Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  The Boy and the Heron 2023

  Watched 10 Dec 2023

  This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

  Where to even begin? It's stunning, of course, even before it embraces full-on fantasy. The fire sequence with its floating embers and warped faces is maybe the most visually impressive part, and the (initially) graceful movements of the heron are mesmerizing. But then that fantasy world, its beautiful landscapes, painterly backdrops, strange birds, and the newest additions to Miyazaki's roster of cute roundies. This is the first time I've seen one of his films in theatre on first run, and…

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  Army of Darkness 1992

  Rewatched 24 Nov 2023

  It’s probably been a decade of so since the last time I watched Army of Darkness, and I still find it’s a bit of a miracle that this exists. The leap from gross-out horror to throwback adventure, complete with Harryhausen-style stop motion, double-fisted sword fights, and a Gulliver’s Travels interlude, is not what you call seamless. But it shows Raimi & co's omnivorous love for film. 

  I will always appreciate Army of Darkness for filling every sequence with fun sides and…

Popular reviews

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  Fear Street: 1666 2021

  Watched 14 Jul 2021

  Be gay, do crime

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  The Turning Point 2020

  ★★½ Watched 18 Jan 2020

  The animation is top-notch, but as visually inventive as some of the shots are, the entire message is there in the first few seconds. Happiness at least had the contrast between the bleak visuals and the serene soundtrack to provide a point of friction. Not that this film's subject is an issue that requires a ton of nuance--I get that the whole point here is a reminder of how goddamn horrible we are--but once that's established the film just has nowhere to go.