It's Oscar weekend (cheers to those of you who celebrate), which means I'm finally caught up on last year's movies and am sharing my Top 25 of 2025! I'm trying Substack out as a host for my (now annual!) write-up on my faves of the year. I went long on this, so settle in or save it for later! 🎬

Favorite First-Time Watches of February 2026 (alphabetized): CLOUD ATLAS (2012) MINDING THE GAP (2018)

Favorite First-Time Watches of January 2026 (alphabetized): FACE/OFF (1997) IN THE BEDROOM (2001) LADY VENGEANCE (2006)

Damn, this one hurts. One of the funniest people of all-time. Pretty much always the best thing about whatever project she was a part of.

Happy New Year, all! As is tradition, here is my annual list of every movie I watched this year, plus some scattered thoughts… 🧵

Favorite First-Time Watches of December 2025 (alphabetized): ACE IN THE HOLE (1951) BACURAU (2020) BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI (2000)

you will be visited by 3 spirits

Thank you to everyone who listened to my music this year! 2025 was my biggest year for streaming ever, so if you were a part of that, I am so grateful to you! It means the world to me that people are out there listening and enjoying the work that I do. Here’s to lots more in 2026! 🎶🫶

Favorite First-Time Watches of November 2025 (alphabetized): IMAGES (1972) RATCATCHER (2000) WILD AT HEART (1990)

This will be an insta-buy for me! One of the best movies of the 2020s so far, and I’ve been anxious for a physical release. So excited!

Favorite First-Time Watches of October 2025 (alphabetized): THE EVIL DEAD (1981) EVIL DEAD II (1987) POINT BREAK (1991) SAVE THE GREEN PLANET! (2003) SUSPIRIA (1977) THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) THE WHITE BALLOON (1996)

Favorite First-Time Watches of September 2025 (alphabetized): A BIGGER SPLASH (2016) JEWEL ROBBERY (1932) OSLO, AUGUST 31st (2012) SORCERER (1977) STRANGER THAN PARADISE (1984) SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE (2002) UNDER THE SILVER LAKE (2019)

🍳❤️🍞

I WANT TO HAVE A GOOD MEAL is now live on YouTube! @kayleeinthepark.bsky.social made a beautiful film and I’m so proud to have gotten to write the music for it. If you feel an emotional connection to food the way that I do, this will brighten your day! youtu.be/szJ-rATP-qE?...

A truly lovely short film I scored last year arrives on YouTube tomorrow! Check out the trailer below (music by me, of course!) and stay tuned for the full film. Really proud of this one!

Favorite First-Time Watches of August 2025 (alphabetized): 25TH HOUR (2002) CASINO (1995) COME AND SEE (1985) THE MISFITS (1961)

New reel! This represents just a few of the wonderful projects I’ve had the opportunity to write music for over the years. You’ll hear and see my work in animation, action, comedy, drama, and much more! And if you like what you hear, reach out! Let’s work together! youtu.be/6sEJtQixM28?...

Favorite First-Time Watches of July 2025 (alphabetized): THE BEGUILED (1971) FUNNY PAGES (2022) GHOST TROPIC (2020) MIDSOMMAR (2019) SLEUTH (1972) TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (1985)

Favorite First-Time Watches of June 2025 (alphabetized): BLUE VELVET (1986) FRENZY (1972) A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1946) PLEASE GIVE (2010) ROBOCOP (1987) TRAINSPOTTING (1996)

Everyone else is doing it, so here’s ten of my favorite films from this century so far (and this list might look very different if I did this again tomorrow).

My favorite of the year so far! A total delight, and stunningly crafted (of course). The fact that this is handily in the bottom third of Wes’ filmography for me is just a testament to the excellence of his overall body of work.

Finished my semi-annual Wes Anderson rewatch (ahead of seeing THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME this week!). My very correct rankings on the (wonderful) films of one of my very favorite filmmakers:

Favorite First-Time Watches of May 2025 (alphabetized): 5 CENTIMETERS PER SECOND (2007) BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986) I AM LOVE (2010)

I’ve released a lot of new music the last couple months; here’s the last one for a little while! I had a wonderful time writing the music for the animated short film, GUARDIAN. There’s some action music and percussion writing in the score that I’m particularly proud of.

First time ever getting one of these to fill out! I guess Corvallis, Oregon is a major film market now????

The soundtrack for MAGIC LEAK is now streaming everywhere! Working on this score was truly a treat and I hope you’ll enjoy listening to it as much as I did writing it.

Surprised and honored to be awarded! Many thanks to BFG and of course to @sillypenta.bsky.social for bringing me onboard to score his short film. I’m so proud to have been involved. youtu.be/Zvza592S48s?...

