West Side Story (1961) ★★★★ Watched: Oct 29, 2025 Breathtaking choreography and beautiful set design. America is a perfect number, Tonight is beautiful, and Officer Krupke had me genuinely laughing. Some of the vocals felt off to me and a couple songs didn't land, but overall great!
American Hustle (2013) ★★★ Watched: Oct 28, 2025 Takes a while to get started but it's fun once it gets going. A-tier cast giving it their all. The part at the end of every heist movie where they reveal all the things you missed only had one reveal here which felt lacking. But fun overall.
The Witches of Eastwick (1987) ★★★ Watched: Oct 27, 2025 This was overall fine, it had its ups and downs. The concept is interesting but the slapstick climax doesn't match the tone of the rest of the film. I would love a version of this film that passes the Bechdel test.
Punishment Park (1971) ★★★★ Watched: Oct 27, 2025 Christ this was a hard watch, remaining sadly relevant 50+ years later. It hits on a trigger of mine: conservatives taking their ideology as axiomatic and refusing to articulate it. I liked that it showcased progressive views of varying militancy.
Worth remembering that if they stay strong enough, the teachers can, in theory, continue to strike illegally and then condition any eventual contract on a grant of amnesty to the wildcat strikers.
We know the mental harm done to people who experience body dysmorphia because a handful of physical characteristics don't match their internal sense of self. What happens when you don't have a heart or lungs or skin or a face? What happens when you can no longer feel your own blood in your veins?
Moreover, if you ever _could_ upload a human consciousness into a computer, the lack of neural inputs would immediately drive it insane like going to that room that suppresses all sound.
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) ★★★★ Watched: Oct 26, 2025 Some of the most exciting fight choreography I've ever seen and the use of technicolor makes every shot simply gorgeous. Top notch stuntwork and costuming.
The Mummy (1932) ★★ Watched: Oct 26, 2025 Really great makeup effects but none of the dynamics between the characters feel real. The highlight is the scene with Imhotep explaining to Helen their past, but instead of seeming torn between two lives, her motivations come across as randomized.
Halloween (1978) ★½ Watched: Oct 26, 2025 The music and cinematography start strong, creating a palpable sense of tension, but it spends way too long building up and by the payoff I was bored. There's a better movie in here about stalking but as-is the monster just a boring unstoppable juggernaut.
Speed (1994) ★★★★½ Watched: Oct 25, 2025 The action is very well shot and edited for maximum tension, and the score absolutely rips. I could do without the romantic beat at the end of the film which feels forced in.
Planet of the Apes (1968) ★★★½ Watched: Oct 25/2025 Fantastic parable on the nature of cyclical violence, dangers of zealous faith, and erasure of cultural knowledge. The ending is classic for a reason. My main criticism is Nova's sexist treatment as property undercutting the film's thesis on power.
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) ★★★★½ Watched: Oct 25, 2025 Great movie with really exciting action set pieces and interpersonal conflict between the captain and crew. Laughton's performance as the villainous Bligh is appropriately intimidating. The plot wraps up a bit quickly for my taste.
Broadcast News (1987) ★½ Watched: Oct 24, 2025 It's interesting that everyone seemed to be behaving in a mostly good-faith manner where all the conflicts are reasonable. It leads to a few good moments but it results in a meandering film with very little central conflict.
Serious question, legally how is this different from Obama's targeted killings of suspected terrorists? I'm not trying to say we shouldn't condemn it, quite the opposite I think Obama's actions should have been held to a higher standard and failing to do so has created the current moment.
Dracula (1992) ★★★★½ Watched: Oct 23, 2025 I love this movie. It takes so many wild swings visually and most of them even end up working. A feast for the eyes and whether the action on screen at any given moment is genius or batshit insane, it's never boring.
