Letterboxd 5019o Sam Asher https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/ Letterboxd - Sam Asher I'm Still Here p5u5c 2024 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/im-still-here-2024/ letterboxd-review-877580742 Fri, 2 May 2025 17:40:37 +1200 2025-05-01 No I'm Still Here 2024 4.0 1000837 <![CDATA[

4v291o

Interesting that 2024 saw both this and Zone of Interest attempt to capture the normalcy that surrounds tyranny.

Torres is genuinely astonishing throughout. The 35mm graining across many gorgeous shots of the family's home ---which gets its flowers in a credits sequence---is wonderful.

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Sam Asher
The Prestige 6d1y4i 2006 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/the-prestige/ letterboxd-review-872780119 Sun, 27 Apr 2025 04:13:58 +1200 2025-04-26 No The Prestige 2006 4.5 1124 <![CDATA[

Very pure Nolan; wonderful performances and just an astonishingly good premise and script that is executed perfectly. Spent the next two hours after watching marvelling at the number of missed breadcrumbs.

Nolan's gift is providing these kind of elevated popcorn blockbusters. There's a reason he now has budgets thrown at him left right and center! The industry would miss his talent.

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Sam Asher
A Complete Unknown 5y6t4 2024 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/a-complete-unknown/ letterboxd-review-797371106 Sun, 2 Feb 2025 17:05:05 +1300 2025-01-31 No A Complete Unknown 2024 3.5 661539 <![CDATA[

Really peculiar biopic, in that there was absolutely zero plot or central character conflict in the entire movie. The writing is clearly just kind of in awe of Dylan, and though willing to occasionally point out how his brilliance hurts other people, otherwise just asks us to watch him do his thing for 2 hours. That is reasonably compelling, because the music is so excellent and Chalamet is his usual excellent self. But it is a little... bland?

Theatre audience median age was 60+ and they all clapped at the end though, so it's clearly butter for its demo!

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Sam Asher
Inception 5y372u 2010 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/inception/ letterboxd-review-788488798 Sat, 25 Jan 2025 20:29:56 +1300 2025-01-24 No Inception 2010 4.5 27205 <![CDATA[

Comfort movie rematch after a good few years. Better than I -- hard to argue there's been a better action movie in the 15 years since!

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Sam Asher
The Wizard of Oz 5d102u 1939 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/the-wizard-of-oz-1939/ letterboxd-review-727942942 Sun, 1 Dec 2024 20:18:50 +1300 2024-11-30 No The Wizard of Oz 1939 4.0 630 <![CDATA[

This smart prequel to Twisters (2024) really sets the stakes for Glen Powell's later meteorological hijinks

(Sufficiently magical first act to carry its gradual petering out)

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Sam Asher
Conclave 1l6f3b 2024 - ★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/conclave/ letterboxd-review-724884713 Wed, 27 Nov 2024 19:05:31 +1300 2024-11-26 No Conclave 2024 3.0 974576 <![CDATA[

The most based-on-a-book-written-in-2016 movie about the Papacy imaginable

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Sam Asher
Prisoners 3tw 2013 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/prisoners/ letterboxd-review-706463299 Sun, 3 Nov 2024 05:07:02 +1300 2024-11-02 No Prisoners 2013 4.5 146233 <![CDATA[

Maybe not quite sticking the landing for the final 30, but a wonderful genre piece throughout with phenomenal performances

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Sam Asher
Burn After Reading 4v6r3h 2008 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/burn-after-reading/ letterboxd-review-706458807 Sun, 3 Nov 2024 04:59:22 +1300 2024-11-02 No Burn After Reading 2008 3.5 4944 <![CDATA[

Late third act collapse kind of precludes loving this movie but it's otherwise a riot throughout

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Sam Asher
Joker 4194o Folie à Deux, 2024 - ★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/joker-folie-a-deux/ letterboxd-review-685287960 Sun, 6 Oct 2024 06:53:38 +1300 2024-10-05 No Joker: Folie à Deux 2024 2.5 889737 <![CDATA[

Much better than reported, still quite baffling.

