Thoughts from a Private Collection, circa Winter 2010

It's refreshing to see what amounts to a radio play so well-executed on film, while staying true to its essence. Although set entirely inside a radio station, its inbound transmissions offer the world—through strictly aural means, the audience can experience the chaos beyond, of a mysterious and abstract pandemic. Pragmatic and riveting, it is a thriller with an old school flair.

Thoughts from a Private Collection, circa Winter 2010

Aron Ralston’s harrowing story of survival is told with an eclectic mix of gritty realism, kinetic montages and mental projections. Given the extreme nature of his circumstances, one’s emotional investment is high (I was in cold sweat during the film's most graphic moments), but its return more than offsets it (in the form of a beautifully cathartic climax.)

Thoughts from a Private Collection, circa Winter 2015

There have been few films that I have seen which covers the spectrum of life as masterfully and completely as Yi Yi, and even fewer that have exposed my soul not only on the first viewing, but on each and every session to follow. Some films deserve the very best preservation and recognition as can be afforded, and I am glad to discover that the Criterion Blu-ray re-release of this fine film has done it an adequate justice: fit for a marooning on a desert island, righteous as a sole companion.

Thoughts from a Private Collection, circa Autumn 2016

How could something written and directed by David Mamet be so insanely awful? This must be one of the worst films I've seen in recent memory. It's mind-boggling how terrible it is, considering how peak Mamet can be so superlative (Glengarry Glen Ross, Redbelt.) A 100 minute film that feels three times its length.