“Sanka, ya dead?”
“Ya, man.”

Disney needs to stop making their live-action remakes and return to this era. They really had a hyper-specific style of movies exclusively made for channel/streaming surfing with friends on a random Saturday afternoon. 

Still suffers from forced conflicts, but my issues bothered me far less on rewatch. The energy from this movie always puts me in a good mood. Feels even more relatable now with how many setbacks I suffered during my cross-country and track seasons last year. I can definitely see how this movie has a strong following in my neighborhood.

Hi. I’ve got a story I want to tell.

Back in the fall of 2023, a certain film shot to the top of Letterboxd’s “Popular this Week” list. It was a concert film centered around a band I’ve never heard of before: Talking Heads. The film had a 4.6-4.7 average rating, so I dove deeper. As part of its 40th anniversary, A24 re-released the film in IMAX theaters, and more people were steadily heaping their praise. The film was Stop Making Sense.

Throughout the next year and a half, its reputation only became brighter. Almost everyone I’ve followed gave it five stars. Love is RED dubbed This Must Be the Place as his favorite song of all time. Eve, as of this writing, has seen it 216 times (I will never understand how she does it). With so much praise, it was only natural for me to start getting into Talking Heads’s music. Slowly making their way through their music was like finding an oasis in a desert. My music taste is not varied, so finding something new, something that I grew to love, was delightful.

The journey to watching Stop Making Sense was a year and a half in the making. I kept hesitating because I thought I would have to become more familiar with Talking Heads to get the most of it. But finally, to celebrate my graduation and my last day of high school, I decided to watch this to celebrate. With all of the hype attached to this film, would it be worth it?

Somehow, it exceeded astronomical expectations.

I have no idea who decided to have Jonathan Demme direct this, but to say he understood the assignment is a massive understatement. This isn’t just a concert he’s shooting – he’s directing a cinematic experience like no other. Every single member of the band (especially Byrne, of course) feels larger than life yet also like they’re part of the greatest friend group to ever exist. I was already tapping my foot from the start of Psycho Killer, but by the time Found a Job started, I was dancing throughout the rest of the film. How could I not? Each song has something new, and you never know what to expect. The insane synth towards the end of Life During Wartime. Tina Weymouth’s vocals during Genius of Love. The reveal of the Big Suit as Girlfriend is Better begins. Every single one of Byrne’s dance moves. I could go on and on. How did David Byrne dancing with a lamp stir an emotional response? That’s the joy and electricity of Stop Making Sense. This might’ve been the most engaged I’ve ever been watching a film. Now I really wish I could’ve seen it with the rest of y’all in IMAX. I would’ve seen a movie theater turn into a concert hall.

While grooving to the music, however, I came to a realization. I’m a rather analytical guy, always trying to dive deeper and understand any work of art I experience. Maybe it’s because I grew up with simple pop lyrics, but Talking Heads’s music was anything but easy to understand. An absolute blast to listen to, yes, and so much fun to belt out the live versions, for sure, but I felt like I was missing out on some hidden meaning in most of the songs. I caught This Must Be the Place’s abstract expression of love, Once in a Lifetime’s subtle critiques on capitalism, and the sense of imposter syndrome permeating throughout Psycho Killer, yet I was left in the dark for some others. It was a curious conundrum. But as the music swept over me, I realized the answer is in the title.

Stop making sense.

I didn’t catch every lyric of every song, and I was too busy dancing and having the time of my life to care. It’s like my journey with Bill Wurtz’s music. Both of their songs aren’t straightforward, but their compositions are smooth as butter and Wurtz’s and Bryne’s voices suck you in like a whirlpool. Even if I don’t know what the lyrics mean, there’s still beauty in that. I’ve already come up with my own interpretation of Wurtz’s tunes. The same has slowly been happening with Talking Heads. For example, Found a Job, to me, tells the story of people coming together to fix problems rather than complaining about them. There’s no one correct interpretation of songs, and that’s okay. It just makes them more rewarding to come back to.

I wanted to finish this review by highlighting how important Talking Heads has been to me these past few months. Listening to this album has helped me in so many situations, from making me more motivated before track meets to lessening my fear of donating plasma again after some bad experiences. If I need to boost my mood, now I turn to their music. The fact that David Byrne has said he’s on the autism spectrum is encouraging in a way that’s really hard to describe. It gives a sense of some shared experiences through the band’s songs and gives me hope for my own artistic endeavors. He fully embraces every quirky thing that he does, and as a result, this concert film is one of the greatest of all time. If he can embrace himself and thrive, then so can I. I’m so grateful for everyone who’s built up Talking Heads over the past few months and introduced me to such an incredible band.

Without further ado, here’s my song ranking (subject to change):
1. Life During Wartime
2. This Must Be The Place
3. Crosseyed and Painless
4. Once in a Lifetime
5. Burning Down the House
6. What a Day That Was
7. Making Flippy Floppy
8. Found a Job
9. Genius of Love (Tom Tom Club)
10. Psycho Killer
11. Slippery People
12. Girlfriend is Better
13. Take Me to the River
14. Thank You For Sending Me An Angel
15. Heaven
16. Swamp

Hey everyone! I recently come across a story called "The Great Wish Movie Rewrite" on the site Archive of Our Own by the WhatIWish. It reframes the story from King Magnifico's perspective and makes him the hero of the story. It's not perfect - some of the sentences run to long and there's not much focus on anyone aside from Magnifico and Asha - but it's still a pretty good retelling. It fixes a lot of the problems I have with the original story and offers a lot of interesting life lessons. The movie itself may be a disaster, but if there's one good thing to come out of it, it's that if fueled the creativity of so many other people.

Here's the link to read it: archiveofourown.org/works/61920016?view_full_work=true

Watched on Wednesday May 14, 2025.

I'm always a little anxious before watching films with glowing reputations. In some ways, I felt like there was no way Citizen Kane could live up to its reputation as "the greatest film of all time." Ultimately, after watching the movie, my doubts proved justified. I don't think it's the greatest film ever made, but many of its accolades are warranted.

I've heard on multiple occasions that one of the main reasons Citizen Kane is so monumental was because it pioneered many cinematic techniques. I don't know enough about cinematography to identify them, but I don't believe innovative film making is enough to make a film spectacular. One example that comes to mind is Toy Story. As the first fully computer-animated film, it marked the beginning of an industry-wide shift towards computer animation. Its praise is well-deserved, but it's not even my favorite animated movie of 1995. With that said, Citizen Kane's cinematography played a huge part in keeping my interest. The camera is almost never static; it's always experimenting with different angles and perspectives. It makes Kane himself look like a giant at times, elevating his status as a larger-than-life figure. There's so many shots that are rich with symbolism - that shot of the piece of the bed frame with the word "rosebud" will stick with me for a while. I can see why some people would argue that its cinematography is the main reason why Citizen Kane is regarded as the benchmark for film in general.

However, another one of my core beliefs about film is that its story is what makes or breaks its quality. Fortunately, Citizen Kane contains the very specific "rise and fall" narratives that are my personal favorites. Its story reminds me a lot of The Social Network and The Great Gatsby. All three stories are about rich men who elevate themselves to a near-mythical status because of what they've done in their lives. I'm still not entirely sure why those kinds of stories appeal to me so much, but they just scratch a certain itch that nothing else does. I hearing once that when making Citizen Kane, Orson Welles was determined to make this film as groundbreaking as possible by breaking all the unspoken rules of film at the time. While watching the film, I got the sense that Welles was projecting some of himself into Kane's character. However, one reason why these stories appeal to me, and the reason I found Citizen Kane so enthralling, is because it shows the dangers of the characters' mammoth ambitions. Kane's ending is ultimately a tragic one. Again and again, the audience is reminded that what Charles Kane truly wanted was love, but he was never able to truly find it. He tried everything he could to get others to him, but as multiple characters pointed out, he failed to give genuine affection in return.

My only major gripe with this film is that, ironically, it's because of Kane's overwhelming dominance of the narrative that the rest of the cast isn't as interesting. Every character's actions revolve around him, especially the women. I don't know if it was a sign of the times, but it's definitely frustrating how the main women in the film exist as tortured people through their marriages with Charles. Even so, that's another reason why Kane's persona struck a chord with me. Kane controls almost everyone around him like a puppet, taking little consideration into their own agency. Despite releasing eight-and-a-half decades ago, the story of Citizen Kane has plenty of relevance today.

Again, I don't think Citizen Kane is the greatest film of all time. Its cinematography and story are phenomenal, but I can point to plenty of examples of both that I prefer more. The ways some characters are portrayed also don't hold up today, even if it was an indicator of the period the movie was filmed in. Still, this movie earns much of its acclaim. The time and resources put into every aspect of this film were more than worth it, and its a film that really inspires me to make my own. I would highly recommend it to others if they want to learn more about film history or just a riveting cautionary tale about the pitfalls of an unchecked ego.

