#did i edit my own letterboxd for this? yes.

[sunraize]

are you guys rocking with santi’s letterboxd top four ?

these are the ones he has saved for WHEN he gets asked by letterboxd what his top 4 is. but, honorable mentions: high school musical 3, isle of dogs & the nice guys! he might possibly throw one of those in for engagement bait.

[fibula-rasa]

Watch More Movies Notebook: Winter ’25

Did I revise how I’m doing my blog notebook once again? Yes, and I hope you’ll enjoy it even more, tho it may be a bit longer! This time you’ll find out about two very different film adaptations of the same Balzac novel, some animation oddities, a bit of a Black History Month retrospective, and more. You’ll also get a peek at what I’ve been researching and writing about lately.

Pictured: Krysař (‘85), The Devil and Miss Jones (‘41), Le Diable dans la ville (‘24), De cierta manera (‘75), Cosmic Slop (‘94), Cornbread, Earl and Me (‘75), Eugenia Grandet (‘46), The Signalman (‘76), The Rat’s Knuckles (‘25), The Flying Ace (‘26), The Conquering Power (‘21), and 1001 Nights (‘98)

Favorite New-to-me Films of the Season

(listed in the order in which I saw them)

As always, if any of these films catch your eye, but you need specific content/trigger warnings, feel free to ask and I’ll try to oblige!

READ on BELOW the JUMP!

still from Germaine Dulac's Le Diable dans la ville

December ‘24 Favorites:

Eugenia Grandet (1946)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis:

The wealthiest man in the small French commune of Saumur also happens to be its biggest miser. His kindhearted daughter Eugenia falls in love with her thriftless cousin, Charles, who is visiting his relatives because of his own father’s bankruptcy. Eugenia tries to help Charles, who she believes to be earnest, and it drives a wedge between her and her father.

Watching this film was part of my preparation for this cosplay/essay on Alida Valli. Eugenia Grandet was one of a few pre-Hollywood Italian movies of hers I saw for the first time this month, and it was definitely my favorite. The cinematography—by Vaclav Vich—was gorgeous and evocative. Valli was very affecting in her work as Eugenia; striking a perfect balance between quiet dignity and naivete. My only real complaint was the pacing. So much runtime of the film is dedicated to Eugenia’s father that the climax and finale felt rushed. Although, I can only complain so much because Gualtiero Tumiati’s performance as the elder Grandet is so so good. Fingers crossed that this film gets a nice restoration and home-video release sometime soon! I highly recommend it!

——— ——— ———

The Signalman (1976)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis:

A man travelling the English countryside strikes up a friendship with a lonely signalman. The signalman spends his long shifts at the opening of a long underhill tunnel and is haunted by a portentous apparition at the tunnel’s opening.

Christmas is an ideal time for ghost stories and no one can tell me otherwise. I only learned some years ago about BBC’s “Ghost Story for Christmas” tradition, but hoo have I been enjoying watching through their back catalogue. This past season, I also watched A Warning to the Curious (1972) and Martin’s Close (2019) and appreciated both, but The Signalman is definitely the one that’s going to sit with me longest. Because I usually profile actors for cosplay, male actors don’t get all that much play on my blog, so, you all are probably unaware that I love Denholm Elliott. And he is unsurprisingly outstanding in this. The editing was very strong in The Signalman and it had the perfect rhythm to give you the feeling of sinking into a wintry malaise then snapping you out of it, as with the sudden passing of a speeding train. The production design is realistically grounded, making the supernatural-ish reveal even more startling. If you like spooky ghost stories, this is a can’t miss—even if it’s not Christmastime.

——— ——— ———

The Devil in the City / Le Diable dans la ville (1924)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis:

An alchemist relocates to a town in debt and the ostensibly fanatically religious villagers take him to be a devil in disguise. They try to drive the man out, but the suspect nature of their zealotry is eventually brought to light.

Spoiler: I’m currently working on a short profile of this film that’ll be up on the blog soon-ish, so I’ll keep my observations short for now. Germaine Dulac is a pivotal figure in the development of film language and the massive range she exhibited throughout her career is still underappreciated. The Devil in the City is a fabular period story that’s engrossingly stylish. The fable is one that remains relevant today and, heck, might even be more relevant today than it was in 1924-5. As with Eugenia Grandet, I have my fingers crossed that we might get a nice restored release of this one someday!

