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Sound is everything, feels like you're stuck in the jail with him. Who needs shoes or spoons these days anyway.

It was fitting that one of the most original new movies I’ve seen in recent times was preceded by trailers for remakes and reboots. This isn’t really a vampire movie, more just that some vampires ruin the night of some cool folks. Delroy Lindo is good in anything I see him in. As I was waiting for the end credits scenes (there are 2 btw), it was obvious the great care taken with this special story as there were so many historical and cultural consultants on the crew. I know myself and many others will try to peel back the real history layered in the movie. Thank you Ryan Coogler for taking a huge risk. I want some yakamein and fried catfish badly rn. 

Hot take? Fuck the Klan forever and always.

Listen, with all due respect, I love an artsy “highbrow” movie as much as the next fool but this was slow as hell. That being said, I was watching it off my phone on a flight so not giving it the best chance. 

Anyway, very real depiction of a child’s wonder about the world and the mysteries that surround us all regardless of our age. While I caught on to many of the symbols regarding the Spanish civil war and Francoism, I’m sure there’s more in missing. I’m a sucker for a movie that sneaks criticism past the censors. Ngl as a gullible child myself I identified with Ana in some ways.

I've seen a lot of media covering New York City's infamous decline - The Bronx is Burning, NY 77, A Most Violent Year to name a few. This doc goes a lot more in-depth into how the city reached that point and how things could have been much worse. The trove of archival footage is incredible, and shows how vibrant the city still was even when it was in dark times. Seeing that old Modell's on Chambers and Bway almost brought a tear to my eyes. It's also impressive how the doc creates tension, especially as the default deadline of the story neared. My one qualm - I wonder how Rohatyn and co. would have been handled in this doc if it weren't directed by his son.

Yeah I see why this one is considered a classic. Keep in mind that during the Reagan years, America was obsessed with baseball and Kevin Costner and this movie has both. Susan Sarandon is the real star though, with insane ball knowledge (that Thurman Munson shrine especially). The movie actually appreciates baseball and its eccentricities though rather than using it as window dressing for the romantic plot - shoutout the Crown Prince making an appearance. A remake would go hard.

Also my dad is a cornball for not letting me watch this as a kid. Barely a rated R movie besides all the cursing.

Beautiful movie, no sheen of fake lighting at all to the point it all feels so real. I might be a Ryan O'Neal fan now between this and Paper Moon. When you look up "cad" in the dictionary you'd find a pic of Barry. There's something to be said about how this followed up Clockwork Orange, but I won't bore you. It feels like every scene breathes and exhales, sometimes it makes you think wow this should be hanging in a museum, other times I was thinking get on with it sorry to say. "Your story is one of the most intriguing and touching I've heard in many weeks."

Also that 21 Savage edit feels v different with the context

Lucky I got to watch this beautiful world grow for two hours. So many of the characters and all the kodama will stick with me. As will the Deer God's face. Miyazaki approached and handled so many themes in such a unique way - like the boars talking about how they'll awe the humans. Big shoutout to the women at the ironworks holding it down. I wish I had a pet as loyal as Yakul.

Beautifully shot film and an achievement for pushing the boundaries beyond the limits of the time. The sleepwalking scene is legendary, and the last supper was fun until it took a dark turn. But I felt like the message was too nihilistic for my liking, and reading about the implication of that final shot pissed me off. Maybe it just wasn’t for me idk.

A movie that I wanted to like more than I did. It's fun and clever, and honestly the priest's dream and the fake English were legendary. Very funny that the Franco regime loved this movie since it makes el Estado look broke as shit. I'd love to see someone do this for America but it's like Dubuque trying to get China to invest by pretending to be southern.

Mikey sounds so Brooklyn I almost forgot she was from Cali. Call me crazy but reminded me a lot of Uncut Gems in the way that it legit had me stressed out. The Armenian goons were like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, shoutout Mr. Murphy. For those of you going to Brighton Beach this summer to have your Anora moment, hit up Tashkent Supermarket but get out of everyone’s way.

Beautiful movie, wonderful actresses, touching tribute, moving story. Manuela I won’t forget you.

