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  • The Founder
  • Chef
  • Waiting...
  • Ratatouille
  • The Mist
  • The Last Picture Show
  • Fast Times at Ridgemont High
  • The Road to El Dorado
  • Do the Right Thing
  • The Off Season

Carmine's Star

20 films

A list of films I will eternally associate with Charles, whether due to a shared viewing or a shared appreciation…

  • Catch-22
  • Ride the High Country
  • The Wild Bunch
  • McCabe & Mrs. Miller
  • Hamburger Hill

Acid Western, Anti-War

15 films

The crtical inverses of my two favorite genres. These are my favorite critiques of Americana values on the frontier and…

  • Nebraska
  • Skins
  • Be with Me
  • Chicken Run
  • Mother

Small Stakes, Big Stories

10 films

One great writing lesson I will take from Screen Arts & Cultures is that small stakes treated as big make for…

  • The Good, the Bad, the Weird
  • Ip Man
  • Kung Fu Hustle
  • Wheels on Meals
  • House of Flying Daggers

Neo-Wǔshù, Neo-Wuxia

10 films

My favorite modern tributes to mythological genres, due to their creative choreography and bold set-pieces.

  • Lilo & Stitch
  • 3:10 to Yuma
  • Little Miss Sunshine
  • She's Gotta Have It
  • Rango

The Donald Hall Collection's Standout Screenplays (& Beyond)

45 films

After cataloging the University of Michigan's screenplay collection, these are the scripts that showed me how to write for the…

  • Jurassic World
  • Pitch Perfect 2
  • Ice Age: Collision Course
  • Ghostbusters
  • The Emoji Movie

Chario at the Cherry Bowl

8 films

A list of double features Chase and I have viewed together at the drive-in, listed chronologically. They're all trash, but…

  • Delicatessen
  • Withnail & I
  • The Untouchables
  • The Man from Nowhere
  • Dog Day Afternoon

Blue Monday

10 films

A list named after the late and great Mr. Fats Domino, these films are my personal go-to's when escapism is…

  • The Thing
  • Fear(s) of the Dark
  • The Exorcist
  • Se7en
  • Perfect Blue

Horror Films That Avoid A Horrible 3rd Act

15 films

Horror & Thriller scripts often seem afraid of their 3rd act. As a writer and audience member, I think this is…