Monday

The rare videogame adaptation that not only gets the atmosphere and thrill of its source material dead-on but is a more satisfying experience than many of the sequels that followed that first film: ALIEN ISOLATION.

I have played more videogames this year than in the past few combined; some great new ones, but my favorite experience was the DEAD SPACE remaster from the start of the year. Beautiful, horrifying, challenging, and hugely satisfying.

Jonathan Glazer’s UNDER THE SKIN (2013).

Two favorite science-fiction films of the past decade+: THE WANDERING EARTH (2019) and its 2023 sequel.

Sunday PM

More bests from 2015.

Ciro Guerra’s EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT (2015).

Robert Eggers’ THE WITCH (2015).

Jia Zhangke’s MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART (2015).

John Magary’s THE MEND (2015).

Sunday

Glenn & Henry: on the job.

General appreciation for Andrea Riseborough, one of the finest actors around.

Classic poster art: THE GREEN SLIME (1968).

Favorite film GIFs: the up-pan of the PLANET OF THE APES.

Saturday PM

Miguel Gomes’ ARABIAN NIGHTS (2015), my favorite trilogy of the last 20 years.

Michael Almereyda’s EXPERIMENTER (2015), a strange and compelling film; I am proud to be one of the 17 people who have seen it.

There are days when JUNUN (2015) is my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson film. I mean, after THERE WILL BE BLOOD.

When a few seconds in a trailer elicits the same emotional response as the film itself, that’s some good stuff. George Miller’s MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015), and Charlize Theron’s apex.

Saturday

Mark Jenkin’s BAIT (2019) is easily one of this year’s best films, alongside his ENYS MEN. It took four years for it to reach American audiences but was worth the wait.

Cara Gee’s performance as Camina Drummer on THE EXPANSE was on point, from start to finish.

General appreciation for the great L.Q. Jones.

Oh Crap, A Bunch More Bad Stuff Just Happened… Two car repairs in one week, more health issues, and continuing work strain. Oy.

Friday PM

And a few more.

Friday

Some favorite pieces that I’ve come across over the years. Attributions uncertain.

Thursday PM

Lynda Barry on crud.

Top five 70s comedy: WHAT’S UP DOC?

Flashback to childhood: the badass Ballantine covers of Edgar Rice Burroughs novels.

Thursday

8 1/2.

“Chrissy, over by the wall, bring me the big knife.” My favorite Nicolas Cage performance: MOONSTRUCK.

My favorite book about horror: Stephen King’s Danse Macabre.

Benedikt Erlingsson’s WOMAN AT WAR (2018).

Wednesday PM

Scene preceding my second favorite rant in ALTERED STATES. A film where I think I love the dialogue more than the fantastical stuff. But that’s Paddy Chayefsky. I’ll take a Chayefsky monologue any day of the week.

George Harris, seconds before something really bad happens in LAYER CAKE.

My gosh, I love this film: POINT BLANK.

SIMON OF THE DESERT.

Wednesday

Shinya Tsukamoto’s A SNAKE OF JUNE (2002).

Yoon Jong-bin’s NAMELESS GANGSTER (2012).

Owen Cho and Sang-hwa Kim’s ENEMY AT THE DEAD END (2010).

Juno Mak’s RIGOR MORTIS (2013).

Tuesday PM

Willem Dafoe, TOMMASO.

Gould & Segal, CALIFORNIA SPLIT.

Emma Stone, THE FAVOURITE.

Bugs Bunny, depression, and alcoholism. That’s all, folks!

Tuesday

It took a while, but the GRINDHOUSE experience is now back as a single, whole, streamable film, which is as it should be. (Vudu)

Monday PM

For the love of Albert Pyun’s NEMESIS…

The Following Monday

“Octavio”, SCARFACE.

Sinistar. He hungers. Run. Run. Run.

Jack Nicholson, Life Magazine, circa that shirt was in style. But it’s coming back, I feel certain.

Patinkin & Spader, THE MUSIC OF CHANCE.

Sunday PM

Laurent & McGregor, BEGINNERS.

Butler & Bergin, SHARK WEEK.

Kitano & Kishimoto, HANA-BI (FIREWORKS).

Dunaway & Rourke, BARFLY.

Sunday

This year, I’ve stumbled across some great first-time watches (other than the aforementioned THE COLOR OF POMEGRANATES). The best part was that half of them I’d never heard of before.

THE UNKNOWN MAN OF SHANDIGOR (1967).

CARAVAGGIO (1986).

CHAMELEON STREET (1989).

GOODBYE 20TH CENTURY (1998).

HELL DRIVERS (1957).

LOLA MONTES (1955).

SAHARA (1943).

MOONLIGHTING (1982).

Saturday PM

Joanna Cassidy.

Goldthwait & Armstrong as sweet boys in ONE CRAZY SUMMER.

Promotional image from a 1971 off-Broadway production of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest with WIlliam Devane and Janet Ward, and now all I want is to watch footage of Devane playing McMurphy.

Karen Black, FIVE EASY PIECES.

Saturday

I was looking for this picture I recall from childhood, from what I feel certain was Life Magazine, of a Vietnam protester (perhaps it was a different inflammatory issue, there were so many from that period) flipping off the photographer in brutally urgent fashion. I can’t find this image anywhere online, which seems odd, given everything else is…but I thought it would have been perfect for accompanying the thought “Fuck you, David Zaslav.”

Friday PM

Young & Webber, BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA.

Smith & Glover, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER.

Warren & Waits, SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS.

Mulock, Elam & Strode, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST.