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Life is suffering. It is hard. The world is cursed. But still, you find reasons to keep living.

Nature is strange, an indifferent force to everything under its own umbrella, with the ability to expose those to destruction or shower with convalescence. The food chain renders a balance to this equation, assuaging hunger in the predator yet instilling anxiety into the prey, and yet a balance remains. The human factor – those made in the image of God – are left responsible for the rest of His creation, that we owe it to ourselves to utilize resources to the best of our abilities. But human efficacy and wherewithal exists (or lack thereof) that bears a cycle, and the greatest truth is we cannot see it or feel powerless when we do.

When we are left to deal with ecological nature and our nature, we are left clasping our arms and grabbing our hearts in shock. Looking within finds the key for both metaphorical locks, that understanding animalistic nature is not the end all be all the radical wishes to tell us, neither is sticking to a code that only protects human selfishness. If the deer god can be so indifferent to the life he heals, then maybe a different type of extreme is correct. We have the power to hold things in the balance, while maintaining a balance. Here, here radical equilibrists!

Ashitaka is a character Miya-san had never done before 1997. He's a character that is constantly shifting between human constructs, acting as a mortal bridge to many different forces. The covering of his face and the removal of his top-knot present him as a non-person entity, denying social barriers in the face of a different path, but he also remains heroic when danger comes to the Tatara Ba. The unique thought here is Ashitaka is not identity-less, but instead a signifier of Miya-san's abstinence. It's not "either-or" when there are gradations to manmade things and nature. This becomes a truth of history such as the film depicts between farmers and Samurai and Tatara Ba. One group meddles with another's water source or food source and disturbs an equilibrium. Miya-san once said:

[T]he farmers downstream and the Tatara people were often in conflict. When the local Samurai attacked Tatara Ba, they were not doing something bad; they were doing something rightful. In that time, Samurai and farmers weren't clearly separated (i.e., some Samurai were also farmers). So it's natural to have a conflict when Tatara Ba's presence became bigger.
However, since these Samurai said they are (Samurai of) "Asano Kubo" ("Kubo" is a title for a noble high-ranking Samurai, such as a Shogun), they are (men of) noble Samurai such as Kanrei. So they treated Ashitaka honorably, as a Samurai, when he hurried to Tatara Ba. If they feel that Ashitaka is coming to meet them in single combat, they say "Come on!". When they see a great (combat) technique, they appreciate it and think, "I saw a good thing." I wanted them to be men like that.
I don't consider the Samurai as bad and the Tatara people as good. So, in the scene where the porters were eating, I tried to put several unlikable guys. Kouroku doesn't say a word to the Ishibiya guy, although they were both wounded. Even a guy as good-natured as Kouroku could not be free from the social restrictions of the era. The Ishibiya people are functioning as mercenaries, but at Tatara Ba, they are not treated as people with feelings or personalities.

The majority of Princess Mononoke embodies this ebb and flow of good and bad, being and non-being, and ambiguous indifference -- because humans are complex creatures driven by simple forces, that because we are created in the image of God we must bear witness and carry forward inward and outward responsibility. Personal duty may conflict with someone else down the line, and we still must attempt to achieve what works for us while maintaining the balance. 

Just as there are two sides to every coin, a similar dissection can be said of the animal tribes. These appear more obvious because of the different animals shown and how they have issue with each other. The wolves and the apes and the pigs and the deer all fight or seek things rightful by them, ensuring the inevitable sense of chaotic hierarchy nature can display and it is all at the expense of the responsibility humans bear. As the tribalism is more apparent with the animals, it can be said how much more evident the people depicted portray nothing so clear. In response to the film having a "bad guy" Miya-san said:

No. When you talk about plants, or an ecological system or forest, things are very easy if you decide that bad people ruined it. But that's not what humans have been doing. It's not bad people who are destroying forests.

And I think the answer can be as simple that, though I've chosen to expand on it further. 

Possibly the greatest thru-line of Miya-san's magnificent career is his use of the visual medium to remind humanity of the things we've lost. Innocence, childlike wonder, our relationships with our parents, relationships with long-lost friends, relationships with nature, and our relationships with the world are a handful of the many themes Miya-san posits as deep and important reminder.

In the post-addendum of the Totoro storybook, his project plan states as much, that his job as an animator is to mine the wellspring of human history for the things we've lost and abandoned or as he eloquently writes: 

What we have forgotten
What we don't notice
What we are convinced we have lost

Many of his films grapple with the Japanese perspective but it's also obvious how vital they are on a global scale, almost postulating how humans are very much the same and becoming more similar as time goes on -- whereas the beginning of my essay titillated Miya-san's keen eye on the nuance found between the many different tribes and forces the world harbors. 

In a world where there sure as heck contains evil, many of the forces we encounter daily are not necessarily so and instead have conflicting duties. It's easy to point to anything and say it's right or wrong, but the world just isn't layered that way when humans are involved. Nature is a beast we welcome and feed and shelter but also must tame if we are the arbiters of balance in a world that may be forgetting, not noticing, or losing that very virtue. "Balance" is a pseudonym for "pain" as through Ashitaka's journey he witnesses just how limited humans are to protect ecological nature, because even if we wanted to, starvation and the necessity to use the world are facts to our existence. Ashitaka has no choice but to suffer and live. As humanity must do 'til the end of time.

Watched on Tuesday May 20, 2025.

Amazingly appropriate per the LEGENDARY game that was played last night at MSG. I'm all for this drama and I'm still hopeful the Knicks can pull it off. 940-1! I sure hope Haliburton just blew his load as the new NYC villain.

This has to be one of the best sports docs out there at least as far as 30 for 30 is concerned.

♻️ with the Collab

For how much the reveal may feel gimmicky in trying to "get you", it actually harvests a sincere and bold truth. The conversation between Francis and his niece undergirds all the somewhat weird interactions, because quite plainly, we all have baggage. "It's not a question of liking it or not... it's just something that happens" (referring to tension amid friendships) and the "Well, you can pretend it's not there, or you can choose not to have friends, or you can acknowledge it's there and have friends anyway" are steeped in reality. But of course, Atom Egoyan's writing and direction is top notch -- strip dancing is the MacGuffin AND the metaphor in which the story is exposed. Hats off--er, shirts off, to you sir!