It was a day like any other. I opened up Letterboxd while on a bus ride, interested to see what my friends were watching today. Never, in a million years, did I expect what was to come.

Lemon, a 1969 short film made by Hollis Frampton, seems unassuming enough. It follows a lemon as it gradually becomes lighter and darker. But apparently, some people saw something more. Hatred for Lemon spewed out like a volcano, and overwhelming praise rose up to meet it. Two factions emerged: lemon truthers and the anti-lemons. Both sides were fierce, but I think it's fair to say that the former had the advantage in numbers. Though the Great Lemon War only lasted for an hour or two, lemonade was spilled all over this corner of Letterboxd where it was fought. Nothing like it was ever seen on this site, nor is it likely that anything like it will happen again.

I'm far too late, I know. While everyone else was running to defend their side, I was running in circles around a swelteringly hot track. But I still wanted to watch it out of curiosity. Would I have become a lemon truther myself, or would I have ed those swearing off the fruit? After watching it, I have an answer.

I don't like lemons. Never have, never will. Ever since I hurled up one of those sour lemon balls that my brother gave me, I have done everything I could to avoid the fruit. I've always removed the lemon when it was fixed on the side of my drink, and I very rarely eat lemon-flavored treats. This short film certainly makes the lemon look appealing, but it's ultimately what's on the inside that matters. To quote AJ's review of Avatar: The Way of Water: Lemon "is like dating someone with 10/10 looks but a 4/10 personality." I hate to be a contrarian, especially against such an overwhelming majority of lemon truthers, but I must speak my mind. I'm grateful that I watched this after the Great Lemon War ended. Now I don't have to live in fear of retribution. I, as an anti-lemon, can live peacefully with the lemon truthers. At the end of the day, we all like lemonade, and that's all that matters.

Watched on Tuesday April 29, 2025.

Steven Spielberg's meditation on his childhood reminds me a lot of Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron. Both films have their directors reflecting on their less-than-happy childhoods, whether it's more abstractly like the latter or more explicitly like the former. It's hard not to see Sammy's journey as a sort of self-insert - "Fabel" is literally a replacement for the Yiddish "Spiel" in Spielberg's last name - but he still expertly crafts a universal tale on the messy yet healing process of making art. Filmmaking was always more to Sammy than a ion; it was a means of escape and making sense of the most difficult moments of his life. I can see myself in Sammy whenever I write about my life. Even if I don't write as much fiction as I used to, just jotting down my thoughts when I'm feeling down can remove some of the haze of the moment. More than most of his other movies, Spielberg's spirit is present in nearly every scene, and for that reason it's really something special. It also doesn't hurt that the way Sammy uses different techniques for his films is so captivating that it makes me want to get out and pick up the novel that's been dormant for months.

P.S. Elaborating on the Spielberg/Miyazaki comparison, both of their films also have their primary composers using a more minimalist and piano-heavy score than their past works. Great minds really think alike, huh?

P.P.S. This is technically the first time I've seen anything David Lynch related. Good for me, I suppose.

“You must know…surely, you must know it was all for you.”

I have a very strong love-hate relationship with romance stories. I’m not opposed to them on principle — my favorite movie of all time is part romance — but the way they’re presented frustrate me more often than not. Most of the time it’s down to three things: lack of time, one-sidedness, and the obligatory nature of it all. I can imagine many instances of someone in the screenwriter’s room saying “Hey, some love can spice this story up” as if that’s some golden law every movie needs to have. Despite all of my complaints, I say it’s a love-hate relationship because when it hits…it really hits.

Pride & Prejudice’s focus on Elizabeth’s and Mr. Darcy’s relationship obviously makes this different since it’s the central focus of the story. It’s a enemies-to-lovers relationship present in a thousand stories after it, but what makes Jane Austen’s novel and Joe Wright’s adaptation so endearing after so long is that it’s more about the journey than the destination. Both characters take on different roles of the story’s title — Mr. Darcy’s pride frequently clashes with Elizabeth’s quick prejudices against him. Both have very obvious flaws, but unlike so many other romances since, both realize that they have to grow. That’s why the rain scene is so fantastic. Their feelings for each other are there — you can’t tell me they weren’t close to kissing — just blocked by their limitations. Elizabeth’s refusal was more than just a rejection of Mr. Darcy’s marriage proposal; it was an awakening for both of them, especially when he gives her the letter explaining himself. When they meet in the field in one of the final scenes, it’s euphoric because the two of them have changed for the better. As my girlfriend put it, “they don’t grow for each other, they grow because of each other.” There’s a reason this is one of the greatest romance stories of all time. I’m so grateful that Joe Wright, Kiera Knightley, and Matthew Macfadyen were able to capture the essence of Jane Austen’s novel. It’s always a joy to revisit.

Also, the theater experience was fantastic. I was one of the two men in the entire theater, and it was especially surreal since I guarantee that a good portion of them knew the entire movie by heart. Everyone who’s been hollering and cheering for A Minecraft Movie needs to experience a movie in a theater packed with the opposite gender at least once. Giggling together during the hand flex, the boiled potatoes scene, or almost all of the crash zooms really strengthened my bond with the people around me. In addition to all of this, I was able to see it with my girlfriend once again. Top 5 theater experience, in my opinion.

P.S. Another reason Pride & Prejudice appeals to me so much, as I mentioned in my previous review of the film, is that the book is what brought me and my girlfriend together. The more time we spend together, the more I’m convinced our relationship is something Austen would’ve written herself.

At an HHS press conference in Washington, D.C., yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said some hurtful things about children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Below are a few sentences he said,

"Autism destroys families, and more importantly, it destroys our greatest resource, which is our children."

"[Autistic children] will never pay taxes, they'll never hold a job, they'll never play baseball, they'll never write a poem, they'll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted."

As an autistic individual, I have a lot of thoughts.

I want to address the last two sentences first. I know from my own experiences that many of the things RFK said autistic children can't do are straight-up false. I've played baseball in my single-digit years and continue in athletic pursuits with cross-country and track. I may not specialize in poetry, but I've dabbled in it. I've gone on multiple dates with multiple girls, including my current girlfriend, whom I love more than almost anyone else. Not every autistic individual can do these things; I understand that. However, there's a reason that it's called a spectrum. Autism may prevent some individuals from participating in those activities, but it does not stop all of them. In some cases, it can actually help them. The blanket statements that RFK used are not only untrue but also harmful.

The first sentence is the more damaging one. I've been incredibly blessed to live in a community where my peers treat me with respect and comion and not in ways that reinforce the negative stigmatism that is so often associated with autism. My parents have raised me and my siblings with nothing but love and are almost solely responsible for shaping me into the person I am today. My family is not only functioning but thriving. The sad truth, however, is that not every autistic individual has those same blessings. Some don't receive the comion that they deserve. Some don't receive the help that they need in navigating their difficulties. Some aren't valued as of their families or communities. As a Christian, I firmly believe that no birth is an accident, no matter the circumstances. Everyone inherently has value in his eyes because we were all put here on Earth. Autistic people are just as capable of positively contributing to society as anyone else. They are not burdens by themselves. They begin to feel like burdens when they are neglected and have unsympathetic words targeted toward them. What really destroys families are parents who don't understand the needs of their own children.

So here's my response to RFK's statements: Autistic people are extraordinary people. There are challenges, sure, but there are also beautiful things that come with the autistic experience. What society needs is not a way to stem the rising autism cases or a "cure." What it needs is to accept these individuals as human beings and not as detriments to families and societies. One of my greatest desires is that RFK realizes the error of his words. Despite his lack of a health degree, he certainly seems like an intelligent man. I hope that he can use that intelligence to conduct meaningful research about autism rather than using outdated findings. If you are an autistic individual yourself, don't let his words weigh you down. You are loved and valued, whether you recognize it or not. This month is Autism Awareness Month, though it should really be called Autism Acceptance Month. Especially now, autistic people need more love than ever.

"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love." (John 14:9 KJV)

Watched on Tuesday February 25, 2025.

I read once that the main appeal of Peanuts is children trying to do adult things, and I can definitely see that here. Everything related to managers is pretty funny, especially with someone like Charlie Brown at the helm. Not quite as good as the one I saw before, but still enjoyable.

Even in student body elections, the leading candidate promotes their conspiracy theories the second their victory is secured.

Pretty solid short overall. The pacing is kinda wonky and all over the place, but it’s Peanuts, so I can’t complain too much. If all student elections were like this, I might’ve been motivated to run again in high school. I would’ve voted for Linus.

My Apple TV+ free trial was worth it for the chance to see these Peanuts shorts alone.

