Watched on Saturday January 4, 2025.
]]>
Watched on Saturday January 4, 2025.
]]>
Watched on Saturday January 4, 2025.
]]>
Watched on Friday January 3, 2025.
]]>
Watched on Friday January 3, 2025.
]]>
Watched on Thursday January 2, 2025.
]]>
Watched on Wednesday January 1, 2025.
]]>
Watched on Wednesday January 1, 2025.
]]>
Watched on Wednesday January 1, 2025.
]]>
Watched on Tuesday December 31, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Tuesday December 31, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Tuesday December 31, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Tuesday December 31, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Monday December 30, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Sunday December 29, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Saturday December 28, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Saturday December 28, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Saturday December 28, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Friday December 27, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Friday December 27, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Thursday December 26, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Thursday December 26, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Wednesday December 25, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Wednesday December 25, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Wednesday December 25, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Tuesday December 24, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Tuesday December 24, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Tuesday December 24, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Monday December 23, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Monday December 23, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Monday December 23, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Sunday December 22, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Sunday December 22, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Saturday December 21, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Saturday December 21, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Saturday December 21, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Friday December 20, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Friday December 20, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Thursday December 19, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Thursday December 19, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Wednesday December 18, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Tuesday December 17, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Monday December 16, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Sunday December 15, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Saturday December 14, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Saturday December 14, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Saturday December 14, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Friday December 13, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Thursday December 12, 2024.
]]>
Watched on Wednesday December 11, 2024.
]]>- Sanjuro
- The Souvenir: Part II
- Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case
- French Connection II
- Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima
- From Russia with Love
- Psycho II
- Mad Max 2
- Patriot Games
- The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse
...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>The Blue Knight (1973) – From Joseph Wambaugh the author of The Onion Field and The New Centurions, William Holden is an aged war horse of a police patrolman waging a one man crusade for justice on the streets of downtown LA. Standout performances from Holden, Lee Remick, and Sam Elliot. Originally presented as a two part TV movie, to me this is the best LA cop movie ever made! Take that Serpico.
The Book of Stone (1969) – From Mexico, a gothic chiller from Carlos Enrique Taboada (Poison for the Fairies) about a haunted statue of a boy on a grand estate that possesses mysterious powers. Strange events begin to occur as a new family moves to the estate, with clues pointing to the unsettling statue. There are some truly chilling scenes in this that scared the heck out of me.
Confessions of a Serial Killer (1985) – This is grimiest serial killer movie I’ve ever seen, you’ll need to take a shower after this one, scenes of death and torture that feel almost documentary like. A killer in police custody describes the horrifying events that led to his arrest. Be sure to see the unrated cut. Unfortunately this was released the same year as Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer and overshadowed by it, but this is the better movie.
Last Days of the Victim (1982) – From Argentina, an absolutely thrilling hitman movie about a professional killer whose latest job begins to unravel. If you liked The Killer and love the play by play of the life of an assassin this is in that world and one of the best of its kind.
The Last 4 Days (1974) – WWII is winding down and defeat for Italy is inevitable. Groups from the liberal Italian politicals to the allies argue the fate of Mussolini behind the scenes. Should he be tried or killed, and if so how and where? Rod Steiger gives a brilliant and harrowing turn as Mussolini watching his world unravel, and Franco Nero as a member of the Italian resistance hunting to bring him to justice.
The Marksman (Skytten) (1977) – From Denmark, environmentalists decry the opening of the first nuclear power plant in Denmark. One unstable man is driven to the edge and begins a series of random sniper killings from the rooftops of Copenhagen to protest. He begins sending tapes to a sympathetic journalist to explain his reasons. Similarities to Man on the Roof by Bo Widerberg, a little seen thriller with less than 100 views.
Massacre in Rome (1973) – The Italian resistance has carried out a daring attack against the Gestapo in Rome, and Hitler demands swift revenge, with 10 Italians to be executed for every German killed. The responsibility for the list of the condemned is placed with Richard Burton as a high ranking Nazi. He has formed an unusual friendship with an art historian priest played by Marcello Mastroianni, who has just days to dissuade Burton from carrying out his bloody task, with some cracking scenes between the two great actors.
The Mattei Case (1972) – A masterful political thriller from Francesco Rosi. Enrico Mattei is an Italian minister whose profile begins to rise as he pushes to open oil and gas drilling in Italy. The American oil companies are outraged at the loss in profits this will lead to, and a plot begins to remove the troublesome Mattei. Gripping performance by Gian Maria Volonte (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion) as Mattei.
Shelia Levine is Dead and Living in New York (1975)/T.R. Baskin (1971) – Two movies strongly linked in my mind for the similar themes they explore. Two stories of women coming to the big city to begin their lives as independent adults. The trials they face in love and life, how they deal with the sexism of the era, and how ultimately they find their voice in a crazy world. Great performances all around with Jeannine Berlin and Roy Scheider in Levine, and Candice Bergen, Peter Boyle, and James Caan in Baskin.
Summerfield (1977) – An Australian film originally developed for Peter Weir as a follow up to Picnic at Hanging Rock, with many of the same crew and creatives onboard. Weir went off to make Gallipoli instead, but this haunting thriller is the more fascinating of the two. A man arrives at an isolated Australian village to replace their school teacher who has gone missing, but nobody seems willing or able to explain exactly what’s happened to the previous teacher. As the new teacher begins investigating, the town’s secrets begin to unravel. Similarities to The Wicker Man with an isolated, eccentric community with many dark mysteries.
