While the Twin Peaks comparisons do feel a bit overblown to me (though I can see why especially with the main theme givin "you can copy my homework but change it a bit" energy), this is pretty good.
I've got more Martino and Fenech works to catch up on but I've enjoyed their other work Your Vice... and I really liked Torso as well.
There are quite a few characters to keep up with here which makes sense considering this isn't a film but rather a mini-series and while they all aren't given equal time (I feel a few people drop in and out of importantance throughout the four episodes), it is nice to be dropped into the small town of Lucca with all of these pre-established relationships.
On the Serverin feature with Sergio Martino, he mentioned he cut down the dialogue a lot and I think it's a bit of a double-edge sword; on one hand, there isn't ever a case of info-dumping but there can be instances where I forgot people's names or wasn't sure what was going on (though I didn't binge this and saw it over the course of a few weeks so maybe that's on me).
While I joked about the Twin Peaks similarities above, I do actually like the score as it reminds me of the PC-98's sound chip and it works well, though it does feel out of place on occasion.
The look is a plus as well and Martino definitely had a great town to work in, with some nice cinematography, wardrobe and cast who are all very unique. The cuts from scene to scene can be very abrupt (especially with music ending abruptly) but it's only a bit jarring.

If you want to buy it: Severin Link

Probably not the best Gundam to start someone off right.

-Guy behind me once the movie ended

And I'll agree. There's no recap and you're thrown in right into the mix of Char's plans and an ensuing conflict. Interestingly I would imagine, it is easy to pick up what's going on and who's who, but it can be difficult to know if there were pre-established relations between characters like Chan and Amuro, Quess with just about everyone, Nanai and Char but no, this is Chan's, Quess and Nanai's first appearance. Some of the story does feel a bit rushed but I overall like the pacing and I'm sucker for the ending, if it is a bit saccharine and preachy. Plus, it's also weird how some of the characters are "simping" for Quess, though my tolerance for it is higher than others.
The animation is solid and the mobile suits design have never been better, particularly with Nu Gundam and it's funnels. The action is solid and the choreography from the last battle is fantastic.
I quite like the score from Shigeaki Saegusa who also composed some films of Shinji Somai, as well as Zeta and ZZ Gundam.
Overall, I don't think this would win over non-fans (and especially the ending might be considered a let down) but I really appreciate the ending, even if I do wish there would have been more interplay between Char and Amuro.

This was nuts but in the best possible way. To me, it's definitely less of a horror film and more of a romantic-dark-comedy-thriller but it works pretty well.
The cast is great and the chemistry between Wings Ha and Lynne Adams is phenomenal and really anchors the film throughout its running time.
The two aspects of the narrative gel really well with the combination of a woman in an unhappy marriage and a killer who is both charming with a hint of being unhinged. It does take some time for it to start working as you're thrown in to a rather odd beginning but after some really odd character interactions and dialogue, once Ha shows up, it just all kind of starts to work.
The composition is also really good and I'm surprised that I only see one other film and a few shorts and not much else.
The Vinegar Syndromes release adds some of the more gore back into the film but it's much lower quality than the rest of the film and while it's cool to see, they are really amateurish and honestly don't add much to the film.
Fun but note it's a very peculiar film.

I really liked this. There's a lot going on here and to give a bit of "sympathy" for a character like Ezra Cobb is a real testament to Roberts Blossom and how the story unfolds.
There's a lot of humor here as well surprisingly so if you're worried with a title like Deranged: Confessions of a Necrophile, I can safely say it's not anymore graphic then a lot of other 70s horror films, with many on here bringing up the similarities to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, probably because of a dinner scene.
I do think the reporter portion of the film is a bit unnecessary as it doesn't really add much to story in a meaningful way but I can understand what they were trying to do.
The combo of Savini and Ormsby is a great one with the effects being a big highlight. It adds to the ambiance and mood of the film, particular in the set of the home.
Very great all-around and definitely recommended.

Criterion Challenge 2025

This is my second Itami film after Tampopo, though I've had a few of his others films on my watchlist and suffice to say, I might need to bump up his other films to watch them sooner.
There's nothing as crazy or out there as Tampopo's rather infamous scenes but those what feels to be a lot of comedy and absurdities I something as mundane and commonolace as a funeral.
I was shocked too as the film looks amazing on the Criterion Channel. Maybe it's my TV upscaling but it's you told me this came out last year, I'd believe you. Everything is so clear and crisp though the fashion does feel very 80s.
Recommended.

