Just thinking about how The Limey, a Great Film and easily my favorite of Soderbergh’s entire roster, has that exquisite ending utilizing a scene from Ken Loach’s Poor Cow. Its some of the best cinematic punctuation I can recall.
NorwoodEye: 2025 Hat Tips & Other Gestures
HAT TIPS
SISTER MIDNIGHT
SORRY, BABY
EEPHUS
ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL
SINNERS
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
TRAIN DREAMS
UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
GRAND TOUR
BLACK BAG
ORWELL 2 + 2 = 5
NOUVELLE VAGUE
EX-HUSBANDS
SPLITSVILLE
BREAKOUT STAR OF 2025
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
NOTABLES
CAUGHT BY THE TIDES
FREAKY TALES
WAKE UP DEAD MAN
KILL THE JOCKEY
HARVEST
28 YEARS LATER
HOT MILK
STEPPENWOLF
STUFF
CLOUD - A brief, pristine shot of darkness enveloping a home. It is beautiful and fleeting, but it may be my favorite single visual moment of the whole year.
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER - Every second of banter between DiCaprio and del Toro was a tonic for the urgent threats facing their characters.
EEPHUS, KILL THE JOCKEY, and SORRY, BABY - For me, the best surprises of the year. Films that I went into cold, no knowledge or expectations, and they absolutely walloped me.
FRANKENSTEIN - When the creature touches Elizabeth’s gloved hand; delicate, intimate, chaste. A lovely moment.
WEAPONS - That finale: a rip-roaring chase that is as delirious as its result is horrific.
SINNERS - Sammie playing Charlie Patton’s guitar in the car, and Stack’s reaction when he starts to sing. Priceless.
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER - The moment that made me jump more than any horror film or thriller gotcha was the death of Mae West (Alana Haim). Even on re-watch, BAM. Yikes.
WALTZING WITH BRANDO - Billy Zane accomplishes the year’s best imitation, a visually on-point Marlon Brando.
GOOD BOY - The year’s best animal performance? I was worried sick about that dog.
QUEER - The best film I watched a year too late.
FIGHT OR FLIGHT - The year’s best trash? Say what you want about this derivative, messy, noisy film…but I had a blast from start to finish.
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER - “Bob?” When the clerk can’t get “Jim Parker” to pay attention. It’s such a flawless moment, no pause, just a line of questioning and then freedom.
THE MASTERMIND - The film with the briefly-met tertiary characters I would have gladly watched an entire film about: John Magaro and Gaby Hoffman’s old acquaintances of Josh O’Connor’s drifting loser were instantly intriguing, and I cared far more about finding out what their deal was than the aimless protagonist.
MY FAVORITE TV SHOW
DYING FOR SEX
THE EXCEPTION CLUB
(Films I wanted to love, had every reason to love, but one or more elements gave me pause.)
CLOUD
MISERICORDIA
THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME
WEAPONS
THE SPARROW IN THE CHIMNEY
THE DAMNED
FRANKENSTEIN
KOLN 75
THE OLD WOMAN WITH THE KNIFE
THE REP
My favorite never-before-seen films from the past 12 months:
Ikarie XB1, Louie Blouie, Planet of the Vampires, Porco Rosso, and The Red Light Bandit
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES…
The films I didn’t get a chance to see which will have to be part of the 2026 catch-up:
PETER HUJAR’S DAY
THE SECRET AGENT
PREDATOR: BADLANDS
HALLOW ROAD
Radu Jude’s DRACULA
Luc Besson’s DRACULA
NO OTHER CHOICE
DON’T LET’S GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT
BLUE MOON
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
NorwoodEar 2025
Favorite songs from this year.
Orbital, “Deepest”
Pete Tong, MoBlack, Max Zotti (featuring MonoLink), “Apocalypse”
Wet Leg, “mangetout”
Geese, “100 Horses”
Ron Gallo, “Checkmate”
Andrew Bird, “Blood”
Morcheeba, “We Live and Die”
Loaded Honey, “Tokyo Rain”
Laufey, “Silver Lining”
Little Simz, “Flood”
…and a few older songs I discovered this year:
“Mondo Bongo” - Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
“Shortnin’ Bread” - Tokyo Cramps
“Where Eagles Dare” - Atom and His Package
“The Worst Band in the World” - 10cc
NorwoodEye: 2025 Posters
You know the score. It’s that time of year.
Fridge Magnet Glory
The only things on mine are the only things I could ever want on mine. #perfection
Goddam Algos
For some reason, spam arrives in the guise of women to whom I have been married, or dated.
I know Wife #2 or That Artist I Briefly Spent Time With are not sending me photos that go directly to junk mail.
More than the deletions, the reminders hurt.
Best Use Of A Song In A Movie...?
“Ordinary World” appears at a critical moment in Layer Cake, and not for Daniel Craig’s nameless protagonist, but for his buddy/colleague Morty (George Harris). Morty is confronted by a former partner, now down on his luck and asking for a meal and some cash…but it’s also the man who caused Morty to be sent to prison years before. Morty’s strained kindness finally breaks - spectacularly and brutally - as the Duran Duran song blares into play. The kicker is when the playback starts to warp in time with the inflicted damage. A fleeting but wicked use of a lovely song.
Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson - Coney Island, New York, 1995. By Annie Leibovitz.
My gosh, I love this.
Underappreciated Post
Vudu had a 25-films-for-$25 special called Creature Features, and it included William Friedkin’s Bug.
I’ll wait.
Tough Cull
A couple of months back I spent two weeks culling old poetry. Years and years, hundreds upon hundreds of poems, now destroyed. I have a few dozen keepers left. It's simultaneously freeing and scary to do a massive re-evaluation of your work, your ego, your memories. It also got me started writing again, following a block gap of almost three years. So, silver lining?
Shrug Emoji #593
I'm also annoyed that it's called sunrise and sunset when we're rotating and moving around the sun.
100%
Been more than a year since I discovered Yard Act, who I really enjoy, but when I found their video for "100% Endurance" starring the immensely watchable David Thewlis, my appreciation rose considerably. Kudos.
SM Memories
Perspective is critical.
"Deepest" Love
I hadn't made it all the way through Orbital's "Deepest" after two tries (it's 6:52, sue me), so when I finally did and got to Tilda Swinton reciting "Oliver!" lyrics, I had a nice, loud gut-laugh.
SM Memories
Kudos, sir.
Impressed
Rather progressive of my local CVS, carrying a healthy selection of straight-up vibrators.
"He Wouldn't Be Eating Popcorn"
The AV Club commenters can be a miserable bunch, but occasionally their flow pays off.
Lessons Learned, Chapter 407
What I've learned from cinema: don't go to Venice.
SM Memories
Sort of social media…this, from YouTube, where dead accounts linger for ages.
Thank you for your service, kunc. Hicks & Zizek as two-thirds of your roster? (stands, applauds)
Catch Me If You Kachoo
The guy downstairs - who has lived there for several years - is clearly unaware how loudly & dramatically he sneezes…or is playing a very long, very weird con.