Favorite films

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Pinned reviews

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  Jurassic Park 1993

  ★★★★★ Rewatched 09 Jun 2022 3

  Why does Jurassic Park succeed where the sequels fail? Two words: Steven Spielberg. (Yes, I am aware he directed The Lost World too.)

  Spielberg is a master at making an action/thriller with emotional depth. Not only are the dinosaurs cool yet terrifying, but you care about the people being terrorized. I dare you to find someone who does not fear for Tim and Lex, screaming for help, as the T-Rex destroys their car.

  While we're on it, the T-Rex attack is one of the finest scenes in movie history. No music, just the roar of the T Rex and the sounds of destruction. Amazing.

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  Star Wars 1977

  ★★★★★ Rewatched 31 Dec 2017 4

  Watched with my 2-year old son. Here are some of his observations:

  - Darth Vader is "sick" (ill)
  - Every planet was "Earth"
  - The Death Star was "Moon" (that's no moon, son)
  - Every spacecraft was a "rocket ship"
  - "The robot (C3PO) walks on 2 legs!"
  - Chewbacca is his favorite character
  - Jawas are scary

Recent reviews

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  Decision to Leave 2022

  ★★★★ Watched 20 Jan 2023

  I've seen multiple outlets describe Decision to Leave as "Hitchcock-ian" and I have to agree with this description. Hitchcock's influences are all-over this movie, from the camerawork to thematic content.

  Park Chan-Wook is less concerned about the how/why of this murder mystery and more about the characters the story envelops. Coupled with a wide-array of creative camera shots, Decision to Leave is a modern take on the classic Noir.

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  Mars One 2022

  ★★★½ Watched 18 Jan 2023 2

  I can understand why so many are highly rating Mars One, but for me this Brazilian family-drama didn't leave much of an impression. Props to the actors who played the parents though, they had great facial expressions and reactions throughout the movie.

Popular reviews

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  All Quiet on the Western Front 2022

  ★★★★½ Watched 28 Oct 2022

  Another great addition to the "war is hell" canon of movies. A re-adaptation of the 1929 novel by the same name, All Quiet on the Western Front shows how war makes hollow shells out of young men and delivers some visuals not yet scene in a WWI movie.

  Discussed in full on episode #554 of the Cinereelists video podcast.

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  Puss in Boots: The Last Wish 2022

  ★★★★ Watched 01 Jan 2023

  One of the best animated movies of 2022. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish continues the recent trend of using various animation styles within the medium to create a visually interesting movie. Add-in some fun secondary characters (and a truly scary wolf voiced by Wagner Moura) and you get a "kid's movie" that can be enjoyed by all.