——— ——— ———

still from Jiří Barta's Krysař

January ‘25 Favorites:

Somewhere in Wrong (1925)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis:

A “two-fisted loafer” spies a plate of donuts cooling on a windowsill. After an unfortunate incident with the family dog, the young woman of the house feels kindly toward the loafer and gives him a job on their property. He quickly falls for the girl, but, alas, she’s in love with someone else. Regardless, the vagrant saves the day when a crooked landlord tries to wrongfully evict the family.

When you watch films made/set in the US from the 1910s and 1920s, the presentation of tramps and vagrants can be kind of perplexing. One day I’d like to get to the bottom of this cultural preoccupation and how varied the character-type is. For now, Somewhere in Wrong offers us Stan Laurel as a positively-coded instance. The donut-eating gag is a lot, but still very funny. Great dog performer. A charming short all around.

——— ——— ———

The Rat’s Knuckles (1925)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis:

Jimmy Jump has invented a new and improved rat-catching device that he is sure will revolutionize the pest control industry. If he can get anyone to listen to his pitch, that is.

Please don’t be put off by the awful title, I’m not sure what was going on with the titles for Charley Chase’s shorts around this time, but they’re all kind of rough? The fantasy sequence is rich with big and little, quiet and loud gags. Martha Sleeper is absolutely adorable as the inconstant and aptly named Flirty McFickle. The final punchline of this short killed me and I don’t want to spoil it for you! You can thank me (or curse me) later.

——— ——— ———

The Devil and Miss Jones (1941)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis:

A fiercely-private tycoon, John P. Merrick, learns that he owns a department store when protesting employees make an effigy of him and it makes the papers. Merrick takes it upon himself to go undercover to root out the labor organizers at the store. The scheme takes a 180 when he becomes endeared to the employees and begins to see things from their side.

Lately I’ve been feeling a lack of Jean Arthur in my life, so I’ve been watching/rewatching some of her films. Honestly, I can’t believe this is my first time seeing this one! I loved it. A too-rare instance of an overtly pro-labor organizing Hollywood film. The Devil and Miss Jones may be sanitized, pie-in-the-sky, and very white, but bombastic enough to still be both entertaining and heartening. All in all, it’s a comedy film, so the pie-in-the-sky, neat-and-tidy presentation is understandable, so those aren’t  major criticisms. The characters are charming, especially Arthur, Spring Byington, and S.Z. Sakall (tho I’m afraid I’ll never understand the appeal of Bob Cummings as a romantic interest).  This is the sort of light, humane story that pairs well with more serious work to remind you that liberation is hard work, but it’s also joy and finding the sweetness in each other’s foibles instead of bitterness.

——— ——— ———

The Conquering Power (1921)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis:

Eugenie Grandet is the only daughter of the richest, most miserly man in town. When her handsome, sheltered, city-boy cousin Charles makes an unexpected visit, Eugenie falls for him. Her miserly father arranges to send the boy away and plans on making other arrangements for his daughter. His greed and stinginess eventually erode his sanity and he dies, leaving Eugenie his fortune. Lovelorn, and assuming her beloved Charles has moved on, Eugenie begins arrangements to marry a local. However, Charles reappears at the last moment, having learned the value of a dollar the hard way and ready to start a life with Eugenie in earnest.

It’s a total coincidence that I ended up watching two very different adaptations of the same novel. Eugenia Grandet I watched while working on my Alida Valli essay and The Conquering Power while preparing Lost, but Not Forgotten: Trifling Women (1922). Turning the story into an out-and-out romance took a lot of the punch out of it—though the adaptation at least understood that the Charles character needed to be thoroughly re-written for this choice to work. In short, even if I thought it was an odd choice, it was done thoughtfully. Ralph Lewis is great as Eugenie’s father and, as I watch more of his surviving filmography, I’m getting the feeling that he’s a bit of an unsung artist of the silent screen. 

