Favorite films

Pinned reviews

• 

  Seances 2016

  ★★★★★ Watched 09 Sep 2022 12

  I had no idea this was available at the National Film Board of Canada's website here all these years! What-- What an absolute treat to see one of my favorite films, The Forbidden Room, receive the seance treatment wherein Guy Maddin and co, obsessed over the funerals of over 80% of silent films, conjure the spectre of lost film by generating a unique combination of images to tell a story only you will get to see. No pause button. No…

• 

  Flame 2018

  ★★★★★ Rewatched 01 Jan 2022 7

  If I had to trace the genesis of my love for the film medium, it would have to have started with Polte (Flame). Anyone into distortions of filmstock would be amiss to skip this short, which uses parts from the Finnish film Silja (Fallen Asleep While Young) based on a book by Nobel Literature Prize winner, Frans Sillanpaa. The perfect title for a film which is lost to this day, existing only as one damaged reel found in 2015. Awakened…

Recent reviews

• 

  Howard 2018

  ★★★★ Watched 01 Oct 2023

  Getting to hear Howard Ashman sing Part of Your World and Belle is enough for four stars.

  Can't imagine going to work for so long, hiding you had HIV, and banging out hit after hit on increasing fatigue. He wrote Prince Ali with Alan Menken from a hospital bed. His sheer will to live is inspirational.

  Rest in peace, Howard Ashman.

• 

  Stunt Rock 1978

  ★★★½ Watched 01 Oct 2023 7

  Watched with the Collab

  The letterboxd summary is about the closest to a coherent plot this hybrid stunts/rock doc/film has. Kudos to the person writing it.

  Lead stuntman Grant Page kind of looks like fellow Aussie Simon Baker. Just missing a blue Citroen DS. His stunt work? Cool. The music by Sorcery? Cool (especially the ending number). The visuals, including a montage of old timey wimey films? Cool.

  The plot is obviously the weakest and at times leans too far…

Popular reviews

• 

  Alphaville 1965

  ★½ Watched 07 Feb 2020 12

  Let's play Godard bingo, y'all!

  a man narrating about deep philosophical things
  people smoking in cars
  a man hitting a woman
  repetitive sudden dramatic music
  a male protagonist who is demure and never laughs

  a fedora and trenchcoat
  a quote for the entire film (I shall fight so that failure is possible)
  a man lecturing a woman on very important things (tm)
  a bird's eye point of view of walking around traffic
  a naked or near naked woman

  a discussion…

• 

  The Jane Austen Book Club 2007

  ★★½ Watched 13 Jan 2018

  Hugh Dancy: I'm going to be adorably awkward for the next 1.5 hours
  me: *incoherent screaming noises*