Letterboxd - mm https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/ Letterboxd - mm The Brutalist, 2024 - ★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/the-brutalist/ letterboxd-review-761100854 Sat, 4 Jan 2025 18:11:06 +1300 2025-01-03 No The Brutalist 2024 2.5 549509 <![CDATA[

Pearce might give one of my 10 favorite performances of the decade here, but as a whole I just couldn’t get on this movie’s wavelength. Maybe I could have in the 2.5 hour version that’s buried within.

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, 2011 - ★★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-2/6/ letterboxd-review-759369535 Fri, 3 Jan 2025 15:21:52 +1300 2025-01-02 Yes Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 2011 5.0 12445 <![CDATA[

One of the few reasons why I’m begrudgingly excited for the series is that they can fix everything post-Neville’s stand.

Harry and Voldemort fighting around the castle is cool, but that final showdown in front of nobody, Voldemort evaporating and the Elder Wand talk at the end just irk me. You could have squeezed so much more emotion out of all that.

Two things they won’t improve though: the Prince’s tale and the resurrection stone sequences. I bawl like a baby every single time.

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, 2010 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-1/5/ letterboxd-review-758016677 Thu, 2 Jan 2025 18:00:53 +1300 2025-01-01 Yes Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 2010 4.5 12444 <![CDATA[

Dobby…………..

#EKL #9

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Nosferatu, 2024 - ★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/nosferatu-2024/ letterboxd-review-756350649 Wed, 1 Jan 2025 16:00:57 +1300 2024-12-31 No Nosferatu 2024 3.0 426063 <![CDATA[

I’m sorry, I just couldn’t get over Nosferatu looking like zombie Jim Carrey from those sonic movies.

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September 5, 2024 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/september-5/ letterboxd-review-756121812 Wed, 1 Jan 2025 11:57:03 +1300 2024-12-31 No September 5 2024 4.0 1211472 <![CDATA[

Really, really great. I'm such a sucker for a good news/journalism movie. This is one of the better ones I've seen in a very long time.

Pairs well with Conclave and Saturday Night as a stressful, claustrophobic procedural/thriller. I would like many more such films.

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 2009 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince/5/ letterboxd-review-751898218 Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:10:49 +1300 2024-12-28 Yes Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2009 4.5 767 <![CDATA[

I understand why Yates gets so much shit, but the way he streamlines the stories of the later movies is honestly pretty impressive. Yeah, a lot of cool stuff got cut, but for the most part he totally maximizes the dramatic impact of what’s there. Half Blood Prince’s omissions from the book should annoy me much much much more than they do, and the fact I like this a great deal is a testament to his skill as a director.

I’m pretty sure the HBO series coming up is going to be a more literal translation of the story, but I’m certain it won’t be as lyrical as the Yates block.

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A Complete Unknown, 2024 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/a-complete-unknown/ letterboxd-review-750668886 Sat, 28 Dec 2024 12:18:14 +1300 2024-12-27 No A Complete Unknown 2024 4.0 661539 <![CDATA[

Timmy is going to conquer the world, holy cow. 

A Complete Unknown is admittedly a superficial look at Dylan, but I think that’s the point. 

The mystery and contradictions that surround him is what makes Bob who he is. And the film makes the case that Bob Dylan is what he does to the world around him, by being such an off-beat, singular figure. It’s an argument that I fully bought into.

EKL #8

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 2001 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/harry-potter-and-the-philosophers-stone/7/ letterboxd-watch-749882659 Fri, 27 Dec 2024 20:01:24 +1300 2024-12-15 Yes Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 2001 4.5 671 <![CDATA[

Watched on Sunday December 15, 2024.

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The Long Kiss Goodnight, 1996 - ★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/the-long-kiss-goodnight/1/ letterboxd-review-749769018 Fri, 27 Dec 2024 17:52:21 +1300 2024-12-26 No The Long Kiss Goodnight 1996 3.0 11412 <![CDATA[

Upstate New York cinema.

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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 2007 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix/5/ letterboxd-review-749768232 Fri, 27 Dec 2024 17:51:52 +1300 2024-12-26 Yes Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 2007 4.5 675 <![CDATA[

Montage is one of the most powerful tools in filmmaking.

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2005 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/harry-potter-and-the-goblet-of-fire/5/ letterboxd-watch-748868775 Fri, 27 Dec 2024 04:06:37 +1300 2024-12-25 Yes Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2005 4.5 674 <![CDATA[

Watched on Wednesday December 25, 2024.

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 2004 - ★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban/5/ letterboxd-review-748380558 Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:26:57 +1300 2024-12-25 Yes Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 2004 2.5 673 <![CDATA[

Cuaron directs this thing like its the last movie he’ll ever make. It’s too bad the story doesn’t live up to his effort.

I firmly believe that time travel doesn’t belong in the fantasy genre.

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Fail Safe, 1964 - ★★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/fail-safe/1/ letterboxd-review-745910935 Tue, 24 Dec 2024 14:41:09 +1300 2024-12-23 Yes Fail Safe 1964 5.0 502 <![CDATA[

Dad loved it, mom and sister hated it. Sometimes the holiday vibes are worth sacrificing for the sake of true cinema.

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Juror #2, 2024 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/juror-2/ letterboxd-review-744273885 Mon, 23 Dec 2024 04:11:51 +1300 2024-12-22 No Juror #2 2024 3.5 1106739 <![CDATA[

An increased exposure to him recently has made me realize that Hoult just doesn’t do it for me.

He’s fine, but he lacks that extra thing (ex. Messina’s general sliminess, Collette’s face, Simmons’ voice) that would make him a more interesting person to watch.

Anyway, the movie is good! I love a good moral quandary, and it’s nice to see Clint try again, he even used a real baby this time! I hope he directs the next film in the Ant-Man franchise.

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 2002 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/harry-potter-and-the-chamber-of-secrets/6/ letterboxd-watch-741319899 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 15:59:59 +1300 2024-12-18 Yes Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 2002 4.0 672 <![CDATA[

Watched on Wednesday December 18, 2024.

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Red Rooms, 2023 - ★★★★ (contains spoilers) https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/red-rooms/ letterboxd-review-740571533 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 16:20:06 +1300 2024-12-17 No Red Rooms 2023 4.0 912480 <![CDATA[

This review may contain spoilers.

Well that was a lot.

I don’t even know what to say about this, other than that it’s one of the bleakest and most unnerving depictions of the darkness within us that I’ve ever seen with a masterful performance by Juliette Gariépy at its center.

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The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, 2024 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-war-of-the-rohirrim/ letterboxd-review-737194351 Sat, 14 Dec 2024 16:37:42 +1300 2024-12-13 No The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim 2024 4.0 839033 <![CDATA[

Seeing an adult 2D animated movie in the theaters is all I dream about.

EKL #5

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The Order, 2024 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/the-order-2024/ letterboxd-review-735167652 Wed, 11 Dec 2024 17:53:16 +1300 2024-12-10 No The Order 2024 4.5 1082195 <![CDATA[

A textbook example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Cat and mouse thrillers are up there as one of my favorite sub genres, and this one ranks up with the best of them thanks to Justin Kurzel's steady hand, rock-solid performances and crisp visuals.