I am a bona fide sucker for these kind of movies, especially when Michael Mann is putting it all together. Some genuine villains and some beautifully shot scenes. James Caan's greatness and Jim (NOT John) Belushi is there too. You can see Mann's commitment to realism - especially in the thriller scenes where your heart can stop - born in this movie. Great soundtrack too. Similar to watching As Tears Go By, it's just fun watching a debut.

Bong Joon Ho is one of those that if he makes a movie I’m gonna watch it. Robert might be one of the greats of our time, and I know mark ruffalo had fun doing a quasi Trump impression the whole movie. Really great overall, loved so many of the characters and the twists in the story. It was kind of a tough watch though because I know Elon only wishes he could do what Marshall did. He might see this and make some tweaks to his space domination plan smh

Had to rewatch on the flight home from Vegas. Everyone in the ensemble hits their mark well, honestly I think it’s hilarious they had don cheadle do a shitty cockney accent. Old school picture that feels like the last gasp of 20th century Vegas as well as a time capsule of the early aughts. They were getting fits off jeez. I want to watch the original now to see how many of the beats in the story were carried over. Damn I wish I could be as smooth as George Clooney in this one.

Heartbreaking documentary that lays bare the terror and trauma inflicted on innocent people in America by talking with the people impacted by the bombing of the 16th St Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The interviews with the family are moving, the interview with George Wallace is painful to watch. "Do the Right Thing" may be the highlight of Spike Lee's work to most, but I'd recommend both this movie and "When the Levees Broke" to appreciate his approach to documentary.

Basically vampire infinity war. Nice to see Michael sheen again. That one vampire would not shut up about fighting in the revolutionary war, we get it man. I’m rocking with Jacob, but I thought he would just be co parenting not trying to love Nessie? Idk about that. Someone check on Charlie Swan.

Ok this one is the best one of the series. Bella actually facing up to her choices, the wild wigs, the Cullens wearing dress shoes in their home by choice, the twists and ofc I bet that last shot had people yelling in the theater.

Absolute masterpiece and a miraculous accomplishment to put this picture together in secret. Free Soheila Golestani

Best one yet of the series, as I learn more of the stakes at hand it gets a lot more engaging. I see why Team Jacob was so big b/c frankly Taylor Lautner is a great actor and not becoming a vampire sounds ideal - but Bella is NOT into him like that. Don't think I'm prepared one bit for what's going to come with Breaking Dawn.

This review may contain spoilers.

This one was wild as hell but I definitely liked it more than the first one. Bella is such a tweak - for WHAT reason would she suddenly be in love with Jacob? Hilarious her dad wanted her to go to Jacksonville, when with all the wolf boys in jorts she was hanging with it felt like Florida. Shoutout Michael Sheen of course. All the weird Mormon subtext is starting to get to me.

In one scene in the cafeteria, Edward is talking to Bella and you can see the apartheid era South African flag over his shoulder. Either the set designer didn’t care or they didn’t recognize Nelson Mandela as the leader of South Africa - whatever the answer, that’s all I’m thinking about.

Sweet little movie that's shot beautifully and puts a lot of old haunts in a new light for me. Seeing a restaurant owner get beat up a block from where I'd go to school some decades later was incredible. I pine for the days where you could take a tray of roast duck on a plane and rent downtown would be $300 a month.

After watching this series it’s a no brainer they won the Euros, they were so locked in and were so interconnected as a team. Lamine and Nico are mad funny, the fact these teens dominated the tournament while only talking about aura and clean is awesome. Morata, I apologize for any shit talking I ever did about you.

Was really impressed by this movie. Every actor brings it, and I was quite gripped by the story and moved by so many of the messages at its heart. Ralph manages the whole thing masterfully, Isabella stands out especially, Lithgow is a BUCKET, Tucci flim flams, Tedesco is unforgettable, and I enjoyed how they built the personality of an off screen character. Won’t be going to church tho.

A clever satire that makes me wish it was summer right now. The scene where all the kids are yelling "kino" could easily be replicated at a movie night in Maria Hernandez Park. If you see the Mosfilm logo at the start, just know its gonna be a good one.

All I'll say is I saw this when it was in theaters and my dad was trying to convince me that Papale would have won the Super Bowl against the Raiders in 1981. Go Birds

Every 20 minutes or so this movie takes a turn you were not expecting. Beautiful camera work and a great story structure that puts you right in Gal’s shoes. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such a romantic thief like Gal. Also cockney Ben Kingsley just kills it every scene. Try to watch while eating calamari.

About time I saw this classic, and it lived up to the hype. Even though I’ve seen the shower scene mentioned millions of times before, my heart still sank and was caught off guard. My god the suspense throughout the movie is insane, and the way they used angles and zooming to terrify the audience is one of a kind. Again, I usually avoid horror but I loved watching the master of suspense’s magnum opus.

I don’t even like horror movies like that, but this one fucking rocked. I had long wanted to watch it when it was snowing out so glad I got that chance. Not a single scene or action is wasted, and there are so many parallels and callbacks to catch. Honestly some of the scariest scenes aren’t even the crazy gory ones. Though the practical effects are legendary, we’re losing recipes with all this CGI.

Last but not least that final scene will stick with me forever. Never ever going to Antarctica.

A lot of thoughts about this movie because it’s 4 hours so why wouldn’t I. First off, years ago I had heard the story of a Hungarian man named Laszlo Toth who thought he was Jesus so he tried to destroy a statue made by Michelangelo. So, going into this movie I figured it would be about an architect slowly losing his mind with a grand finale in Italy. Second, I genuinely thought this was a real story up until I was reading about the movie on the train home. Shows how moronic I am, because I would have definitely heard about a massive brutalist community center on a hill in Bucks County.

Anyway, I really wanted to be harsh on this film. It’s got so much buzz surrounding it, it already cleaned up at the Golden Globes, and at face value it has a lot of the trappings of award bait and I like to be a little contrarian when I watch the Oscars. But this movie really achieved some special stuff. I was almost surprised when the intermission arrived, not realizing it had been almost 2 hours. It is so so so beautifully shot (Vistavision > digital) and the meticulous work to maintain the world of the period paid off. I tried so hard to spot anachronisms but couldn’t spot a single one. The acting of the three leads is impeccable, beyond Brody you have Guy Pearce and most of all Felicity Jones, who I think carries in the second half of the movie. 

In my gut as I left the theater, I felt there was something missing in the heart of the movie. That there was not one singular message or story. But I’ve ultimately realized that fact is the achievement. There are multitudes of stories, themes, conflicts, and relationships scattered throughout the movie. You could spin your wheels thinking deeply about everything from the spanning themes of the American Dream, immigration, and gender equality, to the shortest scenes like the handful of words uttered by Gordon’s son. 

So, as much as I didn’t want to say it, this film featuring Joe Alwyn is deserving of Best Picture.

EDIT: Just learned AI was used to make some things in the film and I’m pissed. Immediately loses my respect. How you gonna make such a big movie and then cut corners with AI.

A delightfully deranged movie that keeps leading you to tales that get more unpredictable as it goes on. Also had some surprisingly touching moments. Working retail with Cillian Murphy looks like a hoot.

Watching Potemkin had me thinking of movies I saw in a Russian History course and I will never forget this one because when Vera says "we have one goal: communism" we all started laughing. Great view into the Soviet decline in the 1980s, especially showing how perestroika chipped away at the state's power. Though this is not that great of a movie otherwise.

This movie is incredible in so many ways. The fact that it can create suspense and tension even a century later. The sheer scale of the cast and the sets. The obvious touchstones of Soviet state cinema. The crowd beating up an anti-Semite. The numerous scenes, techniques, and shots that have become touchstones of movie making ever since.

Also, it’s incredible to see this revolt told from a victor’s perspective. You’d think Lenin was arriving in Moscow a decade early to take power the way the ending goes.

Shoutout Manzo and Joe Mazzulla. The driving around the North End scene was very realistic. Credit to Ben Affleck for resisting the urge to film a Dunkin scene.

Such an incredible and unpredictable movie that made me laugh and yell out loud
(“No not the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _!”)

Even though it’s got some dark storylines at the center of it, the colors and the characters and the jokes make it feel so fun.

For lessons from this film: 2025 we’re gonna dress like young Antonio Banderas and start fainting more.