The Conquering Power is not quite as lively a film as Rex Ingram’s Prisoner of Zenda (1922) or Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), but it has an interesting vibe of its own. It has a quiet, yet quaint energy until the death sequence with Eugenie’s father. Very suddenly things take on a totally different tenor that’s gothic, creepy, and phantasmagoric. When I was researching Ingram’s lost Trifling Women, a lot of reviewers compared that film to Poe’s work, which surprised me—until I saw The Conquering Power. The death sequence in the film is totally Poe-tic. Makes me wish Ingram had done an actual Poe adaptation at some point in his career!

——— ——— ———

The Pied Piper / Krysař (1985)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis:

A town of hyper-materialistic citizens is terrorized by rodents of unusual size. They make a contract with a mysterious stranger to rid them of the ROUSes, but when the townsfolk renege on their part of the contract, the stranger exacts his revenge.

Nobody does it quite like Jiří Barta. The Pied Piper has an exquisite stop-motion style that’s alternately funny, wistful, or grotesque. Fair warning, there is use of taxidermy in the animation, so if that’s a no-go for you, maybe skip this one.

——— ——— ———

still from Sara Gómez’s De cierta manera

February ‘25 Favorites:

Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis:

In a Southern California city, Nathaniel “Cornbread” Hamilton is a pillar of his community and a great basketball player. But, shortly before he’s about to leave for college, he is murdered in the street by the police. The murder is witnessed by a small group of neighbors, but it’s only 12-year-old Wilford Robinson who has the courage to speak out in the face of a police cover-up.

I wrote up a short post about this earlier, but in February, I started watching through The Black Film Archive’s curated list celebrating Black History Month. Cornbread, Earl, and Me was one of the first films I watched from the series and it really impressed me. A great thing about watching curated film programs is getting the chance to draw connections, find commonalities, and highlight under-represented events or concepts. A painful part of our past and present in America is systemic violence against Black men. That issue isn’t necessarily rare in American film, but the mode of presentation typically draws out the traumatic elements in a way that can make it feel like the story is being told specifically for a white audience. (Or it can more cynically feel like trauma porn.) Something I appreciated a lot about Cornbread is its humane-ness. It makes clear what a gaping absence the death of young Cornbread creates in his community and how his death affects everyone involved. It lays bare the modus operandi of the police in these all-too-common situations. The film shows an alternative to the typical way these stories are told—that these stories don’t have to be bathed in sorrow for the direness of the issue to come across. The loss of Cornbread is still tragic and meaningful, maybe even moreso, if we see how the people around him have to keep on living and the difficulties of seeking a justice that is not assured. 

This film had a lot in common with Blind Faith (1998), also in the BHM series, and I would recommend that film as well. Ernest Dickerson’s energetic style paired with a heart-wrenching story better than I could have imagined.

——— ——— ———

One Way or Another / De cierta manera (1975)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis:

Yolanda, a schoolteacher and new arrival in Miraflores, starts up a relationship with Mario, a local factory worker. As Yolanda struggles to understand the ins-and-outs of her new community and her and Mario’s relationship progresses, the complicated social dynamics of a post-revolution society come to the fore.

Also from the BHM list, De cierta manera was my first exposure to Cuban filmmaker Sara Gómez. I can’t wait to check out more of her films! This is Gómez’s only feature, and yet it displays impressive skill at melding personal drama with social problem/critique and documentary with narrative. Outstanding work.

——— ——— ———

The Flying Ace (1926)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis:

When a railroad employee on his way to make a payroll delivery goes missing—with the money—a local hero and WWI pilot is given the job of tracking down the man and the money. With the help of his disabled comrade-in-arms, they uncover a thieving ring, save the day, and win a charming girl’s heart.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable film. The Flying Ace is featured on the Pioneers of African-American Cinema box set, which I’ve sung the praises of before on this blog. Interesting characters, well performed, and a simple plot, but an interesting setting. One thing I love about silent film is how often time is taken to highlight odd talents or skills that people have—though sometimes this can toe the sideshow line. In this case, the filmmakers make sure you fully understand how a one-legged character can ride a bike to chase a carful of bandits and also shoot out the bandits’ tires with a rifle while actively biking! There aren’t many flying stunts (no complaint here, they’re scary!) but this bicycle stunt work is cool and exciting. Also, the stationmaster’s daughter, played by Kathryn Boyd, is thoroughly adorable!