The pacific northwest is having a moment in film! Please keep those tax breaks coming, because I need more rivers, forests and lakes and less deserts at the movies.

If you liked this, give Oliver Stone's Talk Radio a watch!

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Hundreds of Beavers, 2022 https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/hundreds-of-beavers/ letterboxd-review-734726194 Wed, 11 Dec 2024 05:41:33 +1300 2024-12-09 No Hundreds of Beavers 2022 1019939 <![CDATA[

A rare DNF. Not because I didn’t like it, but because I’m an idiot and can’t focus when the Yankees could theoretically made a trade or free agent signing at any minute.

Will definitely revisit this in the future. This was so so so impressive and clever.

Juan Soto I miss you so much 💔

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Interstellar, 2014 - ★★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/interstellar/7/ letterboxd-review-732436975 Sun, 8 Dec 2024 08:15:02 +1300 2024-12-07 Yes Interstellar 2014 5.0 157336 <![CDATA[

I full on sobbed in seat F12 of the IMAX theater at AMC Lincoln Square this morning.

This movie is an absolute masterwork in every sense, and the 70mm IMAX format made this a once-in-a-lifetime audio/visual experience that’s right up there with seeing U2 at Sphere.

I never feel more alive than when art is able to move me the way this does.

Chris Nolan undefeated.

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Murder on the Orient Express, 2017 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/murder-on-the-orient-express-2017/1/ letterboxd-review-729444203 Tue, 3 Dec 2024 16:30:10 +1300 2024-12-02 Yes Murder on the Orient Express 2017 3.5 392044 <![CDATA[

The choice to sprinkle some of the Armstrong connections into the story rather than doing all that in the end is understandable, but much less fun.

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Murder on the Orient Express, 1974 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/murder-on-the-orient-express/3/ letterboxd-review-729395424 Tue, 3 Dec 2024 15:09:48 +1300 2024-12-02 Yes Murder on the Orient Express 1974 4.5 4176 <![CDATA[

Mysteries are so fun and cool.

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Watchmen: Chapter I, 2024 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/watchmen-chapter-i/ letterboxd-review-728666275 Mon, 2 Dec 2024 14:44:35 +1300 2024-12-01 No Watchmen: Chapter I 2024 4.0 1155058 <![CDATA[

Pretty good! Despite being a carbon copy of the graphic novel (as it should be tbh, don’t mess with perfection) there’s a handful of really cool choices made that really make the story come alive visually.

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Conclave, 2024 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/conclave/1/ letterboxd-review-726744176 Sat, 30 Nov 2024 12:41:15 +1300 2024-11-29 Yes Conclave 2024 4.5 974576 <![CDATA[

Nothing hits quite like a pulpy, throwaway airport thriller turned into a prestige drama. That this flows this smoothly and builds to a satisfying emotional and almost lyrical denoument makes it all the more wonderful.

In this particular moment in time (I will never write that phrase again, I promise) I also think it’s an important statement that we are not our institutions, and our institutions are not us. That it’s important to release ourselves from the past. How a broken soul lets in as much as it lets out. How suspicious we all should be of those who seek power, and the things they’ll bring to it.

Love da movies.

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Glass Onion, 2022 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/glass-onion/3/ letterboxd-review-726270969 Fri, 29 Nov 2024 19:19:25 +1300 2024-11-28 Yes Glass Onion 2022 4.5 661374 <![CDATA[

Easily the neatest trick this movie pulls off is not drawing attention to the many many seemingly throwaway lines and moments that make it all come together in the end.

I need Wake Up Dead Man yesterday.

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Queer, 2024 - ★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/queer-2024/ letterboxd-watch-724773137 Wed, 27 Nov 2024 15:52:53 +1300 2024-11-26 No Queer 2024 2.5 1059128 <![CDATA[

Watched on Tuesday November 26, 2024.

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Scrooged, 1988 - ★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/scrooged/1/ letterboxd-review-722530390 Sun, 24 Nov 2024 18:17:36 +1300 2024-11-23 Yes Scrooged 1988 2.5 9647 <![CDATA[

Whoops, I forgot that I didn’t like this.

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Wicked, 2024 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/wicked-2024/ letterboxd-review-721651744 Sat, 23 Nov 2024 18:29:22 +1300 2024-11-23 No Wicked 2024 3.5 402431 <![CDATA[

Wicked gave me goosebumps multiple times. How embarrassing.

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, 2011 - ★★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy/9/ letterboxd-review-718073251 Mon, 18 Nov 2024 13:50:56 +1300 2024-11-17 Yes Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 2011 5.0 49517 <![CDATA[

Sequel when?

EKL #3

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Excalibur, 1981 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/excalibur/ letterboxd-review-715075151 Thu, 14 Nov 2024 16:03:02 +1300 2024-11-13 No Excalibur 1981 4.0 11527 <![CDATA[

We used to be a society that made well-lit, extremely horny fantasy epics with excellent production design and terrible performances. What happened to us? Why did we let Ronald Reagan do this to us?

Watching this triggered a deeper think about something I’ve become a little obsessed with recently: the concept of what storytelling should be. And where I’ve settled on it for now is that we’ve become a little too concerned with thoughts and people explaining them to each other than motivations and action. It goes back to the old adage: who needs a monologue when a look and a well-chosen piece of music can do the same job just as well? And why use three chords when two will do?

Maybe that’s a symptom of the 8-episode miniseries/TV season becoming the dominant artform and it’s bleeding into everything else, or maybe we’re just in a world where everyone’s got something to say and our art is reflecting that, but I kind of yearn for the simplicity of these kind of stories.

Arthur’s born by an act of deception, and he conceives a son under similar circumstances (except with his vengeful half-sister sorceress! Wow!) who’s destiny is to kill him. Nice, simple, icky and to the point. I love it! It all happens within two a 2ish hour runtime and it works! 

When Netflix was peaking, the phrase “8-hour movie” started popping up, and I’m not sure there’s a phrase that I despise more than that. That mindset is what turns tight stories like this into bloated, meandering series that either overstay their welcome or get cancelled before they’re finished.

Time, in my opinion is the ultimate enemy of storytelling. I don’t claim and never will to be a TV aficionado, but what I have seen of the “8-hour movie” crop feels like empty calories, or glorified deleted scenes to a movie that should have been.

I hope some of this made sense and it’s not just me shouting into the void at nothing, but something flipped in my brain when I finished the first episode of The Penguin and felt no interest in continuing it, and I’ve been grappling with that conflict ever since.

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Gladiator II, 2024 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/gladiator-ii/ letterboxd-review-713291336 Tue, 12 Nov 2024 04:06:55 +1300 2024-08-05 No Gladiator II 2024 4.0 558449 <![CDATA[

I’m not someone who holds the first in an extremely high regard, so I ended up having an awesome time with this.

