2025 Film Viewing Diary: #29 I ended my third day at the Sundance Film Festival with Gala del Sol's RAINS OVER BABEL. This was another film that felt like it would be tailor-made for me, but instead left me more frustrated with the choices it ended up making. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #28 Next up in my Sundance shorts was Stephen Irwin's A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR DEATH. I can be hit-or-miss with some of these more abstract, macabre works of animation, but this one ultimately worked for me. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #27 My next short film at Sundance was Daisy Friedman's UNHOLY. This is such a gut-wrenching and hilarious look at the ways families treat and react and respond to members with newly acquired disabilities. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #26 My second short at Sundance with Glenn Kaino's HOOPS, HOPES & DREAMS. There's some great history presented here, and I appreciate learning more about both King and Obama's use of basketball as a tool for outreach. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #25 My first short film from Sundance this year was Alex Heller's DEBATERS. This is really well-made, wonderfully performed, and slickly directed. 1/

For this month's Patreon-only bonus episode of The Criterion Channel Surfing Podcast, Michael Hutchins and I discussed the upcoming April releases on the Criterion Channel and explored the channel's upcoming sixth anniversary. Enjoy! www.patreon.com/posts/criter...

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #24 Next up on my third day at Sundance was Eva Victor's stunning SORRY, BABY. This was such a phenomenal film - so beautifully written, directed, and performed. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #23 I started off my third day at Sundance with Cole Webley's feature film debut - OMAHA. I almost really loved this film. It has so much going for it - really beautiful performances and a quiet and nuanced story about what it means to struggle in America today. 1/

Film Viewing Diary: #22 I ended my second day at this year's virtual Sundance with Pasqual Gutierrez and Ben Mullinkosson's charming work of auto-fiction, SERIOUS PEOPLE. 1/

Film Viewing Diary: #21 The next film on my second day of Sundance was Rashad Frett’s incarceration drama, RICKY. This is an incredibly moving and gut-wrenching film about the struggles of a young Black man to reintegrate back into his community after being released from prison. 1/

Film Viewing Diary: #20 I started my second day at Sundance with another one of my favorite films of the festival, Charlie Shackleton's ZODIAC KILLER PROJECT. Under the guise of a true crime documentary, Shackleton hit my sweet spot for experimental and deconstructionist documentary filmmaking. 1/

Film View Diary: #19 After a few weeks of medical appointments and a full workload, I'm back to catching up on posting film reviews. I ended my first day at Sundance with Evan Twohy's BUBBLE & SQUEAK. This was my first true disappointment of the festival. 1/

It's Oscar night, so that means it's time to post my annual reflection on this year's nominees, including my list of predictions and preferences, as well as possible spoilers and snubs! cinemacocktail.com/2025-oscar-p...

The latest bonus episode of The Criterion Channel Surfing Podcast is live for Patreon supporters! Michael Hutchins and I discuss the March Criterion Channel releases, Criterion disc announcements, and our picks and predictions for the Oscars. Enjoy! www.patreon.com/posts/criter...

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #18 My second feature at this year's Online Sundance Film Festival was Hailey Gates's ATROPIA. There was so much promise to this film. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #17 I kicked off my 2025 Sundance viewing with what ended up being my favorite film of the festival - Amanda Kramer's BY DESIGN. I know this film won't work for everyone, but I found myself completely on its wavelength. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #16 Toward the end of January, I caught up with another Spirit Award film, the incredibly compelling immigration documentary HUMMINGBIRDS, directed by Silvia Del Carmen Castaños and Estefanía Contreras. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #15 Next up in my Spirit Awards Viewing was Tim Fehlbaum's SEPTEMBER 5. On a pure craft level, there are a few impressive sequences here. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #14 Next up for my Spirit Award viewing was Marielle Heller's adaptation of the novel NIGHTBITCH. Due to all of the dismissive reviews, I really wasn't looking forward to the film, so I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed it. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #13 As part of my Spirit Award viewing at the end of January, I also caught up with Morrisa Maltz's exceptional coming-of-age film JAZZY. This is such a vibrant, lovely film. 1/

2025 TV Viewing Diary: #8 At the end of January, Melanie and I also finished watching the first season of Sharon Horgan, Brett Baer, and Dave Finkel's BAD SISTERS. This is such a funny, delightful, and intelligently written series. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #12 Toward the end of January, I continued my Indie Spirit viewing with Alonso Ruizpalacios's immigration/kitchen dramedy, LA COCINA. I really wanted to love this. There are so many elements that could have made this a film that I would absolutely adore. 1/

Over at @cinemacocktail.bsky.social, I've reviewed and ranked all of this year's nominees for animated, documentary, and live action short films! cinemacocktail.com/the-oscar-no...