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Sam Asher
Avatar 4g5e63 The Way of Water, 2022 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/avatar-the-way-of-water/ letterboxd-review-339773763 Sun, 15 Jan 2023 18:13:24 +1300 2023-01-09 No Avatar: The Way of Water 2022 4.0 76600 <![CDATA[

I think something remarkable about this movie is that its central conceit -- that Pandora has some uniquely special character -- only earns affective power through enormous cinematic spectacle.

In an era of blockbusters that seem only capable of simulating spectacle, that appeal to a cinematic language of spectacle without any emotional impact, Avatar inspires genuine wonder. And its story only works for that wonder; and its wonder is one only achievable through cinema.

She's not perfect: the first act is paced shockingly fast, sometimes narrative logic is eschewed entirely for convenience, and there's no deep payoff that will stay with you.

But Avatar is a refreshing example of what big-budget enormity can achieve when its leadership actually loves movies. More please!

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Sam Asher
Glass Onion 6w733c 2022 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/glass-onion/ letterboxd-review-328693826 Tue, 27 Dec 2022 07:46:30 +1300 2022-12-24 No Glass Onion 2022 3.5 661374 <![CDATA[

A little surprised by the critical response to this. It's a just okay caper with above-replacement production; its politics and writing are far less clever than the original & the leads less compelling. Solid movie! But if this were the original, no several-hundred-million-dollar exclusivity deals....

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Sam Asher
Don't Worry Darling 4o3q21 2022 - ★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/dont-worry-darling/ letterboxd-review-300214200 Sat, 1 Oct 2022 13:37:48 +1300 2022-09-28 No Don't Worry Darling 2022 3.0 619730 <![CDATA[

This is like not a great movie but I saw it in a cinema that was completely empty except for me and my friends and it was ridiculously fun.

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Sam Asher
Om Shanti Om 1g1n1n 2007 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/om-shanti-om/ letterboxd-review-282425369 Sun, 31 Jul 2022 22:35:31 +1200 2022-07-27 No Om Shanti Om 2007 3.5 8079 <![CDATA[

Fun story with great music. I really enjoyed the first act, which has some delightful campy parody of 70s-era movies which cuts through even for someone who doesn't have the context (like me). Post-intermission it starts to take itself a little more seriously, which becomes tonally confusing.

Docked a point for an EIGHT MINUTE overindulgent star-fest in the middle of the film. Sorry guys, I understand that being fun when you know all the icons... but it's unforgivable pacing.

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Sam Asher
Jurassic World Dominion 96i1g 2022 - ★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/jurassic-world-dominion/ letterboxd-review-282424183 Sun, 31 Jul 2022 22:27:05 +1200 2022-07-30 No Jurassic World Dominion 2022 2.0 507086 <![CDATA[

This movie has late stage franchise-itus -- cut brutally fast to shoehorn in all of the fan service required to make a bajillion dollars. Only good news is that the cast is so big that we don't have to watch Pratt pout for 3 hours straight.

Dialogue in the first 15 is unwatchable, the plot is shockingly boring for a movie about dinosaurs escaping into the world, and I managed to not care about the fate of a single character (except for the old school cast, who carried the movie majorly).

There's a hilariously blatant Bourne influence in the first act, followed by an equally blatant Mos Eisley rip-off that works well since, yes, practical effects dinosaurs are Great and Good. If only that were the whole thing!!

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Sam Asher
Spider 2f2t4m Man: No Way Home, 2021 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/spider-man-no-way-home/ letterboxd-review-280207841 Tue, 26 Jul 2022 02:04:59 +1200 2022-07-26 No Spider-Man: No Way Home 2021 3.5 634649 <![CDATA[

This was.... okay, really. My take on most of the MCU at the moment is that (A) it is great to see them take story risks with characters who are at this point extremely well established parts of folks' lives but (B) lots of the staging is too cringey to be watchable and (C) they always dissolve into a spacey CGI-fest that makes my eyes glaze over.

No Way Home has some nice character work coupled with some really strange shot choices and too much self-congratulations for references to other franchise installments. I think now that the big reveal of this film is common knowledge, a lot of its cultural staying power will (has) evaportate(d).

As usual with the post-Endgame MCU: I enjoyed it, but I'm not losing my mind or anything.