The Searchers Film Podcast - Ep. 91
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The exotic architecture of Paris and Rio make dazzling co-stars to Jean Paul Belmondo and the late François Dorléac. That Man From Rio is as much Antonioni as it is Blake Edwards, living in its own realm of site-gazing and hangout clinic. Belmondo's comedic vigilantism is as charming as Jaques Tati, thriving on the negative space, facial reactions, and stunt-work. Ubiracy de Oliveira makes a memorable and uber-charismatic film debut shining as Belmondo's unexpected wingman for the film's first half. Perhaps the only true flaw is missing his presence in a wild second portion that revels in a twist rather than the demise of its villainy. Listen to it all on the pod bb!

KNICKS ARE GOING TO THE ECF FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 25 YEARS 💙🧡

PARTY LIKE IT'S Y2K 🎉🥳🎊

Viewed with the Collab.

Time for a little robot chauvinism.

Another low-budget B-film that is best experienced with a group of friends dedicated to hear what ridiculous line will come out of some familiar face next. Christopher Plummer, David Hasselhoff, Joe Spinell, and Caroline Munro either look like they are having fun or are in it for the paycheck. In fact, Plummer is on record for saying he took the job just to see Rome and $10k/day. The latter note kept in mind by director Luigi Cozzi filmed most of Plummer's scenes in one day. Looking closer at the sharp use of miniatures, it shouldn't surprise the late-great Roger Corman was in the producer's chair testing the waters for future space opera entries. 

Nat Wachsberger asked Luigi Cozzi to make a space opera like Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Cozzi had never seen the film, but he had the novelization of the film in his library. He read it, and then began working on his own version.

The Searchers Film Podcast - Ep. 90
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Maverick indie-drama visioneer Gallo taps Cassavetes (and Ozu) for a film with a wintry exterior but an oh-so-cozy interior (once you stick around for a while, that is). Layla is the dawn's early light for Billy's perpetual darkness. A reminder that we can't ever know someone's full story and that hope certainly exists even in the dimmest of cold places. Familial trauma has never been depicted more accurately in its indifference, and its Gallo's simple yet restrained techniques that capture blue collar "normal" like the wackiness it can be. An unforgettable climax prompts prog rock and slow-camera movement as a near-perfect marriage. Layla's heart as the sunrise. Gallo knew what he was doing. Chalk this one up as tasteful double bill with Ace Ventura for football used as a serious micro-aggression.

Watched on Thursday May 8, 2025.

Viewed with the Collab.

A perfect collab film that's far from a perfect film, it is slapdash amateur hour meets schizophrenic narrative. One trivia note reads: There were often no more than three crew on set, and sometimes only John Paizs himself -- and it shows! A more friendlier comp would be something akin to Guy Maddin's work, utilizing low budget minimalism plus janky camera tricks to their full effect. The wackier behavior would also qualify. In a way director John Paizs is paying homage to the pulpier B-films just as Maddin does tribute to the silent era. Ultimately, not my bag and also caught me at the wrong time for something this esoteric. Throughout the view time I was reminded of past collab films Mary Jane's Not a Virgin Anymore, that movie with the Blonde, and Reefer Madness!

Secret Mitchell #22 - For Joe Wilson

There are two filmic tropes that we've lost since the decade before New Hollywood took over. When the viewer meets Hayley Mills and June Harding for the first time as Mary and Rachel, we quickly learn about their current station in life. The young girls become friends through the crossroads of Mother Superior's domain. But there are multiple instances when Mills or Harding respond with perfect comedic timing and snark that this writer can only relate to the iconic delivery of Mel Blanc's most beloved characters. This type of comedy has been whitewashed for the more aggressive and crude and sardonic world we live in and it's still as funny as it is charming. 

By the time the girls get through antic after antic and grow a bond over washing dishes or having to say the Rosary multiple times over in solitude, the viewer finds them at another crossroads. The archaic train platform where lovers come and go or where drastic life changes occur, doesn't leave these girls as exception. For as expected the trope can be, it concludes the film in a refreshing and heartfelt manner, punctuating what Mills, Harding and Lupino methodically built over the previous 100 minutes. 

It's easily understandable how a film like The Trouble With Angels is someone's childhood nostalgia because it emanates huge charisma and personality. It's also interesting to see this entry come from seasoned noir-thriller veteran Ida Lupino who gives an excellent contribution to the "Sister-Act" genre. 

Producer William Frye personally offered his friend Greta Garbo one million dollars to play Mother Superior. When he was unsuccessful, he turned to another MGM alumna. Rosalind Russell had been off the screen since Gypsy (1962). A devout Catholic, Russell was an ideal choice for the nun, not only because of her familiarity with Catholic ritual, but also because of her air of authority and sense of humor.

Secret Mitchell #21 - For Bryant

Tsai Ming-liang and company could have utilized a Timelapse over the journey of the robed leading man, recording his actions at a normal pace and the effect of the world ing him by would have looked similar - but - maybe not hold the same affect. There is an allegory for control and reflection and rejection as much as one could deploy a slew of interpretations of art via the street-performer's lens. Modernity also, a stand-in for a multitude of negative connotations where the viewer can pick their poison, as I have manifested some interpretation on arrogance and humility. The "buddhist monk" - a symbol of protest in itself - may be as much at fault for airing a viewpoint in the middle of a bustling street as much as the over-stimulating gratuity of modern times tightens its grasp on us while we have trouble articulating the source of our pain, misery, and frustration.

Maybe all that is a bunch of mumbo-jumbo from yours truly - a guy who is just as arrogant as he can be humble. Rejection is a form of arrogance, right? A recent sports-related revelation (that's not that surprising) has been listening to some Boston Sports Radio (concerning the Celtics-Knicks Semi-final series). The rejection is the Knicks can't possibly be good and that one side is more or less immaterial. The current result of New York being up 2-0 IS surprising, but the greater epiphany is there's probably a small few who actually watch every game because there's just too much to consume. It's clear the hosts' rejection comes from a conglomerated national media consensus on who the Celtics were and who the Knicks were in the regular season. But the interpretation of the sport (and in Walker's case the street performance) comes down to what parameters we choose to measure and which parameters mean more than others. This is starting to sound arbitrary, right?

