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Charlie Day does his best Hal Ashby and Ken Jeong tries to carry this on his back, but so many elements just don't click together like they should.

I think if this movie was made 20-30 years ago, it would have been better, but it's a shame to see this one flounder around.

John Malkovich's monologue is funny though.

Watched on Friday May 23, 2025.

Written by (NYU era) Vince Gilligan 

Weird unhinged movie, but the script, cast (including late era Shelly Duvall!) and a timeless Americana vibe made me charmed by this film

This is actually a Japanese adaptation of the Star Trek voyager episode Twisted, where Janeway and the crew gets trapped in the same Hallway set for the entire episode, but in this case it takes place in the Japanese subway system. 

Fun little film with stylistic flair that although tedious, is rarely uninteresting and keeps you wondering where it’s going next.

I’m afraid of going into the subway now.

No 
But at least I got to go on the red carpet

If you want another entertaining movie that Ari Aster made that involves emotionally torturing Joaquin Phoenix and having him run around while in mortal danger then I got a recommendation for you

Alexa play the theme to snuff box 

Absolutely beautiful and breathtaking movie about the cycle of addiction, trying to be better and the spiral out of control, needless to say I’ll be thinking about this feature for awhile

Eat your heart out Ozu

Gruesome gritty girls and cows and violence and 1970s horror and witches 

Highly recommend this movie to all my American friends providing this gets distribution or anything 

That last 10 minutes was wild

I worked on this film as the assistant editor so I’m biased so I just want to say 

Wet Hot American Boy Summer

Yeah I ain’t using CHAT GPT—but this was a pretty decent episode of French Black Mirror

This movie features the most beautiful handwriting I have ever seen in my life and we declined as society after the 1900 in of penmanship.

Genius filmmaking, banger writing, cutting acting, and insane dialogue editing 

Mike Nichols was firing on all cylinders right out of the gate. 

Probably one of the best debut features of all time

I couldn’t put my finger on why I was ambivalent on liking this movie until I saw that this was written by a screenwriter of two chuck Norris films and now I’m like aight. 

Solid Clint Eastwood western that your right leaning dad probably liked, but otherwise, ehhhh

Part of me really vibes with this movie and there’s so many cool editorial tricks and transitions (also the cinematography is gorgeous) 

But, most of the cast is distracting in their connection with the material (as well as the script which has dialogue that feels like it came out of a William S Burroughs novel and less like it was how people actually spoke—and yes I know William S Burroughs had some uncredited dialogue) 

The worst offender as much as I usually like him is Matt Dillon (although when he’s on point like his monologues and the back half of the movie) he’s on fire.

Also, I know why William S Burroughs was in this movie, but good lord, this man is not an actor. 

Still, you could see the Gus Van Sant-isms even in this early work and I’m glad I saw this movie

Certified hood classic 

Put this on the criterion collection. toast stories bit and the chimpiracci the piano playing chimp will live rent free in my head forever

I fell asleep halfway through and then had to work 

The blocking of this movie looks like a bad video game cutscene and people are just spewing exposition dump after exposition dump before moving to the next set piece 

Also it doesn’t help that this looks like a tv show and Florence Pugh looks like someone I was in a situationship with

But yeah, I’m not that impressed by this movie

I gotta see this in 70mm because I’ll probably add another star.

Baller movie with incredible music and immaculate action. 

God bless Ryan Coogler for making this happen.

So are the Phantom’s superpowers really that he’s just a guy who just has two pistols and wears a purple suit? 

At any rate, this movie is literally just one action set piece after the other and Billy Zane and the insanely stacked cast are having a blast and a half. 

There’s some moments that don’t exactly sit well with me, although it’s surprising that the Phantom didn’t really blow up, although the politics are somewhat dated, and he’s too mature for American kid audiences and too dated for the 90s.

It is still pretty dope that the Phantom can shoot baddies cross armed at the same time without flinching so, there is that.

Still, I’m happy this pulpy movie exists, and we got shirtless Billy Zane to boot!

This is such a disted movie that barely comes together by the very end, and plods from predictable set piece to set piece, and yet it’s astonishing that this movie actually made some money back. 

That being said, as someone who was only familiar with Robert Beltran’s work from Star Trek: Voyager, it was somewhat surprising to see him in an earlier project. 

I think if you’re a sucker for 80s production design, hair, and costumes, also pretty solid chemistry between the three leads, it’s worth a watch, but not much more than that.