It’s just a big, bloody movie with an all-timer Denzel performance in it, and some fun palace intrigue. Movies are so good.

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Best in Show, 2000 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/best-in-show/1/ letterboxd-review-712903269 Mon, 11 Nov 2024 14:36:58 +1300 2024-11-10 Yes Best in Show 2000 4.5 13785 <![CDATA[

Yeah, cat people are the weird ones.

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Heretic, 2024 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/heretic-2024/ letterboxd-review-711249077 Sat, 9 Nov 2024 17:32:27 +1300 2024-11-08 No Heretic 2024 3.5 1138194 <![CDATA[

“Grant gives a Hugh-MUNGO-us performance!” - The Ghost of Gene Shalit

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A Real Pain, 2024 - ★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/a-real-pain/ letterboxd-review-711124732 Sat, 9 Nov 2024 14:24:59 +1300 2024-11-08 No A Real Pain 2024 2.5 1013850 <![CDATA[

No, actually there is something wrong with Binghamton.

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Conclave, 2024 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/conclave/ letterboxd-review-709291026 Wed, 6 Nov 2024 14:47:38 +1300 2024-11-05 No Conclave 2024 4.5 974576 <![CDATA[

Great book, better movie. I will watch this 1,000 more times.

EKL #2

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Tropic Thunder, 2008 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/tropic-thunder/ letterboxd-review-708017197 Mon, 4 Nov 2024 17:18:16 +1300 2024-11-03 No Tropic Thunder 2008 3.5 7446 <![CDATA[

Feels like we’re at the place where this is the Blazing Saddles of the millenial generation

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Here, 2024 - ★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/here-2024/ letterboxd-review-705142251 Fri, 1 Nov 2024 13:33:05 +1300 2024-10-31 No Here 2024 3.0 940139 <![CDATA[

My neck is gonna hurt for a week from the whiplash that the scene of the modern day parents telling their son what to do if he’s pulled over by a cop gave me. Zemeckis, you’re a madman.

Bob seems to have fallen into this mode directors of his age seem to fall into where telling a story is almost an end to justify the means of playing with new tech. I don’t really like that, though I have to admit this was a surprisingly compelling watch.

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Anora, 2024 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/anora/ letterboxd-review-700892319 Sun, 27 Oct 2024 06:48:07 +1300 2024-10-26 No Anora 2024 4.0 1064213 <![CDATA[

I wonder what dress Mikey Madison is going to be wearing when she wins the Oscar in a few months.

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The Shining, 1980 - ★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/the-shining/2/ letterboxd-watch-699734536 Fri, 25 Oct 2024 15:05:21 +1300 2024-10-24 Yes The Shining 1980 4.0 694 <![CDATA[

Watched on Thursday October 24, 2024.

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The Godfather, 1972 - ★★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/the-godfather/6/ letterboxd-watch-697771307 Tue, 22 Oct 2024 15:58:56 +1300 2024-10-21 Yes The Godfather 1972 5.0 238 <![CDATA[

Watched on Monday October 21, 2024.

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The Apprentice, 2024 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/the-apprentice-2024/ letterboxd-review-689804981 Sat, 12 Oct 2024 13:49:29 +1300 2024-10-11 No The Apprentice 2024 3.5 1182047 <![CDATA[

This movie made me realize there is probably a split reality somewhere in the universe where Donald Trump is the beloved but insane owner of my New York Yankees and Hal Steinbrenner is a cartoonishly evil President Businessman.

Go Yanks! Beat Cleveland/Detroit!

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You've Got Mail, 1998 - ★★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/youve-got-mail/2/ letterboxd-review-685472177 Sun, 6 Oct 2024 10:47:56 +1300 2024-10-04 Yes You've Got Mail 1998 4.5 9489 <![CDATA[

Fall is here 🍁🍂🦃

EKL #1

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Joker: Folie à Deux, 2024 - ★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/joker-folie-a-deux/ letterboxd-review-684132673 Fri, 4 Oct 2024 14:43:46 +1300 2024-10-03 No Joker: Folie à Deux 2024 2.0 889737 <![CDATA[

This is not a good movie, but it’s bad in much more interesting ways than its predecessor, and there’s a high chance it ruins the first one for all of the Joker bros. Nice job, Todd.

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The Social Network, 2010 - ★★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/the-social-network/4/ letterboxd-watch-680665276 Sun, 29 Sep 2024 11:29:15 +1300 2024-09-28 Yes The Social Network 2010 5.0 37799 <![CDATA[

Watched on Saturday September 28, 2024.

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Megalopolis, 2024 - ½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/megalopolis-2024/ letterboxd-review-679511069 Fri, 27 Sep 2024 16:12:54 +1200 2024-09-26 No Megalopolis 2024 0.5 592831 <![CDATA[

The script might have needed another pass.

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Saturday Night, 2024 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/saturday-night-2024/ letterboxd-review-679430732 Fri, 27 Sep 2024 13:31:59 +1200 2024-09-26 No Saturday Night 2024 3.5 1120911 <![CDATA[

Loved the cast, attention to detail and how it was filmed, but this is a story about Saturday Night Live when it should be about Lorne Michaels.

It all comes together nicely at the end, but the build up feels narratively scattershot, devoting time to the aura of SNL over telling a compelling story. If you gave Sorkin this script with all its great parts, he would have built a fucking ferrari.

All that being said, Cooper Hoffman is single handedly making me believe in the power of neopetism. Also, we need Robert Wuhl in a hell of a lot more movies.

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Contact, 1997 - ★★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/contact/4/ letterboxd-review-676368803 Sun, 22 Sep 2024 15:05:45 +1200 2024-09-21 Yes Contact 1997 5.0 686 <![CDATA[

A masterclass of economy in storytelling.

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What Women Want, 2000 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/what-women-want/ letterboxd-review-669821177 Thu, 12 Sep 2024 13:33:48 +1200 2024-09-11 No What Women Want 2000 3.5 3981 <![CDATA[

Judy Greer’s character would have been a great tweeter if given the opportunity.

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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, 2024 - ★★★½ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/beetlejuice-beetlejuice/ letterboxd-review-667057281 Sun, 8 Sep 2024 10:42:01 +1200 2024-09-07 No Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 2024 3.5 917496 <![CDATA[

Catherine O’Hara has that superpower where she can make literally any line funny, and I don’t think we talk about her enough.

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The Incredibles, 2004 - ★★★★★ https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/film/the-incredibles/3/ letterboxd-watch-661396584 Sat, 31 Aug 2024 05:41:05 +1200 2024-08-30 Yes The Incredibles 2004 5.0 9806 <![CDATA[

Watched on Friday August 30, 2024.

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Years In Film - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/years-in-film-ranked/ letterboxd-list-2083023 Sun, 31 Dec 2017 05:33:15 +1300 <![CDATA[

Think of this list as a desert island ranking. If I were to be stranded and could only have my top 5 from a given year to entertain myself, what year would I pick?

That's how I rank a year in film.

