Allison Shoemaker Patron

Author of How TV Can Make You Smarter (Chronicle, 2020). Film and TV critic. Disorganized podcaster. Side-eye aficionado.

Favorite films

  • Mulholland Drive
  • Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
  • Blue Velvet
  • The Straight Story

All
  • Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

  • Life, and Nothing More…

  • The Children's Hour

  • The Conversation

More
The Children's Hour

1961

Liked Watched

Wyler is SO GOOD at blocking.

Holy Motors

2012

Rewatched

Weird! He’s so weird! WEIRD!

All-timer lead performance.

More
Mission: Impossible III

2006

Rewatched

PSH is a god-tier movie baddie in this. And he’s also one of the best in the franchise at doing “look I’m secretly Tom Cruise in a rubber face.” 

Also I loved the first season of ALIAS so I have no objections to watching Abrams reheat his leftovers here.

Proto Elizabeth Jennings!

Kiki's Delivery Service

1989

★★★★★ Liked 4

I never thought I’d find myself asking “what is the perfect movie to watch after an attempted coup that ended with the cops just letting people stroll out of the Capitol” but hey here we are.

This is the answer. A beautiful reminder that some people are sometimes comionate and kind.