This short film is just wonderful. Funny and touching. Deanna Rooney and Martin Starr are so ridiculously good together. If you're going to Sundance, whether in person or virtually, really make an effort to check it out. Chelsea is absolutely the real fucking deal.

You can just tell when you're looking at a bunch of actors who are so fucking excited to be in their first movie together.

One of the great ‘special effects’ in this motion picture is: cutting from a wide shot where the actors are in frame, to the same shot but where the actors aren't in frame. They disappear. Movie magic.

Back in the day, discovering how to do that shit with my friend Eric Barker's Dad's VHS-C camcorder made me feel like I was David Copperfield.

When Drew Sheid shows up in a movie you know it's going to be good.

There's a scene in a television station conference room, where the characters are seated in these green upholstered office chairs around a large mid century modern table. I really enjoyed the elegant, clean lines in the design of that furniture. The rest of the film was not quite as enjoyable.

So sleazy and shameless, but has a script that is completely surprising. Genuinely, I think this should be held in the same high regard as TORSO, a film I find absolutely riveting. I had no idea where it was going to go next. One of the great discoveries of the year for me - if you love this kind of shit, don't read any other reviews on here because they spoil the twists. Premium exploitation.

If you’re not too familiar with deeper cut exploitation films, this might come across as a fairly standard—maybe even tame—Ted Bundy-inspired slasher. That’s understandable. However, I think there’s a niche audience that appreciates these films the way coffee enthusiasts savor the subtle variations between different beans. For me, this one stands out because it aims to be classy.

Yes, it has the requisite blood and nudity (courtesy of body double Maralyn Thoma, who also wrote the script), but what really shines is the Detective character, played by seasoned character actor James Luisi. He’s written as a complex human being, woven into the story in a way these movies seldom manage to pull off, and performed with subtlety - made all the more charming considering the sets were clearly built in the director's garage.

My favorite part was when, after a particularly intense encounter, Harris’ character simply held Nicole for a prolonged period of time. First time seeing proper aftercare represented.

Theme song totally rips.

The table read sequence where all the actors are taking such joy in the work, but Joe cannot hear their laughter; so real.

Watched on Friday December 27, 2024.

Watched on Tuesday December 24, 2024.

Watched on Monday December 23, 2024.

Watched on Monday December 23, 2024.

Back when this came out, I was living with my now-wife in a studio apartment in Westwood. We shared one car, so I’d catch the 420 bus on Wilshire every morning, walking past the AVCO 4-plex cinema—one of very few theaters playing Idiocracy.

The marquee usually featured the logos of each film, complete with studio-provided mini-billboards. Idiocracy got nothing. It was just blank. Behind the ticket booth, where other films had the film's logos above their showtimes, “Idiocracy” was scribbled in sharpie on a piece of construction paper.

This was during a time when Fox mastered the art of selling terrible comedies like Taxi, Date Movie, or Meet the Spartans (2% on rotten tomatoes, made $83,000,000 theatrically). And Mike Judge's prior film, Office Space, was their number one selling DVD of all time. Proving that overlooked films could thrive if given the chance. Yet for Idiocracy, they gave up before it even began.

Whether you like this film or not, to me it’s the clearest example of how most studios don’t give a fuck about loyalty—neither to their filmmakers nor to the audiences who make surprise hits possible.

If you like pornography, but don't like the sex part, this movie is for you.

I'd say about half of the 70 minute runtime is comprised of shots of a car driving through 1973 NYC. In every shot featuring a dead body, you can see them blinking or breathing. And out of nowhere, brilliant character actor George Dzundza (The Deer Hunter, Basic Instinct) shows up and crushes it in his one scene.

But most importantly, the typeface in the opening credits is just wonderful. WAY better than No Country For Old Men. Bonus points for the typos. Five stars.

This is my first 4 1/2 star review.

For a film in which every single detail is constructed with such intention and precision, the font choice in the credits feels like a crime. Genuinely, it looks just like an episode of The West Wing, sitting in this bland middle ground. The size is not small enough to be modest, not large enough to be grandiose. The dissolves between credits don't match the austerity of the filmmaking. And when the actual scroll appears, it's in a different, worse font, and genuinely feels like a mistake.

To me, the typeface a director chooses for their movie is one of the most important creative decisions you can make. It sets and supports the tone. And if you google "Coen Bros Title Cards" you can see how much they understand this. I genuinely don't know what happened here.

For me, films that don’t establish the “rules of the world” often feel like they’re just making things up as they go along. And yet, Field of Dreams somehow charms you into going with whatever it throws your way.

Kevin Costner steps out of a hotel room and—without reason—travels back in time to 1972? Sure, why not.

The guy he meets in 1972 shows up as an even younger version of himself later on the side of the road? Totally fine.

