Dalton’s ranking of every Criterion release he’s seen, from worst to best: 4. Flow 3. KPop Demon Hunters 2. Godzilla vs. Biollante 1. Godzilla: The Showa Era Films

“It comes to you, this stuff just flies through the air, they send this information ‘beamed’ out over the fucking place, you just got to know how to grab it. See, I know how to grab it.” Goddamn, what a shit fucking week. Rest In Peace to the incomparable Tom Noonan.

Rest In Peace, Robert Duvall

NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE (2025, Johnson): “This is gonna be a copyright nightmare.” Genuinely one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. The runner with unreliable flashbacks made me laugh harder than anything else in recent memory. Run out and see this!

Now seated. Having now watched some (not all) of the series I feel adequately prepped for this.

Fresh sourdough loaf. Happy Valentine’s Day.

A film about a failed lesbian actress traumatized by the casting couch dreaming herself into the lead role of a prime time soap opera where the director who steals the woman she loves has his movie taken away by the shadowy Hollywood elite who destroyed her dreams. Billy Ray Cyrus is also there.

I made my threepeat appearance on the Marvelous pod to discuss the greatest film ever made. Even more Lynch impressions ensue. Check it out!

Life update: Dalton’s room now has a Kaiju Wall

Cause / Effect

Watched The Roses last night, which was absolutely dreadful, one of 2025’s worst. Followed that up with 1989’s The War of the Roses today, which is not only great but looks fan-fucking-tastic, a damning reminder of what studio films could be. DeVito is on fire here:

My Citizen app just alerted me of two people who don’t know how to use guns.

For FilmInquiry, my Top 10 of 2025, plus some incredible honorable mentions.

For all its horror, I still contend this is the most life-affirming work of art I’ve ever seen.

Now seated for a religious experience.

“You've never seen fog before or what?” Rest In Peace, Béla Tarr.

THE RESURRECTION OF THE GOLDEN WOLF (1979, Torū Murakawa): A Japanese salaryman sets out to screw over his own employer and leaves a trail of scorched earth in his wake. Yūsaka Matsuda is so impossibly cool & dangerous, a tightly coiled python perpetually on the verge of striking.

December 2025 Afternoons of Solitude Artists and Models Gamera vs. Jiger Gamera: Guardian of the Universe Gamera 2: Attack of Legion Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris Gamera the Brave If I Had Legs I’d Kick You Marty Supreme The Mastermind Panna a netvor Resurrection

Just watched GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS and it’s some of the raddest, most Evangelion shit ever.

As 2025 comes to a close, I wrote about watching every Godzilla movie with Dalton, my three-year old son. I then ranked all 38 films in the franchise. All this and more on my brand new Substack: jaketropila.substack.com/p/my-year-wi...

New Ep! Rather than purchasing gifts for his loved ones, Steve filled everybody’s stocking up with whatever coal he could find on Tubi. We watched and discuss Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny, Bikini Bloodbath Christmas, and The Grinch that Stole Bitches. Enjoy? www.optimismvaccine.com/episode/stev...

MARTY SUPREME (2025, Safdie): “I was born in 1601. I’m a vampire.” The most compelling portrait of a destructive, single-minded force of nature since UNCUT GEMS. Every soundtrack cut & casting choice exemplary. Khondji, Lopatin & Chalamet on fire. Totally fucking exhilarating.

This holiday season, I watched and reviewed My Secret Santa: boxd.it/cfVEd5

Rest In Peace Amos Poe, director of the terrific Alphabet City.

“Merry Christmas, 007.”

Happy haulidays to me.

Merry Christmas, Dalton made out like a bandit. (the new haul / the full lineup)

Now watching GO (1999), a Christmas movie.

Finished S1 of Pluribus. An excellent season of TV, IMO, glad Vince Gilligan made something that largely acts as a showcase for Rhea Seehorn. Predicted the nature of the last scene, but that final beat was really perfect, looking forward to S2. Two mildly spoilerish thoughts:

GAMERA VS. JIGER (1970, Noriaki Yuasa): Features a scene of impromptu kaiju surgery as two small children commandeer a mini-sub inside of an incapacitated Gamera and shock him back to life with power cables. Great stuff!

Taskmaster Champion of Champions 4 is out, which is great because it means I’ll get to see more of Sam Campbell on Taskmaster.

Back on the pod this week, talking about something very near and dear to my heart: The Highlander sequels. It is baffling that they exist, and yet I remain endlessly fascinated by them. We do a deep dive on the film sequels here:

RESURRECTION (2025, Bi Gan): Cinema as a beating heart, capable of articulating dreams and capturing sensations. A completely transcendent work; the year’s single best film.

Now seated.

We’re counting down the Top 50 Films of 2025 over at @InRO, and I wrote a little blurb on Takeshi Kitano’s BROKEN RAGE. Check out that & more here: inreviewonline.com/2025/12/19/b...

New Ep! Sometimes, we have minimal preparation time, and so our half-formed ideas will take precedent for the week’s discussion. This week, we landed on “Sean Connery in Space,” so we watched and talked about Meteor and Outland. Enjoy! www.optimismvaccine.com/episode/come...

New Ep! We trust the fungus and take a look at the brief directorial career of U.K. cyber-enthusiasts Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton. Join us as we discuss Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future, D.O.A., and Super Mario Bros. Enjoy! www.optimismvaccine.com/episode/trus...

Dalton has entered a new phase where he only wants to watch and talk about Shin Godzilla. He’s begun to grasp that these are different forms of the same monster, and not three discrete monsters. He’s also very intrigued by the “skeletons” coming out of his tail.

Waiting for my mom to stop talking to her friend so we can leave this party.

Happy 30th

Oh FUCK yeah!

Sean Burns is a creep who targets women young enough to be his daughter and sends weepy, manipulative, long, and emotionally abusive emails to women (me!) after midnight because he’s an aggrieved loser mad I didn’t want to fuck him. I have a folder full of emails that would make your hair curl.

He directed This Is Spinal Tap, which is enough said. Very sad to hear this tragic news. Rest In Peace, Rob Reiner.

THE SHROUDS (2025, David Cronenberg)

Watching SENTIMENTAL VALUE.

NO OTHER CHOICE (2025, Park): Nothing quite like fighting tooth & nail to get back into the machine that chewed you up and spat you out. While not as dazzling as Decision To Leave, this still ends on a note as equally haunting, all buoyed by a terrifically harried Lee Byung-hun.

Now watching NO OTHER CHOICE.

I just watched the QT Fortnite short “Yuki’s Revenge” and hoo boy! Move over, Four Rooms!