I played Pineapple Rag for a piano recital, so I’ve been meaning to check this out.

I think it’s just a me problem, but I didn’t quite enjoy this as much as I thought. Normally I love twisty plots, but I couldn’t quite get behind this one. Robert Redford is effortlessly charming in his role, and Paul Newman brings a lot of confidence. I don’t know. Maybe a rewatch will change things.

First off, I would like to "thank" Portalfreak6089 and huntwatch for being the reason I watched this at all. The former made a list shaming people who liked the dot and asked everyone on it to put their least favorite film, and this is the one the latter put on there. (Seriously though, they're cool. Check them out.)

A Christmas movie if it was sponsored by the United States Air Force. Aside from surface-level references to Christmas lore (except in the bits where it tries to make its own), this feels indistinguishable from a Netflix action flick. This is to 2024 what Gran Turismo is to 2023, in the sense that both feel so artificial and commercialized that it undercuts any emotion it’s aiming for. Except this film is even worse because it takes something magical (my personal favorite holiday) and treats it like a Honda exhibit. Thank goodness we don't have to be subjugated to this year-round like the former. It wasn't even as ironically funny as I hoped. My brother popped in halfway through, and he made me laugh more in his first ten minutes than this ever did.

P.S. The introduction of Chris Evans's character reminded me a lot of the opening of Descendants. Yes, this $200 million movie featuring some of the wealthiest actors on Earth reminded me of a straight-to-cable series from Disney. I think that speaks for itself.

This review may contain spoilers.

Everyone’s said this before, but this movie owes a lot to 9/11.

Two or three years have ed in between my first and second viewings of The Dark Knight. I thought it was a stone-cold masterpiece my first time ‘round. Everything from the action, the story, the visuals, and especially Heath Ledger’s Joker all lived up to the hype. Sometimes, I quote Joker’s monologues when I’m scripting. But what about now? Well…it’s a lot more complicated.

As I’ve been more active on Letterboxd, I’ve noticed one key feature about its s. Unlike other review sites such as IMDB, the critics of a well-received movie are a lot more vocal and visible. The Dark Knight is one of those films. By far the most common criticism I’ve heard of it on this site is that Christopher Nolan seems to be endorsing some of the more controversial aspects of the War on Terror. There’s the more obvious things like Batman’s surveillance system, but there’s also more subtle details highlighting how Batman, Gordon, and Dent employ a “us versus them” mentality in their crusade against the Joker, where innocent civilians get caught in the crossfire. I normally try to avoid viewing any movie through a political lens, but it was impossible to ignore these critiques after more than a year of being exposed to them. Going back to the aforementioned surveillance system, even though Lucius Fox explicitly says “This is wrong,” his — and the movie’s — stance is undermined when…it works. Batman succeeded in tracking down the Joker. In some ways, those people are right.

With that being said, however, I think those who claim that The Dark Knight’s ideology is ultra-right are over exaggerating. They raise some valid arguments, but its willingness to confront its uncomfortable aspects are what prevents it from full-on endorsing that viewpoint, especially toward the end. That’s why the ferry scene is now my favorite scene in the movie. Joker’s challenge leaves the narrative agency squarely into the people inside the two boats. If one of them blew up the other ship preemptively, it would’ve made no difference whether Batman chased after the Joker or not. But they ultimately both decide not to go through with it. That’s what makes all of the difference. Whatever political stance you align The Dark Knight with, that scene is a display of pure humanity. Maybe this movie takes on right-wing tendencies and the “might makes right” mindset, but I somehow doubt that Nolan, who has stated that he grew up fearing he would die in a nuclear explosion while promoting Oppenheimer, would lean into those philosophies on purpose.

My thoughts are scrambled, but that’s just my attempt to explain how drastically my thoughts have changed. The Dark Knight has become a defining example of me not taking a film’s reputation for granted.

Guess who's back
Back again
McGraw's back
Tell a friend

I've mentioned this before in one of my earlier reviews, but I used to make stop-motion animations with these figures called stikbots when I was younger. They're spindly figures about three times as tall as a Lego miniature, with suction cups for their hands and feet. This gave them a flexibility which made them tailor-made for stop-motion. One defining aspect of the experience is the work that goes into it. I had to meticulously position my stikbots' limbs so that their movements would appear natural, and let me tell you, that's far easier said than done. Some of my stikbots were stiffer than others. Sometimes, their suction cups would give up, and they'd fall. On rare, horrifying occasions, the ink on their faces would rub off from overuse. I was nowhere near the level that the people at Aardman are, but it was never easy or quick to make my animations. Yet it always felt amazing once I finished. I making a minute-long video a few years back. It took me the entire day to finish, but I was so happy that my hard work paid off.

The Wallace and Gromit series has always explored the balance between technology and manual labor to an extent, but that question is at the forefront of Vengeance Most Fowl. On paper, Wallace's Norbots seem to be his greatest invention yet. An AI program that can help you with tedious chores like gardening and housekeeping? It sounds like a dream. However, this movie shows a subtle part of the laborious process. Wallace's house and Gromit's garden, despite the effort it takes to maintain them, have their own personal charm because of the work they put into them. When Wallace puts Norbot in charge of Gromit's garden, it produces something impressive to look at but lacks the human (or dog, in Gromit's case) touch. It would be easy for this movie to just say "AI is bad" and call it a day, but the topic becomes more nuanced with their "good" and "evil" settings. Questionable decision-making aside, the fact that they even have these settings raises an interesting question. If AI lacks the subtleties of manual work and could turn on us, how can we use it as a tool, not a substitution?

I feel like the conflicts in this film speak more widely about the film industry at large. There have been countless debates about AI's place in cinema. We've seen both the bad - Late Night With the Devil and last year's Oscars campaigns come to mind - and the good - Dune: Part Two using AI to make the characters' blue-within-blue eyes. I've always enjoyed stop-motion animation because I know the sheer amount of work that goes into it. There's no way to make the props move with a computer. You have to use your own hands and your own wits. It's kind of a shame that Vengeance Most Fowl has to confront these questions rather than letting us bask in the simple charms of Wallace and Gromit's past adventures (though it still has plenty of those), but their answer is well-rounded. Even if staunch anti-AI-ers like myself wish the technology wasn't so dominant in our current society, Aardman teaches us an important message: it can be a helpful tool, but the human spirit and work must always reign supreme.

"There's some things technology just can't do."

It's all in the final shot. The hazy, drowsy blues illuminating the woman's house are replaced by a warm, near-golden light. The tiredness of the first minutes of the day have worn off, and she's ready to start a new one. Staring into her mirror, she says a simple phrase:

おはよう ("Good morning.")

It's a comforting phrase. It's a start of a new day.

I've been meaning to see this one for a while. I have an idea for a short film that I described as "Toy Story meets Satoshi Kon's Good Morning," but without really understanding why I brought the latter into the conversation. It focuses on a person's mirror reflection, who attempts to cheer their counterpart up when they're not looking. Kon's short may be simpler than my story, but it still conveys some of the same feelings I want to convey in my short film, if I make it. Kon somehow blends lethargy, apathy, and a gentle reassurance all within a minute. I'm really happy that I finally watched it. It gave me some of the inspiration I was looking for (particularly with its use of color).

This is a very important movie for my girlfriend, so when my parents put this on, I knew I had to check it out for myself.

I can definitely see how this has impacted her so positively. I really like this movie’s messages about not letting society’s expectations define you as a person. Even in the moments when the story leans into the blonde stereotype that Elle “inherits,” it’s done in a way to prove that those stereotypes are inherently stupid anyway. Elle’s divergence from the other lawyers also reflects something fundamental about trailblazers: they break from any and all conventions. When it focuses on those aspects, it’s pretty great.

The romance is when this film falters in my eyes. Elle’s absolutely right to call out the guys who act like douchebags to her. However, I toe the line when it creates unearned drama in the narrative. For how laser-focused Elle is throughout the movie, it’s when the romance dominates the story that it doesn’t know where it’s going.

Had a pretty good time with this overall, though. To see how it changed my girlfriend’s life in such a positive way alone, it was worth seeing.

“I don’t care who Marnie is. I just want to help her.”

I feel like When Marnie Was There, for some people, captures the same emotions many people have during Valentine’s Day. Like Anna, they feel as if there’s a specific form of love that they can’t obtain. Life’s tough for people like her. Even today, since I wasn’t able to spend time with my girlfriend, I felt like I was missing out. If there’s anything Anna’s emotional journey teaches us, however, is that there’s love to be found wherever you look. Whether it’s a friend who s you for who you are like Marnie, a paternal figure like Anna’s foster mother, or a strong system like the Oiwas, Anna is given love again and again. That’s why this movie fills my soul every time I rewatch it. It talks directly to those who feel lonely, saying “You are valued. You are loved.”