——— ——— ———

Cosmic Slop (1994)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopses:

“Space Traders” – Aliens arrive on earth with a proposal: they will give America the resources and knowledge needed to solve all their problems in exchange for one thing: every person in America with a skin tone darker than a paper bag. What will the highest ranking Black Republican in the US government do? “The First Commandment” – A priest in the South Bronx is caught between his parishioners and the archdiocese when the archdiocese cuts a deal with a city museum to take the church’s statue of the Blessed Virgin of Charity, which his parishioners venerate as the orisha Oshun. Complicating the situation further, the statue miraculously disappears then reappears as an animate figure in a dilapidated apartment complex. “Tang” – One fateful afternoon, a married couple in an abusive relationship receive a mysterious package containing a rifle with an enigmatic note hinting at potential revolution. Things go even more poorly than you’d expect.

As a massive Twilight Zone fan, I am angry that I hadn’t even heard about this anthology film before this month. Since the ‘60s, there’s been a lot of debate and (failed) attempts to recapture the magic that made The Twilight Zone what it was. I started talking about this on my side blog a while back, and hope to return to it when I have the time. But, IMO, the spirit of TZ is multi-faceted. It is writer driven, but cinematic in execution. (See my years-long project Twilight Zone in Close-up for an illustration of this!) But, TZ also demonstrates an educated social consciousness and critique. TZ also has a sense of humour, it’s rarely joyless. Now, in the 1950s and 60s, Rod Serling had to compromise to meet the standards and expectations of conservative network representatives and sponsors. Famously, it was a fight for him just to get the episode “A Big Tall Wish” made with an all-Black main cast. Speculative fiction was (and is) a powerful tool for storytellers to craft social critiques that might be deemed unpalatable to a general audience if told in a more realist style. 

IMO Cosmic Slop is one of the closest instances I’ve yet seen of a show or film capturing the spirit of speculative social critique with some sense of humour. That said, Cosmic Slop was not saddled by the limitations that the ‘60s TV landscape placed on Serling & Co. Racism and inequality in US society can be addressed more directly. Organized religion can also be openly discussed and critiqued. My only big critique is the style, which has a decidedly 1990s cable vibe—not very cinematic. The first segment, “Space Traders” is the most overtly TZ inspired—the most obvious parallel being “To Serve Man.” The third segment, “Tang,” has elements of “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street,” “The Shelter,” and “What’s on the Box.” “The First Commandment” is one I’ll have to think a bit more about, since overtly religious stories and hyphenate-identity stories weren’t common topics on the original TZ. I thought the segment was great though and I wish presenting museums as “Centers of Art Detention” (to quote Ishmael Reed) was more common. Anyway, maybe I should write a longer piece about this so as not to rant on and on here, but all three segments are creative and compelling stories with execution that balances a dark sense of humour with serious circumstances. Kind of wish this had been spun off into a series!

——— ——— ———

To Be Young, Gifted and Black (1972)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis:

Writer and activist Lorraine Hansberry’s life story, in her own words, reconstructed and stitched together from diary entries, correspondence, and other unpublished writing.

A genuinely moving project chronicling Hansberry’s life and work. It would be so interesting to see how this is staged as a play, because I think director Michael Schultz did a great job at structuring this adaptation in a manner that feels native to the medium of film/video. It’s an imaginative and energetic and deeply heartfelt portrait of a great writer who we lost too too soon. Ruby Dee’s performance as Hansberry is completely flooring. A must-see. 

Fair warning if you are already familiar with Hansberry’s biography, this film only addresses her communism and queerness obliquely. Personally I think this would make a great double feature with Tracy Heather Strain’s Lorraine Hansberry: Seeing Eyes / Feeling Heart (2017).

——— ——— ———

1001 Nights (1998)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis:

A collaborative work of animation and musical composition, this short film recounts the swirling dreams of a sleeping princess.