*Note: Going to the movies only became part of my weekly routine in 2013, so this ranking will only consider that year onward.

  1. The Irishman

    1. The Irishman
    2. Little Women
    3. Knives Out
    4. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
    5. Ad Astra

  2. Blade Runner 2049

    1. Blade Runner 2049
    2. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
    3. Lady Bird
    4. The Post
    5. Logan Lucky

  3. Oppenheimer

    1. Oppenheimer
    2. The Holdovers
    3. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning
    4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
    5. The Boy and the Heron

  4. Steve Jobs

    1. Steve Jobs
    2. Ex Machina
    3. Spotlight
    4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
    5. Inside Out

  5. The Batman

    1. The Batman
    2. Glass Onion
    3. Top Gun: Maverick
    4. Tar
    5. Avatar: The Way of Water

  6. Arrival

    1. Arrival
    2. Kubo and the Two Strings
    3. Hell or High Water
    4. Jackie
    5. The Conjuring 2

  7. Annihilation

    1. Annihilation
    2. Mission: Impossible - Fallout
    3. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again!
    4. A Star Is Born
    5. Mandy

  8. Conclave

    1. Conclave
    2. Dune: Part Two
    3. The Order
    4. Challengers
    5. A Complete Unkown

  9. Interstellar

    1. Interstellar
    2. Gone Girl
    3. Snowpiercer
    4. X-Men: Days of Future Past
    5. The Grand Budapest Hotel

  10. West Side Story

    1. West Side Story
    2. No Time to Die
    3. The Last Duel
    4. The Harder They Fall
    5. Being the Ricardos

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Top 10 Movies of 2024 https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/top-10-movies-of-2024/ letterboxd-list-56514047 Sun, 5 Jan 2025 08:17:24 +1300 <![CDATA[

With honorable mentions!

  1. Conclave
  2. Dune: Part Two
  3. The Order
  4. Challengers
  5. A Complete Unknown
  6. Longlegs
  7. Civil War
  8. Red Rooms
  9. September 5
  10. Gladiator II

...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Theatrical Double Features https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/theatrical-double-features/ letterboxd-list-1866134 Thu, 28 Sep 2017 15:37:16 +1300 <![CDATA[

List idea stolen from Brandon Hart on LB.

I do this all the time lol.

  1. The Imitation Game
  2. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
  3. The Big Short
  4. Joy
  5. The Nice Guys
  6. Sing Street
  7. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
  8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
  9. The Conjuring
  10. The Conjuring 2

...plus 62 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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I Love Alamo Season Pass https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/i-love-alamo-season-pass/ letterboxd-list-21181863 Sun, 12 Dec 2021 16:07:55 +1300 <![CDATA[

Alamo is the best!

Dec 2021 - 2

2022 Total: 32
Feb - 3
Mar - 5
Apr - 3
May - 2
Jun - 4
Jul - 2
Aug - 3
Sep - 2
Oct - 3
Nov - 3
Dec - 2

2023 Total: 22
Feb - 2
Mar - 3
Apr - 1
May - 1
June - 4
August - 1
September - 2
October - 2
November - 4
December - 2

2024 Total: 30
February - 2
March - 2
April - 3
May - 4
June - 2
July - 3
August - 1
September - 2
October - 4
November - 4
December - 3

2025 Total: 1
January - 1

  1. West Side Story

    December 2021

  2. Spider-Man: No Way Home

    December 2021

  3. Groundhog Day

    February 2022

  4. Death on the Nile

    February 2022

  5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

    February 2022

  6. The Batman

    March 2022

  7. The Outfit

    March 2022

  8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

    March 2022

  9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

    March 2022

  10. Everything Everywhere All at Once

    March 2022

...plus 76 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Film on Film https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/film-on-film/ letterboxd-list-5566801 Mon, 29 Jul 2019 12:46:06 +1200 <![CDATA[

Movies I've been able to see projected on film. At least that I've known of.

  1. The Dark Knight

    70mm (3x)
    35mm

  2. The Dark Knight Rises

    70mm

  3. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

    70mm and 35mm

  4. Vertigo

    70mm

  5. Joker

    70mm

  6. Little Women

    35mm

  7. Eyes Wide Shut

    35mm

  8. Licorice Pizza

    70mm

  9. You've Got Mail

    35mm

  10. The Conversation

    35mm

...plus 7 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Top 40 Movies of All Time https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/top-40-movies-of-all-time/ letterboxd-list-2525659 Sun, 22 Apr 2018 03:06:49 +1200 <![CDATA[

Yeah.

  1. JFK
  2. Heat
  3. The Godfather Part II
  4. The Irishman
  5. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
  6. Interstellar
  7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
  8. Castle in the Sky
  9. The Godfather
  10. Zodiac

...plus 30 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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A New Movie A Week https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/a-new-movie-a-week/ letterboxd-list-50875679 Mon, 2 Sep 2024 14:45:39 +1200 <![CDATA[

I need to watch more new movies. Here’s a list to hold myself accountable.

  1. Titus
  2. Legend
  3. The Muppets Take Manhattan
  4. Z
  5. Lawrence of Arabia
  6. Prince of the City
  7. Night Falls on Manhattan
  8. Father of the Bride
  9. Rope
  10. The Trouble with Harry

...plus 86 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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IMAX https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/imax/ letterboxd-list-2730232 Sun, 24 Jun 2018 02:48:20 +1200 <![CDATA[

...plus 21 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Top 10 Movies of 2023 https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/top-10-movies-of-2023/ letterboxd-list-30623956 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 12:58:28 +1300 <![CDATA[

2023 let's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

  1. Oppenheimer
  2. Killers of the Flower Moon
  3. The Holdovers
  4. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
  5. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
  6. The Boy and the Heron
  7. Barbie
  8. John Wick: Chapter 4
  9. The Iron Claw
  10. The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
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Martin Scorsese - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/martin-scorsese-ranked-1/ letterboxd-list-3693332 Sun, 10 Feb 2019 10:01:01 +1300 <![CDATA[

A god.

  1. The Irishman
  2. GoodFellas
  3. The Wolf of Wall Street
  4. The Aviator
  5. Killers of the Flower Moon
  6. The Departed
  7. The King of Comedy
  8. Hugo
  9. Casino
  10. Gangs of New York

...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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2023 - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/2023-ranked/ letterboxd-list-30623929 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 12:57:23 +1300 <![CDATA[
  1. Oppenheimer
  2. Killers of the Flower Moon
  3. The Holdovers
  4. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
  5. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
  6. The Boy and the Heron
  7. Barbie
  8. John Wick: Chapter 4
  9. The Iron Claw
  10. The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial

...plus 27 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Denis Villeneuve - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/denis-villeneuve-ranked/ letterboxd-list-1333785 Tue, 3 Jan 2017 11:02:25 +1300 <![CDATA[

Dad.