But all of that is to say, Walker presents rejection - maybe good, maybe bad - an awe-inspiring quarter of an hour where one man does the slowest, most concentrated walk I've probably seen and it could have been filmed as a Timelapse. I'm not suggesting it should have been, rather stating the impressive concentration and patience it must have taken to capture something so simple yet meaningful.

Jimmi Simpson as Chaotic Neutral Highlight Reel 🤌

Gaslight (̶𝟷̶𝟿̶𝟺̶𝟺̶)̶ (2025)

The Searchers Film Podcast - Ep. 89
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If you turned West and kept walking you'd eventually be "East". The exotic arthouse sensibilities of Wenders' direction creates a late 70s noir that samples Easy Rider and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie with its own foreign bend. Painting and forgery are the items and actions that add this entry as our third and final one to the "Philosophical Hitman" series. Think of framework... Bruno Ganz's patriarch tries to capture the raw goings-on life offers on the canvas, but even that sprawls too far off the surface. The metaphor does wonders for Patricia Highsmith's source material, while Wenders' cooks up wide landscapes like Ford and Cimino.

Hear it all on the pod bb.

If you look really closely, you can see Chuck's prototype of the Total Gym 2000 as he works out his shoulders after the violent reckoning of his partner.

Watched on Friday April 25, 2025.

The Searchers Film Podcast - Ep. 88
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This is FWAMING DWAGON 

The second entry to our "Philosophical Hitman" series comes from Ben, which as an odd turn of events, reveals myself as the Dacascos aficionado of the pod... what does that say?!? Add Crying Freeman to any of your autumnal vibes lists, production is grandiose. This entry follows Rian Johnson's Looper in exactly how large of a soapbox the lead assassins can stand on. Is it LERVE - or - some dastardly brainwashing scam brought on by the Triad? Does. Fweedom. Exist? And what will the third entry of this series be? Tune in to find out 🥷

Watched on Monday April 21, 2025.

Watched on Friday April 18, 2025.

Viewed with the Collab.

Really neat production design unless marionettes and the uncanny valley bother you, Thunderbirds has that nostalgic appeal of the 60s and 70s caught in the hazy hangover (or active bender) of the space race. Mark the watch parties on your calendar for 2064 or 2066 which is when the film takes place. Maybe not so much by coincidence, I can see Matt Stone and Trey Parker being influenced for Team America as that's really the only purebred marionette cinema I can make a connection too. Though director David Lane was second unit on Muppet Treasure Island as well as the Christopher Reeve Superman flicks. Final bit of neat trivia:

The five Tracy brothers were named after five of the NASA astronauts from the "Mercury Seven" space program from the early 1960's: 
* Scott Tracy after Scott Carpenter.
* Virgil Tracy after Gus Grissom whose real first name was Virgil.
* Alan Tracy after Alan Shepard.
* Gordon Tracy after Gordon Cooper.
* John Tracy after John Glenn.

Viewed with the Collab.

Interesting that freedom and all its forms, in one way or another, play out in a film that starts off with a gaze toward the rising/setting sun followed by the man who's actually gazing at our solar system's largest body. It's easy to read power dynamics in many symbols or relationships, and so in The Man Who Stole The Sun parlays the intro shot into one man's obsession with nuclear physics. The scale of the story is a smaller, interior one to the obvious consequences the various levels of law enforcement are concerned with. In this way, The Man Who Stole The Sun reminds me a lot of David Lean's filmmaking strategy especially in something like Ryan's Daughter -- where Ebert thought the scale of Lean's photography did not match up to the story, I seem to think is not the case. Regardless, scale is an interesting point to make when it comes to story and narrative. For how well those parts are established, the characters are lacking.

Viewed with the Collab.

Even though this is much closer to the 30s on a timeline, than say, Billy Zane's entry into "da capeshit", Zane's entry is infinitely more entertaining. Whatever that means. And look, no one asked for the two films to be compared but I think they're comparable. 30's pulp comics and the sudden epiphany Zane is a living Doc Savage.

Gene Wilder with a flawless Irish brogue in the screwball rom-com before it was all but extinct. That's it, that's the review.

Watched on Sunday April 6, 2025.

Viewed with the Collab.

Unnecessary sex humor and a weak lead performance by Rosanna Arquette takes away from the much more entertaining side characters and screwball antics. Bizarre too, that the film feels early 80s as opposed to a decade later. It becomes meta when the Houdini-fanatic yells "I can't find the key!" while squabbling around a canvas sack - perhaps how the viewer feels with trying to engage with Lucy's and Monte's woes. There are some actually great lines of dialogue found between the folds, and having David Bowie is always a plus. There's a bunch of tangled spaghetti and no spicy meatballs. We're eating with scissors tonight, fam.

The Searchers Film Podcast - Ep. 87
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"Cinema Crusades" is back with current talk on the deaths of Val Kilmer and Richard Norton, as well as some catch-up with some of our recent watches. Tune in, sit back, and relaaaaaax 😎

The Searchers Film Podcast - Ep. 86
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Since our latest Jackie Chan era has ended we've pivoted to the next cluster idea with "The Philosophical Hitman" series. First up, is Rian Johnson's time-traveling drama Looper starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt. Some neat discussion over what my old-self (younger) thought of this film upon release to how my current-self (older) has changed opinions over the thirteen years between viewings. Did it improve or worsen? Tune in to find out! (And is Rian Johnson actually a good director?)

Re-watched with the Collab

Really don't have much to elaborate from my first short review. It's the Father and Son relationship put through the wringer. Degeneration and regeneration. Seeking forgiveness through a warped legacy. Phil Karlson who did a ton of B-films in Hollywood (including at least one Abbott and Costello feature as second-unit director) astonishes me with the simple shot of the trio's shadow at the end. Maybe it was sheer coincidence but a glorious one all the same. 

Going to share my friend Joe Wilson's review who recently took this viewing on per my recommendation as well.

