MOVIES

Games | Books | Movies | Music |2022 Ranked

Holmes & Watson(2018)
Finished 2/3/2022

From the director of "My Wife is Retarded".
🞿 1/2 / 5

Passion (2012)
Finished 2/3/2022

The stand-out part of Passion is its Cinematography. Almodovar's usual DP, Jose Luis Alcaine, films everything in such a highly lit and heavily red pallet.
The amount of light in each scene and popping colors against the realistic business backgrounds give off a heightened reality look that is gorgeous to look
at. Then it suddenly drops into a noirish darkly-toned movie. Absolutely bonkers tonal shift, but DePalma is no stranger to that and here I think it's a lot
of fun. What holds this movie down is middling performances but great actresses. Rapace and McAdams generally are great, but here it feels like DePalma didn't
direct anybody for the tone he was going for. It feels like somewhere between parody and homage to his older films, making for a bit of an odd erotic thriller.
It's still a fun movie though with some solid weirdo moments. With a ballet/ murder split-screen that is absolutely brilliant filmmaking.
🞿🞿🞿/ 5

Velvet Vampire (1971)
Finished 2/2/2022

A bit slow, but its weirdness makes up for it.
🞿🞿🞿 / 5

Electric Boogaloo (2014)
Finished 1/31/2022

As simple as a modern documentary gets with an abundant amount of talking heads and cute graphics. Saying that though the content is about such an interesting period
in film history that it's so much fun. Never dull and full of great tidbits of information.
🞿🞿🞿 1/2 / 5

King Solomond Mines (1985)
Finished 1/31/2022

I had more fun with this than I was let on to believe. Chamberlain and Stone actually made for fun leads and I enjoyed their chemistry on screen. Chamberlain fully
committed to the role and having fun. Stone isn't great, but she still makes for a fun lead. Love the sets but when it goes to the green screen it looks BAD. Some
outdated ideals make it a bit hard to watch at times, but for a rip-off of I Indiana Jones this one is actually a fun time.
🞿🞿🞿/ 5

Being the Ricardos(2021)
Finished 1/31/2022

It's sad to see an interesting moment in history get such a weak movie. It obviously is getting divisive opinions, where I found that even with the awards
being thrown at Kidman most people I have met feel that she was severely miscast. I will definitely go with the miscast crowd because honestly it just doesn't
work. She never puts her all into the role and never really captures anything great. Bardem also feels miscast even though he puts in a decent performance.
That's not the only issue here though, the movie is just dull. It's the same issues I've had with Sorkins other movies where they seem rather plain and put
together in an unseamless way and feel overly melodramatic. Being the Ricardos, in the end, feels like a dull messy movie.
🞿🞿/ 5

Whirlybird(2020)
Finished 1/27/2022

Whirlybird is full of incredible imagery and even one part that made me feel ill to watch. That's where a lot of the interest gained from this movie
is just based on the movement of American events through the lens of a media helicopter. Interwoven is the regret of our leading lady and the pain that
she had caused her family in the meantime. I feel like the movie didn't touch upon the questionable morals of the proliferation of news copter live
reporting. I do understand though at its core it is a character study so it didn't let me down on that front too much especially with how interesting
the saga of this family is.
🞿🞿🞿 1/2/ 5

But I'm a Cheerleader(1999)
Finished 1/26/2022

Fun campy movie with some standout sets and overbearing colors. A very striking movie with some fun satire thrown in. I feel like it was a bit sloppy
in execution at times, but it makes up for it with some great charm and fun performances.
🞿🞿🞿/ 5

Rush(2013)
Finished 1/26/2022

Rush is an enjoyable biopic that hits the normal notes and styling that Ron Howard I'm sure found easy to work with since he usually makes fairly serviceable
movies. The acting is solid, the racing is shot very well, and the melodrama is fun. It's an all-around well made movie that came out rather enjoyable.
🞿🞿🞿/ 5

The Professional(1994)
Finished 1/25/2022

The Professional was a blindside in my movie watching history for a while. Besson isn't my favorite director, but with this movie, I get some of the
love this guy gets. This was a fun movie with a great performance from Natalie Portman and a wonderfully over-the-top performance from Gary Oldman. Has
a great score and fun visuals. Allows itself to be a dumb action flick, but has a warm almost comedic central from Leon that makes a lot of difference.
🞿🞿🞿🞿/ 5

