Watched KRULL in 4K: The good news is it looks great, the bad news is it’s still KRULL.

Was trained that - unless you wrote for a trade - judging what audiences will think isn’t criticism and mentioning it is likely evidence that you’re not a good critic. Reviews are an expression of how a person watched a movie and reacted. Citing box office, while not a critical metric, exempt.

Was at Amoeba when Tommy Wiseau came in and was looking for an employee who had left already, so another clerk tried to help buy his merch as he stood next to me. Did I talk to him? I DID NOT!

RIP Claudia Cardinale

Funny watching NOTLD ‘90 and being reminded of a how a confluence of things led the early nineties to be one of the worst times for horror cinema while SILENCE OF THE LAMBS was winning best picture. JURASSIC PARK, SE7EN, etc. were doing box office as low budget drive-in fare was moving to DTV.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1990): This is a solid remake that had a reputation turnaround a couple years back where a lot of people realized it’s good actually. It is, though in a “three star remake of one of the greatest films of all time” way.

Kinda wild how bad the timing was on today’s trailer drop. Like the perfect window for maximum negative impact.

One of the biggest problems with the comic book universe is that both Batman and Superman suck. A rich dude who fights crime and a foreigner who is all powerful, just completely uninteresting in 2025. Arguably it’s like masturbating to your grandparent’s porn.

Tarantino’s casting of Leonardo DiCaprio is fascinating. At once, there is both contempt and a sense that he’s the only modern actor actor. QT loves him, but only when he squirms.

One of the reasons why I hope Tarantino never makes another film (which is very probable) is because OUATIH shows that he’s fallen in love with uninteresting truths. Steve McQueen, et al. were vain and man’s men whose homophobia was born of being around it all the time and feared being seen as such.

One of the things I love about ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD is that Tarantino pokes Bruce Lee’s legend in a way that makes liberals who are supposedly liberal uncomfortable. MLK’s dick got dirty, that doesn’t change shit.

There is no better film than THE RULES OF THE GAME. To my core, nothing comes close. I’ve seen multiple thousands of movies, THE RULES OF THE GAME is it. More movies should strive to be as good. It’s literally the only film I will not blanche about that. Like, RIO BRAVO is Hollywood masterpiece.

Quentin Tarantino is to Charlie Manson as Ridley Scott is to the Alien in the Alien prequels and I love them for that. It’s also the problem with all of those movies (which I like).

One of the reasons I am colder on ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD than some of my besties is because I resent that doing it practical is a thing. Which is not a knock on the film, it just serves as a reminder films are inherently less good these days because dumb people think computers fix everything.

Though I think it’s a shit film, BLINK TWICE and Zoe Kazan have an intuitive understanding of how to use music. The ability to marry a song to images is cinema. Cutting on rhythm is sensual. Good editing turns you on.

One aspect of the modern conservative movement is it is hooked on dumb people. It’s half “respect me” and half “I am mad at the teacher who told me I shouldn’t lick batteries.” Weird “people with daddy issues who still want a daddy” shit.

One thing that’s so frustrating about plebes is they don’t connect things. Samantha Robinson gave a star making performance in THE LOVE WITCH. Since, Margaret Qualley has made 40 more films than her, without ever showing as much star quality or even box office potential. Meritocracy is a myth.

One of the best parts - the best parts! - of being an uncle is telling my nephew he should punch my brother in the nuts. Just, cheap shot, punch scrote.

Happy Demi Adejuyigbe day!

Nothing makes me want to move to NY simply to vote like this does:

One of the things about the asymmetrical warfare aspect of modern culture is there is a non-zero chance that Donald Trump has slept with men. If he went to Thailand on vacation? Confirmed. But the left doesn’t want to politicize sexuality and the right loves hypocrisy because it shows their power.

It’s not that I hate Mike White or people like him, I just am good at math, and a lot of people like that are schematic to the point that the humanity is an afterthought. Yorgos Lanthimos, etc. slightly excepted by actually commenting on realer things.

One of the problems with modern horror is that serial killers wearing elaborate costumes isn’t a real thing. I am way more frightened of conservatives than Halloween costumes.

Things Roger Deakins loves*: Jean Pierre Melville, THE BATMAN, BOSCH * going by his podcast

One of the most frustrating things about modern everything is that Conservative’s beliefs are “we’re right no latter what.” So they have no belief system or coherent ideology. Every argument they make is bad faith and generally not backed by facts or science. They live in insane bubbles.