Veteran western director Andrew V McLaglen mustered something solid with this TV entry for a decade that severely lacks a strong genre presence. Even cooler is legendary writer Louis L'Amour came in to specialize the story for Selleck, Elliott and Osterhage after their work together on The Sacketts. The rest of the cast is filled with familiar faces: Geoffrey Lewis, Katherine Ross, Ben Johnson, Jane Greer, RG Armstrong, and Harry Carey Jr. Not only does this film immediately shoot up to the top of best 80s westerns (low bar), it also provides enough proof that the Civil War subtype adds a lot to the characters and narrative. McLaglen's roots prove obvious with his casting additions of Ford regulars Johnson and Carey Jr. Also neat to see Elliott and Ross roleplay their real life love story a bit as they played boyfriend and girlfriend here and would later marry in 1984. The Shadow Riders isn't the cream of the crop, no, but it's a surefire win with Selleck's Magnum sensibilities thrown right into the mix and Elliott's stunningly majestic, grizzled and chiseled facial hair.

Watched on Thursday March 13, 2025.

Watched on Monday March 24, 2025.

Watched on Friday March 21, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday March 19, 2025.

The Searchers Film Podcast - Ep. 85
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This is almost Mel Brooks territory: the frontiersmen think the Chinese are Jews, while the white settlers think that it's the Crow Indians who are. Whoosh!                      
    Bob Graham, San Fransisco Chronicle

Everything about Shanghai Noon makes it feel prestigious and grand the way the western should feel - or - the way I The Great Race. Usually those parts of a duo need their clear definition and space (like the traditional straight man and goofball) but somehow Chan and Wilson split the DNA 50-50, and clearly enjoy swapping the part. Who knew that eccentric frat-boy indie humor could mingle so well with glamorized Chinese stunt-work? The sequel leaves more to be desired but they really did strike gold here. Keeping my fingers crossed for a geriatric ending to the trilogy. C'mon, guys!

Wilson is flat-out hilarious, playing this cowboy like a surfer dude zapped back in time.  
    Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Watched on Monday March 17, 2025.

Viewed with the Collab

All the things that went wrong with The Blind Owl:

1) not made by Abbas Kiarostami

2) not made by Andrei Tarkovski

3) not based on the book regarding the ultimate of Owl Metaphors in The Day of the Owl 

All joking aside and to be serious for a moment, I realize that someone like John Huston has gotten his flowers many times before, but if it hasn't been made abundantly clear at this point, he should be known for his indelible knack for adapting written material. He must have the best track record. Even though the content may not hit for everyone, something like the complex Wise Blood translates as aces. Now I know nothing of the source material for The Blind Owl but the filmmaker suffers from translating the material to the cinematic medium and also translating across to foreign viewers. Is it just me or is there a lot of weird laughing for most of the audible sounds coming from this film? As I started off with the joke, the director here is not Kiarostami or Tarvoksky or Huston (and you don't have to be to make a great film) but there's a major disadvantage to begin with.

Viewed with the Collab.

Just from my limited perspective, the late 80s-early 90s had a solid, low-key revival of German and silent expressionism: Brazil (1985), Shadows and Fog (1991), and Careful (1992) to name a few. Soderbergh’s Kafka certainly fits in, embellishing the triple threat’s strongest capabilities. The first scene – wordless – drowns out the atmosphere with blood-curdling screams. The claustrophobic close-ups of fear and anxiety set the tone for the majority mystery-thriller or biopic lite. Coming off of the indie barn-burner Sex, Lies and Videotape, Soderbergh’s editing and sound do not disappoint.

It intrigues me further that as Soderbergh has matured he has gone away from writing and has focused more on directing and editing. In his last 28 features he’s only penned the 2002 George Clooney film, leaving his early written features as some neat 90s curios. With that said, my interest has been piqued as Kafka is beautifully shot, wonderfully acted (Theresa Russell redemption from Whore), and entirely engrossing that it was an immense surprise to learn Soderbergh is working on a future box set of “the B-Sides”, re-working his films like Kafka (the re-work titled as Mr. Kneff).

Trimming 20 minutes, adding prominent needle-drops, and implementing various inserts (also removing all dialogue), chock me down as infinitely fascinated for a true new silent film. It’s understanding that Kafka bombed at the box office as the topic is esoteric and generally speaking Soderbergh is the poster child for changing from “amazingly creative indie talent” to the “definition of standard” on a dime.

Watched on Wednesday March 12, 2025.

Watched on Sunday March 16, 2025.

I’m surprised. The bar can be set low due to too much of everything in culture these days. We oversaturate our diets and consume inordinate amounts of the things we like (and don’t like) – nothing can really be more true than that. If there’s anything all-time director Hayao Miyazaki has taught me is that simplicity and discipline in one’s goals can churn out delightful things, especially when it comes to family-oriented films. Jeff Fowler’s Sonic 3 is no Studio Ghibli film, of course, yet it abundantly understands the language of children for children. This astounding concoction includes Miyazaki’s coming-of-age proclivities, Star Wars’ operatic male-adolescent wonts, some innate cultural desire to be “cool”, and ultimately the biblical understanding of “the Father”.

What I mean is – if it hasn’t been clear – is the Shadow Archetype is nostalgic, powerful, and erudite. Jim Carrey was 1000% correct when he said this film’s script was “written in gold”. The eccentric and quixotic comedian isn’t perfect (who is) but sees how special carrying a message, character, and film like this is – in a time when Disney in particular has diluted the culture’s understanding of familial roles. I’ve been a father now for six years with so much to learn still and if there’s one huge thing to relate to it is speaking at the child’s level, not literally talking down from a higher perspective but instead to accommodate their wonderfully small world with as delicate and understanding hands as possible. It’s twisted that a handful of top reviews for such a lovely family film are directed at Robotnik’s sexuality – even more twisted to think that we as an ever-consuming, overly-engorged race we cannot enjoy simplicity – for example, the importance of having childhood in a child’s language (not adults yearning to be kids) with a loving mother AND a strong father-figure to boot.

Watched on Monday March 10, 2025.

I feel as though an opportunity was grotesquely missed getting away from [redacted] becoming a French witch based on the antagonist of Hansel & Gretel who would suck the youth from the children they capture.

Or is this an adrenochrome allegory?

Viewed with the Collab.