Monty Python and the Holy Grail(1975)
Finished 1/25/2022

I've skipped this movie for so long because I felt like I had already seen it. Years and years of references and parodies of this movie I felt like would
get rid of a lot of the humor for me. I am surprised that it actually quite holds up. It's dumb silly fun and has some genuine laughs still within it.
🞿🞿🞿1/2 / 5

At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (1964)
Finished 1/24/2022

For the first Brazillian horror movie they really went 0 to 100. Coffin Joe is absolutely evil and his reign of terror feels sadistic. Brutal horror
for the 1960s. A fun watch and worth seeing just to see Coffin Joe be an asshole.
🞿🞿🞿1/2 / 5

Barbarian Queen (1985)
Finished 1/24/2022

Extremely sleazy Corman flick with tons of boobs and violence. It's a fun time throughout, but nothing too special. Those sleazy bits
are a riot though. Love the scene of our lead breaking a dudes dick with her thighs.
🞿🞿1/2 / 5

Fat City (1972)
Finished 1/20/2022

Wonderfully produced John Huston film. Fat City looks drab with all of its low lighting and muted colors befitting to its down and act lead actor Stacy Keach.
Keach does an excellent job as a self-destructive character. Jeff Bridges also does his best but ultimately I found his plotline didn't have as much weight or
interest to it. I understand that it is the antithesis to Keach being a character on the opposite side of the spectrum. I applaud the movie pulling something like
that off. Fat City is an interesting movie and I'm glad it served as Huston's big return.
🞿🞿🞿1/2 / 5

In a Lonely Place (1950)
Finished 1/20/2022

In a Lonely Placer is a great noir with the added interest of being set in Los Angeles and all about the movies. The setting and plot drew me in as a movie fan, and
I came out with something brooding and tense. Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame playing off each other making for a spicy love story. All with this unsettling mystery
in the background, sometimes it's easy to forget about, but it always ends up popping up in unexpected ways. As the viewer, it draws out the anger of Bogart when we see
accusations being thrown around, but we always feel the uncertainty of Grahame. Making it work well as both a character study and a tense thriller.
🞿🞿🞿🞿/ 5

Slacker (1991)
Finished 1/19/2022

A fun meandering time. The type of movie that you just relax and watch as it floats on by.
🞿🞿🞿1/2/ 5

Yojimbo (1961)
Finished 1/19/2022

Love how dynamic Yojimbo is. Kurosawa is known for dynamic weather effects and blocking, but here it's taken to its extreme. If something in the frame isn't
moving then the camera is. It creates an electric playful mood that comes off as a comedy at times. It's also the best example I have seen of the closeness
of Westerns and Samurai films. Both are culturally specific genres, but with so many comparisons in themes and ideas. Yojimbo is Kurasawa at his most playful
and might be his most accessible and fun movie.
🞿🞿🞿🞿/ 5

Nights of Cabria (1957)
Finished 1/18/2022

I'm enamored by Night in Cabiria. Somehow perfectly swinging between lovely and brutally crushing. Fellini masterfully directs the story of a prostitute and her fight
to survive in the world. Giulietta Masina is incredible as Cabria in maybe one of my favorite performances I've seen recently. Her dances are mesmerizing but her ability
to shift emotions so swiftly is amazing. All around in love with this movie.
🞿🞿🞿🞿🞿/ 5

Viy (1967)
Finished 1/18/2022

Viy's visual style is its strongest point. It's stunning to look at with some gorgeous colors and great 1960s visual effects. Viy is slow cinema that is in tune
with a lot of Russian films at the time and its pacing doesn't work always, but it adds a nice bit of dread. Worth watching for a lot of the cool things crammed
onto the screen.
🞿🞿🞿 1/2/ 5

Alice Sweet Alice (1976)
Finished 1/18/2022

Alice Sweet Alice is a fun early slasher dealing with religious themes and child abuse. It offers a very Giallo-inspired mystery with a solid twist. Has its cheesy
moments but that just makes the horror all that much better. Solid kills and over the top performances make this a complete slasher package. Recommended to anyone
that wants to dig in a little deeper into American slasher films.
🞿🞿🞿/ 5

