Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  Once Upon a Time in the West 1968

  ★★ Watched 27 Mar 2025

  Leone squeezed the absolute life outta every scene and didn’t think to put any of it into his characters. Giving this 4+ stars is wild behavior.

• 

  Stepmom 1998

  ★★★★ Watched 11 Mar 2025

  Just when I thought I was done crying to this movie, it made me cry at least three more times. Relentless.

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  Woman in Witness Protection 1997

  ★★★★ Watched 24 Feb 2025

  Held out for a while before I watched Itami’s last film, because it was also my last one to watch. Nobuko Miyamoto and Juzo Itami have easily made it to my top favorites. What a fuckin’ treat to watch these movies for the first time.

• 

  As Tears Go By 1988

  ★★★½ Watched 07 Feb 2025

  Supposedly inspired by Mean Streets, but this is like Wong Kar Wai watched Top Gun, The Outsiders, and Risky Business in succession then set out to make an 80’s gangster movie in Kowloon. It’s got the gong sound from the Top Gun theme, “Take My Breath Away” in Catonese, aviator glasses, knife fights, gang fights, cut off sleeves, cigarettes, an 80’s coming of age, “what does it all mean” subplot, and electronic/flange guitar solo soundtrack. I mean, come on.

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