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone. Whether you’re celebrating with your significant other or by yourself, you are loved this day and always.

I can’t believe that this is my first time seeing this. After years of buildup, reading the series twice and seeing the first film three times, I can safely say that the hype is real. It continues to add to the sublime mixture of jaw-dropping spectacle and smaller but no less powerful character moments. There’s so many translations from the book to the screen that set my heart ablaze: Gandalf banishing Saurman from Theoden, Merry and Pippin’s experiences with Treebeard, the entirety of Helm’s Deep…the list goes on and on. Sam’s speech alone could power me for weeks. I don’t really have too much to say that everyone else hasn’t said already. I’m just so happy that I’m finally seeing these for the first time. Onto Return of the King!

A month ago from yesterday, my grandpa ed away suddenly. Once the shock was over, I had plenty of time to process my emotions. There were a lot of them: grief, sadness (mainly for my dad more than myself), but chief among them was regret.

A few months before his ing, I got into a lengthy conversation in which he basically outlined his political beliefs. He wasn’t necessarily a full-on Trump er, but he had strong negative opinions towards the Democratic Party. Ever since then, I’ve been weary of getting roped into another discussion like it, especially since he said many things I didn’t agree with. Family gatherings at his house, happy times to spend with my cousins, aunts, and uncles, became tense as I kept my distance from my grandpa.

That’s why his death was so crushing. I had let my implicit judgments of him as someone who would vote for Trump dominate all of my perceptions of him. Now, that doesn’t mean I feel bad that I didn’t vote for him or that his political stances were entirely correct — he never changed my mind on that. I was and still am mad at myself because I didn’t focus on his two most important attributes: a man of God and a family man. He graduate with master’s and doctorate degrees. He raised a family of eight children. He never gave up an opportunity to help someone out. He forged swords, including the replica of Sting which currently hangs in my room. Without him and my grandma, my dad wouldn’t have been born, and therefore I wouldn’t either. All of these incredible things he’s done, all swept under my mental rug because of his political views. One twenty-minute discussion took control of my perceptions of him throughout the eighteen years I knew him. In a deeply iconic coincidence, his burial was on January 6th.

With all of my thoughts after the funeral, I’ve come to an important conclusion. I’ve seen Trump divide people all throughout the U.S., but only through news stories. It becomes a whole different story when you see that same division within your own family. It wasn’t an external war of words, but more so an internal separation. I will see my grandpa again in the next life, and someday we’ll all rest in God’s care and love. Until then, I made a promise to myself that I would not let differing political ideologies distance myself from people I know and love. I may not have to agree with them, but we are all made with God’s love first and foremost, and that’s what I’m going to focus on. In a time where politics is slowly becoming an unofficial form of religion in the U.S., this lesson was something I desperately needed. The problem was whether I would actually follow through on my conviction. I have a history of not doing anything about my internal vows. Who was to say I would soon become critical of someone else because they expressed pro-Trump sentiment? Well, a week and a half ago, my promise was tested.

During lunch with one of my friends a week and a half ago, our conversation turned to a girl who hadn’t been at our lunch table for quite a while. That day, I learned part of the reason why. My friend distanced herself from her because she supposedly s Trump. When I heard that, I thought to myself “she’s making the same mistake I did.” Now, I don’t know this girl as well as I know my friend. My time spent with her during seminary class last semester and during lunch last year was all the time I had to know her. From my limited experiences with her, however, I can safely say she’s not a bad person. She’s rather quiet, yes, but also very thoughtful and firm when she feels like she’s been wronged. Maybe there’s some more personal reasons behind the separation, I don’t know. If there’s one thing the past week and a half has taught me, though, it’s that letting politics take control of relationships between family and friends never goes well. I don’t think either person is completely in the right, but I hope both of them will reconcile and forgive one another for their faults, real or imagined. There’s always so much more to people than just their political beliefs.

This morning, I read Martin Luther King Jr.’s I’ve Been to the Mountaintop speech. At one point, he gave an interesting analogy about Pharaoh and his slaves, saying “Whenever Pharaoh wanted to prolong the period of slavery in Egypt, he had a favorite, favorite formula for doing it. What was that? He kept the slaves fighting among themselves. But whenever the slaves get together, something happens in Pharaoh’s court, and he cannot hold the slaves in slavery. When the slaves get together, that’s the beginning of getting out of slavery.” The United States may not be ing physical slavery anymore, but we are still in bondage to hate and division. No matter where on the political spectrum you stand, no matter your religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, this plague has infested almost every aspect of American life. These next four years won’t be easy. The second Trump istration will affect all American citizens no matter where they live. If history has taught us anything, however, it’s that in times of great unrest and conflict that the greatest moral triumphs occur. We cannot afford to be divided among ourselves at this crucial moment. Let us do what King encouraged us all to do: “Now let us maintain unity.” Let us raise the moral standard for the United States of America and the world, whether its politicians will or not.

Rest in peace, grandpa. I love you.

“And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is due.” — Mosiah 4:13

“A com, I learned when I was surveying, it’ll…it’ll point you true north from where you’re standing, but it’s got no advice about the swamps, deserts, and chasms that you’ll encounter along the way. If in pursuit of your destination, you plunge ahead heedless of obstacles, and achieve nothing more than to sink into a swamp…what’s the use of knowing true north?”

Eight months ago, I bought a copy of David Herbert Donald’s biography of Abraham Lincoln. The 16th president of the U.S. had long been a subject of interest to me, especially with the widely held opinion that he was the country’s greatest president. For months afterward, however, it sat dormant on my bookshelf. I just had other books that I wanted to read more at the time. The recent presidential election, notably its winner, changed that. Donald’s book had now become a thing of curiosity to a thing of necessity in my eyes. So, at the start of December, I set myself to finish the book and rewatch Lincoln before Inauguration Day. Steven Spielberg’s film doesn’t adapt Donald’s biography directly — the former narrows its focus to the ing of the Thirteenth Amendment, while the latter encomes all of Lincoln’s life — but that wasn’t my focus. I wanted to find any applicable lesson I could from his leadership, with his best and worst attributes. This review won’t solely be about the film but more so a blend of a review of it and the book and how it speaks to the current political landscape.

Though this film centers around the efforts to the Thirteenth Amendment, Spielberg, aided by Tony Kushner’s script, starts the film by showing how his views on slavery have matured throughout the Civil War. One of the biggest misconceptions about him is that he always had plans for ending slavery, at least through the Constitution. His upbringing instilled in him the belief that slavery was wrong, but that stemmed from his father’s teachings rather than his own experiences. That all changed during his term in the House of Representatives. During this time, he saw firsthand the horrors of the slave trade in Washington, D.C., and it was at this point that he ed the anti-slavery movement. Even then, however, he was far from the man who would work to get the aforementioned amendment ratified. His initial plan to send African Americans back to their homelands in Africa was both impractical and inconsiderate of the enslaved people’s desires. Even when the Civil War began, his initial goal wasn’t to end slavery but to preserve the Union at any cost. For these reasons, the opening scene is my favorite scene in the film. He talks to two African-American foot soldiers, addressing them by name and addressing their concerns about the equality of whites and blacks after the war was over. Before they march to battle, one of them finishes quoting his second Inaugural address, which two white soldiers started. Though there’s nothing showing how he got to this point before this scene, as in Donald’s book, it’s still a great jumping point for Lincoln’s character for the rest of the film. It’s my favorite scene in the movie because it establishes his moral character.

Of course, Lincoln was never a complete saint, and Spielberg is aware of this. A frequent question asked by other characters in the movie is whether Lincoln moved the United States closer to a dictatorship because of how he exercised the War Powers Clause in the Constitution. Lincoln’s justification was that the Confederate States of America, which was illegitimate in his eyes, were engaging in such a rebellious way that using it was necessary to preserve the Union. Since the enslaved people were considered property, he felt justified in taking them from the slave states for their attacks on the U.S. Even by his own ission, however, it’s a slippery slope, especially since Lincoln needed votes in the House of Representatives from those who opposed the Thirteenth Amendment to get it ed. The claim that he exercised dictatorial power is not unjustified. Spielberg doesn’t dive into this dilemma too much, but it poses an interesting question. Was Lincoln right to wield more power to end slavery?