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Sam Asher
Everything Everywhere All at Once 6j40v 2022 - ★★★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/everything-everywhere-all-at-once/ letterboxd-review-269852735 Mon, 20 Jun 2022 09:01:57 +1200 2022-06-19 No Everything Everywhere All at Once 2022 5.0 545611 <![CDATA[

A movie that makes me want to watch movies again. Anything short of 5 stars feels disrespectful, just so so exciting.

And Michelle Yeoh!!!!

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Sam Asher
Don't Look Up 3g1r5i 2021 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/dont-look-up-2021/ letterboxd-review-232274093 Sun, 30 Jan 2022 20:47:05 +1300 No Don't Look Up 2021 3.5 646380 <![CDATA[

Reminds me of Vice. McKay is clearly not trying to convince anyone or bring any unique or interesting insights. He's just screaming in frustration at the nightmares happening around us.

And, y'know, that works for me right now.

(I am also a sucker for "all of humanity" montages, sue me)

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Sam Asher
Incoming 325s32 2018 - ½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/incoming-2018/ letterboxd-review-184979517 Sun, 25 Jul 2021 08:00:36 +1200 2021-07-24 No Incoming 2018 0.5 522964 <![CDATA[

Very very not good

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Sam Asher
Happy Death Day 4s5z61 2017 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/happy-death-day/ letterboxd-review-180941682 Tue, 6 Jul 2021 20:00:42 +1200 2021-06-27 No Happy Death Day 2017 3.5 440021 <![CDATA[

Not at ALL what I was expecting, very very fun, good movie to watch in a group.

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Sam Asher
The Comeback Trail 3r4772 2020 - ★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/the-comeback-trail-2020/ letterboxd-review-178153771 Tue, 22 Jun 2021 21:52:04 +1200 2021-06-20 No The Comeback Trail 2020 3.0 650783 <![CDATA[

Light entertainment. My broad policy is that, conditional on his not embarrassing himself, I will watch Bobby De Niro do literally anything.

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Sam Asher
Captive State 4g1x4y 2019 - ★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/captive-state/ letterboxd-review-177623994 Sun, 20 Jun 2021 09:40:09 +1200 2021-06-19 No Captive State 2019 3.0 429471 <![CDATA[

Just okay! See lots of people being very hard on the film because they are judging it for what it is trying to be (high concept sci fi) instead of what it is (kinda trashy semi thriller). It performs very irably as the latter :)

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Sam Asher
The Woman in the Window 645th 2021 - ★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/the-woman-in-the-window-2021/ letterboxd-review-175010491 Sun, 6 Jun 2021 09:56:33 +1200 2021-06-05 No The Woman in the Window 2021 2.0 520663 <![CDATA[

About 2/3rds through I was going to write that this is some fun pulpy popcorn fuel, but then the HIDEOUSLY poor third act hit, and I cannot recommend it to anyone.

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Sam Asher
Bo Burnham 227214 Inside, 2021 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/bo-burnham-inside/ letterboxd-review-175009833 Sun, 6 Jun 2021 09:53:58 +1200 2021-06-05 No Bo Burnham: Inside 2021 4.5 823754 <![CDATA[

Very very very good reflection on the terminally online generation. Because of that, pretty sure anyone NOT terminally online genuinely wouldn't enjoy it, but for the rest of us it is superb.

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Sam Asher
6 Underground 436l51 2019 - ★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/6-underground/ letterboxd-review-141706393 Wed, 30 Dec 2020 10:39:47 +1300 2020-12-29 No 6 Underground 2019 1.5 509967 <![CDATA[

This movie is insulting. Kind of fun, but insulting.

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Sam Asher
The Report 10535l 2019 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/the-report-2019/ letterboxd-review-93994267 Fri, 13 Mar 2020 14:29:03 +1300 2020-03-06 No The Report 2019 3.5 524348 <![CDATA[

Oh my goodness brainy Adam Driver I want him to investigate ME

(This is v. good but my friends with a less steeped knowledge of American politics and institutions needed regular pauses to understand what was happening)

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Sam Asher
The Lighthouse 3z5qi 2019 - ★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/the-lighthouse-2019/ letterboxd-review-90612318 Fri, 14 Feb 2020 14:17:51 +1300 2020-02-14 No The Lighthouse 2019 2.5 503919 <![CDATA[

I've had a look through my old reviews after watching the Lighthouse. It's not often that I really cannot engage with a film people are raving about (though tellingly, the last time that happened was Midsommar).