Scream (2022)
Finished 1/17/2022

The closest the series has cone to capturing that perfect balance of meta and horror. Meeting some where between nice throwbacks and trying something new.
Actually delivering solid horror with a good sense of humor, but here it feels fresh enough to be its own thing. It was a nice fun time and I’d love to see
another entry with this new cast.
🞿🞿🞿1/2/ 5

Andrei Rublev (1966)
Finished 1/16/2022

Cinematography, sets, and costumes are all outstanding creating a visually magnificent film. Tarkovsky's famous slow pacing did not work for me in Andrei
Rublev. It felt stretched way too thin for me and the material wasn't enough for me to enjoy. I usually appreciate Tarkovsky's pacing, but without the Avante
Garde imagery, I wasn't falling in love.
🞿🞿1/2/ 5

Scream 4 (2011)
Finished 1/14/2022

Same deal as the first one. Nice mix of meta and scares making an effective late entry in the series. This movie looks like someone smeared Vaseline
on the lens though, super weird.
🞿🞿🞿/ 5

Scream 3 (2000)
Finished 1/14/2022

Rad that this one is a commentary on Harvey Weinstein in his own production. Love that this one dives into full on parody mode with a great cast. Parker Posey kills
it in this. I feel like it forgets its a parody in its finale and it ends up a mess. At least its s dumb fun mess.
🞿🞿🞿/ 5

Scream 2 (1997)
Finished 1/14/2022

Boasts an insane cast and I think thats the best part. Every character has their dynamic and are mostly all fun. The twist is fun and its got some good kills. Definitely
not as good as the first because it can’t find the balance of meta and great horror, but its a good time none the less.
🞿🞿🞿/ 5

Scream (1996)
Finished 1/14/2022

A deeply nostalgic movie for me because even after watching stuff like Nightmare on Elm Street and Stigmata at probably too young of an age this was the movie that actually
scared the shit out of me. I think that’s because it’s meta in the best way ever done. It allows itself to be silly, but never lets it get in the way of great horror. Still
has great scares, fun kills, and well done twists. Holds up 25 years later and stands the test of time as a horror classic.
🞿🞿🞿🞿1/2/ 5

The Wages of Fear (1953)
Finished 1/13/2022

An extremely slow start almost made this movie fairly middling in my opinion. As soon as they go on the road, though, this movie moves up into top gear and never stops
being tense. Making for an intensely fun ride for most of the run time. Makes it all worth it in the end.
🞿🞿🞿🞿/ 5

Mirror (1975)
Finished 1/13/2022

Out of all the Tarkovsky movies that I have watched this is his most abstract so far, and that's why I feel like it's his best. An impressionistic history of Russia
told through fading memory. One moment plays and a single strand of thought will move you into the next memory. I loved the visuals and the mood of the whole film.
Tarkovsky allows himself to develop a movie that captures his slow cinematic style paired with abstract imagery creating something dream like.
🞿🞿🞿🞿/ 5

The Lost Daughter (2021)
Finished 1/13/2022

The acting is the best part of The Lost Daughter. Colman, Buckley, and Johnson all putting in convincing work. The plot is completely jumbled
though. I loved the themes of motherhood and personal responsibility but the past and present stories are poorly transitioned between each other.
It made for an experience that felt dragged out and made me uninvested in what was going on by the end. Eventually it falls pretty flat in its
finale. The pieces are all there but it wasn’t assembled in the best way possible.
🞿🞿 1/2 / 5

In the Mood For Love (2000)
Finished 1/12/2022

The colors and cinematography are perfect, everything is beautiful especially when the frame rate drops and the music accompanies the movements.
It's the beauty in all of the small look and glances where this movie gets its mood. In the mood for love is elegant and an absolute joy of a
bittersweet watch.
🞿🞿🞿🞿 / 5

