob scene.

This review may contain spoilers.

Excellently paced character study, with a lot of classic dry witticism and neurosis. Reminded me of Frasier, one of my fav sitcoms. Metropolitan moves briskly along. It feels short, but not dragged out or undeveloped. I enjoyed myself the whole way through. It centers around a pretty insufferable group though overtime I grew to like these jerks as their manufactured plight grew to silly heights. Once they took a taxi to The Hamptons to "save" Audrey, only to then have to hitchhike all the way home, I started to see myself in them.

We need more Thanksgiving movies.

This movie looks terrible, even for movies of this time. It's blown out and overexposed and distracting at points. I love shitty camera quality but this was a real test of how bad can something look while still being enjoyable.

Thankfully, everything else about this is fantastic.

Tarantino movies are fun slow burns for me. I don't know if I would have as much enjoyment in future viewings.

The weight of Old Joy began to set in for me only minutes after it ended. Though I certainly enjoyed myself while watching it, I was stupidly waiting for a big reveal or some emotional climax that never came. But I think a rewatch highlights how Old Joy is much more painful and cathartic than it lets on at first. There is heavy loss that hangs quietly over these two. The reminisce of old times quickly gives way to awkward silence as this camping trip goes nowhere fast. Moments of conversation become bitter and depressive, though nobody can quite say what is wrong. Kurt’s ramblings reveal his hopelessness, while Mark’s married life appears to be an undisclosed source of envy. This is all put behind a dying small town backdrop set to AM radio where old radio hosts debate how to get America back on track. There is no way to reclaim old connections and ways of life that used to work. And to me, that’s a really sad message for a story that has such a uniquely mute presentation.

How did he go and make something so uninspired as Inside after this?

Eighth Grade is horrifying and uncomfortable. I felt a visceral reaction to Kayla bracing herself for a pool party. Enough has been said about the car scene. That ride home is still tormenting to sit through.

But Eighth Grade is also very tender and warm. The scene by the bonfire is immaculate with Josh Hamilton, who always plays a great TV dad in everything he's in. And her standing up to her bullies is so great too. But not in a "gotcha" kinda way where they get their comeuppance or anything. It is just for Kayla's own self worth.

A relatable story that is just the right amount of real and hopeful. Never becomes too cynical or sappy.

And I believe it still stands as Bo's magnum opus.

Watched this the day after the election lol

I'm thinking of ending things

This review may contain spoilers.

These are just my initial first impressions, I intend to watch again.

The first two thirds of this really hooked me. I loved the underlying awkwardness and the unraveling of this affair through these weird interviews with everyone involved. Framing this story around an actress gathering research for a part is insanely clever. Melton and Moore are so compelling to watch. Melton in particular floored me with his harrowing take on a complete loss of innocence.

But the last half hour or so lost me a bit. Elizabeth seems to become rather cunning pretty quickly, sleeping with Joe and then immediately dismissing him. Sure, Elizabeth is not set up to be a hero but up to this point she largely felt like an audience surrogate to me. Taking in these events and processing them. Growing more and more disillusioned, as the predatory and sociopathic nature of Gracie becomes more obvious. To have Elizabeth turn on any ethics she has makes me feel like the film loses an important moral com. Then, to end on Elizabeth insisting on getting takes on a low budget movie makes me question what the film is really even about. Is this a critique on method acting in art or….? I enjoyed the actress angle as a framing story, a means to gather exposition and convey ideas without being too heavy-handed. However, I always found the “romance” between Gracie & Joe much more compelling and rich than the frame they were put in.

Maybe I didn't fully get it on first watch. I will watch again.

One of the dumbest movies ever. I have such a soft spot for Spider-Man movies. I love Into the Spiderverse, I enjoyed Homecoming, and I even thought Amazing Spiderman was pretty fun too. But I found this to be so lame. It made me a bit sad, maybe I'm just too old now. So many moments where all I could think about was how fake and soulless it all looked.

Genuinely terrifying with a very smart execution. I was very unsettled and spooked, which I don't typically feel when watching horror stuff.

Hm. Unique storytelling, def an early pioneer of the mockumentary. Compelling for a bit with some funny talking heads and media satire. Twist ending is cool at first but sorta deflates the purpose of the whole thing.

To declare this the film that "inspired the Blair Witch" is a bit disingenuous. This is not really a found footage film. And The Blair Witch is a lot better.

Todays screening at the Ambler was the first time I experienced JAWS in a movie theater. It was the first movie shown to me by my dad when I was very young. He ignited my love of movie making. Much of what my dad described when he saw it in theaters remains true fifty years later. Screams of terror when the shark first pops up, claps and cheers when the shark blows up. Though I can never experience JAWS like this with him, it felt like a vicarious rite of age to see it in theaters today. It got me a lil choked up.

Outdated 80s teen John Hughes fare. Schlocky synths, blatant sexual assault, forced romance. It's all here.