  1. Blade Runner 2049
  2. Arrival
  3. Dune: Part Two
  4. Prisoners
  5. Sicario
  6. Dune
  7. Enemy
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Top 25 Movies of the 2010s https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/top-25-movies-of-the-2010s/ letterboxd-list-6594783 Tue, 31 Dec 2019 17:13:58 +1300 <![CDATA[

The best of the best.

  1. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
  2. The Irishman
  3. Interstellar
  4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
  5. Blade Runner 2049
  6. Steve Jobs
  7. The Social Network
  8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  9. Lincoln
  10. Arrival

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Hayao Miyazaki - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/hayao-miyazaki-ranked/ letterboxd-list-1151728 Fri, 26 Aug 2016 09:33:12 +1200 <![CDATA[
  1. Castle in the Sky
  2. Spirited Away
  3. Princess Mononoke
  4. The Boy and the Heron
  5. Kiki's Delivery Service
  6. My Neighbor Totoro
  7. Howl's Moving Castle
  8. The Wind Rises
  9. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
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Michael Mann - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/michael-mann-ranked-1/ letterboxd-list-16571177 Wed, 17 Feb 2021 17:46:30 +1300 <![CDATA[
  1. Heat
  2. The Insider
  3. Thief
  4. Manhunter
  5. Miami Vice
  6. Blackhat
  7. Collateral
  8. Public Enemies
  9. Ferrari
  10. Ali
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Top 10 Movies of 2019 https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/top-10-movies-of-2019/ letterboxd-list-3534742 Mon, 14 Jan 2019 05:01:14 +1300 <![CDATA[
  1. The Irishman
  2. Little Women
  3. Knives Out
  4. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
  5. Ad Astra
  6. Booksmart
  7. Toy Story 4
  8. 1917
  9. The Two Popes
  10. Luce
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Top 10 Movies of 2022 https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/top-10-movies-of-2022/ letterboxd-list-22739948 Mon, 9 Jan 2023 08:55:49 +1300 <![CDATA[

With honorable mentions!

  1. The Batman
  2. Glass Onion
  3. Top Gun: Maverick
  4. TÁR
  5. Avatar: The Way of Water
  6. Ambulance
  7. Everything Everywhere All at Once
  8. Hustle
  9. The Fabelmans
  10. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
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Top 10 Movies of 2021 https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/top-10-movies-of-2021/ letterboxd-list-18504998 Sun, 2 Jan 2022 18:00:21 +1300 <![CDATA[

W/ honorable mentions!

  1. West Side Story
  2. No Time to Die
  3. The Last Duel
  4. The Harder They Fall
  5. Being the Ricardos
  6. No Sudden Move
  7. Luca
  8. The Green Knight
  9. Licorice Pizza
  10. Nightmare Alley
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Top 10 Movies of 2020 https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/top-10-movies-of-2020/ letterboxd-list-15991578 Tue, 19 Jan 2021 16:10:44 +1300 <![CDATA[

With honorable mentions.

  1. Tenet
  2. The Vast of Night
  3. Bad Education
  4. The Invisible Man
  5. Palm Springs
  6. Soul
  7. The Trial of the Chicago 7
  8. The Gentlemen
  9. Let Them All Talk
  10. Da 5 Bloods
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Top 10 Movies of 2018 https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/top-10-movies-of-2018/ letterboxd-list-3166381 Mon, 7 Jan 2019 11:43:58 +1300 <![CDATA[

With honorable mentions.

  1. Annihilation

    Garland's follow up to the intellectually provocative Ex Machina is more vague, but somehow twice as profound. Nature, belonging, science, the origins of us, it's all there. MIMIC BEAR.

  2. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

    Just one hell of a good time at the movies. Everyone's beautiful, the songs are lovely and it's just an overall great time at the movies. The feel-good movie 2018 needed.

  3. Mission: Impossible – Fallout

    Since it's inception, the mission impossible series has been pushing a cart to the top of the hill. That hill is called "Perfect Action Movie Hill". Christopher McQuarrie was finally able to get it to the top. Fallout is an all-timer action movie, and a great movie to boot.

  4. A Star Is Born

    While there are some bumps in the road, when Bradley Cooper's first film sings, it sings. Shallow may go down as one of the definitive movie moments of the era. Movie magic.

  5. Mandy

    Transcendent. Ominous. Stunning. Powerful. Crowd pleasing. One of many no-trailer watches this year that knocked me on my ass. Cage is next-level.

  6. Thoroughbreds

    Since seeing it on a whim, this movie has sat with me like a cannonball. Corey Finley's debut is dark, nasty, but somehow endlessly watchable. Cooke and Taylor joy need to be in 100 more movies together. Finley will win an Oscar someday.

  7. Paddington 2

    I guess I just needed some pick-me-ups this year. Paddington 2 got the year of to a roaring start as one of the best sequels with 100 years of cinema squished between bread and marmalade.

  8. American Animals

    Amazing blend of pulpy heist sensibilities with the brutal honesty of a documentary.

  9. Juliet, Naked

    Had I not been asked to go see this for my job, I probably wouldn't have seen it. So getting paid to sit through this was pretty much the best possible outcome I could have hoped for.

    I adore every last minute of this movie. The idea of the girlfriend of a superfan of a missing artist connecting with that artist, bringing the music back out of him is one of those ideas I wish I thought of first.

    The execution of said idea is f-l-a-w-l-e-s-s. Byrne, O'Dowd and Hawke are all as fantastic as you'd expect them to be. There are a handful of moments that I just couldn't wait for the movie to follow-through on, and they didn't disappoint. The commentary this has on fan culture really spoke to me, as I'm a superfan of many things, so I'm always thinking about when I'm taking my passions a bit too far.

    Most importantly of all though, this is one of those movies I just couldn't stop thinking about for all the right reasons.

  10. Isle of Dogs

    Another spellbinding achievement in stop motion animation by Wes Anderson. Isle of Dogs is one of his most engrossing and overall entertaining movies to date.

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Top 10 Movies of 2017 https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/top-10-movies-of-2017/ letterboxd-list-3166379 Sun, 28 Oct 2018 11:43:27 +1300 <![CDATA[

With honorable mentions.

  1. Blade Runner 2049
  2. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
  3. Lady Bird
  4. The Post
  5. Logan Lucky
  6. Phantom Thread
  7. Molly's Game
  8. Get Out
  9. A Ghost Story
  10. The Disaster Artist
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Top 10 Movies of 2016 https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/top-10-movies-of-2016/ letterboxd-list-3166366 Sun, 28 Oct 2018 11:41:10 +1300 <![CDATA[

With honorable mentions.

  1. Arrival
  2. Kubo and the Two Strings
  3. Hell or High Water
  4. Jackie
  5. The Conjuring 2
  6. Sing Street
  7. Everybody Wants Some!!
  8. Don't Think Twice
  9. The Invitation
  10. La La Land
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Top 10 Movies of 2015 https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/top-10-movies-of-2015/ letterboxd-list-3556605 Thu, 17 Jan 2019 14:35:25 +1300 <![CDATA[

With honorable mentions.