The Power of the Dog (2021)
Finished 1/12/2022

Has this sort of constant dread that helps this movie so much. The drawn-out mystery of what this is all leading to is the strongest part of this movie towards the end,
but in the beginning, it feels like it takes a bit too long to get into the meat of everything. Cumberbatch is great from the start though so that definitely makes the
whole movie that much better. It's a good experience though and it's something I'd recommend trying out.
🞿🞿🞿1/2 / 5

Apur Sansar (1959)
Finished 1/12/2022

The best entry in the Apu trilogy as well as the most devastating. The sudden loss of a loved one affects ripples throughout the whole movie. It may be the least subtle of
the movies with big emotional moments, but I thought the acting was great enough to where it holds up. I believe Ray had honed his craft to the point where he could make
this excellent finale.
🞿🞿🞿🞿 / 5

Aparjito (1956)
Finished 1/12/2022

I enjoyed this entry more than the first in the Apu Trilogy. I found the mother to be a more dynamic character and the relationship between Apu and her being realistic
and touching. It felt more on the sentimental side, but I'm fine with that. It put a smile on my face which I can always appreciate, but in the end, ultimately made me
feel depressed. It's tragic and tells a story that I feel rings true for many cultures.
🞿🞿🞿1/2 / 5

Solaris (1972)
Finished 1/11/2022

Absolutely insane visual effects and set design, it's all so beautiful to look at. Tarkovsky as usual leaning into slow drawn out cinema and I prefer the slowness
of this to Stalker. The mood on this one is both of dread and loss. I love that it asks questions on people needing to ask questions.
🞿🞿🞿🞿 / 5

Harakiri (1962)
Finished 1/11/2022

Harakiri is brilliant from start to finish. Perfectly weaves a dual plotline with so many twists and false expectations. Love its comments on a samurais honor and overall
it's a great going against the system type movie. The blocking and acting are top-notch, especially in Harakiris's explosive finale. I didn't know quite what to expect but
I was surprised. It's a solid mix of excellent samurai action and expertly paced storytelling.
🞿🞿🞿🞿1/2 / 5

Godzilla, King of Monsters (1956)
Finished 1/11/2022

Rewatched the American version of Godzilla with the Criterion commentary. This commentary is better than the Japanese versions in my opinion. Our commentator fights that this
version though not as good as the original is important in its own right. Giving great cases for Raymond Burr's inclusion and the great editing style. I wouldn't say I was
entirely convinced that this is a great movie, but with historical context, this is actually an interesting watch. It may be one of the best commentaries I listened to and if you
go to rewatch the Criterion edition you should check it out.
🞿🞿🞿 / 5

Godzilla (1954)
Finished 1/10/2022

Rewatched with the Criterion edition commentary by David Kalat, a Godzilla historian. Kalat does an excellent job of explaining the intricacies and build-up that crafted Godzilla.
He obviously is a smart guy and knows his stuff and speaks in an interesting enough way to keep it interesting. Matching against the brilliant imagery of the movie, it's an
experience any Godzilla fan should listen to.
🞿🞿🞿🞿 / 5

Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
Finished 1/10/2022

Went in fully expecting this to be boring but that being the point. It's honestly not boring at all. Watching the movements of this character are extremely interesting.
The real-time actions give you time to think and really watch what she's doing. The slow breaking of these chores over multiple days becomes more poignant because of
its extended lingering. I found I appreciated this movie after discussing it with my fiance, talking about Jeanne as if she weren't a character in a film. My
observations of the loneliness of Jeanne and the mundanity that comes with daily life. I most likely won't ever watch this again but it's going to stick with me
for a long time.
🞿🞿🞿🞿 / 5

A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
Finished 1/9/2022

A Woman Under the Influence is one of those movies that never quite hits till it reaches its finale, everything working together and building to a devastating
finish. Gena Rowlands going full force and being incredible and Peter Falk keeping up with her in an equally great performance. Cassavettes holding up as a
great director of actors. The plot in the first half is a little too back and forth making it feel elongated, but the final thirty minutes make the extended
runtime worth it.
🞿🞿🞿🞿 / 5