The behind-the-scenes drama behind the Thirteenth Amendment’s ing can be seen as a reflection of U.S. politics today. Far from disappearing, its complications have only risen. So why was my research of Lincoln’s presidency and how he ed the amendment so important? It harkens back to a time when morals reigned. There definitely were some shady dealings, but they ed the country’s greatest moral milestone. Despite his questionable handling of the presidency at times, his reputation as the greatest president in U.S. history isn’t baseless. Spielberg is just as fascinated with the man as most Americans, but he doesn’t portray him as a flawless leader. His film is about flawed politicians working together for the common good of the people, including Lincoln himself. I ire his portrayal of Civil War America. Some may say it’s outdated in this era of politics, but I think we need it now more than ever. I first got into this movie through one of John Williams’s pieces in the movie titled “‘With Malice Toward None.”’ It’s the film’s leitmotif and evokes a warm, pleasant feeling whenever I hear it. Though Lincoln’s second inaugural address, in which the title of the song is present, doesn’t appear until the end of the movie, the song embodies Lincoln’s best characteristics really well. It feels like Williams is using this piece to encourage us to follow the example he shows in the film. That’s what all of my research was about. For all of his faults, Lincoln is a shining example of moral leadership. With Inauguration Day so soon, it’s critical that all of us acknowledge that none of us are perfect, but like Lincoln, we can work with our flaws and still strive to uplift everyone in this country. In such divisive times, Lincoln teaches us that regular citizens can raise the moral standard for this country even if our leaders can’t.

Suffers from the same problems I have with most ensemble films, mainly that not everyone in the main group is fully developed. Most of Ocean’s crew outside of him, Rusty, and maybe Matt Damon’s character feel whittled down to the attributes they were hired for more than anything else. This problem also extends to some of the characters outside of Ocean’s squad. Tess doesn’t have any role in the story outside of a love interest between Ocean and the antagonist. Aside from that, Ocean’s Eleven is as sleek and stylish as they come. This is another great addition of the “smart-people-pulling-off-big-brain-plans” subgenre that I enjoy so much. I think Matt Damon’s character is my favorite of the eleven overall, but I can’t deny the blinding charisma George Clooney and Brad Pitt have in this movie. Clooney, in particular, perfectly fits the meme of “me adopting the personality of the main character in the most recent movie I watched” with his role in this (jury’s still out whether I like him more here or in Fantastic Mr. Fox, though). In addition, this movie’s style goes harder than I expected with some great editing and colors, especially blue. Not quite sure if I love this as much as some others do, but it’s still a very solid heist movie from Stephen Soderbergh.

Also, I’m not sure how I feel about the representation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in here, but the fact that’s its there at all is one of the movie’s most surprising aspects.

Let’s get this out of the way: Yes, Wicked’s lighting is just as bad as some people say it is. The movie itself looks decent, and practical sets and props are always a positive (how did they plant those 9 million turnips?!), but the way the light is placed during some of the musical numbers either covers up the action or, in Cynthia Erivo’s case, removes the effect of her green skin. I’m happy that this movie is so colorful instead of following the MCU’s visual palette, but it’s harder to enjoy it when the lighting makes it difficult to see.

Now that that’s out of the way, I enjoyed Wicked way more than I expected. Everything I know about the musical and the original story is purely through osmosis, but I had a good time with this first half. Ervio and Arianna Grande nail their roles, and their relationship progression is the most captivating part of the entire story. It also felt surprisingly relevant with all that’s happening in the world today. The movie’s themes of discrimination, the way people are depicted, and how people choose to act against hate are all too real right now. And, of course, watching it with my girlfriend is always a pleasure. Now I’m slightly worried about how I’ll feel when I get around to seeing The Wizard of Oz...

With that said, I still don’t understand the amount of Oscar buzz this is getting. Grande absolutely deserves a best ing actress nomination, but best picture? Really? This is just my limited knowledge and opinions, though. Others will have more to say than I do.

If this really is Dreamworks's last film in-house, what a way to go out on. This is already a great tale about motherhood, but the themes about balancing technology with nature just enhances it. It's not entirely subtle, but when it's presented with such childlike wonder, I can't complain too much.

“Not even Wensleydale?”

Gromit’s literally me (I also have read Crime and Punishment).

This used to be my favorite of the shorts I watched, but now I’ve ed everyone else in recognizing the perfection of The Wrong Tros. This is still my second, though. Probably features the best visual jokes of all of them. I love the way the newspaper headlines subtly foreshadow events in the plot, and the reference to Feathers McGraw in Gromit’s jail cell sent me. The chase scene is also insanely creative. It’s not quite the train scene in its predecessor, but it’s close.

This review may contain spoilers.

Oh, Wish. Wish, Wish, Wish. To say that this movie had a tumultuous year is an understatement. For me, the first signs came from my mom. She didn't want to see it because of the bad reviews she saw when it came out, but I wanted to give it a chance. My mom turned out to be correct. I thought it was awful. An underwhelming story, lackluster songs, and the biggest filler character I've ever seen all blended together to produce a disappointing sundae. As much as I disliked it, nothing could've prepared me for the absolute vitriol most of the internet expressed for it. Everyone and their mother seemed to jump at the chance to tear this film apart. There are worse films that I've seen, but I've never witnessed an adverse reaction this strong.

So, I started to wonder: Was the hate overblown? I didn't like it, but had I let everyone else's opinions reinforce my initial one? I decided to give it another shot. I made a deal with my girlfriend where she would watch the 2022 adaptation of Persuasion, and I would rewatch Wish. My objective was simple. I wanted to know if the hate was undeserved or worsened on my second viewing.

Ultimately, my opinions didn't change too much one way or the other, but now I understand why I feel so frustrated with it. I don't think Disney's goals for this movie were inherently flawed. Even putting aside being one of the world's most prominent and most influential companies, reaching 100 years is a moment worthy of celebration for anyone. Looking back on their legacy by highlighting their best aspects, especially those people have wanted to see again, is excellent. It's their commitment to it that's the problem. More often than not, it's like they only gazed at the surface level of these attributes without ing what made them special in the first place.

Let's start off with the references to their past movies. This isn't the first time Disney has referenced one of their past movies in another — one of my favorite details in Hercules is that the lion skin Hercules uses is actually Scar's. Typically, it's done in a way that compliments the story being told. Not in this case. Many examples exist throughout Wish, but the biggest offenders are Asha's friends. Though their appearances and names have changed, their personalities resemble the seven dwarves from Snow White. I haven't seen the original movie, but considering a big part of the story centers around the dwarves' efforts to save her, I assume their personalities shine through the camaraderie they display throughout their journey. It's clear that Disney wanted to earn some nostalgic points from the audience by referencing them through Asha's friends, but that single-minded focus didn't give me any reason to care about them. I can't tell you anything about most of them aside from…the short one is grumpy? The only one I found interesting was the Sleepy stand-in, and even then, that's because his character didn't revolve around his similarity to the dwarf. The story really could've done something cool with his desperation to have his wish granted and reclaim who he was. If King Magnifico hadn't enslaved his brain, his confrontation with Asha in the third act could've given this movie some desperately needed emotional tension. If all of Asha's friends were one-note references, that would've been one thing. But Sleepy's character shows what they could've done with the others. Either give them more defined personalities or focus on a few and cut the others. The guqin may have seven strings, but if you don't take advantage of its different pitch positions, it won't be interesting to hear. Fan service can work when it serves the story at hand. When it bogs down the story as much as the seven dwarf replacements do, it's no longer fun.

Unfortunately, this problem plagues both the minor and the major aspects of the movie. Nowhere is this clearer than arguably its most important character: King Magnifico. Asha may be the protagonist, but Magnifico directs the story far more than she does. I was excited to hear that Disney was returning to a straightforward villain like the Scars and Ursulas of old. However, like so many other things in Wish, it doesn't feel like their heart was entirely in it. His tragic backstory makes his character much more complicated and not in a good way. Some people have argued that he's more reasonable than Asha because his backstory justifies him for not granting dangerous wishes. Maybe that viewpoint would've been stronger if he had stayed a concerned leader, but Disney's desire to make him an outright villain undermines not only this theory, but his entire character. The shift is sudden, yes, but they had something going for him by depicting him as someone slowly becoming more paranoid as he loses control of his self-made paradise. Then, the blame for his wickedness is placed on dark magic. That cop-out replaces the story’s previous character work with what Disney wanted him to be. King Magnifico just feels so confused as a character. If Disney and the audience craved a pure evil villain, then why did they write his backstory and personality in a way that makes him seem like a pretty decent guy? The jarring character change ultimately renders him just as much of an archetype as the seven dwarves' stand-ins rather than an actual character. If you want to make him a villain, ditch the backstory and have him start consuming wishes earlier than he actually does. If you're going to keep the backstory, lean into it and use it to justify his paranoia. Just commit to something rather than pursuing two half-baked ideas. There's a lot of undercooked meat all over this movie's bones, and the result is a deeply unsatisfying meal.