  1. Steve Jobs
  2. Inside Out
  3. Ex Machina
  4. Spotlight
  5. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  6. The End of the Tour
  7. Spectre
  8. Macbeth
  9. The Martian
  10. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
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Top 10 Comic Book Movies https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/top-10-comic-book-movies/ letterboxd-list-34142993 Sun, 4 Jun 2023 11:05:07 +1200 <![CDATA[
  1. The Dark Knight
  2. Batman
  3. The Batman
  4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
  5. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
  6. X-Men: Days of Future Past
  7. Man of Steel
  8. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
  9. Avengers: Endgame
  10. Spider-Man
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Batman Films - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/batman-films-ranked/ letterboxd-list-809130 Sun, 6 Dec 2015 06:41:52 +1300 <![CDATA[

Batman and Robin is actually great.

  1. The Dark Knight
  2. Batman
  3. The Batman
  4. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
  5. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2
  6. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1
  7. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
  8. Batman Forever
  9. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
  10. Batman: Under the Red Hood

...plus 21 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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David Fincher - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/david-fincher-ranked/ letterboxd-list-829642 Wed, 30 Dec 2015 15:55:34 +1300 <![CDATA[

Probably my favorite director.

  1. Zodiac
  2. The Social Network
  3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  4. Gone Girl
  5. Se7en
  6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  7. The Game
  8. The Killer
  9. Panic Room
  10. Mank

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Movies I Saw More Than Once In The Theaters https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/movies-i-saw-more-than-once-in-the-theaters/ letterboxd-list-1720446 Wed, 19 Jul 2017 04:06:31 +1200 <![CDATA[

I rarely see movies in the theaters more than once anymore. Check descriptions for a rough estimate of how many times I saw them.

...plus 36 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Christopher Nolan - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/christopher-nolan-ranked/ letterboxd-list-809116 Sun, 6 Dec 2015 06:24:19 +1300 <![CDATA[

Call me a Nolan fanboy idc.

  1. Interstellar

    There are two types of people in the world: people who have Interstellar near or the top of their Nolan list where it belongs, and people who have it towards the bottom where it does not belong.

    As you can see, I have it in the right place.

    For some reason, when I watch Interstellar I get the feeling that Nolan thinks he is making his best movie. Whether he is or not is up to the audience, and while I don't think it's his best, I do think it gets really damn close.

    I love the story, the scope, the visuals, the music, the ending, the characters; all of it. Interstellar is one of the most audacious sci-fi films ever made.

  2. The Dark Knight

    "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you.... stranger."

    That was the moment when I, just barely 13, knew this was going to change my life. Little did I know that it changed Hollywood's too. In every subsequent watch, 3 in true IMAX, has made that fact all the more obvious. The Dark Knight and it's authentically scary an terroristic approach to a "superhero" showed that comic book movies could be more than, well, comic book movies if they really tried. Some have, some haven't and some made 2019 comic book movie that shall not be named. Can't win em' all I guess. While the sub-genre of films had shed their skins in the past, this was the first time it was rewarded by critics and audiences alike.

    The Dark Knight was and still is a phenomenon, which means it's probably time to mention Heath Ledger. While it's certainly odd that his version of the character is the last time we've seen the clown prince of crime in live-action, it makes sense because Ledger was so damn good and in addition to being funny, creepy and terrifying, he was finally relevant. Pitting him and Batman against each other as ideologies instead of adversaries is the best call the Nolans made crafting this. Like Joker said, he wasn't interested in a fistfight, their battle was for something much bigger: the soul of a city.

    Terrorists by and large want to kill as many people as possible, but the mission doesn't end there. Psychological scars are as impactful as real ones, and for proof of that look at the shitshow the U.S. has become since 9/11. The note the movie ends on is that we can't stop trusting each other. We can't stop doing the right thing.

  3. Oppenheimer
  4. The Prestige

    Since The Prestige, Nolan's been all but committed to using his cache to make big, original movies, while he still has the means and influence to do so. One day that luck may run out, and while I by no means want that to happen I know that if he eventually is forced to scale things down, it'll probably be as good as The Prestige. And I fucking love The Prestige so it's really a win-win.

    To date, this is Nolan's most narratively complex movie as far as I'm concerned. So much so that I watched the movie 3 or 4 times before I even understood the plot and all of the twists and turns it takes. Even now I'm sure if I explained what I think happened I would mess it up or outright get it wrong because of how much there is in this. Some people may see that as a bad thing. I do not. Not even close.

    Really, I just love a good rivalry movie, and this one's one of the best. Jackman's the better (ahem) showman while Bale is the better pound for pound magician, which is always a fun dynamic to play with. Even when they're friendly, the friction is always there and lingers long after they split apart. Scarlett Johansson is present as well.

  5. Inception

    Easily my biggest movie regret, and this isn't even close to the point where I'm not sure I have a #2, is that I did not see this in theaters when it came out in 2010. Yeah, perhaps the biggest original movie of this decade and the last and my stupid 15-year-old self watched in in October or something on DirecTV on-demand. Hopefully, with it being the movie's 10th anniversary soon and Tenet on the horizon there are some special big format screenings I can check out. Sigh. Stupid me.

    But anyways, Inception rules. Nolan's complex, twisty heist film really is a landmark in cinema to me. Not only is it a pop culture legend, it was a doorbusting success in the middle of 2010 (an awful year in movies and the middle of a global recession) that showed original movies can still captivate audience as much as IP blockbusters if you have the right people behind the camera.

    Tenet is just a few months away, and with a bigger price tag, smaller name cast, 10 years deeper into "Hollywood has no ideas" we'll see if lightning will strike again. I hope it does.

    But enough about all that. The movie is just awesome. It's been said a million times how clever the story is and how fun it is to see this cast of mostly indie stars tackle a blockbuster. Love that this is the only somewhat traditional "big" movie Leo's done post-Titanic, and how it was a hell of an introduction to Tom Hardy who's put in excellent work since, especially in Venom.

    This was also probably Marion Cotillard and Elliot Page's first exposure to a big audience, something they've both capitalized on pretty well. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is there too.

    What really sets this apart for me, and earns a spot above Dunkirk and Tenet is the movie's beating heart. Nolan's often been called a cold filmmaker, something I have never for the life of me been able to understand. The ending of this movie gets me everytime, as does the final scene with Cillian Murphy and his father.

  6. Tenet

    Being the most recent, Tenet could jump around a little as time goes by, but I don’t really expect it to.

    As of now, I love it and it was a lone bright spot of a really shitty year.

  7. Insomnia

    As you can see, we just made a big jump to 4 and a half stars and above.

    Insomnia is easily Nolan's most underrated film. It's his audition to leave indie land for studio world, and obviously it was an audition he nailed.

    This movie plays out like standard cop thriller on the page, but it's Nolan's choices as a director that elevates this to something a bit more resonant. Pacino kills it in a pretty comfortable tortured cop role, but the choices of Robin and Swank push this over the top. Williams is legitimately unsettling, and his interactions with Pacino are really effective. Swank's bright eyed optimism and commitment to justice, and how they come to a head in the film's final moments are really lovely and played more earnestly than it would have been by a lesser filmmaker. 


