Favorite films

Pinned reviews

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  Only the Brave 2017

  ★★★★ Watched 18 Dec 2023

  I'd been hoping to watch this for some time - my father was a wildland firefighter as I was growing up, and while he'd spend the offseasons in the office (or in the woods) in Wisconsin and Minnesota working in forestry, he'd head out west for the fire season every summer and return with stories of 24 hours shifts cutting lines, using drip torches, breathing through thin kerchiefs and eventually leading crews on deployments. As a kid, it sounded like…

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  Meru 2015

  ★★★★ Rewatched 09 Jan 2019

  This is now one of my most-viewed films; certainly my most-viewed documentary. Each time I watch it, I have to grapple anew with Jimmy and Conrad's total disregard and dehumanization of Renad, and their complete lack of empathy for his humanity when they pressure him into unsafe situations. With every new viewing, I am more horrified by their choices. I love Jimmy Chin, I think he's one of the most interesting human beings alive today - but in his own…

Recent reviews

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  Flow 2024

  ★★★★ Watched 09 Mar 2025

  Seen in a packed house with a million kids asking what was happening or narrating when the animals became friends, which honestly added a ton to my experience. The kids did pretty well with how terrifying it got, which surprised me, considering it got pretty dang terrifying pretty consistently and the highs weren't the usual sugar-fueled lightshows to make up for them. It ran a little long, but I found it very sweet and deserving of the accolades! Friends are cool!

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  The Mask of Zorro 1998

  ★★★★½ Watched 26 Feb 2025

  3.5 stars last rating, what was I thinking?!? The barn sword fight between Antonio Bendaras (peak movie star here) and Catherine Zeta-Jones (lord) is worth 6 stars on its own. They should have made ten of these.

Popular reviews

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  Room in Rome 2010

  ★½ Watched 22 May 2016

  The only movie I've seen where the last shot is just a zoom out on Bing (not even Google!) Maps, with the watermark in the corner and everything.

  Otherwise, Exhibit A for why actresses should be allowed to read dialogue and say "I'm not saying that, no one would say that."

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  Hasan Minhaj: The King's Jester 2022

  ★★ Watched 05 Oct 2022

  The setup, punchline, and deeper takeaway from every joke seems to be "Hasan Minhaj is a hero and you wish you were as great as him". This didn't land for me at all.