Ever since this movie came out, some of the most intriguing things about it are its deleted scenes and scrapped content. Now, not all of it was necessary. I've heard most people were disappointed that Disney deprived them of a romance between Asha and a star-boy, but I actually don't mind what we have. I know the main reason was probably to sell more plushies, but darn it if Star isn't cute. Yet, I can't deny that keeping the romance would've given more emotional power to the song "At All Costs." It's a soothing song in a vacuum, but it's strange that Asha and Magnifico are singing it to the wishes, especially since Asha mainly cares about her grandfather's wish rather than all of them at that point. The demo where she and the star-boy sing it to each other makes much more sense. That's a minor critique compared to the deleted scene of a rebellion in the woods. I only learned about it recently, so I don't know what Disney would've done with it, but the idea would've already improved so many problems with the final draft. Magnifico would've had more justification for his fear of being overthrown. Asha could've taken more of a leading role in the narrative. If Sleepy's character had been in it, he could have betrayed the rebellion to get his wish granted, and no evil magic possession would have been needed. If just one addition had the potential to improve the story this much, imagine what might have happened if they kept some of their other ideas. As I said, some scenes and content are abandoned for good reasons, but the more I learn about their initial sketches, the more frustrated I am that Disney focused on referencing its past rather than telling a good story.

I could criticize so many other things about Wish, like its songs or how irritating the goat is (seriously, removing him and having Star be Asha's only partner would make no difference). There's just no point, though. The rest of the internet's done that already. This rewatch allowed me to figure out my own thoughts on such a polarizing movie. It’s not the worst film I’ve seen, but it is one of the most frustrating. Over two viewings, my initial faith in it transformed into disappointment with what could've been. Disney had so many chances to make their 100th-anniversary film good or even great. Instead, it's an unofficial adaptation of a middle/high school fantasy book gone wrong.

Watched on Sunday December 29, 2024.

“They’re the wrong tros, Gromit! And they’ve gone wrong!”

No wonder Aardman chose a penguin as the villain. As an antagonist, Feathers McGraw is ice-cold.

A massive step-up from A Grand Day Out in every way. The story is even more engaging, and I really felt for Gromit as it progressed. I also like how most of Wallace’s and Gromit’s adventures need no introduction; they just jump right into the action. The animation makes the buried 11-year-old animator in me sing in pleasure. Everyone raves about the train chase and for good reason. It’s one of my go-to scenes when I want to show someone what animation can do at its best. Such an incredible short.

I’m slightly anxious for how Vengeance Most Fowl will handle Feathers, though. I have no doubt he’ll be a scene-stealer again, but his plan in this, like himself, is very direct and to-the-point. It works great for the 20 minutes he’s in here, but will it be the same with an additional 45? I’m not sure. I’ll just have to wait and see.

I’m seeing Vengeance Most Fowl with one of my friends in a few weeks, so I thought now would be a great time to rewatch the shorts.

As someone who used to animate with these figures called stikbots, A Grand Day Out brings me an immense amount of pleasure. The stop-motion animation obviously isn’t as refined as the later shorts, but that’s part of its charm. It reminds me of the janky movements and obvious human touches of my animations. The story itself is also quite delightful. Just a quaint adventure about a man and his loyal canine on a celestial hunt for some cheese. The robot’s skiing aspirations are always satisfying to see as well. Can’t wait to rewatch the others!

Hey y'all! There's this thing called Deco My Tree which I've seen some of my friends here do, and I thought I might make my own. Feel free to leave a kind message if you'd like! My only request is that no profanity is used.
https://decomytree.com/home?hashedId=l_AF1p7kKiMk

This review may contain spoilers.

"I was born to truly live! Just like the birds and beasts."

A few hours before I wrote this (4 days after I rewatched this movie), a man gave a talk at my church. He was giving his respects to another man in my neighborhood who had ed away a few days before, and he quoted two scripture verses from section 138 of the Doctrine and Covenants that were really eye-opening. In that section, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at the time, Joseph F. Smith, recorded his vision of the prophets assigned by God to teach His gospel to the dead. After listing the prophets of the Bible that were among them, he wrote the following:

"All these and many more, even the prophets who dwelt among the Nephites and testified of the coming of the Son of God, mingled in the vast assembly and waited for their deliverance,"
"For the dead had looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage." (Doctrine and Covenants 138:49-50)

The man who gave the talk used these two verses to teach us that God wants us to live a fulfilling life while on Earth, which is precisely what my deceased neighbor did. This honestly blew my mind. These prophets now live in a world far greater than this one, yet they still desire to return to Earth and be reunited with their bodies? Why? I might not have gotten an answer if I hadn't watched Kaguya a few days ago.

In this rewatch, I found a lot of parallels between Kaguya's life and Christianity. She was sent from a heavenly world to come to Earth and returns to said world by the end of the movie. It's her reaction to it, however, that captivates me every time. The wealthy lifestyle of 10th-century Japan doesn't suit her at all. Though lavished with praise and riches, she essentially has no free will left, and she only endures for her father's happiness. By the time the emperor himself comes to her palace and attempts to make her his wife, she can't take it anymore. Her heart cries out to the moon people, begging them to take her back and remove her suffering. In a subsequent discussion with her parents, she explains that she will forget everything she's done on this green planet once they come down and place their robe on her. Sounds like the answer to her prayers, right? Not quite. In addition to her sorrows, she will cease to the times she was truly happy, no matter how brief.

Despite their belief in an afterlife, one more prosperous than the last at that, the fear of death still haunts most Christians. Most of that can be attributed to the fear of losing what one has on Earth. We want to cling to some selfish things but also some good and spiritually nourishing things. Spending time in nature brings Kaguya joy, and the world's natural beauty is one of God's greatest gifts. Her moments with Sutemaru are some of the happiest she has ever had, and God decreed that "it is not good that…man should be alone." (Genesis 2:18) Even when she sings A Celestial Maiden's Song, the lyrics "If I hear that you pine for me, I will return to you" draw similarities to the promises God has made that He will not abandon His children. Why we're on Earth at all is a broad question, but this movie gives one of the answers found in scripture. We all have experienced and will continue to experience trials on this planet, but ultimately, we were sent here to be happy. Kaguya called for her celestial parents because that balance between good times and hard times was way off balance. Seeing this again, I love the final scene. She's just had the robe placed on her and is flying back to the moon. Despite seemingly forgetting everything she's done on Earth, she shoots a backward glance, tears in her eyes. To me, Kaguya, at that moment, asks herself, "There's so much more life I could've lived."

I've said before that Takahata has always been interested in what it means to live a satisfying life. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, in addition to being a blend of his past films, boils that question down to its bare necessities. With all of its religious and celestial symbolism and imagery, it also gives an answer that aligns with something I've been taught all my years: we were born to live a happy life, even in times of sadness.

With the 25th rapidly approaching,
I've wanted to watch this for a while
So tonight, I popped in this classic
Known to any Christmas cinephile

This special's status is well deserved
Charm and fun it always served
The hand-drawn animation
Always brings me elation

"You're a Mean One," of course
Is a jam and repeated oft
Such sinister lyrics and a great
Voice from Thurl Ravenscroft

As quaint as this special may seem
It greatly pulls off its central theme
The Grinch learns to expand his heart
And the story of it is indeed fine art

Of all the versions, this is the best take
Despite the attempts other people make
The one from 2000 seems fun but insane
While the 2018 one feels too mundane

I adore the tales from Dr. Seuss
Writing in his style I knew I must do
I must give credit to the Love is RED
For inspiring the format of this review

I normally don’t watch movies on Sundays, but my mom really wanted to watch another movie from the family movie bucket list poster, so here we are.

Look, I’m sure that the actual story of the Apollo 13 is super compelling, but Ron Howard’s take on it didn’t really captivate me that much. I feel like its focus on the mission deprives the movie from having a lot of character. I wasn’t hooked by the rescue mission because I didn’t really have a connection to the people on board. I tried, but it’s kind of a letdown overall. The ignition scene was really cool, though.

Define "dancing."

Tonight, my family bought a poster that contained a bucket list of 100 family movies. The idea was that you would scratch the foil for a movie to reveal an illustration for it. We had a random number generator choose a movie for us tonight, and it landed on this one, number 38.

What a way to start off.

I loved Wall-E when I first watched it, but it just got even better on rewatch. Everyone lauds Up for its silent film-esque "Married Life" scene, but Pixar did something similar for nearly half an hour a year before. The visual language communicated by WALL-E and EVE is nothing short of jaw-dropping. I feel so seen by WALL-E that it's actually kind of scary. The way he's curious, the way he's friendly to everyone he meets, the way he comes alive when meeting someone else after being lonely for so long, all of these things I relate to so much (also the fact that he may exhibit autistic traits, but you didn't hear that from me). The romance between WALL-E and EVE is honestly one of my favorites from any movie I've seen (which testifies to my limited movie-going experience, I know, but I must speak my mind). Add all of that on top of an incredible environmental message that still feels relevant today? You've got top-tier Pixar right here. They really were operating on another level back then. It honestly might be my new favorite of theirs.