I think I've found that the movies I truly adore are the ones that help me to explore and understand myself. In that respect, I'm sure that my ratings are a function of luck -- seeing just the right movies at the times I needed them.

I didn't need the Lighthouse. I don't doubt for a second that it contains layers upon layers of carefully constructed meaning and mythology. In fact, that's obvious. But I just didn't need it.

The Lighthouse is certainly affecting. But it's one thing to not get much out of a movie you didn't need; it's another to be so utterly disturbed by a movie you didn't need.

I really enjoyed the Witch. Maybe someday I'll revist the Lighthouse and find something more in it. That will be in a long, long time.

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Sam Asher
Star Wars 2j6o5l The Rise of Skywalker, 2019 - ★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker/ letterboxd-watch-89572430 Thu, 6 Feb 2020 12:40:31 +1300 2019-12-22 No Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker 2019 1.5 181812 <![CDATA[

Watched on Sunday December 22, 2019.

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Sam Asher
Joker 4194o 2019 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/joker-2019/ letterboxd-watch-89572406 Thu, 6 Feb 2020 12:40:18 +1300 2019-10-06 No Joker 2019 3.5 475557 <![CDATA[

Watched on Sunday October 6, 2019.

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Sam Asher
Knives Out 272l4x 2019 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/knives-out-2019/ letterboxd-watch-89572368 Thu, 6 Feb 2020 12:39:53 +1300 2019-11-29 No Knives Out 2019 4.0 546554 <![CDATA[

Watched on Friday November 29, 2019.

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Sam Asher
Frozen II 1w6k4r 2019 - ★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/frozen-2/ letterboxd-watch-89572312 Thu, 6 Feb 2020 12:39:23 +1300 2019-12-08 No Frozen II 2019 2.5 330457 <![CDATA[

Watched on Sunday December 8, 2019.

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Sam Asher
Parasite 4w55i 2019 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/parasite-2019/ letterboxd-watch-89572242 Thu, 6 Feb 2020 12:38:45 +1300 2020-02-01 No Parasite 2019 4.5 496243 <![CDATA[

Watched on Saturday February 1, 2020.

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Sam Asher
Little Women 1i1x49 2019 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/little-women-2019/ letterboxd-watch-89572173 Thu, 6 Feb 2020 12:38:03 +1300 2020-01-08 No Little Women 2019 3.5 331482 <![CDATA[

Watched on Wednesday January 8, 2020.

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Sam Asher
Bombshell 374c1s 2019 - ★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/bombshell-2019/ letterboxd-watch-89572115 Thu, 6 Feb 2020 12:37:17 +1300 2020-01-20 No Bombshell 2019 3.0 525661 <![CDATA[

Watched on Monday January 20, 2020.

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Sam Asher
1917 3e6c3u 2019 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/1917/ letterboxd-watch-89571972 Thu, 6 Feb 2020 12:35:38 +1300 2020-01-22 No 1917 2019 4.0 530915 <![CDATA[

Watched on Wednesday January 22, 2020.

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Sam Asher
Spider 2f2t4m Man: Into the Spider-Verse, 2018 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse/1/ letterboxd-review-73847809 Thu, 5 Sep 2019 23:10:01 +1200 2019-08-30 Yes Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2018 4.5 324857 <![CDATA[

Pushing this up in score again because I enjoy it more and more every time I watch it.

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Sam Asher
Spider 2f2t4m Man: Far From Home, 2019 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/spider-man-far-from-home/ letterboxd-review-73847610 Thu, 5 Sep 2019 23:03:07 +1200 2019-08-17 No Spider-Man: Far From Home 2019 3.5 429617 <![CDATA[

Please nobody take Tom away from me.

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Sam Asher
Good Boys 1w4t67 2019 - ★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/good-boys-2019/ letterboxd-review-73847588 Thu, 5 Sep 2019 23:02:23 +1200 2019-08-21 No Good Boys 2019 1.5 521777 <![CDATA[

Walked out. And I don't walk out often.

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Sam Asher
Midsommar 4o2h4t 2019 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/midsommar/ letterboxd-review-73847559 Thu, 5 Sep 2019 23:01:45 +1200 2019-08-24 No Midsommar 2019 3.5 530385 <![CDATA[

Better than Hereditary (might not be reflected in the scores). I think I might just not have the stomach for what was on screen. One of those that I enjoyed but will never watch again and will never recommend someone else seeing.

