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Watched on Friday May 23, 2025.

Watched on Saturday May 17, 2025.

Watched on Sunday May 18, 2025.

Fight or Flight is in on the joke and for the most part delivers an entertaining action romp set in a unique location. It relies a little too much on over the top violence to mask a lack of originality and a plot that isn’t very interesting. Hartnett is a lot of fun and he holds the whole thing together from being a disaster. It’s not a film I see myself ing much but there are worst ways to spend two hours.

Watched on Thursday May 15, 2025.

Watched on Monday May 12, 2025.

Watched on Saturday May 10, 2025.

This review may contain spoilers.

Almost a year since release and its still crazy Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar Jones don't kiss at the end.

Watched on Wednesday May 7, 2025.

Watched on Saturday May 3, 2025.

Some Thoughts:
- I'm pleasantly surprised how much I liked Thunderbolts*.
- It feels like Marvel has learned from the mistakes that have sunk so many of its recent projects. Thunderbolts is a well-paced, fun action film with an emotional undertone that is well built and paid off in the final act. It's not a messy chopped-to-bit mess where characters are thrown in to try and make the audience care.
- It has a good sense of scale and stakes. It tells a contained story and smartly focuses on its small ensemble.
- It pays off in spades, too, because by the end, I really like this group of characters and am excited to see them again. Pugh is the obvious standout, and it's so impressive how she can elevate whatever material she is given. The rest of the ensemble is fun too, in particular Wyatt Russell and David Harbour.
- I'm interested to see what general audiences think of the final "big battle". I liked how different it was compared to what Marvel usually does, and it fit nicely with the more focused emotional story trying to be told. The ideas on mental health are laid on a little thick but its something different.
- Thunderbolts* isn't reinventing the superhero genre or anything, but it is the type of movie Marvel really needed. Strip away all the multiverse, cosmic material they have struggled to work into a feature film, and just tell a small story with a group of charismatic, likeable heroes. Can't wait for Thunderbolts 2.

Watched on Tuesday April 29, 2025.

Watched on Sunday April 27, 2025.

Watched on Saturday April 26, 2025.

Had to see it again in the theater.

I can see what Jarmusch was trying to go for here, and there are some sequences where the deadpan humor works very well. Adam Driver, in particular, understands the tone perfectly. Unfortunately, there are long stretches where it doesn't, and the film feels boring and annoying.

Watched on Sunday April 20, 2025.

Watched on Saturday April 19, 2025.

Watched on Friday April 18, 2025.

Some Thoughts:
- An original Ryan Coogler film is something I have dreamed about for years and he doesn't disappoint here. Sinners is brilliant.
- Somehow Coogler is able to play with deep themes and ideas around Jim Crow America while crafting a horror film that is as fun as the B movies of the 90s and 80s. The final result is a film rich with ideas and a cinematic experience I am dying to watch again.
- Ludwig Göransson. Enough Said.
- But no seriously wow I don't think there's anyone better working today then Ludwig. What he delivered here is spectacular. A score infused with modern hip hop, bluegrass and blues. Its a great compliment to the films ideas around the talking between generations through music.
- There is a dance sequence that is the best movie scene I have seen in years. That's incredibly hyperbolic but it thats good. You feel completely absorbed by the film.
- The ensemble is really fun. Coogler knows how to use MBJ's charisma.
- If I had one small holdup, it is playing with so much in the way of genre and ideas it can get overwhelming (especially the last 15 minutes). This is something I see being better on rewatches.

Watched on Wednesday April 16, 2025.

Watched on Monday April 14, 2025.

Some Thoughts:
- Warfare is another success for me from director Alex Garland (co-directing with Ray Mendoza this time around).
- Its actually incredible to see him shift from the incredibly abstract sci fi and horror of Annihilation and Men to this. A war film that is completely stripped down of any abstract thought. That is a compliment btw as Warfare succeeds because it is 96 minutes of pure carnage and tension. It is an unflinching view of war and its incredible to see a filmmaker show this type of range.
- Just like Civil War, the sound design is exceptional. Every bullet just shakes the screen.
- This cast is fantastic, especially as the film does not have time to give character beats to its star. The best performances to me were Cosmo Jarvis, Charles Melton, and Joe Quinn.
- While the film is primarily about providing an immersive experience I do think it provides a nuanced look at violence and the comradery of soldiers. I know some have already come out of the film believing its American propaganda and I don't see it. Its a brutal look at what these men and what the country they were in were put through, which, in the end was pointless. A idea the film is built around.
- This is a film made for a theater. Its not a film I see being nearly as effective at home. Which is fine people should see films in the theater but I don't see myself revisiting it much as a result.