    This is by far the most "conventional" Nolan has made to date, which based on its quality, tells you all you need to know about how great of a filmmaker he is. A Nolan version of Cats would be great. He's just that skilled.

  8. Dunkirk

    There's a chance that when all is said and done, Dunkirk goes down as Nolan's best movie. The film's structure, something Nolan's said has been stuck in his mind for decades, is as much of a "twist" as it is a narrative puzzle.

    While all his movies have this (some more than others) feeling, Dunkirk feels the most thought out to me. Like Scorsese with Goodfellas, I wouldn't be surprised if Nolan made this movie in his head already, and filming was just committing that memory to celluloid.

    As I've said before, I love Dunkirk, but it'll probably hang in the middle of Nolan's filmography, as it isn't as rewatchable to me as others on this list, even below it.

  9. Batman Begins

    Good! But not my favorite. Origin stories really aren't my thing and Nolan's vision for this isn't ideal for me, but this is still a solid Batman picture.

    By vision I mean that waaayyy to much of this is soundstage-y. Yeah Batman (1989) has a lot of that too, but it's art deco style is so damn memorable that it really works. This? Not so much. This movie feels smaller and more claustrophobic than I like my Batman to feel. All issues that are addressed and fixed in the follow up.

    Begins is good, don't get me wrong, it's just not one I'd watch without immediately following it up with the sequels.

  10. The Dark Knight Rises

    Messy, but admirable.

    Nolan had an impossible job on this one and he did his best with it, it just isn't my thing. Losing Ledger and the Joker character makes this feel incomplete to me, and I think a lot of people. The trilogy was forced to expand, in my opinion, too far out from the realism they set out to achieve when the first film started to roll cameras.

...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Mission: Impossible - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/mission-impossible-ranked/ letterboxd-list-1535815 Thu, 6 Apr 2017 15:42:02 +1200 <![CDATA[

At this rate, 7 is going to be the best movie ever made.

  1. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
  2. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
  3. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
  4. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
  5. Mission: Impossible III
  6. Mission: Impossible II
  7. Mission: Impossible
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Wes Anderson - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/wes-anderson-ranked/ letterboxd-list-1087138 Wed, 6 Jul 2016 00:10:49 +1200 <![CDATA[
  1. The Grand Budapest Hotel
  2. Fantastic Mr. Fox
  3. Isle of Dogs
  4. The Royal Tenenbaums
  5. Moonrise Kingdom
  6. Rushmore
  7. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
  8. Asteroid City
  9. The French Dispatch
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2016 - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/2016-ranked/ letterboxd-list-869779 Sun, 31 Jan 2016 11:00:49 +1300 <![CDATA[

My ranking of the films of 2016.

Dislike begins with Live By Night

  1. Arrival

    5/5

  2. Kubo and the Two Strings

    5/5

  3. Hell or High Water

    5/5

  4. Jackie

    4.5/5

  5. The Conjuring 2

    4.5/5

  6. Everybody Wants Some!!

    5/5

  7. Don't Think Twice

    4.5/5

  8. Sing Street

    4.5/5

  9. The Invitation

    4.5/5

  10. Finding Dory

    4.5/5

...plus 61 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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2022 - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/2022-ranked/ letterboxd-list-21349831 Tue, 12 Apr 2022 15:59:18 +1200 <![CDATA[

****Note: 4.5 and 4 star movies are ranked in alphabetical order until the end of the year.

BEST PICTURE: Tar
BEST DIRECTOR: Todd Field, Tar
BEST ACTOR: Austin Butler, Elvis
BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Tar
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Janelle Monae, Glass Onion
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Glass Onion
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Pinnochio
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Pinnochio
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: The Batman
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: The Batman
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Tar
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Everything Everywhere All at Once

  1. The Batman
  2. Glass Onion
  3. Top Gun: Maverick
  4. TÁR
  5. Avatar: The Way of Water
  6. Ambulance
  7. Everything Everywhere All at Once
  8. The Fabelmans
  9. Hustle
  10. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

...plus 29 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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2021 - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/2021-ranked/ letterboxd-list-16445879 Sun, 2 Jan 2022 18:00:18 +1300 <![CDATA[

Interesting year!

  1. West Side Story
  2. No Time to Die
  3. The Harder They Fall
  4. The Last Duel
  5. Licorice Pizza
  6. Luca
  7. Being the Ricardos
  8. No Sudden Move
  9. The Green Knight
  10. Nightmare Alley

...plus 37 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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2019 - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/2019-ranked/ letterboxd-list-3080772 Tue, 29 Jan 2019 04:33:29 +1300 <![CDATA[

Dislikes begin at High Life

BEST PICTURE: The Irishman
BEST DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
BEST ACTOR: Adam Driver, Marriage Story
BEST ACTRESS: Lupita N'Yongo, Us
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Joe Pesci, The Irishman
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Florence Pugh, Little Women
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Rian Johnson, Knives Out
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Steven Zaillian, The Irishman
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Toy Story 4
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Max Richter, Ad Astra
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: The Irishman
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Roger Deakins, 1917
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: The Irishman

  1. The Irishman
  2. Little Women
  3. Knives Out
  4. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
  5. Ad Astra
  6. Toy Story 4
  7. Booksmart
  8. 1917
  9. The Two Popes
  10. Luce

...plus 64 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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2018 - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/2018-ranked/ letterboxd-list-2254626 Sat, 17 Feb 2018 05:00:29 +1300 <![CDATA[

My ranking of the films of 2018!

Dislikes begin at Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.

BEST PICTURE: A Star is Born
BEST DIRECTOR: Christopher McQuarrie, Mission: Impossible - Fallout
BEST ACTOR: Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born
BEST ACTRESS: Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Evan Peters, American Animals
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Emily Blunt, A Quiet Place
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Corey Finley, Thoroughbreds
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Paul King and Simon Farnaby, Paddington 2
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Isle of Dogs
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Johann Johannsson, Mandy
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Mandy
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Rob Hardy, Mission: Impossible - Fallout
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Mary Poppins Returns

  1. Annihilation
  2. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
  3. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
  4. A Star Is Born
  5. Thoroughbreds
  6. Mandy
  7. Paddington 2
  8. Juliet, Naked
  9. Isle of Dogs
  10. American Animals

...plus 87 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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2017 - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/2017-ranked-9/ letterboxd-list-2189798 Wed, 24 Jan 2018 16:36:19 +1300 <![CDATA[

My ranking of the films of 2017.

Dislike begins at mother!