The dark history of the Franco era is overlooked greatly in our popular understanding, in fact I would argue that most of Spain's modern history is unknown in America especially considering their neutrality in the World Wars. This movie shows why that is the case, showing how it was government policy to literally bury the past far from the eyes of the world and future generations. The fact you can only watch this movie on Vimeo on Demand, like it's a student film, drives home the odds against this effort to unravel the crimes of the Franco regime. We follow the story of the courageous folks who put it all on the line to receive a little bit of justice for the terrors wrought. While the story on film covers so much time, so much more work is still to come in Spain and other countries that have pasts checkered with state terror.

Also, this doc kicks off the Pedro Almodovar run I will get on the next few months.

Watched half of it at a dive once which is basically the proper viewing experience.

One of the most beautiful films I’ve seen, with popping color in almost every frame and there were many more layers to the story than I was expecting. Makes you wish for a time where it wasn’t unreasonable to operate an umbrella shop.

Also how much did Esso pay for the placement.

Just an awesome movie, I usually come away from watching a movie on a flight hating it because I hate being cramped on a plane, but I had a blast watching this. Their story of rising into international acclaim and spreading the Irish language for a new generation despite all the people and systems trying to hold them back is inspiring.

As they address at the very start, so much focus in our popular culture and popular historical understanding has been put on Ireland's troubled past and none on Ireland's present or future. Hell, the fact that everyone is reading and watching Say Nothing this year is part of that. But Ireland's future is bright, and Kneecap is part of that. Now we just need Paul Mescal to say "Tiocfaidh ár lá" at the Oscars and we might actually get a unification referendum this decade.

Alright not only is this a consummate action flick but it also definitely counts as a Christmas movie contrary to my prior belief.

Very important takeaway in that the employees matter more than executives often appreciate in an ever increasing focus on the bottom line.

One of the best documentaries I’ve seen released in a while. History as jazz is rocking, and they execute the concept masterfully in my opinion. I cannot believe some of the footage they secured for this, like Khrushchev’s personal audio memoirs. This documentary also truly transported me into the prevailing political mindsets of the time, you can almost feel the onset of the Non Aligned Movement’s rise to hegemony and the anxieties that created in the West. 

My only issue is that I felt the film could have had some more epilogue. The crestfallen face of Hammarskjold at the end of the film stuck with me a lot longer once I learned of his fate in my follow up reading.

Beautiful film with lots of great pieces of course and a properly thrilling story, but the politics at the center of it are messy aside from the message that the French were committing atrocities in the Algerian War. Also personally, the protagonist annoyed me.

This film does act as a helpful time capsule, revealing the attitudes and events that would fuel the radical explosion within Godard and the world as a whole post 1963.

Lastly, I swear criterion needs to fix their subtitles on foreign films. There is one moment where a character says “Non” and the subtitle indicates they said “Yes”, so much for a gold standard.

Never thought to watch this movie cuz I didn’t take it serious from the poster art. I thought it would only be about nic cage trying to raise a child. But goddamn I loved it. So many legends are involved and such a fun story. The view it takes of America, and especially of American politics, is remarkable.

It was so much more fun watching a movie like this in the theater. A lot of the one liners are bangers and there are some top tier NYC accents. Didn’t realize how much of a movie about the city this was, and I definitely forgot how sleazy Venkman was.

Such an incredible documentary of a production story that needs to be seen to be believed. It’s rare enough that the making of a movie could be a wilder tale than the film itself, but the film in question here is Apocalypse Now!

This film clearly had so much influence on a lot of culture to follow it, and it was sick to appreciate that as the story was all coming together. The soundtrack is sick, the concept is well done, and so much of the story could be told with faces. Lola is also braver than me for running all that time in boots

Really loved this movie a lot more than I had expected. It's got so many levels and it's sick how everything weaves together. It also made me wish I was good at tennis, this is really more of a tennis movie then they want you to realize.

However, we are not normalizing Westchester County on my watch.

Watched on Friday April 5, 2024.

I’m so damn happy we are living in a blockbuster Golden Age, we’re back to giving blank checks and endless runtimes to incredible artists to let them create and bring to life these stories. Excited and scared to see what comes next for the Fremen.

Also give Javier Bardem an Oscar

• Kneecap
• The Irishman
• Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
• The Lighthouse
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• The Death of Stalin
• The Nice Guys
• Everybody Wants Some!!
• Steve Jobs
• Dope

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