Though they are all bad art, there’s something so enjoyable about people who make art about like drugs or sex when you can tell they haven’t done them. “This marijuana makes me want to kill!” Nah, it makes you want to door dash five cheesy gordita crunches.

People are underrating the best reason to cancel services: You get to be incredibly smug about missing shit. “No, I’m not caught up on ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, it’s because I don’t support fascists, but how was it? Was it good?”

It feels like the media is overselling Charlie Kirk’s death (though I get it: he’s a media person, it’s benign narcissism) and I think even people on the right don’t really care any more. I think it’s because people agreed with him, they didn’t really like him. He was more useful than beloved.

One of the things about having endless streaming services and shows and podcasts is that we’ve ceded curation to the idea that people should be given a chance. The problem is infinite mediocrities send people to branded content because it’s a known.

One of things I keep waiting for with so much CG stuff is audiences to reject it, because it’s a lot of stuff that is weightless. I honestly feel like we are waiting for a modern Kael to call bullshit, but there may be no platform for that.

Did a double feature of FILMS THAT PLAY BETTER IN 2025: ESCAPE FROM LA and BILLY LYNN’S HALFTIME WALK. Both hit harder now.

Watching ESCAPE FROM LA. One problem with modern movie going audiences is that movies aren’t real, but cinema sins type stuff makes people feel smart while missing the point. It does not make sense that they had a tailored outfit for Snake. But to question that misses the point of movies.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - THE FINAL RECKONING has the same problem most big movies have these days: As a nth entry in a universe, it has so much work to do with characters and lore that it has little time for humanity and people. They do everything but make you care.

Seconded!

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - THE FINAL RECKONING: Three hours of end of the world saving is tedious without some levity or wit. A better movie about a disavowed spy who has to find a doohickey that can end the world by doing impossible athletic stunts? ESCAPE FROM LA.

and a retired meteorologist shall lead us

Without implying anything bad about ANDOR, if Disney released it, and is doing this to Kimmel, it’s worth reiterating pop culture will not save you. It may comfort you, but that can also be its own form of control.

One of the things about getting more cultural context/history is some stuff snaps into place. Like THE SOUND OF MUSIC may seem singular, but was likely made because of the success of THE KING AND I, which - when you think about it - yes.

One of the things is that modern rich people want to control means of distribution through platforms, but their platforms often become closed loops and can be easily ignored. Weird to think so many people still in the thrall of Twitter and social media outrage loops.

If people need to understand why the Paramount WB thing is bad, here’s a good example.

If you want to make them dance, call them pussies.

MEMENTO finally hitting 4K through Umbrella makes me think some rights changed hands, mostly because I’m shocked LionsGate didn’t get to it. I doubt they’ll be the only boutique company to release it.

Now is normally the time when people point out the dumbass SEO websites that report “MCU Star dies.”

Redford has a somewhat complicated legacy because he wanted to he more than a pretty face and that led to some great acting work and a spotty directorial career. His best acting work used his attractiveness as a plot point. Sundance, as a whole, is/was good for the industry. He is an all timer.

One facet of television criticism that the best writers on TV intuit is the core readers either have watched or will never watch what you’re writing about. In some ways it’s the most modern criticism as people read it more to have their tastes confirmed than to decide to watch it.

Though I think the rise of television criticism was one of the signs of the form’s demise, Alan Sepinwall being let go from Rolling Stone is another win for the conservative agenda and a grotesque sign that expertise is being targeted for the sake of idiots.

One thing about cinema history I believe is that if it ignores pornography, it is color blind to the history of cinema. That said, porn is better viewed for trends than content. Actually watching it is (relatively) pointless, but the rise of OnlyFans and the death of the star system are related.

Happy to see PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE in 4K and in the Criterion Collection, but it feels like studios have basically abandoned home video if they’re willing to license titles that are perennials.

Much of the modern Republican party feels like a rich kid whose dad got them to get his hit and run reduced to a DUI, but wants to pretend that the law is the same as justice and without actually feeling any remorse or responsibility.

Bought a 4K steaming copy of the latest MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE because my mom loves them and she and I will watch it, but - Jesus Christ - the last one was so completely miserable that I have zero enthusiasm.