A modern spiritual successor to the works of Dudley Murphy or Mary Ellen Bute, Yoshitaka Amano, Mike Smith, and David Newman put together a deeply engrossing, dazzling film. It feels on the nose to call it dreamlike but they do really capture what dream logic can feel like. Figures and feelings and events can flow into one another or clash with one another in ways that don’t make rational sense, but feel natural in a dream. I’m tempted to recommend double featuring this with Angel’s Egg (1985), but that might be a little intense!

——— ——— ———

Honorable mention: The Magnificent Major (1977) [letterboxd | imdb], The Italian (1914) [letterboxd | imdb], and Piccolo mondo antico (1941) [letterboxd | imdb]

——— ——— ———

Season’s Round-up

It’s probably no surprise to any of you to hear that the past few months have been extremely stressful for me! I hope you’ll all understand if the blog slows down a bit this year, but I have no plans of stopping as this is an important outlet for me to engage with and share my special interests! 

Anyhow, in December, I shared my cosplay and profile of Alida Valli, where I highlighted her path to Hollywood and reasoned out why she went home.

Cosplay the Classics: Alida Valli

In January, I put together my usual annual round-up. 

And then in February, I posted the latest installment of Lost, but Not Forgotten: Trifling Women (1922), a lost Rex Ingram horror film starring Barbara La Marr and Ramon Novarro.

Lost, but Not Forgotten: Trifling Women (1922)

I also shared a recommendation post for The Black Film Archive’s Black History Month list.

——— ——— ———

Themed gif and still sets from winter ‘25:

(titles are linked to all sets for that film)

Bílý ráj (1924)

(which I talked about in the September ’24 installment of WMM Notebook)

———

Repeat Performance (1947)

———

At Land (1944)

———

H2O (1929)

———

Spook Sport (1940)

———

Black and Tan (1929)

(which I wrote about in the October ’24 installment of Watch More Movies Notebook)

———

A Bronx Morning (1931)

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Si muero antes de despertar / If I Should Die Before I Wake (1952)

———

The Prisoner of Zenda (1922)

———

La Coquille et le Clergyman / The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928)

——— ——— ———

There are a few different projects and a silent-era cosplay I have cooking up for the spring months. Stay tuned for those and, until then, happy viewing!

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☕Appreciate my work? Buy me a coffee! ☕

[bookclub4m]

Episode 129 - Non-Fiction Film & TV Books

This episode we’re talking about Non-Fiction Film & TV books! We discuss media about media, self-pity book purchasing, spoilers, and more! Plus: Kakapos!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Matthew Murray | RJ Edwards | Appleberry

Things We Read (or tried to…)

Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West

Ayoade on Top by Richard Ayoade

Movies (and Other Things) by Shea Serrano and Arturo Torres 

Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation by Questlove

Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons by Mike Reiss, Mathew Klickstein

Hollywood vs. the Author edited by Stephen Jay Schwartz

Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies by Ann Hornaday

The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made by Greg Sestero, Tom Bissell

Richard Ayoade Presents the Grip of Film by Gordy LaSure

Typeset in the Future: Typography and Design in Science Fiction Movies by Dave Addey

Typeset in the Future website

101 Movies to Watch Before You Die by Ricardo Cavolo

How to Watch Television, Second Edition edited by Ethan Thompson and Jason Mittell

Other Media We Mentioned

A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power by Paul Fischer

Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun (Wikipedia)

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (Wikipedia)

Samurai Pizza Cats (Wikipedia)

My Pet Monster (Wikipedia)

The A-Team (Wikipedia)

Murder, She Wrote (Wikipedia)

Are You Afraid of the Dark? (Wikipedia)

Goosebumps (TV series) (Wikipedia)

Live from New York: An Oral History of Saturday Night Live by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales

Saturday Night Live (Wikipedia)

The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy by Paul Myers

The Kids in the Hall (TV series) (Wikipedia)

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes

Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman

Which Lie Did I Tell? More Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman

The Fugitive (Wikipedia)

View from the Top (Wikipedia)

The Room (Wikipedia)

2001: A Space Odyssey (Wikipedia)

Alien (Wikipedia)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Wikipedia)

Blade Runner (Wikipedia)

Total Recall (Wikipedia)

WALL-E (Wikipedia)

Moon (Wikipedia)

House (TV series) (Wikipedia)

Battlestar Galactica (Wikipedia)