Another underwhelming Michael Caine flick with some unironically funny exposition in a film smattered by too much exposition. Caine must be one of the craziest hit-or-miss actors, infamous for his paycheck stint in the 80s, it appears he was already game for this mode on the right occasion (and who knows if he made any money on Pulp to begin with). It says a lot that out of all the things to take away from the film, during a 1977 screening actor Spike Milligan was going to send a letter to animal cruelty organizations for the film's pig hunting scenes, until he learned no actual harm was done. It also appears that Lizabeth Scott in her first screen appearance in 15 years was incredibly insecure about the final product, which proved to be a true reality in the film's final state. She must have been a good actress to have that kind of instinct any way. Ultimately, Pulp's callbacks to the old Mickey Spillane flicks feels obvious but much more parody than an endearing tribute.

Watched on Wednesday March 5, 2025.

The Searchers Film Podcast - Ep. 84 w/ Guest Nick Langdon - Double Feature + Police Story 4: First Strike
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1. As seen in the credits, Jackie Chan had to learn how to cook professionally to give him a realistic appearance of a television chef.

2. Because of the mess they left behind (from the demolished house), the production company was banned permanently from ever filming in that part of Australia again.

3. The last of seven movies made by Jackie Chan as actor and Sammo Kam-Bo Hung as director.

Secret Mitchell #20 - For Joe

Throne of Blood translates to "The Spider Web Castle" which is the name of Akira Kurosawa’s at-the-time long-awaited project based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Kurosawa even delayed production after Orson Welles’ release of his film in 1948, in order to not garner constant comparisons. Both Toshiro Mifune’s character and Isuzu Yamada’s character are based on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, respectively. The most dramatic change (other than setting and language) comes from Kurosawa’s creative license with the ending, but even then, have the critics and the forgiveness of time constantly praised his adaptation as one of the very best of Billy Shakes’ material.

The spiritual encounter that occurs in the beginning quarter of the film is one that instantly recalls Kenji Mizoguchi’s (Mizoguch’s 🤌) work, specifically pointing towards Ugetsu and Sansho the Bailiff. The former’s use of “the ghost” renders a bifurcation of narrative and plot, taking the main characters and throwing them into the annals of time. They currently embark on an escape from poverty but need to decide if moving forward includes their past or not (is moving forward always about ‘the future’?). The unique break utilized by Mizoguch must have had some influence on Kurosawa (perhaps they often influenced each other) with how Japan’s past and future were in tension during the film’s release.

To which: Macbeth’s themes navigate ambition, power and fate. Any country thrown into the metaphorical crucible would have to engage with such ideas, providing the altogether timeless feel Kurosawa manages to capture in Throne of Blood. Additionally, a key note is how Macbeth deals with spirituality. The play’s moral guilt comes from Banquo’s ghost that forces Macbeth to confront his conscience. The ghost itself is a big, and maybe obvious, visual cue. SO it makes sense that directors Kurosawa and Mizoguch, have followed in these footsteps, utilizing spectral figures to embody moral transgressions. Speaking of visual cues however, it is also important that Kurosawa uses the traditional Noh-style as well as additional visual aids of circles/wheels to note that cyclical pattern of these transgressions.

Kurosawa’s adaptation is a strong one and one that should be viewed alongside Welles’ and Gibson’s attempts. I’m not the strongest with Shakespeare’s material but his constant use of ghosts seems to be an ideal fit for the Japanese film era of the 40s, 50s, and 60s.

I feel like peak 2011 levels of #winning when all the girls want to do is snuggle up and watch TOTORO.

Viewed with the Collab.

Really excellent creative detail and production design all for one guy to tear it apart with his Dio-esque, King Diamond-like energy. Maybe even a little Ric Flair? WOOOOOO! Favorite part is with The Head and there's not quite enough of him. It's also pretty neat to get to see such an under-seen piece of Australian Metal Glam Rock Opera.

The Searchers Film Podcast - Ep. 83
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In the year of our Lord 2025, every month is Chanuary.

Films listed in chronological order.

• L.A. Story
• Suite 16
• Children of Paradise
• Flower Drum Song
• Under Capricorn
• Arruza
• The Wind
• Cockfighter
• Circle of Danger
• The Bamboo Saucer

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

List is based on the quality of his performance, not the overall film. And being honest, I don't think there truly is a thing as a bad Postlethwaite performance. I have yet to see one.

1. Butterfly Collectors
2. Distant Voices, Still Lives
3. In the Name of the Father
4. The Town
5. The Muscle Market
6. Brassed Off
7. Closing the Ring
8. Sin Bin
9. The Usual Suspects
10. Suite 16

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

Some of these definitely stretch the definition of all genres involved. Let me know if there's something that should be here and isn't. Enjoy, yeehaw 🤠😈🪄

• The Wind
• Quigley Down Under
• The White Buffalo
• Bone Tomahawk
• Night Cries
• Red Hill
• Wolf Blood
• Silent Rage
• High Plains Drifter
• Curse of the Undead

...plus 180 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

A retrospective undertaken with the incomparable Nick Langdon & Max!!! Doing something, at least so far as we can tell, that no one else has done yet! 🤘

And if you really want to hear the apex of our little journey, please tune in to The Searchers Film Podcast episode that covers it all, HERE!

1. Ronin
2. Grand Prix
3. The Train
4. The Gypsy Moths
5. Seven Days in May
6. The Horsemen
7. Black Sunday
8. Reindeer Games
9. The Holcroft Covenant
10. Startime: The Turn of the Screw

...plus 33 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Here is the challenging exercise of seeing my all-time favorites through the lens of besting their genres. This feels impossible, but going through the motions also gave me great incite to who I am, what movies I constantly think about, and how these films have undoubtedly changed my life. Click the notes to see genre breakdowns! Inspired by Amy's List.

• Limbo

  Magical Realism + Independent

• The Big Country

  Western

• Rear Window

  Suspense/Thriller

• Miss Lonely

  Coming of Age + Comedy + Romance + Foreign

• Lone Star

  Mystery + Neo-Noir + Independent

• Ronin

  Car-Chase + Action + Frankenheimer representation

• My Neighbor Totoro

  Animation

• The Apartment

  Romance + Comedy

• Woman in the Dunes

  Psychological + Foreign

• The Last of the Mohicans

  Romance + War + Adaptation

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

The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease:
The stronger wind, the stronger trees;
The further sky, the greater length;
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth,
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.