I was able to catch an early screening of this and unsurprisingly, it was a full house.
Right of the bat, this isn't as tight as Parasite, but this is very good all around none the less. You get a lot of typical Bong Joon Ho (the classism, "monsters" and the connection with people, someone's who is a bit of a misfit and social outcast, and a score by who's been a recent collaborator in Jung Jae-il.
I do like the allegory at play here, especially with Ruffalo being a beloved, buffoon of a failed politician turned proxy arm for religious group with a very particular cadence to his speech, with a cruel/sadistic/narcissistic nature leading a mass of red-hat wearing zealots. It's maybe a bit too on the nose but maybe it's just what I see.
Surprisingly as well for a story of someone who keeps experiencing death time and again for fairly superfluous reasons, the film doesn't really have Mickey ruminate on it much. Some characters do ask but the story is more interested in moving things along. Well sometimes at least. There are some subplots that while important in a trivial sense, the characters involved in those scenes aren't always so critical. The actors do a great job here (with credit to Pattinson for the double-role and channeling his best Buscemi). It's just some things feel like it could have been cut or trimmed and you end up in a similar spot.
The effects are solid and I LOVE the look of the natives here as they're basically giant fuzzy tardigrades (aka water bears). I'm unsure if the book makes that visual but it's quite hilarious to see probably the best known extremophile be what is found on an ice planet.
I don't want to dive much further but this is solid, if maybe a bit longer than it needs to be, but it's a good time and I appreciate the message try to be send.

Wonderfully imaginative and while I haven't read the original short story, it's clear it takes a few liberties, especially since they mermaids aren't really mermaids here.
My wife mentioned that some subplots didn't come up like with her sisters but it's a concise watch, with some good music, whimsical costumes and a great locations used throughout. Definitely recommended especially if you have a ing love of the more popular Disney adaptation.

P.S. It's crazy the underwater looks better here than in the most recent live action adaptation, though there's no Scuttlebutt rap so you can't win them all. 🤷‍♂️

Watched on Monday February 17, 2025.

Not as decent as I was hoping sadly. It's not abysmal nor boring by any means, but I do wish more was going on, or that it was more gory or salicious even.
There's some fun aspects like the effects, the kids, most of the actors but I'm not sure if it's just me but the audio feels to be of very poor quality (at least in the Spanish dub supplied in the Vinegar Syndrome release).
There are lots of echoes in the speaking roles and the sound effects feel very loud by comparison. Footsteps seem to overpower scenes, doors are super squeaky, utensils on plates sound like they are being banged on and etc.
I do however like the music but it's not placed in the most appropriate scenes, like Dyanik Zurakowska will be undressing and there's really big music that doesn't really fit. It works standalone but not so much with what's happening on screen.
I do find it funny since it reminds me of the trope of not having enough food so they just dismember people to have meat; it's such a tried and tired trope that I can't help but chuckle at it, especially when the head of the village is basically making jokes like

Oh, I bet you've never had this kind of meat anywhere. I can bet that much. 😏

To me it's worth a laugh and a watch for those kind of scenes and the mood at play at times.

Watched on Sunday February 16, 2025.

Maybe it's because I wasn't expecting much from this but in some parts, I actually kind of like this more than The Exorcist.

Heresy!

I probably hear you say and while it's definitely not as scary nor terror inducing as the film it's emulating, I do appreciate that there's a bit more to more of the characters here. I know part of what's so scary as to why Pazuzu possesses Reagan is that it seems completely arbitrary but I like that here it's presented outright; probably not everyone's preferred storytelling method but it works for me here. Also, while some of the character interactions don't necessarily play out in the most relevant manners, I appreciate that and effort was made at least, especially with Julián Mateo's character.
Surprisingly, it doesn't feel like it was shot in 8 days though you can tell at times when it's clear it's day for night and especially when you look closely from day to night to day and night again in scenes from scene to scene. It's not as jarring as Plan 9 but it's there if you see it.
Also, probably because Spanish is my native tongue but it's also funny to here Marian Salgado cur a store in Spanish, plus her character does a lot more to more people than Exorcist's Reagan.
I'm definitely rounding up but I quite liked it.