But there's certainly more of an edge to The Breakfast Club that sets it a bit above the rest. There's some really great musings between the kids and adults alike. A highlight being when the club all sit in a circle and laugh, cry, and monologue in a matter of minutes.

Anthony Michael Hall is the standout here. He has wonderful comedic timing and feels the most realistic.
"You're so conceited, Claire"

I'd say it's as great as Monsters Inc. And it carries a more important message, to play to your strengths. Not everyone is destined to be great at every single thing but you can be accomplished in your own right. And there's a lot of fucking nepotism out there.

Sadness is necessary for joy

This review may contain spoilers.

Felt very in the middle about this one. I love slashers, and the idea of an artsy slasher intrigued me. But this seems to be half planted in arthouse and half planted in camp. Without any firm identity or commitment to either. I really wish In A Violent Nature went more for a subtle Halloween approach over a Friday the 13th one.

The script and performances are awful right from the opening sequence.
This film is really at its best when nobody is talking. I know this is meant to be a campy genre but when the atmosphere feels like slow cinema it doesn't work with these dumbass teenagers. The gore is beyond ridiculous, past the point of torture porn, and just completely unnecessary. Moments of rare subtlety are a welcome relief. Particularly, there's a tense murder in a lake that demonstrates how much more effective this slasher could've been if it wasn't trying to top Jason Voorhees all the time.

By the end, I was so frustrated with these characters that it nearly ruined the whole thing for me. Even under the most intense stress, I don't believe you would ever think to walk right up to the guy who has shown a proficient skill in axe throwing! What were these people thinking with this whole planned trap to lure Johnny the killer in? At first, I thought they were purposely being stupid to outsmart Johnny. But then I realized that they were in fact, just really stupid.

Yet, there's still a lot of potential here. I'm a big fan of DIY filmmaking so reading up on how this was thrown together and shot on a Canon C70 is very inspiring. It looks gorgeous and feels authentic, devoid of studio influence. There's an impressive amount of sincere characterization for the silent Johnny, who acts childlike and bitter. The last fifteen minutes subvert expectations exceptionally well. You keep expecting Johnny to show up, but he never does. This is the only time I really felt on edge watching this. Instead of some showdown with the final girl, the film goes for a wonderfully performed monologue that uses an analogy of a bear malling to the senseless violence of human nature. It's such a bizarre A24-esque pivot but I totally bought it.

These are the qualities of In A Violent Nature that impressed me and make me want to experience it again. I am interested in director Chris Nash's approach and I want to see what he does next. There is certainly something going for this but as a first film it doesn't feel totally complete. It feels like it's trying to capture a very niche audience who will have the patience and stomach for it.

This review may contain spoilers.

I am currently awaiting a 4:20 AM Amtrak en route to Philadelphia. I decided I would stay awake through the night to make this trip so I had plenty of time to kill at my apartment before leaving. Watching Titanic seemed like a good idea.

I had never seen Titanic all the way through but I've always obsessed over sinking ships when I was a kid, like the Orca in JAWS. So I watched plenty of Titanic going under and was wowed by the sheer scale of it. At this point, I have probably watched over two hours of Titanic in random scenes alone, especially in the post iceberg back half. That being said, I have never sat down to experience this entire thing as the epic film that it is. There were many plot threads that I knew little about, like all the underwater expeditions and the hunt for the necklace.

I don't know what I was completely expecting but I now believe that Titanic is a wonderful film. Prior to this, I saw another acclaimed Cameron film, Avatar. While I thought it was fun, it felt like the life lessons were all too in my face and the relationships a bit forced.

With Titanic, I feel similar at times but for some reason it just works a lot better here. I'm not sure what did it exactly, but I was hooked from the opening title sequence made to resemble old reel footage of the ship leaving England. The boat looks really dazzling. The plot moves so smoothly between the past and present. You really care about these people, I mean this film is just bursting with life at every corner. You got great leads and from Billy Zane and Kathy Bates and all the British crew and Jack's Irish and Italian friends.

I think the tying together of a fictional romance with a real life tragedy works really well, much more than I thought it would. It honors the sinking while also pushing this choose your own adventure narrative. I really really buy the romance, too. A lot of the time they are just laughing, you don't always know what they are laughing at, but it feels honest. What really stuck out to me is when Jack and Rose discuss hopping off the boat and starting a new life together. You know it's not fated to be and that sets a real pit in my stomach. This is bomb theory at its best.

I think Titanic elevates the 70s disaster genre pretty well too. The boat doesn't just sink for impressive special effects sake. You are forced to watch a lot of pain and suffering and chaos and survival. You even watch kids meet their impending doom. There are some really tense sequences of Jack and Rose trying to escape Titanic's lower decks as they flood. These scenes are so simple and claustrophobic, it feels like Spielberg directed them. I've never felt more uneasy about water before this. Sure, maybe they get lost in the boat and saved at the last second a bit too many times for it to be super realistic, but this is Hollywood.