--Douglas Malloch

• All Mine to Give
• Axiliad
• Big Timber
• The Big Trees
• The Blazing Forest
• Come and Get It
• Flying Fists
• Freckles
• Girl in the Woods
• God's Country

...plus 38 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Rear Window
2. Vertigo
3. Strangers on a Train
4. Topaz
5. The 39 Steps
6. Rope
7. Under Capricorn
8. Rebecca
9. North by Northwest
10. Torn Curtain

...plus 46 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

*poof*


Allow me to credit the pioneer of the cinematic fart list... mrbalihai!!! Go check out his list also!

• F.A.R.T.: The Movie
• Dumb and Dumber
• Good Morning
• Blazing Saddles
• The Lighthouse
• Caddyshack
• Masterminds
• Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
• Step Brothers
• South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

...plus 128 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Doing the impossible and ranking the Breenius.

• Double Down
• Twisted Pair
• Fateful Findings
• Thru
• I Am Here....Now
• Cade: The Tortured Crossing

What started as an “ashamed-we-haven’t seen it yet” side journey with the inimitable plaidflannel has become a wonderful excursion of watching films with other s. This list is a collection of those films, those reviews, and to an extent those memories. 

Anyone who is interested in doing one of these with me is welcome to voice their enthusiasm on this list. The way these work:

1) the “guest” picks a film from the pool of films in which our watchlists overlap.

2) We then pick a date and time to drop our reviews. 

That’s it! I hope you enjoy this list as much as I do.

• Mean Streets

  W/ plaidflannel

• Bicycle Thieves

  W/ plaidflannel

• Apocalypse Now

  W/ plaidflannel

• Last Tango in Paris

  W/ plaidflannel (sort of)

• Tokyo Story

  W/ plaidflannel

• The Wild Bunch

  w/ plaidflannel

• Miss Lonely

  W/ Ethan Lyon

• Josie and the Pussycats

  W/ enricioni

• Malibu Nights

  W/ nomenclature

• The Entity

  W/ louferrigno

...plus 91 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Copied this idea from Nick Langdon (thanks Nick!). My own ranking of the Collab films seen—made in conjunction with my new project of catching up on all previous films the club has watched. The rest of this blurb is stolen from Nick but I like how he is spreading the good word so there was no need to change it!

It started on Letterboxd, it now has its own YouTube channel and Twitter profile! Great people talking about some great and some not-so-great movies. Thanks to Edith Wharton for getting this organised and louferrigno for being our current fearless leader.

1. The Wind
2. One Eight Seven
3. The Nightingale's Prayer
4. Under Capricorn
5. I Was Born, But...
6. L.A. Story
7. The Taking of Beverly Hills
8. All That Money Can Buy
9. Runaway Train
10. Shy People

...plus 215 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

This is a collection of reviews I appreciate the most from myself. They are comprised of film analysis I have otherwise not come across on this website and feel deserve their own list. Hopefully more to come. 🙏

• Torn Curtain
• The Brother from Another Planet
• Strangers on a Train
• Tenement
• The Verdict
• Topaz
• Hobson's Choice
• Love Massacre
• Reindeer Games
• Serenity

...plus 14 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Man-Thing
• Logan
• The Fantastic Four
• The Avengers
• Man of Steel
• Watchmen
• Dredd
• The Dark Knight
• Generation X
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier

...plus 72 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Limbo
• Lone Star
• Matewan
• Men with Guns
• Mountain View
• Amigo
• The Brother from Another Planet
• Return of the Secaucus Seven
• ion Fish
• City of Hope

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

• The Birds
• Singin' in the Rain
• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• Spider-Man
• Frankenhooker
• Django Unchained
• 21 Jump Street
• Frost/Nixon
• The Avengers

...plus 7 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• My Neighbor Totoro
• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
• Princess Mononoke
• Porco Rosso
• Kiki's Delivery Service
• Castle in the Sky
• The Boy and the Heron
• Howl's Moving Castle
• Spirited Away
• The Wind Rises

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Saw III
• Saw
• Saw II
• Saw IV
• Saw X
• Jigsaw
• Spiral: From the Book of Saw
• Saw V
• Saw 3D
• Saw VI

• Stalker
• Nostalgia
• The Sacrifice
• Solaris
• Mirror
• Andrei Rublev

List is based on strength of his performance NOT overall grade of the film.

Paul Schrader’s Dark is a limited remake of 2014’s Dying of The Light. Cage’s performance gets that much better when the true direction and vision is put into context.

• Vampire's Kiss
• Pig
• Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans
• Leaving Las Vegas
• Dark
• Face/Off
• Red Rock West
• Mandy
• Willy's Wonderland
• The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

...plus 52 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

After chatting with good friend and cinephile Nick Langdon about 2002's Path to War (from our Frankenheimer Retrospective), the topic came up of dramatic US presidential portrayals and which presidents have gotten their due. I have attempted to breakout respective role sizes next to the name of the president being recognized in each film. I have the role tiers as "Small", "ing", and "Leading". I have not seen a majority of these so much of this is guesswork and I welcome all corrections. I am mostly going to limit the popular ones (who all have a handful here already): Washington, Lincoln, FDR, JFK, and LBJ (Grover Cleveland has multiple for his multiple ). No documentaries or archive footage (exceptions are noted for JFK and Clinton). Every president has their own film made by C-SPAN some years back, excluded here. Please suggest other films that carry US presidential portrayals that I may have missed! See "Notes" for all the info, plus some extra goodies. 