Solid film and while I can see the parallels to Hitchcock and Psycho in particular here, de Palma makes this his own thing and it's not just Van Sant's Psycho.
It's pretty funny once you're familiar with de Palma's trademarks since then you become hyper aware of his usage of split-diopter lens, split screen, and the various allusions to other films.
The acting is great all around but the camera clearly loves Nancy Allen (I wonder why? 🤔).
Michael Caine is great as well and so is Angie Dickinson for when she is present. I didn't think Keith Gordon was bad either though I didn't recognize him initially on first view (My wife immediately recognized him Christine).
Anyway, there's some fun stuff with the plot but it's pretty apparent because of the Hitchcock allusions that a twist will be present and while it works in the beginning, it makes the climax a little less underwhelming.
Also, I want to look more into the final scene as it feels tacked on or as if to give you a final confrontation, only to pull it away from you. It's a bit jarring and an odd choice to send 'em home.

P.S. I'd be remiss to mention that I almost Dennis Franz being the no-nonsense NYPD officer that seems to take no guff from Liz.

Criterion Challenge 2025 - 1960s

It's pretty crazy that Rudolf Hrušínský is actually younger here than in The Cremator. Maybe seeing him in color and with a moustache makes him look older. I wish I could have seen a better quality version of this as it has some good cinematography and feels rather picturesque at times in regards to the landscapes and surrounding area.
A lot of what I said in The Cremator also applies here. There's very flowery dialogue and musings between our three male characters that gives the film this meditative balance. Also, just like in The Cremator, it might be hard to follow initially as you are thrown into this location and characters without much setup nor introduction. However, that's gone quick enough and from there, it's a worthwhile watch.

I can imagine some people might get "the ick" at how the men lech at Anna and try to make rather forceful advances at her but that's very much the story here so take that as you will. I will mention it's not very graphic nor exploitative for my tastes but something to note.

An interesting watch and beginning for Nikos Nikolaidis. I was listening to the soundtrack for Sweet Bunch and while I figured I might leave that for another day, I did want to see a film of his. I figured why not start with a short of his. There's not much in of a narrative or characters (in fact, there aren't actors at all), but there's really nice black-and-white cinematography present here and the choice of music accentuates what is displayed. You can see what might evolve later on in something like Singapore Sling here.
Seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3xFuaQdm2U

This didn't really help with me (apologies to the Letterboxd community here who seems to love this).

I'll start by saying that I like the acting from everyone involved and as I always say, modern films/series almost always look great. Hard not to with modern technology.
The conversations and dialogue, while it can be long-winded at times, is incredibly profound and well-written. It almost reminded of visual novels I play and it works well though it does sometimes feel to bring everything to a complete halt.
The effects are okay (the fires can be a bit spotty) but otherwise, it's not too bad.
What doesn't really work for me is the narrative and how it plays out. It starts interesting but then takes the slow burn approach to the point that I feel not much happens until maybe episode 3. It wouldn't be so bad but I feel besides a few core characters, some are underdeveloped or don't really evolve from when we're first introduced to them. Bev for example is someone who is just annoyingly pious and a virtuously belittling but we don't really get a reason as to why. Sure you can infer and another character gives their opinion but without us getting much history from her, it's hard to not just hate her and leave it at that. It's like that with some relationships other characters have with one another (or don't have really) that made it hard for me to care about much partway through. Once a pivot point happens though, we sadly go back to more just everyone wondering what happened, some talking and then building up towards the finale and that's where the real issues start.

The main fault I have is how the finale kind of undercuts itself. What should be a battle of ideology and attrition, with perhaps battle line drawn, sides chosen and allegiances tested doesn't really happen. Our antagonists basically have a plan, it doesn't totally pan out and backfires on them, to which they all just go like "Well looks like we're done here. Damn. Too bad we did a bunch of horrible things. Guess we'll wait to die now. Prayer circle."
Literally a character we never saw before (Ok, he was in a few other episodes but barely had a presence) cries his heart out about the atrocities he just committed. It's all rather forced I feel to make an antagonist feel even more cruel and evil but it's hard to care when no one else seems to care about this guy.
Less to say as well that much of the contradictions of being religious while being a sinner isn't explored as far as it could be since there's not much character development for most everyone.

I'm really glad others like this but just didn't do much for me. There's some interesting concepts regarding being overly devout, atonement, life and death, finding your place, community, religion, etc, and it all carried by fine performances but to me, the journey isn't satisfying in the slightest.