The Video Game History Hour podcast

Decoder Ring - The Soap Opera Machine

Shrill (TV series) (Wikipedia)

Love, Actually (Wikipedia)

List of Hallmark Channel Original Movies (Wikipedia)

33⅓ (Wikipedia)

Criminal Minds (Wikipedia)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Wikipedia)

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (Wikipedia)

Dredd (Wikipedia)

The Muppets (Wikipedia)

Top Gun (Wikipedia)

Kate Beaton’s Top Gun comics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Wikipedia)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (Wikipedia)

Armageddon Films FAQ: All That's Left to Know about Zombies, Contagions, Aliens, and the End of the World as We Know It! by Dale Sherman

Links, Articles, and Things

Library Punk episode 014 - Manga

Episode 128 - Plucky Kid Detective

Fanart!

Episode 104 - Entertainment Non-Fiction

Toy Galaxy (YouTube channel)

Lindsay Ellis (YouTube channel)

Amanda the Jedi (YouTube channel)

Jenny Nicholson (YouTube channel)

Every Frame a Painting (YouTube channel)

Postmortem: Every Frame a Painting by co-creator Tony Zhou

Welcome to the Basement

Pushing Up Roses (YouTube channel)

Jacob Geller (YouTube channel)

Letterboxd (Wikipedia)

Demi Adejuyigbe on Letterboxd

Sidewalk Slam - Episode 57 - AEW Revolution 2021 (YouTube)

Kakapo (Wikipedia)

Lego set

Diegesis (Wikipedia)

The Stranger (newspaper) (Wikipedia)

Chuck Klosterman (Wikipedia)

Hanif Abdurraqib (Wikipedia)

24 Film/TV/Video Non-Fiction books by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

All the Pieces Matter: The Inside Story of The Wire by Jonathan Abrams

“Indian” Stereotypes in TV Science Fiction: First Nations' Voices Speak Out by Sierra S. Adare

Ayoade on Top by Richard Ayoade

Contemporary Black Women Filmmakers and the Art of Resistance by Christina N. Baker

Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present by Robin R. Means Coleman  

The Hollywood Jim Crow: The Racial Politics of the Movie Industry by Maryann Erigha

Framing Blackness: The African American Image in Film by Ed Guerrero

Why Wakanda Matters: What Black Panther Reveals About Psychology, Identity, and Communication by Sheena C. Howard

Something Like an Autobiography by Akira Kurosawa

Our Gang: A Racial History of The Little Rascals by Julia Lee

The Films of Bong Joon Ho by Nam Lee

Moving the Image: Independent Asian Pacific American Media Arts edited by Russell Leong

Farewell My Concubine: A Queer Film Classic by Helen Hok-Sze Leung

Cinema-Interval by Trinh T. Minh-ha

Get Out: The Complete Annotated Screenplay by Jordan Peele

Where Do You Think We Are?: Ten Illustrated Essays About Scrubs by Shea Serrano, illustrated by Arturo Torres

Arab Cinema: History and Cultural Identity by Viola Shafik

Maori Television: The First Ten Years by Jo Smith

Shaded Lives: African American Women and Television by Beretta E. Smith-Shomade

Tribal Television: Viewing Native People in Sitcoms by Dustin Tahmahkera

Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation by Ahmir Questlove Thompson

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song: A Guerilla Filmmaking Manifesto by Melvin Van Peebles

Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism by Nancy Wang Yuen

I See Black People: The Rise and Fall of African American-Owned Television and Radio by Kristal Brent Zook

Also check out the booklist from our episode on Entertainment Non-Fiction.

Give us feedback!

Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read!

Which zine do you most want to read? (Twitter poll)

RJ's zine about Love Actually

Anna's zine about Criminal Minds

Matthew's zine about Dredd

Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!

It’s almost time for our annual “We all read the same book” episode. So on Tuesday, July 20th we’ll each suggest and talk about one title and you’ll get to vote for which one we’ll read. (And yes, it will definitely happen this time.)

Then on Tuesday, August 3rd it’s time to jack in and download because we’ll be reading the genre of Cyberpunk!