When that younger version steps on the baseball field, nothing changes.
But when steps off the baseball field, he’s magically transformed back into his 1972 self? Yup, I’ll allow it.

And because of that, skeptic Timothy Busfield can suddenly see all the ghostly baseball players he couldn't see for the entire film? Makes perfect sense.

This movie should not work. And yet, it does.

Watched on Thursday December 12, 2024.

People forget just how fucking massive this film was. I was a kid when it came out, and I remember what a big deal it was to see an interracial romance at its center — yet, the film wasn’t about that at all. Sure, some parts might feel dated now, but the fact that it made over $400M worldwide (adjusted for inflation, that’s more than Dune: Part Two) was a tangible shift in the normalization of this kind of representation.

The longer I work at this, the more I'm impressed by simplicity. Conceiving a 90 minute movie -especially one with depth- takes more rigor than conceiving a 2 hour movie. And Kieran Culkin's character, shifting from happy-go-lucky to overly sensitive and back again, could have felt disjointed in many other actors' hands. When the film takes a serious pause to reflect on the heaviness of their experience, it doesn't at all feel indulgent [i]because[/i] of the efficient runtime.

But beyond the craft - the story moved me deeply. I'll never forget these characters, and would love to see Jesse revisit them in a BEFORE SUNSET kind of way in a few years.

Didn’t plan to see this twice, but my 4-year-old was invited to a birthday party where the parents rented out a theater. There’s a quick joke where Moni shows off his artwork, and one panel has Maui riding Moni like a human surfboard. Cracked me up just as much the second time.

Really dug the score by Sylvester Levay. A former disco star, Levay became a protégé of Giorgio Moroder, handling the orchestration for Cat People and Flashdance.

Watched on Tuesday November 26, 2024.

After listening to The Big Picture episode titled "‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Hates You. Will You Return the Favor?" I decided to skip seeing this in theaters. Big mistake.

I’m not the kind of person to hold contrarian opinions for the sake of it, but I was surprised by how much I connected with this film despite the polarized reception it received. I do wonder if the negative buzz from Venice clouded some viewers’ ability to meet the film on its own terms.

For me, it was simple: I loved watching these two beautifully drawn characters, each yearning in their own way. The idea that Joker in his makeup is his true self, while Arthur represents repression, really struck me. The musical numbers felt authentic to the characters—flirting with spectacle yet grounded in restraint. Joaquin's performance is unreal.

Watching this on the same day as Moana 2 was an odd contrast. Of course, these films have entirely different aims, and I appreciated the joy Moana brought to my kids. But by design, it takes no risks—a reality of continuing to monetize a valuable intellectual property.

By comparison, I don’t see how Joker 2, a film that swings for the fences, is regarded as the cynical one. Sure, the story itself is cynical. But Todd Phillips clearly trusted that audiences are smart enough—and hungry enough—to be challenged by mainstream pop culture. To me, that shows respect for the audience, not contempt. If anything, his “sin” was spending too much money on a project he knew carried real risk. (Though, a director’s primary job is to be greedy.)

I can see how the film’s tone might not work for everyone. I admired the lack of fan service, but for the Deadpool/Wolverine crowd, it probably isn’t what they’d expect or want. Unfortunately, the commercial failure of a big swing like this only makes an already cautious industry even more risk-averse. I just hope that doesn’t trickle down to filmmakers like myself.

What’s most disappointing, though, is when critics—who so often lament the lack of originality—don’t acknowledge the value of boldness, even if a film doesn’t fully connect for them. For me, Joker 2 so clearly embodies a spirit of originality we desperately need more of. If you were deterred by the initial reviews, I’d encourage you to watch it with an open mind.

Moderated a Q+A with Scott and Bryan Sunday night and rewatched the film. That Monopoly scene is easily one of my favorite sequences of the year.

Apparently, before landing on Bob Ross Monopoly, they discovered there's a Love Actually themed Monopoly. Obviously that would have completely derailed the scene, but it made me think of this blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment in Say Anything, where Lloyd Dobler drives past a movie theater playing Tapeheads. Tickles me that John Cusack's character could have gone to see a John Cusack movie.

It's like if Mark Region directed Skinamarink. This is high praise.

Whenever I discover an exciting performance by an actor I'm unfamiliar with, I add their name to a little sticky note on my desktop. After watching Saturday Night, I basically added the entire cast to that list.

This film completely blew me away. The walk-and-talk scenes are incredibly intricate—on par with Tommy Schlamme's best work from The West Wing—but without feeling overly showy or gimmicky.

And within the invisible precision of the blocking, the cast remains so fluid and full of life, making the film itself a representative of the beautifully orchestrated chaos that SNL is known for.

Also gotta say: after a stressful few weeks, it was so therapeutic to watch a film that is pure, simple fun.

Watched on Friday November 22, 2024.