My second Naschy film and the first of a bundle of films grouped by Vinegar Syndrome here, this was okay. It's not as interesting a backdrop as The Beast and the Magic Sword nor is the plot as interesting. There's a lot of setup in the beginning to explain why the Waldemar family is cursed, then a flash forward and then a flashback to the main portion of the film. That wasn't inherently obvious until a bit later but I don't really consider a flaw and moreso something the film didn't try to explain to well.
Naschy has a much different look here than in Magic Sword but it works (though it's hard to pinpoint the exact year most of the story takes place in).
There's also a cool layer to the film with a serial killer on the loose but it's not played with nearly as much as I would like. I'd loved to have seen more interplay with a Wolfman and a Man but it doesn't really come to .
It has a cool look otherwise but there's some very jarring editinf, almost as if parts of the film were missing and had to cut hard to the next scene with no real transition. Overall, of the only two Waldemar Daninsky films, I've seen, this is miles below Magic Sword but there's some slight fun to be had whenever you can see a werewolf going about killing people; it's just something that you don't see much in this film.

This was incredibly charming and sweet as a tale of a young boy, his life and a friendship he makes with an older man and thankfully it's not as weird as that might sound on paper.
The restoration isn't the best as I'm sure the original wasn't in the best condition but you can see not only Tarkovsky but also his early collaborators Vadim Yusov who handles cinematography, Andrei Konchalovasky who co-wrote the films and Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov who composed here getting their bearings for later films.
While there's not a lot of them, you can see plenty of moments where the camera lingers to add feeling and let things breathe for the audience to draw their own emotions into situations, such as Sasha walking away in disappointment from his practice, mirroring an earlier child he saw.
It's also a pretty breezy watch at only 40-odd minutes. Definitely recommended if you like Tarkovsky and want to see his beginnings; plus it's interesting that his first feature film is also focused on a child but definitely more grimly situated.

All films included with PlayStation Plus in Sony Pictures Core. I don't know if this will be updated but that's what there now. This is the US list.

• Silent Hill
• Predestination
• District 9
• Resident Evil: Afterlife
• Resident Evil: Apocalypse
• Resident Evil
• Grimsby
• Freaks of Nature
• S.W.A.T.
• Battlefield Earth

...plus 95 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Macross Plus
• The First Slam Dunk
• Teasing Master Takagi-san: The Movie
• Blue Giant
• Josee, the Tiger and the Fish
• Wicked City
• Ninja Scroll
• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
• Patlabor 2: The Movie
• Royal Space Force - The Wings of Honneamise

...plus 9 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Made from Ben's list

• Seconds

  CC40

• To Sleep with Anger

  Year you were born

• 3 Women

  Directed by Robert Altman

• In the Mood for Love

  Watch a film that would your (wife's) first choice in the Criterion Closet

• Perfect Days

  Great soundtracks

• Divorce Italian Style

  John Turturto's Adventure in Moviegoing

• Häxan

  1920s

• Choose Me

  Going to be added in 2025

• Two Monks

  1930s

• Salesman

  Andrew Garfield Closet Pick

...plus 42 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• The Evil
• The Velvet Vampire
• Saturday the 14th
• Stranger in Our House
• Salem's Lot
• The Hands of Orlac
• Stage Fright
• A Cat in the Brain
• House
• The Skin I Live In

...plus 21 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

My wife's and I favorite first time watches of last year. We didn't see as much as last year as we were consuming other media (put games on here Letterboxd!) but here is our list. We did go to the theater more often so that maybe balances it out. Pluto is a top ten for us both.

• Daisy Jones & the Six
• Eyes of Fire
• Ring 2
• The Innocents
• Thanksgiving
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
• The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
• The Exorcist
• The Boy and the Heron
• PLUTO

...plus 9 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Taking part of Hooptober X. Haven't done a challenge this year so seems fun. It seems many started Sept 15 but I'll start closer to October as the challenge seemed to want to do.

I wrapped up the conditions early on so the others (while adding to the criteria as there are other decades and countries) are mostly horror films I've wanted to see. Also doing two Benson and Moorhead films as I've seen all of Hitchcock's horror films. There are two "when you turned 10" for me and my wife's years.

OG list:
Hooptober X: Hooptober, Hooptober Let Satan Come Over boxd.it/n6or6

• Terrifier

  Decades: 2010s - 1/8
  Country: USA - 1/6

• Terrifier 2

  Decade: 2020s - 2/8

• The Midnight Meat Train

  Decade: 2000s - 3/8
  1 film based on a Clive Barker story

• Dracula 3000

  The worst Dracula film (by Letterboxd rating) that you haven't seen and can access.

• Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

  1 film that was released the year that you turned 10
  Country: Japan - 2/6
  2 post apocalyptic or natural disaster related films - 1/2

• FearDotCom

  1 film that was released the year that you turned 10

• Hatchet for the Honeymoon

  1 Mario Bava film
  Decades: 1970s - 4/8
  Country: Italy - 3/6

• Drácula

  1 film based on a work of or invoking the name Bram Stoker
  Decades: 1930s - 5/8

• The Phantom of the Opera

  1 film with Robert Englund
  Decades: 1980s - 6/8

• The Fury

  5 Films from De Palma, Wes Craven, Ken Russell, Hitchcock and/or Moorhead & Benson - 1/5

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

My now wife's and mines favorite first time watches of 2022.