[letterboxd]

Life in Film: Levan Akin

“Someone told me, ‘You are one person when you make the film, another when it’s over’. And that’s really the case with this film, it’s changed me fundamentally.” —The writer and director of And Then We Danced talks to our London correspondent Ella Kemp about masculinity, queer love stories, Georgian cinema and the ever-quotable joys of Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.

Love stories come and go, but few have the golden warmth of Levan Akin’s dance-romance, And Then We Danced, which has captivated Letterboxd members enough to garner an impressive 4.0 rating out of 5. The film follows Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani), a dancer who has grown up training at the National Georgian Ensemble, and is moved to examine the structures and traditions he exists within when the charismatic Irakli (Bachi Valishvili) arrives at the company.

Akin was born and raised in Sweden, the son of a Georgian family who emigrated in the 1960s. Following the attacks at the 2013 Pride parade in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, the solidarity among the country’s gay and queer communities became more urgent. Akin was moved to turn away from the big-budget Swedish TV productions he has made a name directing, in order to connect back to his roots for this project. But And Then We Danced isn’t solely a political commentary—it moves and feels freely.

Akin’s film gives audiences a long-overdue education on traditions far outside Hollywood: we see the rigid rules of Georgian dance, the way a body is taught to bend and extend and survive, and how spontaneous feelings have no place in that education.

If the film, told from such a unique perspective, also feels somehow familiar, it’s because Akin, who wrote, directed and co-edited, is a magnanimous cinephile. He’s been watching and understanding love stories since he can remember, and speaks of them with immense enthusiasm. There are years of wisdom and observation in the details of And Then We Danced. Every time I admit to him I haven’t seen a film he mentions, he looks sincerely happy for me that my world is yet to experience it.

Answering our Life in Film questionnaire, Akin shares memories of ABBA as a national treasure, the first film that blew him away in cinemas as a child, and why Tarkovsky could have done with being a little more queer.

This is quite a departure from the scale of your television projects. What drew you back to Georgia and those difficult circumstances? Levan Akin: I come from a background of making bigger projects, and this wasn’t obviously what a person like me should be doing next. I did a lot of Swedish TV, but I had grown tired of working the way I did. I started working for [Swedish film and commercial director] Roy Andersson when I was 22 and then I went into TV—I never went to film school. I applied twice and I didn’t get in! I was brought up in the SVT [Swedish public broadcasting service] way of making TV series. You have a script, you break it down, sometimes you write it yourself, sometimes you don’t, you do the shot list, you work with the actors, you block the scene and you move on and that’s all fine and good.

But after my previous film I was very tired. I was 36 then, and had sort of forgotten why I was making films. I had seen this Pride parade, the one where they were attacked in Georgia in 2013, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So I went to Georgia and did some research with my own little camera, and it very organically developed into this film. I never sat down and thought I’d write a story about this dancer. I used what happened around me, and I found a lot of real people. We often weren’t allowed to film in places a lot of the time—we made up stories about what we were doing. We had to have bodyguards, we’d lose locations on a day’s notice. It was insane, so I couldn’t plan out the movie like I would normally.

I wanted to make a very classical story, a very universal story and have the motor be [Merab’s] first love for Irakli and that setting him free. And then I filled it with things that happened while I was working. I’ve never worked like that, but I think it’s the best film I’ve made, and it’s really been a rejuvenation of my creative energy. Someone told me, “You are one person when you make the film, another when it’s over”. And that’s really the case with this film, it’s changed me fundamentally.

One character in And Then We Danced says, “Georgian dance is based on masculinity”. What are the defining traits of masculinity in Georgia? The definition of masculinity is so different in different cultures. In Sweden, where I live, if two men just hug too much or walk arm in arm, it’s considered super un-masculine. It’s like the whole thing about how young boys fight each other because that’s the only way they can be close in Western society. Whereas in Georgia, you can sit in someone’s lap and it’s not considered gay or un-masculine. Over there, traits like being very poetic, being a dancer, being a good singer, things that might be feminine in our culture are considered very masculine.

I thought that was interesting for the film because the regular story might have been, “I want to be a dancer but my family doesn’t want me to because it’s considered to be a feminine job”. Whereas here it’s the opposite, it’s, “I am a dancer, and I can’t be gay”.