That said, this movie is definitely worth a remake with much stronger directing and writing.

Also, I had no idea how big Mary Woronov was! (Having recognized her from Suicidal Tendencies Insitutionalized music video)

I want what Sam Raimi was on in 1992 when he concieved this insane movie.

This is one of my favorite films (and the only movie poster I having in my childhood bedroom) and it still shines to this day.

The plot moves at a breakneck pace, and every set piece, from the initial meeting at the castle with the deadite crone and the explanation of the boomstick to the windmill scene to the necronomicon scene and the iconic S Mart coda, it all just explodes with creative inspiration and possibilities.

This is Sam Raimi’s groovy love letter to his deadite fighting chainsaw wielding muse, Bruce Campbell. 

Hail to the king, baby.

My perfect Rom Com

I did not expect this movie to be a comedy about a competent albeit somewhat arrogant woman trying to navigate life in the high stakes world of classical music in Berlin. 

I think what’s surprising about this movie is how much this was built up by others to be Lydia Tar to be way more larger than life, when, to be honest, she seems somewhat reasonable albeit manipulative, but that’s to Cate Blanchett’s credit for crafting a wholesome portrait of the enigma of Lydia Tar.

“I’d rather be dead than wet my bed.” 
— Harry Nilsson 

Crazy intimate movie about aging and what everyone on earth will most likely one day experience. Incredible performances and sound design by maestro Michael Haneke.

Its crazy watching this movie in 2025, given the politics of America rn and after the main wave of popularity this movie has; it’s still one of the funniest movies in the past 10 years and it’s probably one of the most unconventionally structured big budget movies in awhile. 

Anyway still a banger, and Ryan Gosling’s fits are amazing.

"What you believe in when you're young, can still be true when you grow up."

THAT DES MACANUFF DIRECTED THIS MOVIE?!!
AND KENNETH LONEGRAN WROTE THIS MOVIE??!

This movie is absolutely delightful and by the end I was smiling in wonder and awe at this movie. I haven't felt this warm watching a movie like this since A Very Brady Sequel.

Honestly, an insane amount of talent is in this movie (from Robert DeNiro to Kenan and Kel and Janine Garofalo and so many cameos). Not to mention the people behind the camera as well (like Thomas E Ackerman who was the DP on Beetlejuice, Rat Race, and Anchorman among others and Dennis Virkler who cut the Schumacher Batman sequels, Gavin Bocquet doing production design (Star Wars II and III) and Mark Mothersbaugh doing the music. The list goes on and on and on...

At any rate, the raw talent of this movie absolutely shows on screen. I don't know how else to describe this movie, but it's the plot of Barbie and Jay and Silent Bob Strike back and Sonic the Hedgehog but with the style and translation of Speed Racer.

This is an incredibly loving adaptation of Rocky and Bullwinkle that never got the appreciation it deserved back in 2000 that feels like a live action version of the television show and the 3D animation still holds up (which is a shock given the fact that this movie was made in 2000!!) 

Absolutely due for a re evaluation because this movie has so much charm and spunk.

Insanely ambitious for a first feature; I've always tried to watch this movie, but could only get to the end of the first Shpadoinkle Day...at least until this watch.

It's truly astonishing what Matt and Trey could pull off even from the get go, and how fully formed their vision is from this movie; there's so much elemental South Park, even at one point you can even hear proto-Cartman screaming.

Everything about this movie is astonishing, from the incredible prosthetics, the cinematography that captures the beauty of Colorado, the musical choreography, the musical numbers, and some of the comedic editing gags whooped my ass (like the 3 second cut to Wyoming!)

Incredible debut filmmaking, and I'm glad that I finally got to finally watch this movie.

This movie runs solely on music, vibes, and one of the coolest 80s fantasy weapons (up there with the Glaive and John Boorman’s Excalibur)—because that light bow prob inspired Pit’s bow in Kid Icarus. 

Unfortunately, that can only carry this movie so far, because there’s not much of a plot, and most of the movie is slow motion fights with barely an arc outside of wandering through desolate vistas fighting off hordes of nameless monsters.

I don’t know if I can recommend this movie, but if you’re into 80s Fulci it’s worth a gander.

Among the top 5 most insulting films I have ever watched in my life

Move over PTA, Wachowski sisters, Sam Mendes, and David Fincher because no movie that you all made in 1999 can compare to this.