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Sam Asher
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood 2r586w 2019 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood/ letterboxd-review-73847515 Thu, 5 Sep 2019 23:00:17 +1200 2019-08-15 No Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood 2019 4.0 466272 <![CDATA[

A deeply conflicted 8.

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Sam Asher
Late Night 3u3t6t 2019 - ★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/late-night/ letterboxd-watch-73847477 Thu, 5 Sep 2019 22:58:53 +1200 2019-07-14 No Late Night 2019 3.0 523172 <![CDATA[

Watched on Sunday July 14, 2019.

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Sam Asher
The Lion King q567 2019 - ★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/the-lion-king-2019/ letterboxd-review-73847413 Thu, 5 Sep 2019 22:56:55 +1200 2019-07-25 No The Lion King 2019 3.0 420818 <![CDATA[

I mean... it's the Lion King.

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Sam Asher
Toy Story 4 11616m 2019 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/toy-story-4/ letterboxd-watch-68818437 Wed, 3 Jul 2019 03:46:38 +1200 2019-06-28 No Toy Story 4 2019 4.0 301528 <![CDATA[

Watched on Friday June 28, 2019.

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Sam Asher
Rocketman a5x50 2019 - ★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/rocketman-2019/ letterboxd-review-66580429 Sun, 2 Jun 2019 03:39:24 +1200 2019-05-25 No Rocketman 2019 3.0 504608 <![CDATA[

The first 15 are truly appalling, the rest is pretty good

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Sam Asher
Booksmart 5p344y 2019 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/booksmart/ letterboxd-review-66580393 Sun, 2 Jun 2019 03:38:40 +1200 2019-05-28 No Booksmart 2019 4.0 505600 <![CDATA[

Seriously funny

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Sam Asher
Eighth Grade 5b143s 2018 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/eighth-grade/ letterboxd-review-64622193 Sun, 5 May 2019 08:48:24 +1200 2019-05-02 No Eighth Grade 2018 4.0 489925 <![CDATA[

Earnest and delightfully free of judgement

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Sam Asher
Avengers 5s2i6n Endgame, 2019 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/avengers-endgame/ letterboxd-review-64622114 Sun, 5 May 2019 08:47:13 +1200 2019-04-25 No Avengers: Endgame 2019 4.0 299534 <![CDATA[

Had at least 20 mins of genuine jaw on the floor stuff, a very satisfactory conclusion of an era

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Sam Asher
Get Out r6t21 2017 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/get-out-2017/ letterboxd-review-61857741 Wed, 27 Mar 2019 01:50:10 +1300 2019-03-25 No Get Out 2017 4.5 419430 <![CDATA[

Floored to be honest.

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Sam Asher
Us f1y13 2019 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/us-2019/ letterboxd-review-61857729 Wed, 27 Mar 2019 01:49:39 +1300 2019-03-23 No Us 2019 4.0 458723 <![CDATA[

Lupita is amazing, Peele is an amazing director - lacked some coherence maybe?

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Sam Asher
Double Indemnity 3ak50 1944 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/double-indemnity/ letterboxd-review-60152778 Mon, 4 Mar 2019 14:41:37 +1300 2019-03-03 No Double Indemnity 1944 4.0 996 <![CDATA[

An absolutely ferocious script backed by the best of noir cinematic aesthetic.

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Sam Asher
Grease 59201z 1978 - ★★★ https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/film/grease/ letterboxd-review-60137691 Mon, 4 Mar 2019 11:47:52 +1300 2019-03-02 Yes Grease 1978 3.0 621 <![CDATA[

So joyous, but so so questionable in spots

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Sam Asher
The Essentials Masterlist s3h4u https://letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sazor/list/the-essentials-masterlist-1/ letterboxd-list-29408830 Sun, 1 Jan 2023 01:28:01 +1300 <![CDATA[

A Canon, In Chronological Order.

This is mostly built from Sight & Sound's 2012 lists, with most of the American Film Institute's Top 100 American Films. Recently updated to include the 2022 lists from S&S. For each film, I have included a few others from the director at my own discretion.