Presidents Missing:
William Henry Harrison
John Tyler
Jimmy Carter

Presidents with only (1) Dramatic Portrayal:
John Adams *if mini-series is excluded
James Madison
James Monroe *if short film counts
Martin Van Buren
John Quincy Adams
Millard Fillmore *if short film counts
Franklin Pierce 
Benjamin Harrison
William Taft
Woodrow Wilson
Warren G Harding
George HW Bush *only representation is in comedy films in small roles, less W
Bill Clinton *also in comedies and animated comedies - many attribute Primary Colors as a replication of his presidency but not included here
Donald J Trump
Joseph R Biden

Presidents with No Major Film Portrayal:
William Henry Harrison
John Tyler
James K Polk
Zachary Taylor
Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
Andrew Johnson
Chester Arthur
Grover Cleveland
Benjamin Harrison
William McKinley
William Taft
Warren G Harding
Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
Jimmy Carter
George HW Bush

BONUS
Presidents in Video Games:
Donald Trump in Trump Castle
George HW Bush in Operation Secret Storm
The Clintons in Ready 2 Rumble Boxing
George W Bush & Barack Obama in NBA Jam 2010
JFK & Nixon in Call of Duty Black Ops
Lincoln in CODE Name: Steam
Reagan in Reagan Gorbachev  




Enjoy the list!

• The Battle Cry of Peace

  Ulysses S Grant (Small)

• The Birth of a Nation

  Lincoln (Small)
  Grant (Small)

• America

  George Washington (Small or ing)

• Abraham Lincoln

  Abraham Lincoln (Leading Role)

• Silver Dollar

  Chester Arthur (Small)

• Rebellion

  Zachary Taylor (Small or ing)

• A Message to Garcia

  William McKinley (Small - Uncredited)

• The Gorgeous Hussy

  Andrew Jackson (Leading)

• This Is My Affair

  William McKinley (Small)
  Theodore Roosevelt (Small)

• The Monroe Doctrine

  James Monroe (Leading)

  John Quincy Adams (Leading)

  Theodore Roosevelt (ing)

  James K Polk (Small)

  Millard Fillmore (Small)

  Grover Cleveland (Small)

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

Each Director is represented by my favorite film by them. Who are your favorite directors?

• Rear Window
• Matewan
• Woman in the Dunes
• Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
• Miss Lonely
• The Horsemen
• The Apartment
• Padre Pio
• Juliette, or Key of Dreams
• The Last of the Mohicans

...plus 18 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

A ranked list of Peter Weir's oeuvre.

• Picnic at Hanging Rock
• The Plumber
• The Truman Show
• Witness
• Dead Poets Society
• The Mosquito Coast

A ranked list of Chris Columbus's oeuvre.

• Adventures in Babysitting
• Only the Lonely
• Home Alone
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
• Stepmom
• Mrs. Doubtfire
• I Love You, Beth Cooper

• Brazil
• The Fisher King
• The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
• Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
• Tideland
• Twelve Monkeys
• The Zero Theorem
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

This is a work in progress, but just for the sake of a temporary intro... this is a collection of films shared between a group of brothers, friends, men who have an affinity for cinema. Easily a collection of some of the best writers I have had the pleasure of crossing paths with. They are intelligible, dutiful, and kind-hearted fellows who here recommend films at random to others in the group. The films recommended are films not yet seen by the individual. Reviews will be linked eventually - enjoy! 

Currently on Round 6, so more will be added.

• Isolation

  Round One: From Daddy-O to Stephen

• Punch-Drunk Love

  Round One: From Mitch to Daddy-O

• Blaise Pascal

  Round One: From Jalen to Bryant

• Rear Window

  Round One: From Zig to Joe

• Man of Steel

  Round One: From Bryant to Zig

• Black Narcissus

  Round One: From Stephen to Jalen

• Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

  Round One: From Joe to Mitch

• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

  Round Two: From Bryant to steakchalupa

• One from the Heart

  Round Two: From steakchalupa to Mitch

• Brothers

  Round Two: From Mitch to BPRK

...plus 12 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

A list of character actor Mischa Auer’s films, ranked by performance.

• The Rage of Paris
• And Then There Were None
• My Man Godfrey
• You Can't Take It with You
• Hold That Ghost
• Sofia
• The King's Breakfast
• The Monster Walks
• The Drums of Jeopardy

• The Leopard
• Sweet Smell of Success
• The Swimmer
• Elmer Gantry
• Seven Days in May
• The Gypsy Moths
• The Train
• Atlantic City
• The Kentuckian
• The Professionals

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

• Down Twisted
• Radioactive Dreams
• Arcade
• Mean Guns
• Vicious Lips
• Captain America
• Cyborg
• Nemesis
• The Sword and the Sorcerer

• Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
• The Killing
• Paths of Glory
• Barry Lyndon
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Eyes Wide Shut
• Full Metal Jacket
• The Shining
• A Clockwork Orange
• Fear and Desire

• Life After Sex
• Dead Tides
• Malibu Nights
• Bold Stroke
• Powderburn
• Lovers Lovers
• The Portal
• Chill
• Silicon Towers
• War Flowers

• Who Done It?
• Buck Privates
• The Time of Their Lives
• Buck Privates Come Home
• The Naughty Nineties
• Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man
• Here Come the Co-Eds
• Hold That Ghost
• Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein
• Little Giant

...plus 14 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• The Big Country
• The Heiress
• The Little Foxes
• Ben-Hur
• Roman Holiday
• The Westerner
• The Letter

• Unbreakable
• The Village
• Lady in the Water
• Signs
• The Sixth Sense
• Old
• Split
• Glass
• The Visit
• The Happening

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

You ever read something so damn good you just need to throw it in some sort of digital shrine so you can always go back to it and cherish it? I thought so. This list is an attempt to link all my personal favorite reviews (unranked) I've stumbled upon using LBd (I say attempt because many are missing). Gives these folks a follow or give their respective reviews a "like"! Or if you don't like any of them that's cool too.

Don't be discouraged if you're not on here. You probably should be I just haven't found the time to track down your review (building this retroactively was already way more time than I intended to create some internet list). Once I though I will track it down STAT.

List idea nabbed from Mr. plaidflannel.