Watched on Sunday April 6, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday April 9, 2025.

Watched on Friday April 4, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday April 2, 2025.

Watched on Sunday March 30, 2025.

Death of a Unicorn satifies as a Sunday afternoon watch with fun kills and a light tone. It isn't going for much more than that, and that makes it an easy watch, but it won't be a movie I see revisiting much.

Outside of the kills, the biggest positive is the trio of Richard E Grant, Tea Leaoni, and especially Will Poulter, who make up the incredibly rich Leopold family. They are easily the film as its most fun.

There are two big hang-ups for me. I am not expecting fresh and groundbreaking satire from The Unicorn Movie, but the story is disappointingly predictable. You can map out every story beat in the first five minutes.

Additionally, the central pair of Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd are underwhelming. I can't wait for two years from now when Ortega can be cast as something other than a goth teen. She's not bad, but this is her continuing to be typecast, and its a very boring heroine. Rudd, on the other hand, feels like he's doing his signature good-guy father figure he's known for, but his character doesn't fit that acting style at all. Elliott (Rudd) does some heinous things in this movie, yet there's Rudd acting like he's Scott Lang. It came off very awkward, and to be fair to Rudd, there are some choices in the third act with his character that don't match at all with what Elliott was doing for the first 2/3s of the film.

Snyder best movie by far. You can see Gunns voice with how fucking weird it is. The whole birth scene is crazy. The ensemble is a little hit or miss but Ving Rhames and Michael Kelly great.

It’s held back by some dumb as hell character decisions in the 2nd half. As well as really underbaked central romance.

Watched on Wednesday March 26, 2025.

Watched on Sunday March 23, 2025.

Watched on Sunday March 23, 2025.

Watched on Saturday March 22, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday March 19, 2025.

It's the best Soderbergh in over a decade.

I love Soderbergh's desire to experiment, but seeing him make a traditional spy thriller with an ensemble of stars is refreshing. Black Bag is as entertaining as anything else released today, using nothing but witty dialogue, great acting, and incredible visual flair. It's easy to say these are the type of films we need more of, but there are very few filmmakers who have the talent to pull it off.

Watched on Saturday March 15, 2025.

After this and Companion Hollywood has taught me, Jack Quaid is hot enough to lead a romance but ugly enough to be a loser with no game.

Novocaine is an entertaining enough trip to the movies. It doesn't take itself seriously and has a lot of fun playing with its concept. It also has some great gore and kills. Jack Quaid holds the movie together well. He's not bringing anything that we haven't seen before, but he's very good at this type of comedy. Amber Midthunder feels a little wasted in a forgettable part but is very charming when she gets a chance to shine.

The action gets repetitive, and most of the action sequences are very similar. It's also too long for the lack of story and twists in the 2nd half.

Watched on Monday March 10, 2025.

Watched on Sunday March 9, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday March 5, 2025.

It's such a baller move to follow up your best picture win with a film where two people fight over which clone to have sex with.

Some first-watch thoughts:
- Mickey 17 had the impossible task of following up one of the most well-acclaimed and loved films of the last 25 years in Parasite. Director Bong Joon-Ho makes an incredibly smart decision by pivoting into creating a very different type of movie: a crazy comedic sci-fi satire where Robert Pattison plays clones who are used as guinea pigs by a colony of humans on an alien world.
- The final film is an incredibly exhilarating and hilarious science fiction film that is another strong entry into Bong's already incredible filmography. It's not quite as fine-tuned as his best, but I am excited to return to the world of Mickey 17.
- Just like his last grimy vision of the future Snowpiercer, Bong crafts a world that feels different from any sci-fi vision we have seen before.
- Unsurprisingly, one of the highlights is its cast. Pattison is fantastic at the titular Mickey 17 and Mickey 18, two vastly different characters that play off each other quite well. Mark Ruffalo is also a standout continuing his run of being a hilarious ass hat first seen in Poor Things.
- Steven Yeun and Naomi Ackie are great as well, although I think both of their characters feel half-baked and are lost in the overall grand size of the project.
- Mickey 17 has a lot of different stories and threads it's interested in exploring. The third act does feel somewhat messy, and some subplots feel dropped or not as fleshed out as they could be.

Watched on Friday February 28, 2025.

Watched on Sunday February 23, 2025.

