curated cinema: the madness and genius of Brian Wilson
2015’s Love & Mercy is on Prime and Apple TV+ on both sides of the Atlantic.
1960s
Final Destination: Bloodlines review: the curse of fatal death
The dorm-room philosophy of the 25-year-old series is still pondering how wild it is that we all die, how fragile our meatbag bodies are. Now with gory dismemberments and squishy impalements in IMAX!
Maestro movie review: changing the tune, masterfully (London Film Festival 2023)
Oh, frabjous film! Bradley Cooper’s astonishing high-wire act feels classic and modern at the same time: immersive and impressionistic, breathtakingly bold. A kick in the pants to mainstream cinema.
daily stream: the ethics of war on a nuclear-armed planet
2003’s The Fog of War is on Prime and Apple TV on both sides of the Atlantic.
daily stream: Llewyn is the cat…
2013’s Inside Llewyn Davis is on Prime on both sides of the Atlantic.
daily stream: when the world pushes men to ridiculous displays of masculinity
2018’s The Mercy is new on Kanopy in the US, on StudioCanal Presents in the UK (and on many other services on both sides of the Atlantic, too).
weekend watchlist: hacking capitalism
Plus the horror stories women live, cold cops, and more. (First published July 2nd, 2022, on Substack and Patreon.)
weekend watchlist: a couple of treasures for Pride Month
Plus a lovable English crank and a put-upon Texan mom. (First published June 18th, 2022, on Substack and Patreon.)
Happening (L’événement) movie review: the history about to repeat itself
An intense, intimate tale of historical illegal abortion, with a central performance of focused terror; a harrowing body horror that looms again. I cannot overstate the absolute urgency of this film.
classic film virgin: The Outsiders: The Complete Novel (4K restoration)
The deep, honest emotion undercutting the performative toxic masculinity of these young men is beyond charming and vitally essential, but the melodramatic randomness of the plot ultimately lost me.