In the scene where Alison Pill is washing the dishes and realizes that her husband is sitting at the table in the dining room - in her POV shot, Night frames Hartnett in such a way where this upper cabinet abstractly blocks a quarter of Hartnett's face. It's so unnerving. That was my favorite part.

There’s a certain allure to the idea of the auteur—the myth of a director with each film is a stepping stone in a carefully planned trajectory. But none of us are totally in control of what gets greenlit, and on top of that, we’re forced to learn in public. When a film doesn’t connect, it’s the director who shoulders the blame, despite so many factors that lie beyond our control.

I’ve been lucky enough to receive several second chances in my career, and I feel a strong kinship with directors who transcend the perceived shortcomings in their past work, because it often happens by digging deeper and coming back with something even more personal.

That’s why I'm especially enamored with Scott and Bryan’s latest film. It’s one of those rare religious horror movies that goes beyond the simplistic 'religion is bad' stance (says the guy who killed baby Jesus in my last one). There’s a nuanced perspective here, crystallized in the final image, that only writers of Scott and Bryan's thoughtfulness could bring. And there’s a real visual sophistication to what is, at heart, a chamber piece inside of a puzzle box—never overshadowing the genuinely wonderful performances, especially Sophie Thatcher’s.

So for me, it's not just a great film; it’s inspiring to see two of the nicest directors out there finally getting the recognition they deserve.

Watched on Thursday October 24, 2024.

I had the pleasure of meeting Adam during the time my last film came out, and he is one of the most kind, generous, and lovely human beings to make such fucked up movies. And I think his innate sweetness comes through in this film so clearly - these characters are written with such love, which inspired performances that are such a cut above every other film of this ilk.

And I can tell you firsthand, the dynamics between these two women: a caretaker and her mother dealing with Alzheimer's, rings so true. There were moments where Jill Larson's mannerisms reminded me so much of my own mother. It was uncanny. And the way the film took that illness, but curdled it into something so much worse; it was handled with such a level of respect.

So yeah, he still delivers some classic jump scares and gross out moments to keep you paying attention, but the moments between those moments are truly nuanced.

Love the orig, but The Version You've Never Seen Before just doesn't work for me. I wish he spent that energy trying to improve Jade or Blue Chips.

Takes such conviction to make a film like this.

Y'all, Parker absolutely crushed it with this one. Easily the most fun I’ve had in a theater all year. I don’t want to overhype it, but the ending… he REALLY sticks the landing.

His craft is just on another level. The sets do such a great job of showing us who these characters are. The camerawork is playful but precise. The writing is sharp and hilarious. The score is bonkers. He’s got complete trust from his actors, AND now he’s even adding choreography into the mix. I’m just blown away. It’s so inspiring to see films this fucked up, with such a high level of craft, being embraced by the mainstream.

Watched again in anticipation of seeing the sequel tonight. Even better than I remembered it. Every single member of the supporting cast are just BRINGING IT. Robert Morgan is only in one scene, and he's so good. His terror becomes ours. I know "elevated" horror is kind of a joke, but literally Parker elevated the fuck out of this on every single possible level.

Chekhov's flamethrower.

I love that the restaurant she's supposed to meet her high school acquaintance at is called "LUIGI'S." Presumably named after the lesser of the two Mario Bros.

Watched on Tuesday September 24, 2024.

Completely blew me away.

It's just amazing how the cultural legacy of this movie completely overshadows the quality of Lyne's direction. He elevated the hell out of the script, and the business he gives the characters makes them feel so real and memorable. Every moment brims with specificity. I feel no guilt in deriving pleasure from this film.

This is so my shit. About a guy being forced to eat a large pancake despite him believing there are people who live inside of it. 1975 Children's show out of Sweden, that looks like public access and gave kids nightmares. Could also be read as a portrait of a man slowly losing his sanity. Just wonderful.

I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Philippe Mora fora special feature on this gorgeous new 4k Blu Ray by VINEGAR SYNDROME. It was a *wild* conversation, that happened to be filmed on the day my last film came out in theaters. If any of you check it out, please tell me what you think!

Watched on Thursday September 12, 2024.

Watched on Wednesday September 11, 2024.

I saw a rough cut last year and can now say: this movie is absolutely fantastic. One of Blumhouse's most intelligent films. Great performances. Restrained filmmaking. Beyond the setting, it has a much more European sense of pacing and character and specificity. I loved it.

I'm so glad that I was able to see it completely blind (I hadn't seen the original), because as the film slowly doled out what was REALLY going on here, I was positively riveted. The dread just keeps mounting and mounting.

Now, I have so much respect for the people at Blumhouse and their ability to balance out the safer choices with riskier bets. They're some of the smartest people in the genre space. It's just a bummer that the approach to marketing, while effective at getting butts in seats, does such a disservice to audiences.