Godzilla, King of Monsters (1956)
Finished 1/9/2022

It is a bit odd that a movie about America's use of H-Bombs would get an Americanized re-edit. I actually enjoyed this more than I thought because of the
editing wizardry going on here. Editing two completely different movies and meshing them together is a hard feat, but here I think it creates something fun.
It's comical to the point where I was laughing a good amount. I can't say it's good because it's obviously a basic monster movie and lacks the greatness
of the original, but hey I at least had fun watching it.
🞿🞿1/2 / 5

Poison Ivy (1992)
Finished 1/8/2022

The pure essence of 90s erotic sleaze. Drew Barrymore plays the ultimate evil by killing mothers and sleeping with dad. Not particularly incredible
with some questionable acting and awful music. It's too much fun not to enjoy though.
🞿🞿🞿 / 5

Wife of a Spy (2020)
Finished 1/8/2022

Yu Aoi does an incredible job of a wife trying to mend an insanely complicated marriage. The twists and turns are mostly engaging but the plot drags a
little. Overall it's an enjoyable drama but my biggest gripe is that it looks rough. The lighting is so bright and on the digital camera, it gives it
too much of a sterile uninteresting look.
🞿🞿🞿 / 5

Kicking and Screaming (1995)
Finished 1/8/2022

Noah Baumbach started off with a well-written small scale cute movie. Pretty much running the gambit of essential mid-nineties indie cinema. Especially
the cliche of insufferable dialogue that only works in the context of the characters. I honestly love them all and can listen to the garbage they spout
because it's an incredible cast doing some great work. I think Baumbach would improve from here on especially after his stylistic change post
Squid and the Whale, but it's a great indie gem.
🞿🞿🞿1/2 / 5

Kansas City (1996)
Finished 1/7/2022

Felt like one of Altmans weaker works. The cross-cutting between two different kidnappings sounds like an interesting idea on paper, but both plotlines
need to be interesting for it to work. The plotline with Jennifer Jason Leigh is good. It has the right amount of drama and the constant moving from place
to place allows for the great set design and costumes to be shown off. The other plotline ends up feeling like a weak interlude. Filled with interludes that
are all jazz music and I have nothing against jazz but I found it uninteresting and didn't pair well with the plot. Henry Belafonte is doing a great job at
least, but it never meshes well enough to make this movie feel anything above alright.
🞿🞿1/2 / 5

The Cool and Crazy(1958)
Finished 1/7/2022

Solidly entertaining anti-marijuana movie. Love all of the 50's slang with kids saying "I need M or I'm gonna flip out." Absolutely insane propaganda
where weed causes a kid to dance with a bus stop sign at the school dance. It's pure melodrama and so much fun because of it. Filmed with noir cinematography,
this movie drips with more energy than you would expect especially with its excellent bombastic jazz score.
🞿🞿🞿1/2 / 5

Godzilla(1954)
Finished 1/7/2022

Shows the perfect amount of Godzilla in this movie. Just enough to build up suspense, but enough to get some satisfying destruction scene. The miniature
looks absolutely fantastic and the rubber suit is perfection. The special effects are a marvel to look at, anything dealing with destruction is incredible.
The humanity of it all really does an effective job of making the destruction meaningful. I really enjoyed the heavy H-Bomb and anti-weapons of mass
destruction conversations. Glad to have seen Godzilla and I understand its importance as a blockbuster with something to say.
🞿🞿🞿🞿 / 5

A Face in the Crowd(1957)
Finished 1/5/2022

Andy Griffith is great as the ultimate charismatic asshole. A rise to fame that we see so many times,
and people gaining that power and misusing it or letting it take them over. Kazan usually knocks it out
of the park and here he does it again and is ahead of his time.
🞿🞿🞿🞿 / 5

Dog Day Afternoon(1975)
Finished 1/5/2022

I never realized what Dog Day Afternoon was a bumbling botched bank robbery movie. It has a witty script,
and it's equally as depressing. Lumet is one of the great directors in history and this shares a spot with
12 Angry Men as an essential American classic just made 20 years apart. I love the grimey way this is shot,
there's nothing like 70s cinematography. Al Pacino is perfectly acting to capture the rage of the country
at the time, it's excellent from beginning to the end.
🞿🞿🞿🞿1/2 / 5

Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One(1968)
Finished 1/4/2022

Interesting film about the making of a film that happens to feature a director that is seemingly inept, but
as a tool for conversation. What is acting in a documentary vs narrative? A question I've always found
interesting because the only way to capture true reality is to film people unknowingly, but most documentaries
including this one have people on camera knowingly and I think no matter what most people in front of a camera
act in some way. So this explores acting in front of the camera as well as being filmed behind the scenes. The
movie also uses hidden cameras capturing people unknowingly being filmed and shows that persona. Switching
between 3 personas. It's an interesting thing to think about and this movie also brings up even more questions
than that and it's an enjoyable think piece. I'd recommend it to anybody looking for something fresh in the
space of documentary films because this is an early attempt at questioning what makes a documentary
🞿🞿🞿🞿 / 5

The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
Finished 1/4/2022

A well put together documentary. Nothing flashy, making for a fairly normal talking head/archival footage
documentary. I would have appreciated more footage of Harvey Milk, but I do like that it coveys his impact
on the world. It's an important documentary just on the basis of who it is about. You should watch it
especially as a supplement to Gus Van Sants biopic.
🞿🞿🞿1/2 / 5

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
Finished 1/4/2022

This is my first time watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars since 2008 when I was 13 years old. At the time it was a somewhat
enjoyable movie and I didn't understand the poor critical reception. Now almost 14 years later I understand why this is
considered one of the worst Star Wars moviesin the cannon. Not that it's necessarily an awful movie, but the fact that it's
a backdoor pilot shows. Clone Wars has a plot that feels stretched to meet a feature-length running time making it feel weak.
I've never watched the show that this movie was setting up at the time, but from the undying love I've heard for it, I'm
sure that it handles characters better than this. A character like Ahsoka feels like a lame attempt at comic relief in this
and I hope that character was handled better in the tv series because she has potential.

Another gripe I have is with the choppy and rigid animation style is ugly and at times hard to look at. Maybe it's because
its dated, but usually, charming animation stands the test of time, but this is rough. That aside it at least has the charms
that Star Wars lore usually does where it's at least a fun world to dive into. Otherwise, it doesn't have much else going for it.
🞿🞿 / 5

The Hot Box (1972)
Finished 1/3/2022

The Hot Box is a women in prison film set in a hot political climate. Full of breasts and violence it plays into the tropes of WIP films fairly well. Johnathan Demme co-wrote this film which makes sense since he would go on to make Caged Heat which is similar but without the angry politics. I wish it made the movie a little more interesting though. It can be enjoyable overall but there are too many scenes where a lot of nothing is going on with breasts out as if that's all you need to keep it interesting. I do think this movie does get helped by its setting and pretty firey finale, but not quite enough.
🞿🞿1/2 / 5

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)
Finished 1/3/2022

Hits most of the same notes that biopics typically do, but I do appreciate that it is written in such a way that it feels more like a display of facts rather than a hit piece or an overglorification. I do think that the point could be made that it in some ways does try to glorify Tammy Faye, but it only does that to show her true good nature and I don't think it does it in a manipulative way. Michael Showalter does a great job as director creating a balancing act between a more serious tone and a goofy one. Jessica Chastain does an incredible job of working with this balancing tonal act. Allowing herself to be extremely goofy but doing so in such a convincing way. Definitely up there with Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana in terms of performances in 2021. Garfield plays off her so well and the whole cast is solid. The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a fun watch, but also an enlightning one and I really appreciated it.
🞿🞿🞿1/2 / 5

The Swinging Cheerleaders (1974)
Finished 1/3/2022

Jack Hill is a director with a nice exploitation history and even though I might not love all of his movies I do enjoy the energy his movies have. With The Swinging Cheerleaders, I feel like that energy isn't all there, feeling pretty laid back which might be just from the genre he's trying. As a teen sex comedy, it delivers what is required a ton of nudity and at least some silly moments. On those points, it's an at least enjoyable movie, but it doesn't do much else that made it great. Feels like a lesser part of jack Hills filmography, but still a cool time capsule.
🞿🞿1/2 / 5

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts (2022)
Finished 1/1/2022

Real heartstring puller. Its a glorified special feature but it was a well put together one. Really nice to see mostly everyone back!
🞿 🞿 🞿/5