50 years ago today, 'Grey Gardens' premiered at the New York Film Festival. This timeless classic has been deemed by critics worldwide as one of the best documentaries of all time: buff.ly/2vikTNq

My 5 favorite first-watch films of August 2025: 1. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse 2. Weapons 3. My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow 4. The Naked Gun (2025) 5. Hot Rod

For its 20th anniversary, we look back at Werner Herzog's 'Grizzly Man,' examining why it's not just a classic documentary but one of the best of the 21st century (per the recent New York Times poll): www.nonfics.com/p/grizzly-ma...

Went to Dollywood for the first time yesterday for my daughter’s birthday, and I can never go to any other roller coaster focused amusement park again.

Knew nothing going into Fantastic 4 and really enjoyed it. A lot more seriously played than I expected. I will say I wanted more time to appreciate some of the characters better but Vanessa Kirby kept stepping in & dominating, leaving little room for anyone else to matter as much.

Caught up with F1. Pretty good. Laughed at a few narrative things that weren’t meant to be funny. I still don’t have any desire to watch actual racing but those sequences were well done. Also, got to see myself in another Superman trailer one more time before I see that tomorrow.

If Poker Face’s Charlie Cale existed, I’d pay her anything to call bullshit on the daily lies of politicians. Maybe give her a TV show on CNN or just set her up with a TikTok since that’d be more watched.

Favorite first time watches of June 2025: 1. 3 Women 2. Misericordia 3. Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore 4. Becoming Led Zeppelin 5. Surviving Ohio State

My 5 favorite first-time-watched films of May 2025: 1. Strange Days 2. Pee-wee as Himself 3. Deaf President Now! 5. Final Destination Bloodlines 5. Room 666

Yet another fascinating interview on @nonfics.bsky.social from @thefilmcynic.bsky.social with Matt Wolf on the state of celebrity documentary, amongst other things. Great read. www.nonfics.com/p/matt-wolf-...

Finally watched Final Destination: Bloodlines. Nobody told me the people who die are all in the Campbell family. Upped my anxiety level even higher than it usually is after these movies.

What else I'm watching: brief thoughts on my latest non-documentary viewings, including Sinners, Poker Face Season 2, Strange Days, and the musical Once on This Island. thefilmcynic.substack.com/p/what-else-...

As I continue to share thoughts on my "work" as a background actor, here's a brief column on my invisible "role" in Thunderbolts*. thefilmcynic.substack.com/p/thunderbol...

Just watched Pee-wee as Himself and looks like I’ll be defending another celeb doc as one of the best of the year.

Go see Pavements this weekend if you're in NYC! For the rest of us, here's this week's documentary listings.

My 5 favorite first time film watches of April: 1. Sinners 2. Pavements 3. One to One: John & Yoko 4. Thunderbolts 5. Warfare

What Else I'm Watching: 'Thunderbolts,' 'The Last Of Us,' 'Andor,' 'The Prestige' & 'The Illusionist' Brief notes on non-documentary viewings this week: thefilmcynic.substack.com/p/what-else-...

This was especially fun to see on the big screen ahead of A Minecraft Movie a couple of weeks ago. thefilmcynic.substack.com/p/superman-t...

What else I've been watching besides documentaries lately: The Pitt, Hacks, Warfare, A Minecraft Movie, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Some quick thoughts on each: thefilmcynic.substack.com/p/what-else-...

Yes, I've Been To Action Park. (And I have the t-shirt to let people know it.) thefilmcynic.substack.com/p/action-par...

Watching the new Alex Gibney project, The Dark Money Game, was a fitting but even more depressing end to the economic events of today.

My five favorite first time film watches of March 2025: 1. Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood 2. The Last of Sheila 3. Black Bag 4. Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood 5. Art for Everybody

For Godfrey Reggio's birthday, we recommend reading @thefilmcynic.bsky.social review of the 'Qatsi' box set for Documentary magazine. buff.ly/3RedQgz

A lot of noteworthy docs out this week...kept my eyeballs busy the last few days. I highly recommend 'Number One on the Call Sheet' (on Apple TV+) and 'Art for Everybody' (in theaters).

Here's what else I watched this week besides documentaries, and some quick takes about each: thefilmcynic.substack.com/p/watching-s...

Planned to see Black Bag this evening but the theater already cut down its screening times. Give a guy a minute to find a free night to see your movie!

I've started writing my thoughts on things I'm watching outside of documentaries (covered on @nonfics.bsky.social). It's not my best writing as it's rushed stream of conscious opinions. I highlight The Studio, Severance, Mickey 17, The Last of Sheila & more: thefilmcynic.substack.com/p/what-else-...

Congrats to @criticschoice.bsky.social Documentary Awards winner The Only Girl in the Orchestra for also winning the Oscar!

The “more like” suggestions on DirecTV continue to be laughably wrong.

Still going through Sundance screeners when I can… Middletown is fantastic. It’s now between that and 2000 Meters for my fest favorite.

Now watching (on tcm)

Five favorite first time watches of January Hearts and Minds 2000 Meters to Andriivka All We Imagine as Light Mr. Nobody Against Putin Grand Theft Hamlet Also I caught much of Tokyo-Ga and even partially it’s way up there.

I thought these were my last Sundance docs but a publicist just sent me three more. Watched Coexistence, My Ass, which is terrific.

Now watching

Questlove’s new documentary about music on SNL is soooooooo much better than a TV anniversary special has any right to be.

Who knows what the documentary Oscar nominees will be on Thursday but I may have just seen next year’s winner.

Cringe

This week’s movie choice in the 2025 @a24movies.bsky.social calendar is something.

I don’t know the last time I completed a jigsaw puzzle and wasn’t missing a piece or two.

Finally watched The Brutalist and admit I don’t get it. Please, point me to the best criticism about it.

Now that film nominees are out, I’m catching up on our tv nominees and just finished binging Nobody Wants This. I’ve always loved Adam Brody. This is the first time I’ve liked Kristen Bell. I especially love their moms. And the loser siblings.

It's always hard to get excited about docs based on just their synopses, but these names make for some exciting titles. But subject-wise, I'm especially interested in Matt Wolf's Pee-wee doc and Questlove's Sly Stone doc.

We = I Here are my 24 favorite docs of 2024. Sadly, many others I love didn't make the cut, but that's just how great nonfiction cinema is nowadays.

Rob and I tried to hold this place together for the last few years. I can’t say I wrote anything great there (maybe that Grown Ups 2 review?) but I learned how to be a great editor (I think) that then got me a 2 year job at ReenScrant being treated like dirt. Also it spawned Nonfics…

Apologies that I didn’t watch Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary before this week’s newsletter. It definitely woulda been a highlight. It’s great.

Been a while since I rated two movies 4 stars in a row on Letterboxd. Finally watched Challengers and Kneecap.

I try to finish any movie I start but I’m maybe getting too old for that. I couldn’t continue Hundreds of Beavers or I Saw the TV Glow. Wasn’t into either and had to move on. Apologies to their fans.

Finally watched another awards film that impressed me on many levels: September 5. The editing, incorporating all the real footage especially, was a particular perfection.

Watched Anora last night and undecided on the ending but anyway I want to know more about the candy store owner. Spinoff?

Just found out there’s a Torchy’s Tacos in Atlanta on my way to a press screening and I feel like I’m at SXSW.