Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  Deadpool 2 2018

  ★★★ Watched 14 Jun 2018

  I had very low expectations for this movie, which I assumed included among its highest ambitions was to make drunk frat boys feel clever for recognizing a meta 80s movie reference. But I was surprised to find an actual movie where I only expected graphic violence and sub-Zucker brothers irreverence. Some actual heart, a story they cared to make sure was actually about something, and a legitimately nuanced performance from Ryan Reynolds. You done good, Deadpool. Now please don’t make another.

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  Game Night 2018

  ★★½ Watched 12 Jun 2018

  Very funny and featuring some flashy direction (though maybe a little TOO flashy, it does play like an audition) but the movie loses most of its humor and a lot of its mojo once the characters are all in on the joke, and that happens WAY too early. Also a total waste of Sharon Horgan

Popular reviews

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  My Neighbor Totoro 1988

  ★★★★½ Added

  What a treat to see this in a subtitled 35mm print. I hadn't seen it in any form in over a decade so this was passingly close to a first-time viewing. Miyazaki's true genius is in his characters' nuance of physical behavior. Likely that's redundant praise following "genius animator" but it's not just what Miyazaki can reproduce, but also what he sees. I don't know if I've seen more convincing cartoon children onscreen since Ollie Johnston animated Mowgli. In this…

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  The Foreigner 2017

  ★★★ Watched 15 Jan 2018

  A fun throwback to when “action movies” were more competently made thrillers than brainless, cacaphonous amusement park rides. And though watching Jackie Chan play the kind of grim-faced, revenge driven murderer he spent his entire career refusing wasn’t something I ever really wanted to see, I can’t begrudge the old man his desire to make a change (or his occasional stunt double.) I owe him that much.