Watched on Saturday February 22, 2025.

The Monkey is a perfect addition to the watch at 2 am with some barely awake friends movie list.

Some thoughts:
- I love Oz's visual eye. It was my favorite part of LongLegs and he continues to impress here. He's very good with how he places the camera, he knows exactly where to leave space in the frame to play with the imagination of the audience.
- Theo James is a strong lead, balancing the comedy and drama of the film very well. There are some fun ing performances in particular Tatiana Maslany.
- A lot of credit goes to the original story written by Stephen King but I like the film's central message around death. Oz's decision to create an incredibly comedic take on the message I found to be a very effective choice. Some might find it to be nihilistic at times but Oz makes sure it doesn't take itself too seriously. It worked for me.
- The biggest issue is that the pacing is not good. It was an issue I had with Longlegs as well. The humor and death scenes (as fun as they are) are very one noted and they do not change much throughout the film. After a strong first half, I started to get bored during the third act.
- I think this is a movie that works well in theater and group settings but a lot of the positive qualities will not hold up watching it alone.
- Not a masterpiece, but I had a lot of fun with The Monkey and am looking forward to watching it again.

Doing some Oscar catch up and today I watched the lone original screenplay nominated September 5. I don’t really know why screenplay was the place the academy thought it deserved to recognize this film because the screenplay is one of the least impressive parts. From its conception it’s not a bold or nuanced take on this story. The film intentional strips away the politics of the story, which is fine but it was really poor timing to release this in the fall of 2024. It’s a film more interested in the morality of journalism and that is an intriguing concept but it’s annoyingly obvious at times and not particularly deep with its portrayal.

Where September 5 succeeds is in its editing and cast. At 95 minutes it has a pace and energy that never loses your attention. Add in some great characters like John Magaro and Peter Sarsgaard it’s an entertaining watch. 

I don’t agree with academies choice for a screenplay nomination especially over the easily more unique Challengers buts it’s a solid film and I am happy I watched it before the ceremony.

Watched on Monday February 17, 2025.

Watched on Sunday February 16, 2025.

Watched on Friday February 14, 2025.

1. Princess Mononoke
2. Spirited Away
3. No Country for Old Men
4. Blue Velvet
5. How to Train Your Dragon
6. City Lights
7. Bones and All
8. After Hours
9. Nickel Boys
10. Sinners

...plus 57 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Sinners
2. Black Bag
3. Mickey 17
4. Warfare
5. The Life of Chuck
6. Thunderbolts*
7. The Monkey
8. Presence
9. Companion
10. On Swift Horses

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

1. Moneyball
2. Drive
3. Warrior
4. Contagion
5. The Descendants
6. 50/50
7. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
8. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
10. Hugo

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

As of 9/1/2024

1. Blade Runner 2049
2. The Social Network
3. Whiplash
4. Mad Max: Fury Road
5. Parasite
6. Get Out
7. Arrival
8. The Grand Budapest Hotel
9. Inside Llewyn Davis
10. Ex Machina

...plus 116 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. The Social Network
2. Inception
3. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
4. Black Swan
5. How to Train Your Dragon
6. The Town
7. Toy Story 3
8. Shutter Island
9. True Grit
10. 127 Hours

...plus 28 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Blade Runner 2049
2. Get Out
3. Phantom Thread
4. Dunkirk
5. Call Me by Your Name
6. Columbus
7. Lady Bird
8. Thor: Ragnarok
9. Logan
10. John Wick: Chapter 2

...plus 32 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Parasite
2. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
3. Uncut Gems
4. Marriage Story
5. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
6. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
7. The Lighthouse
8. Knives Out
9. The Irishman
10. Little Women

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

1. Mad Max: Fury Road
2. Ex Machina
3. Creed
4. Spotlight
5. Sicario
6. The Martian
7. Carol
8. The Big Short
9. Steve Jobs
10. Tangerine

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

1. Whiplash
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
3. Guardians of the Galaxy
4. Snowpiercer
5. Interstellar
6. Under the Skin
7. Gone Girl
8. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
9. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
10. Edge of Tomorrow

...plus 32 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
2. Burning
3. The Favourite
4. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
5. Roma
6. Hereditary
7. Avengers: Infinity War
8. The Death of Stalin
9. Annihilation
10. First Reformed

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

1. Guardians of the Galaxy
2. Avengers: Infinity War
3. Thor: Ragnarok
4. Avengers: Endgame
5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
6. Iron Man
7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
8. Loki
9. Spider-Man: No Way Home
10. Black Panther