• Vertigo

  Daniel Kieckhefer

  David Wallace

  Monica

• Freddy Got Fingered

  jack

  
  DANIEL

• Days of Heaven

  plaidflannel

• Color Out of Space

  Remobo

• Sans Soleil

  Isy Mac

• Jawbreaker

  Vern Melon

• Sketch Artist

  Edith

• A Tale of Winter

  SantinoCorleone

  Justin Kelly

• The Sacrifice

  Richard Chandler

  cuckoochanel

  
  Tyler

• F for Fake

  louferrigno

...plus 277 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Decalogue III
• Decalogue VIII
• Decalogue IX
• Decalogue I
• Decalogue VI
• Decalogue IV
• Decalogue II
• Decalogue VII
• Decalogue X
• Decalogue V

• Miss Lonely
• Hanagatami
• His Motorbike, Her Island
• Labyrinth of Cinema
• The Rocking Horsemen
• The Motive
• School in the Crosshairs
• The Island Closest to Heaven
• House
• Black Jack: The Visitor in the Eye

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Usually every Friday/Sat night at 8:00 my family would gather round for the next TV movie starring our favorite characters. It's a fond bunch of memories and one that deserved its own list. Some of these may not be strictly released TV material but that's how we first saw them. Circa '98-03

• Animaniacs: Wakko's Wish
• Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip
• Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
• The Powerpuff Girls Movie
• Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost
• Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero
• Batman Beyond: The Movie
• CatDog and the Great Parent Mystery
• Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders
• Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

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

I love to write poetry. Sometimes when a film hits right that's all I can do. See links in the notes to being you to the poems. Cheers.

• Death Warrant

  boxd.it/1k7WBB

• Sketch Artist

  boxd.it/1llnLX

• Sans Soleil

  boxd.it/1mXM7D

• Autumn

  boxd.it/1pfaSZ

• Vampyr

  boxd.it/1qv5xX

• Juliette, or Key of Dreams

  boxd.it/1uoc

• I Was Born, But...

  boxd.it/1wqUUx

• Wolfwalkers

  boxd.it/1y7fEt

• The Town

  boxd.it/1A37mr

• Bug

  boxd.it/1D4qSl

...plus 9 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

The title says it all.

• Continental Divide
• Almost Heroes

• Heaven's Gate
• Desperate Hours
• Year of the Dragon
• The Sicilian
• The Sunchaser
• Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
• The Deer Hunter

Ranking is based on grade of the film.

(I know "deca" denotes "ten" but I will be attempting to put as many of his films on here as I can until his filmography is completed. I just wanted some sweet alliteration)

• White Tie and Tails
• Winchester '73
• The Little Foxes
• Black Angel
• The Flight of the Phoenix
• Criss Cross
• Too Late for Tears
• Johnny Stool Pigeon
• Scarlet Street
• Storm Fear

All credit goes to Floyd for making this monster-list. I’m cloning it so I can slowly pick away at the goodness inside. 😎☕️

1. Night Train

   attempted very first film

2. The Hangman

   very first line up

3. The Hot Spot

   sweaty ions

4. Palmetto

   sweaty ions

5. Baby Doll

   sweaty ions

6. The Fortune Cookie

   Walter Matthau

7. Cactus Flower

   Walter Matthau

8. Charley Varrick

   Walter Matthau

9. Invasion of the Space Preachers

   Tromaville

10. Plutonium Baby

    Tromaville

...plus 352 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Copied from Edith so I can keep track of films I’ve missed.

Keep up with us here on Letterboxd!
How this works: We pick a theme for the week, vote on a movie, and write a review as usual.
Films we've watched so far:

• This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse
• The Cremator
• Blood and Black Lace
• Dead End Drive-In
• Sweet Home
• L.A. Story
• Whistle and I'll Come to You
• The Vagrant
• Shy People
• Race with the Devil

...plus 56 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

The top 2 have switched back and forth over the years, but Rushmore received its much needed rewatch the other night and reminded me why I love it so much. Still need to see Isle of Dogs, and was not a fan of The Grand Budapest Hotel.

• Rushmore
• Moonrise Kingdom
• The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
• The Royal Tenenbaums
• Bottle Rocket
• Fantastic Mr. Fox
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• The Darjeeling Limited

Ranking is based on the quality of his performance, not the entire film.

• Twelve Monkeys
• Die Hard
• Looper
• Hudson Hawk
• Pulp Fiction
• Death Becomes Her
• Moonrise Kingdom
• Unbreakable
• Rugrats Go Wild
• The Sixth Sense

...plus 23 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• To Live and Die in L.A.
• The French Connection
• Killer Joe
• The Birthday Party
• Rampage
• Sorcerer
• Jade
• Bug

1. The Apartment
2. On the Waterfront
3. Unforgiven
4. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
5. The Godfather
6. The French Connection
7. Platoon
8. The Godfather Part II
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
10. Rebecca

...plus 39 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Films watched during the Covid-19 lockdown.  In order from best to worst. Started March 17th, Ended September 20th, 2020.

• Woman in the Dunes
• Basara: The Princess Goh
• Rushmore
• Marnie
• A Tale of Winter
• Road to Nowhere
• Nostalgia
• King of New York
• Duelle
• Careful

...plus 175 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

So this seems more like something to do at the end of the calendar year or for one's yearly LBd anniversary, but I decided on neither of those. I'm a reflective person and I wanted to do something like this on the day my mortal self ages (although I'm a few hours early).

I want to commemorate some of my favorite conversations I've had with fellow s, and more generally, those folks I greatly ire. I have linked their profiles on either: one of their favorite films, the film I sharing an experience with them, or the film of what I think is one of their best reviews. I highly recommend you follows these people, for you have not yet achieved the maximum experience until you have.

(If you aren't on here it probably just means we haven't known each other long enough yet or we haven't had a deep conversation yet. There's always next year!)

Cheers!

• The Seventh Continent

  letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/remobo/

• Singin' in the Rain

  letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/isymcin22/

• Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

  letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/plaidflannel/

• Vertigo

  letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/umbugbene/

• Myth

  letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/vernfreddy/

• The Breed

  letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/anandrewfisher/

• The Grand Budapest Hotel

  letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/siegel/

• Atlantic City

  letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/sean_chavel/

• Twin Peaks: The Return

  letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/warwickmarshall/

• Marnie

  letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/tiger_lily/

...plus 33 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

A list I will gradually add to because I need to slowly what I've seen in theaters over the years. I will attempt to rank the list in order of my personal favorite theater experiences.

• The Birds
• Singin' in the Rain
• The Iron Giant
• Mandy
• The Master
• The Avengers
• The Lion King
• A Bug's Life
• Brüno
• The Hateful Eight

...plus 94 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.