1-10 are here favorites and she had a hard time narrowing it down. 11-20 are my choices.

• Morning Patrol
• Make Way for Tomorrow
• La Promesse
• Pearl
• Insiang
• Dishonored
• The Manchurian Candidate
• Nightmare Sisters
• The Gunfighter
• Monsieur Verdoux

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

COMPLETED

Based on kynky's list. letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/kynky/list/horrorx52-2022-edition/detail/
Eh, why not. I'm already usually watching horror films anyway.

• Climax

  Most popular horror film on your watchlist

• AVH: Alien vs. Hunter

  Lowest rated horror film on your watchlist

• Faust

  BLINDSPOT: Highest rated horror film you haven't seen that's on your watchlist

• Texas Chainsaw Massacre

  Released in 2022

• The Shout

  Made in the UK

• The Seventh Victim

  Number In the Title

• Slumber Party Massacre

  Directed by Women #1

• Tremors

  A film released in the year you were born

• Maniac

  2010s

• The Visitor

  Made in Italy

...plus 44 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Part deux of the now annual Criterion Challenge started by Ben; the 2022 Edition

• Slacker

  Watch a movie from the year you were born.

• The ion of Joan of Arc

  1920s

• Make Way for Tomorrow

  1930s

• I Married a Witch

  1940s

• The Gunfighter

  1950s

• The Manchurian Candidate

  1960s

• Trafic

  1970s

• Working Girls

  1980s

• Schizopolis

  1990s

• Memories of Murder

  2000s

...plus 42 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

COMPLETED

Based on the criteria here.
letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/bmilot56/list/the-7th-annual-letterboxd-season-challenge/detail/

• The Queen of Spades

  Week 1: September 6th-12th
  Lucky Seven Week

• My Winnipeg

  Week 2: September 13th-19th
  Northern Exposure: Guy Maddin Week

• Funny Girl

  Week 3: September 20th-26th
  Two Old Queens Week

• Tuesday, After Christmas

  Week 4: September 27th-October 3rd
  Romanian New Wave

• Monster on the Campus

  Week 5: October 4th-10th
  Universal Monster Week

• Zombie Flesh Eaters

  Week 6: October 11th-17th
  Video Nasty Week

• The Blood on Satan's Claw

  Week 7: October 18th-24th
  Hades' Choice Week

• Retribution

  Week 8: October 25th-31st
  J-Horror Week

• Freak Orlando

  Week 9: November 1st-7th
  Leftover Candy Week

• Uncut Gems

  Week 10: November 8th-14th
  Contemporary Performers: LaKeith Stanfield Week

...plus 23 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Yes, it's late into 2022 but my SO couldn't decide on ten so posting as-is.
Twin Peaks: The Return was both our top favorite of last year. She couldn't decide on some more so top 7 are hers; mines starts after Limelight (that probably being 1b to Twin Peaks) and everything else after in no particular order.

• Twin Peaks: The Return
• Stop Making Sense
• Death Spa
• Anne of Green Gables
• Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel
• Evil Toons
• Rififi
• Limelight
• Happy-Go-Lucky
• The Exorcist III

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

Based on Ben's challenge here: boxd.it/aqtYi.

• Paris, Texas

  1. 1984 - watch a film released the year of Criterion's inception

• Ran

  2. Directed by Akira Kurosawa

• Contempt

  3. Directed by Jean-Luc Godard

• The Cremator

  4. Horror

• Boogie Nights

  5. Released on Laserdisc

• El Sur

  6. Made in Spain

• The Earrings of Madame de...

  7. Wes Anderson's Top 10

• Portrait of a Lady on Fire

  8. Romance

• Pandora's Box

  9. A silent film

• Lonesome

  10. 1920s

...plus 42 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Realized I never added this and yes there are 20 films. The first 10 for my SO and the last 10 are my top 10s. Surprisingly there was no overlap but both feature Tarkovsky. Also, her list is ranked up to number 5 and mines is just a top ten in no particular order besides #1.

• Come and See
• Andrei Rublev
• The Red Shoes
• The Shop Around the Corner
• Nights of Cabiria
• His Girl Friday
• Solaris
• Days of Heaven
• On Her Majesty's Secret Service
• Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

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