...plus 36 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Blade
• Wildwood
• From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
• Materialists
• Mother Mary
• Shelby Oaks
• Avatar: Fire and Ash
• Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• 28 Years Later

...plus 58 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Arrival
2. Moonlight
3. Silence
4. The Nice Guys
5. Manchester by the Sea
6. Hell or High Water
7. La La Land
8. Train to Busan
9. The Witch
10. Kubo and the Two Strings

...plus 28 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Uncut Gems
2. Ex Machina
3. Moonlight
4. The Zone of Interest
5. Everything Everywhere All at Once
6. The Green Knight
7. The Lighthouse
8. Hereditary
9. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
10. Past Lives

...plus 49 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Anora
2. Dune: Part Two
3. Nickel Boys
4. The Brutalist
5. Challengers
6. Sing Sing
7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
8. The Substance
9. Civil War
10. Love Lies Bleeding

...plus 78 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Snack Shack
• Marmalade
• The Beast
• Dìdi (弟弟)
• Bird
• The Outrun
• September 5
• All We Imagine as Light
• I'm Still Here
• Hard Truths

Completed.

1. Jaws
2. Whiplash
3. Princess Mononoke
4. Mad Max: Fury Road
5. Arrival
6. Oppenheimer
7. The Grand Budapest Hotel
8. Ratatouille
9. Singin' in the Rain
10. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

...plus 184 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Mangrove
2. The Father
3. Judas and the Black Messiah
4. Soul
5. Palm Springs
6. I'm Thinking of Ending Things
7. Lovers Rock
8. Wolfwalkers
9. Another Round
10. The Vast of Night

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

1. The Power of the Dog
2. The Beatles: Get Back
3. The Green Knight
4. Drive My Car
5. Dune
6. The Suicide Squad
7. The Worst Person in the World
8. The French Dispatch
9. West Side Story
10. Licorice Pizza

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

1. Oppenheimer
2. The Zone of Interest
3. Past Lives
4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
5. Asteroid City
6. Anatomy of a Fall
7. Killers of the Flower Moon
8. The Boy and the Heron
9. Godzilla Minus One
10. La Chimera

...plus 84 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Nope
2. TÁR
3. Everything Everywhere All at Once
4. Bones and All
5. The Banshees of Inisherin
6. Decision to Leave
7. Top Gun: Maverick
8. Aftersun
9. The Batman
10. RRR

...plus 79 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. The Brutalist
2. Saturday Night
3. Conclave
4. The Life of Chuck
5. The Wild Robot
6. Queer
7. Relay
8. Emilia Pérez
9. 40 Acres
10. Eden

...plus 8 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Spirited Away
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox
3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
4. Ratatouille
5. WALL·E
6. Rango
7. How to Train Your Dragon
8. The Incredibles
9. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
10. The Boy and the Heron

...plus 62 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Completed

1. Whiplash
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. Princess Mononoke
4. Children of Men
5. Spirited Away
6. Fargo
7. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
8. Oppenheimer
9. Beetlejuice
10. Stop Making Sense

...plus 210 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Blade Runner 2049
2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
3. Children of Men
4. The Terminator
5. Total Recall
6. Alien
7. The Matrix
8. The Creator
9. The Matrix Resurrections
10. Dredd

...plus 36 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. GoodFellas
3. Seven Samurai
4. Apocalypse Now
5. Citizen Kane
6. The Godfather
7. Mulholland Drive
8. Spirited Away
9. Persona
10. 12 Angry Men

...plus 240 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Wings
• The Racket
• 7th Heaven
• Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
• Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness
• The Crowd
• The Broadway Melody
• Alibi
• The Hollywood Revue of 1929
• In Old Arizona

...plus 584 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Completed

1. Blade Runner 2049
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox
3. Arrival
4. GoodFellas
5. Skyfall
6. Die Hard
7. Over the Garden Wall
8. Call Me by Your Name
9. Snowpiercer
10. Creed

...plus 199 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Completed

1. Parasite
2. Jaws
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Princess Mononoke
5. Inception
6. Django Unchained
7. Blade Runner
8. Guardians of the Galaxy
9. Creed
10. The Royal Tenenbaums

...plus 185 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Loki
2. Spider-Man: No Way Home
3. Werewolf by Night
4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
5. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
6. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
7. Hawkeye
8. WandaVision
9. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
10. Thor: Love and Thunder

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