Because here, there's an absolutely shocking reveal about 75% of the way through where my jaw was on the floor. A moment where the audience collectively goes "OHHHHHH SHIT." It's been spoiled in the trailer, which I'm sure tested very very well, but completely undermines Watkins' ability to build his central mystery.

Downright quaint.

I was struck by the specificity of the color palette. The muted browns, blues, and purples, mixed with such an overcast, dreary atmosphere makes it feel less "kiddie" even though I saw it in a sold out theater of rambunctious children. The story really held my kids' attention in spite of a lack of more overt "fun" beats of films today. And the climax, which takes place on Big Ben, was surprisingly thrilling. Low key loved it.

I had forgotten how well directed this one is. Especially the first half.

Watched it again in advance of reading BJ and Harmony's book about it.

I still have a lot to catch up on.

• Sing Sing
• The Substance
• A Real Pain
• Joker: Folie à Deux
• Saturday Night
• Smile 2
• The Greatest Night in Pop

These 10 films sculpted the DNA for IMMACULATE

• Rosemary's Baby

  So intimate yet so cinematic in scope. Mia's performance cannot be beat.

• What Have You Done to Solange?

  Love how the film's staging emphasizes patriarchal power dynamics. The men dominate the frame. The women are submissive and small. I totally stole the blocking from their interrogation scene in ours.

• Black Narcissus

  Most nun movies are stoic. Not here. I love how the opulence feeds into the characters' detachment from reality. I'm not a huge fan of surrealism, but I love when a film casually dips a toe into the water. There's an overhead shot of a table we borrowed in ours.

• The Red Queen Kills Seven Times

  Listened to the beautifully gothic score non stop during prep, and ended up using one of the cues in a key montage.

• Possession

  Showed the subway scene to Syd: there is no such thing as going over the top in horror.

• Mother Joan of the Angels

  Syd introduced me to this one. The imagery is so haunting. But also so simple. There's definitely a correlation.

• Barbarian

  Every single decision is made with the utmost of consideration for how the audience is going to react to it.

• The Vanishing

  Learned how to shoot inside of a coffin by studying the shot design. It's way more complicated than you'd think. Also, the sheer audacity of this ending. Fuck!

• The Exorcist

  I find it more uncomfortable when shock is presented with elegance. A 12 year old girl repeatedly bludgeons her bloody vagina with a crucifix, yet this film is somehow also classy.

• The Devils

  Controversy is the most effective tool to ignite public discourse.

These were the films that inspired me the most this year.

• The Zone of Interest
• Dream Scenario
• How to Blow Up a Pipeline
• Fair Play
• The Killer
• Reality
• Anatomy of a Fall
• Asteroid City
• Poor Things
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

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

• Duel
• Testament
• The Last Seduction

These are all of the erotic thrillers (and erotic thriller adjacent films) I watched as I was writing THE VOYEURS.

As a companion read, please look at Abbey Bender's great article from 2019, Let Women Make Erotic Thrillers: theoutline.com/post/8027/bring-back-erotic-thrillers

1. Fatal Attraction

   There's this beautiful tug of war that Douglas' grounded performance brings, where you oscillate between really feeling bad for his character, but then also feeling like he deserves this delicious torture.

2. Malice

   I love everything about this movie. Destined to be rediscovered by hipster cinefiles in the same way Friedkin's Sorcerer did a few years ago.

3. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

   Everything you could ever want from a story about a "nanny from hell" happens in this film and then some. It just delivers.

4. Single White Female

   I adore this film. Every single prop manages to function as a perfect plant and payoff.

5. Body Double

   It's as if Brian De Palma found out he had 2 months left to live, and decided to put every single directorial idea he ever had into one movie.

6. Unfaithful

   The last great erotic thriller. The insert shots in this film are positively stunning.

7. The Conversation

   In the opening credits of Voyeurs, you see an eye blink over our editors credit. That is an homage to Walter Murch, and specifically how his work on The Conversation influenced our film.

8. Stranger by the Lake

   This was the gateway for me; I was most directly inspired by this film when I made the short PINK GRAPEFRUIT. Especially with regards to the sound design, or rather, the lack thereof.

9. Rear Window

   Francois Truffaut: "One of the things I enjoyed in the film was the dual significance of that wedding ring. Grace Kelly wants to get married but James Stewart doesn't see it that way. She breaks into the killer's apartment to search for evidence and she finds the wedding ring. She puts it on her finger and waves her hand behind her back so that James Stewart, looking over from the other side of the yard with his spyglasses, can see it. To Grace Kelly, that ring is a double victory, not only is it the evidence she was looking for, but who knows, it may inspire Stewart to propose to her. After all, she's already got the ring!”

10. Swimming Pool

    Should I remake this movie?

...plus 25 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.