Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  Bright Lights, Big City 1988

  ★★ Watched 11 May 2023

  It felt like the best parts were Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan.

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  Living on Tokyo Time 1987

  ★★★½ Watched 01 May 2023

  The performances are awkward and stunted, but that's a bit of its charm. Like some of Wayne Wang's work, there's something that feels so powerfully groundbreaking here. Because we don't normally see characters who look like this up on the big screen.

  It's a reminder that sometimes you can find images that speak to some aspect of your experience if you look hard enough. It's also a lovely time capsule as it considers Japanese and Japanese-American culture in the context of the 1980s.

  When Kyoko looks over an advertisement for the Tora-san series it brought a smile of recognition to my face.

Popular reviews

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  Rio Bravo 1959

  ★★★★★ Rewatched 22 Mar 2014

  I had forgotten how good Howard Hawk's Rio Bravo is. Most any western with John Wayne is easily watchable, but this film boasts a extraordinary cast including some mainstays of the genre like Walter Brennan and Ward Bond. However, you also have some other stars that you do not associate with westerns. Namely Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, and Ricky Nelson. Each one delivers a fun, likable, and even moving performance.

  This western has been allegedly labeled as an answer to…

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  The Passion of Joan of Arc 1928

  ★★★★½ Watched 02 May 2014 4

  As cliche as it will sound this is one of those films that transcends the years for me. It is still that powerful after so many decades.

  Using low angles and numerous close ups Carl Theodor Dreyer pulled me into this story early on. It was tense and claustrophobic causing the viewer to become emotionally involved in the trial and the plight that surrounded Joan.

  The actors that he chose have wonderfully expressive visages that are so distinct even with…