This movie straight up blew my mind clean open, and I can't want to watch more movies by either Spike Jonez or Charlie Kaufman. It 100% hits home and I love how the rules are set, and even though it goes surreal in the second half of the movie, the first half is so grounded. I think I saw Paul Schrader mention that he writes his movies like this, and I think it's a good rule of thumb.

But yeah, great movie about identity, corporatism, love, and so much more that genuinely feels fresh and original even today.

Megalopolis 2

It’s absolutely charming and deserves more recognition for the fact that it’s an extremely fluid 2D animated theatrically released feature film starring Daffy Duck and Porky Pig! 

I never got Porky as a character until watching this movie because gimmick always felt like the character who stutters and that’s it compared to say the outlandish antics of the rest of the ensemble, and other than say Duck Dodgers, he’s such hard sell; so to see him and Daffy and Petunia actually hold down the first theatrically released Looney Tunes feature film is an incredible achievement. 

I just hope it won’t be another 90 years for us to get another movie featuring this ensemble; but hopefully we can get something with Bugs and Elmer, or Speedy, or Joe Dante can come out of retirement and make his Termite Terrace movie.

Also Farmer Jim is the hardest I laughed in a movie theater in quite awhile.

Just watched again and this movie went down significantly because I didn’t realize how on the nose everything about this movie is. Not to say I didnt love it but the only parts that still hit home are the concentration camp scene and most of what comes out of Kieran Culkin’s mouth 

I guess there really were no great movies released in 2024

Idk I synced this with Dark Side of the Moon twice and one song starting from the title (as per that infamous YouTube video) and created the greatest experimental film of all time

Baller movie that picks up where Pickpocket left off. 
Yeah Truffaut is my favorite of the French New Wave directors after this—onto Jules et Jim later!

In my old age I’m starting to really like slow movies with barely any cuts and the actors just do their thing 

That said, Vincent Gallo gives off Joaquin Joker vibes before he turned to the joker and instead became an actor and he’s amazing at capturing male loneliness.

Would make a great double feature with Two Lane Blacktop.

John Adams is obnoxious and disliked, just like me!

1776 has always been one of my favorite musicals of all time and needless to say the 1972 film adaptation is the perfect adaptation of this musical especially how it's a production in flux with traditional movie musicals and the rock musicals of the 1970s.

William Daniels does, in my opinion, has the most iconic interpretation of John Adams, Howard Da Silva defines the cinematic Ben Franklin, and the monumental ensemble encapsulates the tension in what is essentially a stressful 3 hour long procedural of a foregone conclusion, and that is the question of American Independence.

Given how bad the current state of America is right now, this is my comfort viewing that lays down the promise and controversy of America.

It's incredibly well shot and that 2.35:1 aspect ratio showcases the epic scope of what these men were trying to accomplish like no other movie has done.

Too bad 3/4 of the people portrayed in this movie were probably slaveowners.

At any rate, love this movie to death, probably my favorite movie about the dream of what it means to be an American for better or for worse.

The perfect documentary that’s about how a retroactively defined genre is about a bunch of nerds who make slick licks, do psychedelics, and make bangers. 

Also Christopher Cross writing Ride Like the Wind on acid and financing the production of his first album as a weed dealer is on brand, and Thundercat seems like the coolest guy ever. 

Gotta get into Loggins and Messina and Ambrosia bc those groups are bangers.

Much like Saturday Night Live this movie doesn't click until the very end, but when it hits, it hits home, like Nicholas Braun as Andy Kaufman doing his best Mighty Mouse routine and saving the show (and I it, I did well up watching this)

I don't buy the actor playing Lorne Michaels, but then again, my mental image of Lorne is a mix between Dr. Evil and old Lorne, so its interesting to see him now.

I do wish I had more connection to Gilda as a person, because I know that Belushi / Gilda scene in Rockefeller center definitely connected.

So yeah, it's a lovely tribute to the institution of Saturday Night Live even if most of it didn’t happen the way it was portrayed, but I kinda want to see this same concept done with a different era of Saturday Night Live (like 90s or the 2000s)

also shout out to Cory Michael Smith who is a full on dead ringer for Chevy Chase and Dylan O Brien has that Dan Akroyd voice to a T

The first half of this movie was the best movie I’ve experienced since There Will Be Blood 

The second half was aight but I did love the textures in that marble quarry, and needed another story

I first saw this movie when I was 10 at summer camp because apparently it was appropriate for 10 year olds to see mechanical bugs popping out of Keanu's bellybutton and the whole human battery sequence which definitely scarred me as a child.