BEST PICTURE: Blade Runner 2049
BEST DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
BEST ACTOR: Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
BEST ACTRESS: Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Liz Hannah and Josh Singer, The Post
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Aaron Sorkin, Molly's Game
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Coco
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Alexandre Desplat, The Shape of Water
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: The Shape of Water
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Roger Deakins, Blade Runner 2049
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Blade Runner 2049

  1. Blade Runner 2049
  2. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
  3. Lady Bird
  4. Logan Lucky
  5. The Post
  6. Molly's Game
  7. Get Out
  8. Phantom Thread
  9. Battle of the Sexes
  10. A Ghost Story

...plus 68 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Spider-Man - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/spider-man-ranked/ letterboxd-list-1535819 Thu, 6 Apr 2017 15:44:33 +1200 <![CDATA[

spoderman

  1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
  2. Spider-Man
  3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
  4. The Amazing Spider-Man
  5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
  6. Spider-Man 2
  7. Spider-Man 3
  8. Spider-Man: Far From Home
  9. Spider-Man: Homecoming
  10. Spider-Man: No Way Home
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Projected Top 10 of 2023 https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/projected-top-10-of-2023/ letterboxd-list-25981506 Fri, 29 Dec 2023 13:16:57 +1300 <![CDATA[

W/ contenders.

  1. Killers of the Flower Moon
  2. Oppenheimer
  3. The Killer
  4. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
  5. The Boy and the Heron
  6. Ferrari
  7. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
  8. Barbie
  9. Peter Pan & Wendy
  10. Dune: Part Two

...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Steven Spielberg - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/steven-spielberg-ranked/ letterboxd-list-845203 Wed, 6 Jan 2016 15:31:40 +1300 <![CDATA[

Father.

  1. Catch Me If You Can
  2. Lincoln
  3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
  4. The Post
  5. Raiders of the Lost Ark
  6. Hook
  7. West Side Story
  8. The Adventures of Tintin
  9. The Terminal
  10. Jurassic Park

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Rian Johnson - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/rian-johnson-ranked-1/ letterboxd-list-7287378 Wed, 4 Mar 2020 04:23:17 +1300 <![CDATA[

Pretty good writer/director IMO.

  1. Knives Out
  2. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
  3. Glass Onion
  4. Looper
  5. The Brothers Bloom
  6. Brick
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James Bond - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/james-bond-ranked/ letterboxd-list-809126 Sun, 6 Dec 2015 06:37:20 +1300 <![CDATA[
  1. Skyfall
  2. Casino Royale
  3. No Time to Die
  4. Goldfinger
  5. The Man with the Golden Gun
  6. Licence to Kill
  7. Spectre
  8. Tomorrow Never Dies
  9. GoldenEye
  10. Quantum of Solace

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Paul Thomas Anderson - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/paul-thomas-anderson-ranked/ letterboxd-list-919669 Thu, 3 Mar 2016 15:44:10 +1300 <![CDATA[
  1. There Will Be Blood
  2. Phantom Thread
  3. Magnolia
  4. Licorice Pizza
  5. Punch-Drunk Love
  6. The Master
  7. Boogie Nights
  8. Inherent Vice
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Jordan Peele - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/jordan-peele-ranked/ letterboxd-list-25874600 Sat, 23 Jul 2022 05:26:06 +1200 <![CDATA[

Make all of the movies, Jordan.

  1. Get Out
  2. Nope
  3. Us
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Richard Linklater - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/richard-linklater-ranked/ letterboxd-list-1055949 Sat, 11 Jun 2016 11:15:59 +1200 <![CDATA[

Hell yeah

  1. Everybody Wants Some!!
  2. Boyhood
  3. Dazed and Confused
  4. School of Rock
  5. Last Flag Flying
  6. Before Sunset
  7. Bad News Bears
  8. Before Sunrise
  9. Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood
  10. Where'd You Go, Bernadette
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Watchlist https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/watchlist/ letterboxd-list-17416345 Wed, 14 Apr 2021 03:49:50 +1200 <![CDATA[

A few movies I need to watch soon.

...plus 11 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Harry Potter Universe - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/harry-potter-universe-ranked/ letterboxd-list-809113 Sun, 6 Dec 2015 06:22:25 +1300 <![CDATA[

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling sucks

  1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
  2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
  3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
  5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  8. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
  9. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  10. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Projected Top 10 of 2022 https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/projected-top-10-of-2022/ letterboxd-list-20278061 Sun, 2 Jan 2022 18:00:16 +1300 <![CDATA[
  1. The Batman
  2. Killers of the Flower Moon
  3. Glass Onion
  4. The Killer
  5. Amsterdam
  6. She Said
  7. Men
  8. Don't Worry Darling
  9. Peter Pan & Wendy
  10. See How They Run
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2020 - RANKED https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/2020-ranked/ letterboxd-list-6855968 Mon, 20 Jan 2020 09:09:36 +1300 <![CDATA[
  1. Tenet
  2. The Vast of Night
  3. Bad Education
  4. The Invisible Man
  5. Palm Springs
  6. The Trial of the Chicago 7
  7. Soul
  8. The Gentlemen
  9. Let Them All Talk
  10. Da 5 Bloods

...plus 33 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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I Love AMC A-List https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/i-love-amc-a-list/ letterboxd-list-2880592 Mon, 6 Aug 2018 01:31:48 +1200 <![CDATA[

August 2018 - 8
September 2018 - 3
October 2018 - 4
November 2018 - 7
December 2018 - 4

January 2019 - 2
February 2019 - 3
March 2019 - 2
April 2019 - 5
May 2019 - 5
June 2019 - 6
July 2019 - 3
August 2019 - 3
September 2019 - 2
October 2019 - 5
November 2019 - 3
December 2019 - 2

January 2020 - 2
February 2020 - 4
March 2020 - 2
July 2021 - 2
August 2021 - 3
October 2021 - 3

  1. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

    August 2018

  2. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

    August 2018

  3. Crazy Rich Asians

    August 2018

  4. 2001: A Space Odyssey

    August 2018

  5. The Dark Knight

    August 2018 x2

  6. The Little Stranger

    August 2018

  7. Searching

    August 2018

  8. A Simple Favor

    September 2018

  9. The Predator

    September 2018

  10. Life Itself

    September 2018

...plus 75 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

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Projected Top 10 of 2020/2021 https://letterboxd.com/derkatzenvater/list/projected-top-10-of-2020-2021/ letterboxd-list-6566524 Mon, 20 Jan 2020 09:10:03 +1300 <![CDATA[

Update August 17th BOY WAS I WRONG LOL:

Changing this list to reflect my decision to clump 2020/2021 into one year.
.
.
.
.
.
My favorite list to do every year!

This list will only be updated if films on the list are pushed to 2021, otherwise cancelled or if a major unexpected film is moved up/dated for 2020 unexpectedly. Last year's list never changed, so this shouldn't be a problem.

2020 seems much more wide open than years past so I’m really not confident that more than 3 or 4 will actually make my list at the end of the year. Excited to see what 2020’s ends up looking like!

  1. Tenet
  2. No Time to Die
  3. Soul
  4. The French Dispatch
  5. The Eyes of Tammy Faye
  6. Mank
  7. Dune
  8. Bad Education
  9. The Green Knight
  10. Reminiscence
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