2025 TV Show Viewing Diary: #7 Melanie and I recently finished the second season of Mike White’s brilliant HBO series, THE WHITE LOTUS. While it doesn’t have the same emphasis on power and privilege… 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #11 It was back to my Film Independent viewing with one of the documentary nominees, Gregory Kershaw and Michael Dweck’s GAUCHO GAUCHO. This is a gorgeously shot documentary chronicling the Argentine gauchos and their vanishing way of life in the face of modernization. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #10 For her birthday last month, Melanie and I rented Jon M. Chu’s surprisingly delightful adaptation of the first act of WICKED. 1/

2025 TV Viewing Diary: #6 Looking for something a bit lighter to unwind with in the evenings, I decided to finally give Eric Kripke's SUPERNATURAL a try and recently finished the first season. 1/

2025 TV Viewing Diary: #5 Melanie and I also recently finished the second season of Jason Segel, Brett Goldstein, and Bill Lawrence's SHRINKING. While I enjoyed the first season quite a bit, I do think this second season is stronger. 1/

2025 TV Viewing Log: #4 Last month, Melanie and I finished one of the more delightful shows from the Star Wars universe, Jon Watts and Christopher Ford’s STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #9 Next up in my Film Independent viewing, I caught up with Rachel Morrison's extremely compelling sports drama, THE FIRE INSIDE. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #8 For my Film Independent Spirit Award viewing, I also caught up with Brady Corbet's epic, THE BRUTALIST. There’s a lot to process here, and I’ll probably be chewing on this film for quite some time. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #7 Next up in my Film Independent Spirit Awards viewing was Luke Gilford’s NATIONAL ANTHEM. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #6 Catching up on some of this films I’ve watched over the last month - starting with the wonderful HARD TRUTHS from director Mike Leigh. 1/

2025 TV Viewing Diary: #3 Next up in the TV shows from 2024 that I finished up at the beginning of the new year - James Gunn’s CREATURE COMMANDOS. 1/

2025 TV Viewing Diary: #2 I wasn’t really interested in David E. Kelley’s adaptation of PRESUMED INNOCENT, but since it came up in my Spirit Awards viewing, I ended up having to watch the series in order to vote in the next couple of weeks. 1/

Film Viewing Diary: #5 Next up for my Spirit Award viewing, was last year’s Sundance award-winner, IN THE SUMMERS, from director Alessandra Lacorazza. 1/

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #4 Next up in my Spirit Awards viewing was Corey Sherman’s BIG BOYS. 1/5

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #3 Continuing to work my way through my Spirit Award viewing, I caught up with Ali Abbasi’s THE APPRENTICE early in the new year. 1/6

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #2 I’ve been continuing my Spirit Award viewing since the start of the new year, and a few weeks ago I caught up with Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’s HERETIC. 1/5

2024 was a wonderful year of film viewing, and I saw some incredible movies that changed the way I saw the world. So, here's my list of favorite discoveries and first-time watches of 2024! cinemacocktail.com/favorite-dis...

2025 Film Viewing Diary: #1 For my first film of the new year, I chose the quiet and meditative INSIDE THE YELLOW COCOON SHELL, from Phạm Thiên Ân. 1/4

2025 TV Viewing Diary: #1 Melanie and I started off our new year by finishing the first season of THE WHITE LOTUS, written and directed by Mike White. 1/5

These were pretty great bookends to a fantastic year of film viewing.

Films Watched in 2024: #506 Melanie and I are finishing off our 2024 viewing with one final film tonight - Greg Kwedar’s SING SING. #NowWatching

I love joining friends to discuss our favorite @criterion.bsky.social releases on @criterioncast.com, & had a great time talking with @peutetre.bsky.social , @mrbradmcd.bsky.social, & @awest505.bsky.social about the releases that moved, challenged, and inspired us. criterioncast.com/podcast/crit...

Films Watched in 2024: #505 It’s almost the end of the year, and I’m fitting in another Film Independent screening tonight - Payal Kapadia’s ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT. #NowWatching

Films Watched in 2024: #504 Melanie and I are having a virtual movie night with a friend watching Pamela Adlon’s BABES. #NowWatching

Films Watched in 2024: #503 I fit in one more Film Independent screening today before turning in for the night - Aaron Schimberg’s A DIFFERENT MAN.

Films Watched in 2024: #502 Sitting down with my next Film Independent screening for the weekend in this dash to catch up with as my 2024 releases as I can before the end of the year - next up, RaMell Ross’s NICKEL BOYS. #NowWatching

The latest bonus episode of The Criterion Channel Surfing Podcast is available for Patreon supporters! Michael Hutchins and I discuss the channel's December additions, physical disc announcements, and our favorite channel bundles of 2024! www.patreon.com/posts/criter...