rewatched A Woman Under the Influence (John Cassavetes, 1974): 3.5/5

Some parts of this are absolutely genius; other parts are surprisingly insufferable, and not re: the personalities on display (wherein you could argue that the detestability is intentional), rather Cassavetes' style. While I do understand the repercussions of questioning the technique of such a prestige and distinct director—and perhaps my Cinephile Card will be revoked for saying so—I'd be fibbing if I said my attention weren't constantly ebbing during the longer stretches of supplementary hyperrealism he often implores.

There's been a trend in his catalog, though, from FACES to HUSBANDS to this, where the interludes feel more relevant and less superfluous; just as well, the most potent moments become even stronger, and the ratio heads upward. On top of that, A Woman Under the Influence has the advantage of Gena Rowlands giving the unhinged performance of a lifetime (that could easily be mistaken for legitimate nuttiness; I mean, seriously, how can someone act like that?).

The Parenting (Craig Johnson, 2025): 1/5

A fairly stacked cast piqued my interest, but this is fairly awful. None of the humor lands and the horror aspect doesn't feel that much better. A waste of talent on this drivel.

Adolescence (Philip Barantini, 2025): 3.5/5

A remarkable portrait of all-encompassing devastation, from its initial ripple effect until its final, irreversible cascade. Fantastic performances at every turn here, and the one-take thing is additive rather than a mere gimmick.

Ghostlight (Alex Thompson, Kelly O’Sullivan, 2024): 3/5

Towering central performances, lovely lived in detail, a sense of play that never overpowers a natural feel. If you love theatre and/or Manchester By The Sea, add a star.

Heart Eyes (Josh Ruben, 2025): 1/5

Bargain bin Eli Roth Thanksgiving which is already discount Scream

Emilia Perez (Jacques Audiard, 2024): 2/5

If one of the Cannes jurors last year were Mexican, I doubt this would have won the Jury Prize. Zoe's a joy to watch though. Her numbers are the best in the film by a mile. But this is a mess and a misfire. Only Almodovar could have pulled this off. Karla Sofia Gascon has presence. Looking forward to seeing her in better films. Adriana Paz does a lot with a little. And can someone explain to me why Edgar Ramirez continues to be wasted? The guy turned in one of the great performances of the 2010s and here he plays a role any telenovela himbo could have handled.

rewatched Only Angels Have Wings (Howard Hawks, 1939): 5/5 

Life as fire burning a match, rapid combustion with no time for grief. A passion for flying only matched by an inner death drive that is not a matter of choice, but of inexorable need. Lighting a friend’s cigarette is worth a thousand words, the only proper way of saying goodbye to a friend is by moving on with life. All of life’s dynamics in a microcosm of aviation. Absolutely unforgettable, just so forceful and deeply true.

Baby Invasion (Harmony Korine, 2025): 2/5

the only thing that worries me is that this looks like an art piece from a society about to collapse

The Last Picture Show (Peter Bogdonavich, 1971): 5/5

I refuse to believe that anyone could finish this without having died a little on the inside, irrevocably calcified by the reminder (or newfound knowledge) that such infinitesimal places did and still do exist—i.e. places engaged in a Sisyphean battle against the tedium of life and experiencing a collective slow death by inertia.

These former idylls melting into pits of desperation from which there is no escape. Bogdanovich’s aim feels neither condemning nor sadistic, though, and he finds ways to oddly but sincerely romanticize his barren template of Podunk, USA, often in the same exact sentence that he lays waste to some blanketed notion of security or comfort.

Every inhabitant of Anarene is either sad or confused or totally unsure of themselves—or, most often, some combination of the three—and if that’s not the most digestible portrayal of crumbling ruralism, then it’s the most honest. This is nostalgia without the rose-colored tint; Americana stripped of the storybook invincibility to which it often gets tethered when baked into reminiscences or exhumed from the deepest recesses of our sugar-coated memories.

We might look back on this tiny dirt-road town with fondness and warmth—with a yen for its non urbanized slowness and simplicity—but beneath the overly sentimentalized veneer are prisoners of their humble environment, a community destined for rot, and a lifestyle on the razor’s edge of extinction. Christ, I had to check my own pulse a few times to make sure I was still alive—the film is admittedly an endurance test of compound miserablism to some extent, so much so that its biggest narrative pivots feel excessive.

Like any train wreck, however, the larger the flame, the harder it is to look away, and Bogdanovich’s uncanny dexterity behind the lens and in the cutting room is a perfect complement to the gallery of entrenched performances from actors both young and old. Everyone’s great, but my MVP is Cloris Leachman—when her film-long piety finally cracks and she flings a fresh pot of coffee up at her kitchen cabinets, I swear I started bending my fingers backward to distract from the pain of watching it transpire.

To Catch A Thief (Alfred Hitchcock, 1955): 3/5

Somewhat middling for a Hitchcock picture, but ONLY because it’s a Hitchcock picture.

Opus (Mark Anthony Green, 2025): 2.5/5
If I were a newborn baby that’s never seen a movie before I’d be so shocked by the twists and turns of this one. 

(We as a society need to accept that the “strange things occurring in a retreat during a weekend” subgenre is played out and needs to stop.)

Mickey 17 (Bong Joon Ho, 2025): 2.5/5

There's almost certainly a different movie that wasn't chopped and recut (and revoiceovered, to the point you can hear different voiceover sessions back to back) to pieces in the edit. Whether it's better, I'm less confident, as I found it frequently incoherent and most of the major performance choices I kind of hated. (Toni Collette innocent!) Love you, Bong! Sorry! The creepers were cute!

Holland (Mimi Cave, 2025): 2.5/5
babe, wake up. there’s a new movie with nicole kidman and her shitty husband #37475. 

The Rule of Jenny Pen (James Ashcroft, 2025): 2/5

Raising Cain - The Late Years.

Credits just rolled and I still don’t understand at all why John Lithgow had to put on fake teeth, blue contacts, and an accent here but ok

Apart from the excellent performances by the two leads, particularly John Lithgow who really seemed to be having the time of his life and having a lot of fun playing the character, there's not much else that really stands out here.

The Horror elements are quite soft, as the movie actually works best as a metaphor of how when we get older we sometimes end up losing a big part of our "true selves", our autonomy and the essence that used to define us as individuals, and quite often that essence is completely lost.