Side note: I looked through the poster, and I want to know who chose the movies. Most of them are what you'd expect to find on a list like that, but there's also stuff like Stand by Me (an R-rated movie) and The Simpsons Movie. Wild.

“I wonder who this little boy or girl is gonna be? Ash, I'm so glad he was you.”

Man, this movie hits *waves hands* different during Thanksgiving. A wonderful story about a father learning to be grateful for the blessings he’s been provided. Endlessly charming stop-motion animation and great characters only make this even more of a treat. If I can’t watch the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special (no, I don’t have Apple TV), this was the best possible alternative.

Happy turkey day, everyone!

Watched on Tuesday November 26, 2024.

Kinda clichéd, but I had fun with it. I’m not sure how the original book is, but it seems like I would enjoy reading it. Tim Curry is fantastic as a twisted conclave. Makes me want to see Conclave even more.

On rewatch, I appreciate this movie’s writing even more. Six different subplots all tied together but also kinda not? Everyone else’s pushing the plot along but its central character just avoids it no matter what? Like I said before, Gore Verbinski is a man.

“This is either madness or brilliance.”
”It’s remarkable how often those two traits coincide.”

Gore Verbinski is a man. That’s the only logical way to describe how this movie, and by extension his trilogy, could’ve been made. No other trilogy has a character existing entirely by himself, outside of the plot. No other trilogy has such wonderful of a blend between practical effects and state-of-the-art CGI. The entire trilogy, like its trademark character, exists on its own . Ironically, it’s the moments in which Verbinski attempts to introduce rules (the pirate code) in which this film stumbles the most. Fantastic stuff.

I’m on a long car ride with my cross-country team, and they’re planning on watching the entire trilogy. Maybe I’ll in, but I have a lot of schoolwork to do. We’ll see.

This review may contain spoilers.

In the spring of my sixth-grade year, I wrote a six-page story for a Scholastic writing contest. It had been simmering in my head for weeks, and that provided a convenient outlet to actually write it. When I look back (heh) on it now, it's extremely raw, full of implausible events and way too many conveniences for the characters. I've never heard from Scholastic again after I sent my story to them. I initially thought it would be a one-off, but then someone in my class said she wanted to read it.

At the time, I was obsessed with the Splatoon series. I based my story on some of my own characters from that world and took inspiration from the inklings' and octolings' species battles that were prevalent in the series at the time. That was why she wanted to read it in the first place. I knew little, if anything, about this girl prior to this, so you could probably imagine my shock. Still, that was nothing compared to how I felt when she told me she actually liked it. Someone else actually enjoyed this silly, dumb story that sixth-grade me made. That was probably the most pleasant surprise I had all year. We became good friends as the school year came to a close, and over the next year, I wrote two sequels and a prequel. I didn't care how illogical they likely were. I didn't care that I wasn't an expert on the series's lore. All that mattered was that I had fun writing them and that I had someone who would be willing to read them.

Look Back captures that sublime feeling when art makes a bridge between two souls. Much like Kyomoto and Fujino, I never expected to become friends with that girl in my sixth-grade class, especially since our personalities were so different. Yet the art of writing found a way for us. It's truly amazing how much Kyomoto's and Fujino's friendship mirrors my own experiences. We don't see each other much anymore, not because she died liked Kyomoto, but just because we drifted apart over the years. Still, I'll never forget how much of an inspiration she was to me for that brief period in my life. The final scene, in which Fujino discovers the manga that Kyomoto made after she saved her life, really sums up everything I love about this movie. I'm happy that it resonated so strongly with me and so many others. It's exactly the kind of movie young artists need.

I definitely want to watch it again sometime later. I found this on Prime, but it didn’t give subtitles for the narrator. It didn’t bother me too much since the visual storytelling does the heavy lifting, but I wonder how much of a difference it would make when I understand what he’s saying.

"You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love—I love—I love you."

About eight months ago, I met her. I was at a writer's boot camp for the day, and there was a game everyone played. A clue to a code lay inside each classroom, and we were encouraged to go around during lunch and ask people for other clues. Hundreds of people sat in the grand ballroom during lunch, but I went to a table with three people I've never seen before. While exchanging clues, the topic turned to the books we were reading at the time. For me, it was Pride and Prejudice. Never in my life have I seen anyone react so strongly to a book before. All three of them were giddy, but she suggested enough Jane Austen material to last me for a year. Eventually, she wrote them all down, adding her number into that literature mixture. From that moment on, I kept her updated about my progress in the book. Having someone else who also loved the book to share my thoughts about it increased my fondness for it fivefold. She and Jane Austen's magnum opus are forever linked in my mind.

About two weeks ago, we officially started dating. Honestly, there's not a more perfect movie we could've watched as our first one as a couple than this one. It really has everything you could ask for from a movie. The lighting is gorgeous. The music is gentle yet euphoric. There's so many instantly iconic moments. The best part? They all enhance arguably the best love story ever told (my internal jury has yet to rule whether it's that or Whisper of the Heart's). I'm picky about romance in...almost any story really, but Elizabeth's and Darcy's growth depicts the double-sided nature that any true romance needs. I've seen many movies that try to make their big, epic moments as exciting as possible, but I don't the last time I've been as excited in a movie as seeing Darcy break his first smile or Elizabeth giving him a second chance. Jane Austen wasn't just ahead of her time — she had an iron grasp on what love was always supposed to be since the beginning, which this adaptation understands. Having my girlfriend to watch it with as well...that elevated this whole experience tenfold.

I'm so lucky and grateful to have her in my life. I can't wait for many more wonderful times together.

“It's too good to be true. He's 6' 4’, has black hair, blue eyes, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, and tells the truth.”

I didn’t intend to watch this a few days after the election, but it gave me a lot of reason to reflect on it and the United States in general. I know some people say that this version of Superman doesn’t hold up to modern standards and that it paints an outdated portrait of an American icon, but to me, this Superman’s earnest commitment to fighting for “truth, justice and the American way” is a benchmark of what we could be moving forward. One of my favorite parts of the movie is the ten minutes after Superman first appears to the public. It’s such a fantastic look into the way he’s willing to help and save everyone, both in their big problems and their small problems. The fact that none of the events are world-threatening and mostly confined to Metropolis makes him even more noble, somehow. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons why I liked this movie so much. Its hero feels, well, heroic in a genuinely inspiring way. Particularly after the post-election stress and the uncertainty of what’s to come, this movie is really what I needed right now. Even if we don’t have the powers of flight or super-speed, we can still each other and stand up for what’s right, and there’s nothing that can display the United States’ true moral values than that.

Watched on Thursday October 17, 2024.

Big news, y’all…

It’s my birthday today! It’s honestly kind of crazy now that I’ve reached this point once again. I might watch a movie for it later today, maybe not, but in the meantime, I’m going to leave this open for a Q&A! Feel free to ask me anything you want (within reason).

Hey all. I just heard about the situation this person is in, and the need help. If you’re able, donate in the link below. If you’re unable (as I am), spreading the word would also be appreciated.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/v9fv7-urgent-help-needed-for-a-fresh-start?attribution_id=sl:6fee793e-9b1d-4fb8-b77a-756910772305&utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_dash_ai&utm_content=amp8_t4&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

I love reading, and I also like seeing how different films based on books are compared to their book counterpart.

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

  Based on the 1997 novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling.

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

  Based on the 1998 novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling.

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

  Based on the 1999 novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling.

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

  Based on the 2000 novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling.

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

  Based on the 2003 novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling.

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

  Based on the 2005 novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling.

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

  Based on the 2007 novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling.

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

  Based on the 2007 novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling.

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

  Based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

  Based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

...plus 25 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Rules:
1. Must be explicitly stated that those involved in making the film adapted the book
2. No two-parters
Suggestions are welcome!

• The Social Network

  The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich

• Lincoln

  Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

• Oppenheimer

  American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

• Arrival

  Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang

• Blade Runner

  Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick

• The Tale of The Princess Kaguya

  The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (Taketori Monogatari) — Anonymous

• Schindler's List

  Schindler’s Ark — Thomas Keneally

• The Shawshank Redemption

  Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption — Stephen King

• Purple Noon

  The Talented Mr. Ripley — Patricia Highsmith

Everyone else has done this already, so why not? Keep in mind that I haven't seen some of these in a while, so this is a very rough list. Notes contain my opinion whether it should've won or not.

Still Haven't Seen:
Happy Feet
Inside Out
Flow

1. Spirited Away

   Deserved

2. The Boy and the Heron

   Deserved

3. WALL·E

   Deserved

4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

   Deserved

5. The Incredibles

   Deserved

6. Ratatouille

   Deserved

7. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

   Howl's Moving Castle should've won, but I'm not at all disappointed that this did.