I got to write the music for this crazy animated short film by @doodlebai.bsky.social and it was truly some of the most fun I’ve ever had working on anything! Check it out now and stay tuned for an OST release! 💛

I had the honor of scoring the trailer for KinoFilm's 20th international short film festival in Manchester! To celebrate twenty years of independent film, I wrote a triumphant anthemic piece with big brass, drums, and insistent mixed meters. youtu.be/fWOl3sRFkK0?...

Favorite First-Time Watches of April 2025 (alphabetized): 45 YEARS (2015) 48 HRS. (1982) THE ASSASSIN (2015) THE BAND WAGON (1953) THE COLOR WHEEL (2012) DO THE RIGHT THING (1989) A SEPARATION (2011) UNSTOPPABLE (2010) THE WOMEN (1939)

New soundtrack out today! Last year, I got to score Aaron Sams' wistfully whimsical animated short, LACRIMOSA, to which I took a unique approachach. He cited Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band as a visual influence on the film, so I decided to let that imprint extend into the music as well.

Great news for us Joan Cusack fans! Kinda sad that this is her first non-Netflix movie since…the previous TOY STORY sequel. We are wasting one of our finest comic actors!

Last year, I had the pleasure of writing music for @hodgepodgeaudio.bsky.social’s narrative podcast, HYMNS FOR THE ROAD. Today, the soundtrack is out and streaming everywhere! It’s been heartening to see the listener response to the show and I’m excited that fans will now be able to spin the music!

Favorite First-Time Watches of March 2025 (alphabetized): BERGMAN ISLAND (2021) CLOSER (2004) DEATHTRAP (1982) DOGVILLE (2004) GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER (1967) NOCTURAMA (2017) TOTAL RECALL (1990) THE WIZ (1978)

Very normal and chill movies I’m watching in 2025 the year of our lord and savior

Saw BLACK BAG this weekend and loved it. People will say that you need to see it to support mid-budget adult fare, and they’re right, but also just see it because it absolutely rules.

The Oscars are tomorrow, so this is probably the last-possible time it will be appropriate to share my favorite films of 2024, so here we go! Follow along and tell me how wrong I am (actually, don’t do that second thing): 🧵

Love waking up to the news that my most-anticipated movie of the year will be out in less than four months!

Happy 93rd birthday to John Williams, the greatest to ever do it. Tim Grieving wrote a lovely tribute to celebrate the occasion: wp.me/pa0uER-1X3

Favorite First-Time Watches of January 2025 (alphabetized): ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER (1999) BAD EDUCATION (2004) BLUE RUIN (2014) CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH (2022) THE PIANIST (2002) SHORT CUTS (1993) SULLY (2016) WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN (1988)

I remember seeing CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND for the first time as a teenager and *hating* it. Now, many years and many viewings later, it’s one of my all-time favorite movies. That’s called character development, folks!

Yay: - John Powell gets his second nom! - NICKEL BOYS noms mean it might actually open in a theater near me! - MAGIC CANDIES in animated short! - THE SUBSTANCE becomes the weirdest Picture nom ever??? Nay: - Nothing for CHALLENGERS, HARD TRUTHS (MJB robbed) - No Picture nom for A REAL PAIN.

Okay, let’s do a rundown of some stuff I worked on in 2024! Overall, it wasn’t one of my busier years for film scoring (and I’m hoping to take on more in 2025), but I still got to put out some work I’m really proud of! Here’s a sampling of my 2024 output. 🧵

🧵 Okay, nerds: here’s my annual list of every movie I watched in 2024 (and some other scattered thoughts and comments):

Favorite First-Time Watches of December 2024 (alphabetized): AMERICAN PSYCHO (2000) BORN YESTERDAY (1950) CAROL (2015) COME BACK TO THE 5 & DIME, JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN (1982) FAR FROM HEAVEN (2002) GREEN ROOM (2016) HOLIDAY (1938) HUSBANDS AND WIVES (1992) THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971) (1/2)

Watched THE END last night. It doesn’t seem to be getting much attention (I was the only person at the screening), and it’s not for everyone, but I loved it. A big swing (a weird and very earnest 2.5 hour musical) that’s beautifully directed and performed. If you think you might like it, see it.

Thanks for listening, everyone! These aren’t superstar numbers, but in the demographic of “no-name film composer living in a tiny town with one traffic light,” they’re pretty good. Also, 28 countries??? That’s rad.

Favorite First-Time Watches of November 2024 (alphabetized): ALL OR NOTHING (2002) ANOTHER YEAR (2010) HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008) HEREDITARY (2018) JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG (1961) THE LADY EVE (1941) MR. TURNER (2014) THE PALM BEACH STORY (1942) ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. (2017) THE TREE OF LIFE (2011)

Today, I turn 27 years old! I am hoping for at least 27 more, but I also don’t want to be too greedy.