Tales of Ordinary Madness (1981) – Charles Bukowski the legendary LA author is probably best known for Barfly with Mickey Rourke playing a Bukowski like figure who haunts seedy bars. Here, Ben Gazzara takes on the Bukowski role and does it better as a lauded poet and author with an absolutely depraved addiction to drink and sex. Gazzara drinks and screws across LA before he meets Ornella Muti (Flash Gordon), a woman he can’t shake and unlike the others doesn’t seem to want to. A great tour of seedy LA as seen by the Italian director Macro Ferreri (La Grande Bouffe).
- The Blue Knight
- The Book of Stone
- Confessions of a Serial Killer
- Last Days of the Victim
- The Last Four Days
- The Marksman
- Massacre in Rome
- The Mattei Affair
- Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York
- Summerfield
...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>These were some of my favorite discoveries and first watches of 2023. I’m avoiding any new releases or titles I think people might be aware of and intentionally trying to highlight more obscure films so hopefully these can be someone else’s discoveries as well.
- Massacre in Rome
- The Book of Stone
- T.R. Baskin
- Summerfield
- Don't Deliver Us from Evil
- The Black Marble
- The Blue Knight
- Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York
- Lifeguard
- The Mattei Affair
...plus 14 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- The Killer
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Oppenheimer
- Beau Is Afraid
- May December
- Showing Up
- The Delinquents
- Return to Seoul
- Anatomy of a Fall
- Napoleon
...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- The Things of Life
- A Woman Like Eve
- The Grapes of Death
- The Asphyx
- Cast a Dark Shadow
- Unrelated
- Model
- Touchez Pas au Grisbi
- Too Late Blues
- And Soon the Darkness
...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Airplane!
- Alien
- All the Money in the World
- Amores Perros
- American Gangster
- American Psycho
- Apocalypse Now
- Apollo 11
- Back to the Future
- Back to the Future Part II
...plus 214 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>4K movies in my iTunes library
- Airplane!
- Alien
- All the Money in the World
- Amores Perros
- American Gangster
- American Psycho
- Apocalypse Now
- Apollo 11
- Back to the Future
- Back to the Future Part II
...plus 206 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Somewhere in Time
- Anne of the Thousand Days
- Elvira Madigan
- Portrait of Jennie
- Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors
- Daisy Miller
- The Innocent
- The Bostonians
- The English Patient
- Pandora and the Flying Dutchman
...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Favorite’s from the 60’s that don’t often make the lists.
- The Golden Cockerel
- The Boston Strangler
- Whistle and I'll Come to You
- The Night of the Generals
- We Still Kill the Old Way
- The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
- It Happened Here
- The Monsters
- Girl with a Suitcase
- The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales
...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- Dossier 51
- The Squeeze
- Alucarda
- Poison for the Fairies
- The Cop
- The Horse
- The Town That Dreaded Sundown
- The Night of the Generals
- The Man from Majorca
- The Old Gun
...plus 14 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Just realizing if a movie is about English people going to Spain or Italy there is a 95% chance I will like it.
- The Hit
- A Room with a View
- Sexy Beast
- Darling
- Morvern Callar
- The Running Man
- Journey to Italy
- The English Patient
- Eva
- Toby Dammit
...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>- The Story of a Cheat
- Le Corbeau
- Sapphire
- Quadrille
- Any Number Can Win
- The League of Gentlemen
- All Night Long
- The Big Risk
- Le Trou
- Désiré
...plus 3 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>My favorite releases of 2021, seemingly one of the better recent years for movies. Personally a memorable year for making a return to theater viewing after an over one year absence due to Covid.
The Academy Museum’s new David Geffen and Ted Mann theaters became favorite venues for showing classic films with state of the art Dolby Vision and Atmos sound, a true rarity. The shocking announcement of the closure of Arclight Hollywood was the low point of the year, but the greater accessibility to first run and recent releases via streaming was a welcome evolution to how we watch.
My viewing was dominated this year by deep drives into British wartime and post war films, Mexican golden age cinema, and lesser known French films from the 1930’s-1970’s, all which led to some incredible first watches. A memorable year of movies.
]]>- Cloudburst
- The Conversation
- The Dead Zone
- Detective Story
- Electra Glide in Blue
- The Fearmakers
- A Fool There Was
- Georgia
- Heartburn
- His Girl Friday
...plus 20 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>These were my favorite discoveries and first time watches during one year of lockdown in Los Angeles 3/15/20 - 3/15/21.
]]>Movies I watch over and over
- The Hit
- The Long Good Friday
- Blow-Up
- Inherent Vice
- Double Indemnity
- The Player
- The Long Goodbye
- The Thing
- A Room with a View
- Contempt
...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Current Star Wars rankings.
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
- Return of the Jedi
- Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi
- Solo: A Star Wars Story
...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Tracking films I’ve seen on the Sight and Sound list.
- Vertigo
- Citizen Kane
- Tokyo Story
- The Rules of the Game
- Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- The Searchers
- Man with a Movie Camera
- The Passion of Joan of Arc
- 8½
...plus 240 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>Favorites from 2020 in no order.
- Tenet
- First Cow
- Mank
- The Vast of Night
- On the Rocks
- Bacurau
- The Invisible Man
- I'm Thinking of Ending Things
- Relic
- A Rainy Day in New York
...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
]]>