The goal is to finish watching by the end of grad school!

  • Sherlock Jr.

    Cinema certainly does not start here, but it's not an awful place to begin. Buster Keaton, with Chaplain, is a king of silent movies in America, especially of practical comedy. Sherlock, Jr. sees one of his earlier, and more enjoyable, efforts.

    Essential Director: Buster Keaton
    S&S Critics' Top 100 #59
    S&S 2022 Critics' Top 100: #54

  • Battleship Potemkin

    Eisenstein, a theorist and filmmaker, revolutionised cinema with his theory of montage, and it is seen in full flow here, especially in the famous Odessa Steps sequence. It is nice to immediately take a step away from American movies at this stage, to see what the rest of the world was doing while Buster blew up trains.

    Essential Director: Sergei Eisenstein
    S&S Critics' Top 100 #11
    S&S Directors' Top 100 #75
    S&S 50 Greatest Films #11
    S&S 2022 Critics' Top 100 #54
    S%S 2022 Directors' Top 100 #93

  • The Gold Rush

    Of course, Charlie. Missing Chaplin would be to miss cinema. The Gold Rush is not his greatest, but you can see his brilliance throughout all of it.

    Essential Director: Charlie Chaplin
    AFI Top 100 American Movies #58

  • The General

    Keaton's most famous work, The General is an essential of early American cinema, featuring genius jokes and to-this-day stunning stunts.

    Essential Director: Buster Keaton
    AFI Top 100 American Movies #18
    S&S 50 Greatest Films #34
    S&S 2022 Critics' Top 100: #95

  • Metropolis

    The first of Fritz Lang's many entries in this list, Metropolis practically invented the cinematic science fiction lexicon, and proved that complex narrative design in film was possible without too much interference from inter-titles.

    Essential Director: Fritz Lang
    S&S Critics' Top 100 #36
    S&S 50 Greatest Films #35
    S&S 2022 Critics' Top 100 #67

  • Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

    If you're watching these in close proximity, your mind is ready to be blown when you see a camera move. Sunrise is a titan of silent cinema, technically and visually a marvel from start to finish.

    Essential Director: F.W. Marnau
    S&S Critics' Top 100 #5
    S&S Director's Top 100 #5
    S&S 50 Greatest Films #22
    AFI Top 100 American Movies #82
    S&S 2022 Critics' Top 100 #11
    S&S 2022 Directors' Top 100 #33

  • The ion of Joan of Arc

    Dreyer's first entry is emphatic. The true silent masterpiece. Ebert said of it;
    "... the secret of Dreyer's success is that he asked himself, "What is this story really about?” And after he answered that question he made a movie about absolutely nothing else.""

    See Falconetti's legendary debut (and final) performance. You will be absorbed.

    There was never an official soundtrack. Some prefer to watch it with no music at all - certainly the film speaks for itself - but I prefer it with the Voices of Light score, if that helps.

    Essential Director: Carl Dreyer
    S&S Critics' Top 100 #9
    S&S Director's Top 100 #37
    S&S 50 Greatest Films #9

  • Man with a Movie Camera

    A full 70 years before the modern cut-heavy cinema, Vertov showed us all how editing and montage could create meaning beyond the individual image. This is about what Cinema truly is, and its virtues beyond other mediums. A grand experiment, so don't expect to be caught up in a narrative.

    Essential Director: Dziga Vertov
    S&S Critics' Top 100 #8
    S&S Director's Top 100 #48
    S&S 50 Greatest Films #8
    S&S 2022 Critics' Top 100 #9
    S&S 2022 Directors' Top 100 #30

  • Un Chien Andalou

    The 20s bow out with another experiment, this time from Bunuel and Dali (yes, that one). Disturbing, confusing, famous, and yes, essential.

    Essential Director: Luis Bunuel
    BFI Critics' Top 100 #93
    BFI Director's Top 100 #91

  • City Lights

    Charlie at his most comionate, and most hilarious. Everything that endures about Chaplin is in this film; stunts, humour, heart, and that funny little Tramp.

    Essential Director: Charlie Chaplin
    S&S Critics' Top 100 #50
    S&S Director's Top 100 #30
    S&S 50 Greatest Films #50
    AFI Top 100 American Movies #11

...plus 238 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Sam Asher