8. Rango

   Deserved, but I wouldn't have minded if Kung Fu Panda 2 won as well.

9. Soul

   Deserved

10. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

    Deserved

...plus 11 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Best known as the guy who made "history of the entire world, i guess," Bill Wurtz is unironically one of my favorite musicians at the moment. The more I've listened to his music, the more I started associating certain songs with specific Ghibli movies. I'll probably update this list often as I change song choices and add new ones. Songs are in the notes.

• Grave of the Fireflies

  Got to Know What's Going On

• My Neighbor Totoro

  Outside

• Kiki's Delivery Service

  Fly Around

• Porco Rosso

  Hello Sexy Pants

• Whisper of the Heart

  More Than a Dream

• Princess Mononoke

  If The World Doesn't End

• From Up on Poppy Hill

  meet me in september

• The Tale of The Princess Kaguya

  I'm A Princess

• When Marnie Was There

  9 8 7

I did not watch a lot of films that came out this year, so I decided to do the next best thing. Not counting any short films or documentaries.

1. Pride & Prejudice
2. Back to the Future
3. Grave of the Fireflies
4. School of Rock
5. The Red Turtle
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
7. Dune
8. Moulin Rouge!
9. Superman
10. My Neighbors the Yamadas

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

Inspired by the sam. Reviews of mine that I put a lot of thought into.

• The Super Mario Bros. Movie

  boxd.it/4jn9IF

• The Tale of The Princess Kaguya

  boxd.it/4HXteD

• Dune

  boxd.it/5WuSx1

• Sofia The First: The Curse Of Princess Ivy

  boxd.it/6AXjld

• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

  boxd.it/4n0m9D

• Violet Evergarden

  boxd.it/4tWsy5

• The Social Network

  boxd.it/56XHh7

  https://boxd.it/6J7ER7

• Paint Drying

  Earthbound Review
  

• Wish

  https://boxd.it/8f5KoR

Wow, I never knew just how much stuff I had.

Color-coded to the best of my ability.

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Beauty and the Beast
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Angels & Demons
• Les Misérables
• Madagascar
• Pete's Dragon
• Avatar
• Aladdin
• Cars

...plus 70 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Whisper of the Heart
2. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
3. When Marnie Was There
4. Kiki's Delivery Service
5. Spirited Away
6. Only Yesterday
7. The Boy and the Heron
8. Princess Mononoke
9. Grave of the Fireflies
10. Howl's Moving Castle

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

If any movie makes me think “That’s some of the best storytelling I’ve ever seen in my life”, it’s here.

• The Social Network
• Whisper of the Heart
• The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
• When Marnie Was There
• The Boy and the Heron
• Grave of the Fireflies

Basically, my GoodReads posts.

• When Marnie Was There

  Ever since I saw the movie, I had been dying to read the book. I loved the movie, and I was interested to see how different reading the story would be. Thanks to one of my generous friends, I finally got the chance to read it. I finished it in six days, which is a little bit faster than I expected, but for good reason: This book is just as good as the movie.

  It's obvious this story is a labor of love from author Joan G. Robinson, not just in the way it relates to her own childhood (as mentioned in a postscript by her daughter), but in the way it presents its characters and their situations. Anna and Marnie are two sides of the same coin. Both girls feel unloved and lonely, and I can sympathize with them, as I understand the pain of loneliness and the joys that come with finding a friend who cares for you. Their friendship is so pure and genuine, and probably one of the best friendships I've read about.

  Really, the only problems I have with the story come in its third act. It goes on a little bit too long, and there are some things about Marnie that get confusing.

  Aside from that, an absolutely phenomenal tale. Tender, heartbreaking and yet heartwarming at the same time, this is a book I'll be happy to revisit.

  Score: 9/10

• The Great Gatsby

  There were three books I read in my 10th Grade English class, which were Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Alchemist by Paul Coelho, and The Great Gatsby. I enjoyed reading all of them, but something about Gatsby tugged at my brain, telling me to read it again. After finishing it for a third time, I now understand why the tale of Gatsby is so endearing to me. It’s a masterful study in authenticity and the lies we tell ourselves.

  Right from the beginning, F. Scott Fitzgerald sets up the theme of authenticity through our narrator, Nick Carraway. When describing his experiences in New York, he says “I wanted no more riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human heart.” The 1920’s were a period of glamor and money, often at the expense of people’s humanity, and the characters in the story are no exception. Tom acts wise and sophisticated when he is really neither. Jordan conceals her history with cheating in golf to climb her way up the social hierarchy. Even Nick contradicts his own statement by lying to himself about his relationships. With all of these contrasts between the personalities displayed and their true selves, the question regarding sincerity is not whether anyone is truly honest, but who is the least dishonest. Authenticity is one of the most important values of any human being, and with tales like this one, you have to find it wherever you can.

  When describing Gatsby, Nick states that he has an “extraordinary gift for hope”. He hides his own past and secrets like everyone else, and while the road to get there was flawed, everything he does is for the hope to get Daisy back. I found myself sympathizing with him more on this re-read, as his earnestness shines through in his efforts. Everyone else in the Eggs – and by extension, New York – seek to build their reputation, wealth or overall pleasure, but what’s interesting about Gatsby is that he takes all of these things and turns them into something more genuine. Because of this, I think Gatsby is the least dishonest person in the entire story.

  I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

  10/10

• Jane Eyre

  I'd like to start this review by stating that I'm not head over heels in love with this book like others are, nor do I think it is an absolute masterpiece. The pacing and the lack of direction is the biggest weight that brings this story down for me. Since Jane's desire to become independent is a broad ambition, there are some moments where it feels stagnant, particularly in the third act. I found myself going through the pages with much less interest than I had in the previous two-thirds of the book, and in my opinion, its easily the weakest section.

  With that said, the rest of the story is spectacular, and well-deserving of the title "classic". In my copy of the book, the back says "this many-faceted tale invites a splendid variety of interpretations." For me, the most important lenses through which I viewed Jane Eyre's story were of her search for love and of the empathy for its ing characters.

  Everywhere Jane goes, she never entirely fits in. With the Reeds, she is constantly berated by her aunt and beaten by her siblings. At Lowood, she is set apart for her ion. At Thornfield Hall, she is not swept up in the lavish lives that Mr. Rochester and his guests live. It makes sense that, for so long, Jane doesn't think highly of herself. As someone who's autistic and somewhat of a wallflower at school, her struggles with finding a place to fit in and feeling like an outsider really spoke to me, even more so when she begins to find her own way to settle in the worlds she inhabits through her empathy. It's heartwarming to see Jane find love, both from others and from herself, all because she stays true to her own nature. We all have our own ways of showing affection, and I think through finding what that is, all of us can truly complete that universal quest.

  Because of Jane's willingness to listen to others, not only does she become more sympathetic towards the people she meets, but I did as well. I feel like if this were to come out today, Mr. Rochester would appear as entirely unsympathetic after what he did to his first wife, and St John would be depicted as a religious bigot way too caught up in his own views. However, this is not the case. The story, like Jane herself, is patient with its characters and gives them time to tell their side of events. Mr. Rochester, once his wife is revealed, is utterly ashamed of what he's done and, once Jane returns to him, vows to be a better man. Everything St John does is for a higher calling: to become a missionary and to serve God. Jane realizes both of these traits and respects them for it, even if she doesn't deny their clear flaws. This message, especially today, is one we all need to hear. No one on Earth may be perfect, but it's only through being accepting towards others and keeping an open ear that we can love and help each other become better.

  While this may not be my favorite book, Charlotte Brontë still crafted a superb tale about self-acceptance and love. I think most people could benefit from reading it.

  7.5/10

• Crime and Punishment

  "Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness." (Alma 41: 10)

  Like walking through a cold winter in Siberia, and just about as enjoyable. Dostoevsky's story is a masterclass in the mechanics of people and how they act the way that they do. The relentless interrogation of Raskolnikov's mind perfectly reveals the inherit guilt that comes with sin, no matter how much they try to escape it. I will definitely re-visit this book in the future, though. Dostoevsky's writing is too layered and complexed to be satisfied by only one read.

I don't cry during movies, like, at all, so if a movie appears on here, it really did something special.

• The Truman Show
• Violet Evergarden
• When Marnie Was There

The tonal whiplash when I put the playlist on shuffle tho.

• Zack Snyder's Justice League

  
  

• The Dark Knight Rises
• The Batman
• Spirited Away
• Interstellar
• Princess Mononoke
• Kung Fu Panda

  
  

• Batman Begins
• The Shawshank Redemption
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

  
  

...plus 19 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

A unique genre, to be sure.

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
• Steve Jobs