I Watched 28 movies in total this month, which is a lot, so I’m going to write sparingly about each of these because we have a lot to cover!
Jaws (1975) - 10/10 (Rewatch)
I love this movie to death and it pretty much is a perfect film front to back, but this was undoubtedly the worst theater experience I’ve ever had.
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) - 6/10
My first introduction to Studio Ghibli, and honestly not a great one. This movie is trying to be a lot of different things at the same time, and ended up feeling convoluted.
Elvis (2022) - 7/10
Weird in more ways than one, but it has so much raw energy and Austin Butler gives the performance of a life time and I was effortlessly entertained by it.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - 7/10 (Rewatch)
Cornier and more exposition-heavy in the first act than I remember, but nonetheless an exciting start to an amazing trilogy.
But I’m A Cheerleader (1999) - 8/10
A fantastic coming of age film with one of the most effective romance stories told in LGBTQIA+ cinema history. Banging soundtrack too!
My Neighbor Totoro (1988) - 7/10
Definitely should’ve started my Ghibli journey with this one, a simplistic, cute story with a magical world that I was excited to get engrossed in. CAT BUS!
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - 9/10 (Rewatch)
Cinema’s greatest second act, everything going on here is so effortlessly interesting, and the Battle of Helm’s Deep is one of the greatest action sequences ever put to film.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - 9/10 (Rewatch)
A resounding end to this beautiful trilogy, The visuals of these films look borderline futuristic still nearly 20 years later. An emotional, totalitarian epic that has aged like fine wine. They don’t make them like this anymore.
Under the Skin (2014) - 8/10
A deeply disturbing movie that gets a little lost towards the end, but had my undivided attention regardless. Beautifully and horrifyingly shot simultaneously.
Drive (2011) - 7/10 (Rewatch)
Hasn’t aged super well for me personally, there’s definitely some needless violence that isn’t really adding much here as well as nudity, and at times this feels very cheap. However, Ryan Gosling is a sigma icon and the soundtrack to this still slaps.
Bros (2022) - 6/10
Got an early screening to this and it was fun! This movie is silly and heartfelt in all the ways a romantic comedy should be, it feels a little overstuffed at times, but I had an absolute blast watching it!
Treasure Planet (2002) - 6/10 (Rewatch)
A very good kids movie. The mixing of hand-drawn and 3D animation is pretty sloppy, but it still looks good 20 years later, and watching this in a packed theater was unforgettable.
Crash (1996) - 4/10
Not good. What should be a phenomenal concept feels utterly hollow and baseless. Basically watching car porn for 90 minutes. Can’t say I’m super pumped to watch more Cronenberg in the future.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) - 7/10 (Rewatch)
A shining star in a very bleak trilogy. A childhood favorite of mine, and while flawed, this has the most heart of the Hobbit films, and is a very solid start to this very weak trilogy.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) - 5/10 (Rewatch)
I loved this movie as a kid, cannot say the same for my modern day self. Very hollow, no development of the character, and an overabundant reliance on character’s that aren’t important. The river scene still fucking rocks though I don’t care.
X (2022) - 7/10
Started very strong and got worse as it continued. By the end, this very tight and contained movie feels loose, and definitely feels like a Part One to the rest of this story.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) - 5/10 (Rewatch)
Really cool first 15 minutes. The rest of the film is a battle scene, and somehow manages to be terribly boring.
The Empty Man (2020) - 7/10
A film many should see but few will due to the HBO/Warner Bros. fiasco. A very weird very dedicated independent horror movie that surprised me in more ways than one.
Boogie Nights (1997) - 7/10
I still don’t completely understand what PTA is trying to do with his movies, and maybe I never will. But, I see the merit in this, and everyone is giving a fantastic performance. Banging soundtrack too.
Don’t Worry Darling (2022) - 4/10
I can’t really say I was disappointed by this because I was expecting very very little, and that’s what I got. A husk of a narrative that’s story is nonexistent. Harry Styles, you make good music.
Barbarian (2022) - 7/10
A movie I was so scared to watch that I preemptively researched before I saw it so I wouldn’t be as scared to watch; this was my mistake. Watch this movie with little to no idea what it is, and have your mind get blown.
American Psycho (2000) - 8/10 (Rewatch)
I didn’t understand this movie until my third rewatch. A very heavy satire, with one of my favorite performances of all time from Christian Bale. The confession scene is one of the greatest pieces of acting ever put to film. Effortlessly quotable, such a fun watch.
The Green Knight (2021) - 8/10 (Rewatch)
Some movies deserve a second watch, and I’m so glad I did for this film. A beautiful, epic narrative about what it means to live life. Beautifully and thoughtfully made, A24 knows what they’re doing.
The French Dispatch (2021) - 9/10 (Rewatch)
Speaking of second chances, this movie is so good when you really turn your brain on and buckle in for the ride. It’s so charming, I had a smile on my face the entire time. It’s so Wes Anderson, for better or for worse.
Blonde (2022) - 5/10
Ana de Armas is phenomenal in this movie.
Entergalactic (2022) - 5/10
Kid Cudi’s vision. It’s fun, but it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.
On the Count of Three (2022) - 7/10
Quietly devastating, a very hard watch that stumbles a little bit in its presentation, but the two leads are effective enough to carry this through it’s ups and downs.
Thank you for reading! See you next month!
Commentaires