At any rate after watching it again last night, it's kinda surprising how much of the Wachowski Sisters tropes that (in my opinion) hold down their movies like Cloud Atlas are still evident in here. Most of the structure of this film is essentially

ACTION SCENE
1 minute of a memorable scene that is bogged down with exposition
ACTION SCENE
more E X P O S I T I ON
ACTION SCENE
INSANELY COOL SHOT
EXPOSITION
COOL SET PIECE
END

also most of these characters other than Neo barely have any character arc, which I came to realize after watching this last night. So yeah, it is not a really well put together movie structurally, but at the same time, it's still insanely groundbreaking, and leagues ahead of what 95% of action films were doing in 1999. But damn, after watching this movie, never realized how much of the sins of Wachowski's other films basically stem from this movie.

I wonder if David Lynch ever saw Wicked on Broadway

Brain Donors and Hudsucker Proxy are two of my favorite underrated classics (and Hudsucker Proxy is one of my top 10 favorite movies) so that this is directed by Rocco Melonchek (Mel Smith), and DP’d by David Tattersall (who also DP’d The Star Wars prequels and Speed Racer !!!) 

This movie has Hudsucker Proxy energy / comes from that same era when directors were doing screwball art deco throwbacks is fitting. 

The audiences of 1994 were not ready for this movie because art deco screwball throwbacks are my favorite genre. 

Justice for Radioland Murders

David Lynch definitely made a movie about a woman in trouble and stretched it out to 3 hours and added bunnies

Wild filmmaking ruckus that doesn’t quite add up until the very end.

But that climax at the very end is worth the price of ission and you will believe that Bud Cort, for a few minutes, could actually fly in a machine that would make Da Vinci marvel. 

There’s so many pieces of this movie that I love, the bananas car chase, the ineffectual Bullitt-esque super cop, Shelly Duvall and her insane racing skills, Rene Auberjonois doing his best mad professor. Insane filmmaking made by a mad man. 

My dream blunt rotation is Hal Ashby, Robert Altman, and Kevin Smith.

Slowly powering through my collection of Bergman Laserdiscs, and god damn this movie really is one of those life affirming movies that manages to do so much with so little and shows you how much life you have to live despite how old one feels at any point in one’s life.

As of right now, Ingmar Bergman is one of my top 5 favorite filmmakers of all time.

I think I picked the wrong Bunuel to start with, but this is all I had in my laserdisc collection that I acquired and slowly making my way through. 

I guess this was groundbreaking in 1967, and seeing Catherine Deneuve in a role (having not seen her in anything) especially like this one is worth the hype, but yeah, this wasn’t as surrealist or crazy as I thought it would be, it felt more like a wacky sitcom plot than anything else. 

I do want to see some of his wilder work though one day

pure 80s girl power

FAIR IS FAIR

I can't give a star rating because I know a bunch of people involved in this movie (and also my partner's in this).

But, it's not a bad movie and definitely not as deserving as the criticism it got initially. It's wild to see a bunch of excellent queer people that I know and love.

It is really a good time capsule of Williamsburg / Bushwick culture reflected in 2006 that hasn't changed in the past 20 years, other than we don't use flip phones or Final Cut Pro anymore.

I think coming into this movie I was expecting something more raunchy and akin to Bros, and it's definitely not that, but its more of a really well shot indie dramedy.

But yeah, I'm happy that I saw this movie, and I'd recommend it to other people too.

One of the funniest movies of 2024; Jesse Eisenberg is 2 for 2, and I can't wait to see what else he cooks up in the future.

I hope Kieran Culkin wins that academy award, because after watching this movie, he 100% deserves it.

I want to take a week trip to Poland after watching this movie.

• All That Jazz
• The Blues Brothers
• It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
• Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
• The Hudsucker Proxy
• Princess Mononoke
• Wet Hot American Summer
• Do the Right Thing
• Black Dynamite
• The Store

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

I love me a good broad comedy and a good niche genre parody

• A Very Brady Sequel
• Wet Hot American Summer
• The Blues Brothers
• Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
• The Hudsucker Proxy
• Black Dynamite
• Fishing with John
• Clerks
• Brain Donors
• Encino Man

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