Also, this film is just insanely haunting. James Cameron respects his source material immensely. An image that sticks with me is an extreme wide of the boat sinking as a flare goes off, all alone in the dark of the Atlantic Ocean. Later, we crane up to another wide of thousands of lifeless bodies in the water. The ship builder Andrews steals every scene he's in with so many quotes of impending doom -- "The ship will founder"
"Do you our conversation about the lifeboats"
"I'm sorry I couldn't build you a stronger ship, Rose"
The captain going into a kind of PTSD shock as he just watches the water pour over the deck in awe. The lifeboat situation descending into bloodshed. Pretty heavy stuff.

I'm not gonna say that Titanic is never cringe or melodramatic or a bit obvious. I mean this is Titanic so it's hard to be subtle about what happens. But I do wonder if we can do without so many scenes where crewmen talk about iceberg warnings or how the ship doesn't have any lifeboats. It's like gee, I wonder what we are foreshadowing here. I wouldn't mind these sequences so much if they didn't feel so clunky and spoon fed. Titanic sorta stumbles when examining class divisions too. Billy Zane and the rich elitists are so cartoonishly evil that I wonder if they could get away with being this openly classist even in 1912. There's also some sub-plot involving Rose marrying Billy Zane for money that comes out in a poor exposition dump in an otherwise interesting mother/daughter scene. What became of Rose's mom anyway? Did she never come looking for Rose? Did Rose skip town and evade her forever? For such a lengthy ensemble that’s explored, this relationship seems to become a bit lost at sea.

But none of this matters too much once we are back in the present and we see portraits of Rose that celebrate her life. The spirit of adventure that Jack instilled in her always stayed with her. With a love that is completely hers, she doesn't even have a photo of him. A love that she revealed to no one. A love that only exists in memory.

I wish I was them and they were literally on Titanic.

Watch this for Adam McAlonie, who stars as "Baby Shower Guest" alongside Kid Cudi in the final five minutes of the movie.

Couldn't finish. At this point you expect Tom Hanks to be good but he can't save all the horrible flashback parts that he's not in. While a moment or two have some sweet sincerity, I didn't have the strength to go on after one too many "we live in a society" scenes.

A horror film.

My roommate Zach bought The 50th anniversary James Bond collection for his dad. Now he's brought his box set to New York and we've decided to watch every single one before our lease is up next April.

• Goldfinger

  Goldfinger fires on all cylinders. Lots of iconic moments come one after another while the tone always feels right, perfectly camp and tense when it needs to be. The Bond blueprint is laid out here.

• From Russia with Love

  If you manage to keep up with this one the story here is more thought out than expected. The last act really shines, complete with a claustrophobic train sequence and an awesome helicopter set piece.

• On Her Majesty's Secret Service

  A bit long but Lazenby's gentler Bond is very refreshing and the ski chases are top notch. This may be the first one to strike a real emotional chord with these characters.

• Dr. No

  The most mumblecore James Bond film.

• You Only Live Twice

  Bond rises to even sillier heights but it works, for now. The set pieces are a lotta fun and the pacing is brisk. An overall definite improvement from Thunderball. For whatever reason, these later Connery bonds feel a bit sloppier compared to the first three excellent entries.

• Diamonds Are Forever

  Some real standout sequences in Vegas, including a car chase down the strip, and a silly chase in a moon buggy. Also a claustrophobic fight in an elevator that harkens back to Connery's glory days of From Russian With Love. The henchmen here feel out of place but are so enjoyable, I wish there was a lot more of them. Some of the best special effects from the series so far.

  Unfortunately Diamonds Are Forever is severely brought down by a muddled plot and a half baked climax. Not to mention Connery is looking quite old and losing interest. I'm looking forward to a new era with Roger Moore.

• Thunderball

  The Bond formula from Goldfinger is in full swing now and it already feels a little tired. Still, it's nice to see Bond do some more spy work this time around and the third act always tends to be the most exciting of these early Bond films.

• The Dinner Plan
• Appraisal
• First Time
• Revival

I watched every Jurassic Park with my friend Ethan Langenau. I love him and these movies and you should too.

• Jurassic Park

  The best one by a long shot.

• Jurassic Park III

  The best of the sequels I think. I am blinded by a lot of childhood nostalgia with this one. But the airplane sequence is still amazing and so is the rapid back and forth phone call on the boat!

• Jurassic World

  Loved it when it came out. Not so much now. Though the birds escaping their enclosure scene is a memorable highlight.

• Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

  Dinosaurs in a mansion is cool!

• The Lost World: Jurassic Park

  Really underwhelming follow up. Big shame no one is likable in this. Cool moments with the RV and the T-Rex in San Diego!

• Jurassic World Dominion

  Not much working here.