Favorite films

Pinned reviews

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  Columbus 2017

  ★★★★½ Watched 17 Jun 2022

  I decided to seek out Kogonada's debut film before watching his new AFTER YANG (2021). For a debut independent film, this has a surprisingly strong cast in unusual roles. Columbus... Indiana, is a very cool city previously unknown to me. In the 1950s, the Cummins CEO created a fund to support the creation of modernist public buildings in Columbus. He believed that architecture could improve the quality of life in the community, attract a talented and creative work force, and…

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  Mean Streets 1973

  ★★★★★ Rewatched 23 May 2020

  While Mean Streets lacks some of the polish of Scorsese's later films, it might be the director's best use of music. There's the incredible opening credits as "Be My Baby" plays over home movies, followed by two Stones songs ("Tell Me" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash") to introduce Charlie and Johnny Boy, respectively. Cut to a band playing the "Star Spangled Banner" in the festival streets of Little Italy. The first twenty minutes are just perfect. Add some well-placed opera, a…

Recent reviews

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  Now More than Ever: The History of Chicago 2016

  ★★★ Watched 10 Mar 2025

  I sometimes forget that there was a Chicago before and after Peter Cetera’s songwriting and ego came into dominance. Peter is absent from this film but David Foster fills in nicely for him in the role of biggest jerk. I didn’t need reminding of the band’s awful 80s music videos. Geesh. I’m going to put Chicago II and V on heavy rotation this week.

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  The Red Queen Kills Seven Times 1972

  ★★½ Rewatched 21 Feb 2025

  My initial inability to tell the blonde actresses apart did not make this film less confusing.

Popular reviews

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  Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer 2024

  ★★½ Watched 21 Apr 2024

  Just ok. Not much of a manhunt. There are a lot of unanswered questions and there’s a lot of unnecessary B-roll. What we’re given seems both too short and too long.

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  Untold: Sign Stealer 2024

  ★★½ Watched 01 Sep 2024

  Connor is an interesting dude. We should have learned more about him in 90 minutes. At least it’s clear that Michigan kept winning without him, kept winning without their head coach, and just kept winning, even with the distractions brought on by a corrupt NCAA. Bet.