Why was it important to use dance as a narrative vehicle to show these changing identities? What they say in the film is that Georgian dance has evolved. It’s based on old folk dances from different regions of the Caucasus, other Caucasian countries too, as well as Georgia. The dances from Batumi have a lot of oriental influences, originally even more than now. And the Kintouri dance was originally created by a queer group of people who lived in Georgia 100 years ago, and they were people working in service jobs.

Men wouldn’t take those jobs because it was considered unmanly, so the ones who worked in those jobs were gay guys or queer, some were even trans. They developed this dance and it’s sort of like a Paris Is Burning. Everybody knew they were gay. That’s what the teacher says in the film, when he says “they were softer but we made them harder”, because then these dances were appropriated by three big ensembles, and they did alterations to them.

Levan Gelbakhiani in ‘And Then We Danced’.

How did that influence the message you ultimately wanted to share? The film is about finding your own place in a traditional society, and not letting anyone tell you what your traditions ought to be, or how you ought to define yourself, to be accepted as a Georgian. That discourse is all around us now. I’m really frankly tired of people telling me that, for instance, I’m not really Swedish because my parents came from Georgia, and I have a Muslim background. Also, Georgia is 90 percent predominantly Christian Orthodox now, so a lot of Georgians think you can’t be Georgian if you’re not a Christian.

There are two major contemporary music cues in the film—ABBA’s ‘Take A Chance on Me’ and Robyn’s ‘Honey’. How did those two come to be? During the Soviet Union, there was an ABBA concert on TV and I think that was one of the only one Western pop concerts that was broadcast in Soviet. I think it had to do with Sweden being social democratic, and we had sort of a good relationship with the Soviet Union so they thought, “Ok, we can show this, at least it’s not American”. It would be on every New Year’s Eve and it would be like a tradition.

So when the Soviet Union fell, ABBA had a new market with new people who also loved ABBA. So ABBA is actually very popular in Georgia! Of course ABBA is super-expensive to [license], and we had literally no money when we made this film—it was a very hard shoot. But one of the producers of the film is the son of Benny Andersson of ABBA… I figured if he likes the film, for them it’s not a big risk. I thought, I’ll try it in the rough cut and either he’ll like it and say yes or he won’t—but he loved the movie, he was crying afterwards.

Levan Akin.

I’d also taken a risk with Robyn because that album had just come out, and we all love Robyn. We just hoped she’d like it and accept it, because we couldn’t pay her very much. Thankfully she did, and also we actually got help from Jen Malone. She’s a music supervisor and she’s so talented, and she’s the one who does the music supervision for [bands including] Euphoria, Creed and so on, so once she also got in touch she made it work for us. I’m eternally grateful to Jen.

[The following answers contain spoilers for several of the movies mentioned by Akin.]

And Then We Danced has many beautiful dance sequences. Which specific dance scenes, or dance movies broadly, inspire you? I love The Umbrellas of Cherbourg as a whole, and it has dancing in it, so that’s an easy one. In Dirty Dancing, I love the last dance, I can watch it over and over. It’s an amazing scene in every way. I also love the scene in Ex Machina where [Oscar Isaac] is dancing. It’s so nice, and so sexy.

I don’t know if there was dancing in it but I really want to mention this film—I love The Diary of A Teenage Girl. Marielle Heller is a genius. And Bel Powley and Alexander Skarsgård, they’re just so good in those parts. He was incredible! That should have won all the Oscars. In my films I never have clear antagonists, even if there are characters antagonizing the main character. I love them all, there’s no clear moral compass, everyone is just trying to do their best with the circumstances. It’s the same with this film. I love that you understand and love Alexander Skarsgård, and the guilt Minnie must have been feeling. It’s just so sensitively directed, with such a precise feeling of how to not veer in any one direction. If anyone is just shaking somewhere in that film, let’s put it in this ranking!

There’s this amazing documentary made by a Swedish documentarian, Martha & Niki. It’s about two friends who are dancers, two black girls from Sweden. Their friendship is really complicated, and they’re competing in a special dance, and you just follow them as they’re touring and competing. One of the girls is from Uganda, if I remember correctly, and another one is adopted, so they also have very different social backgrounds. I saw it in cinemas and I was just sitting and crying.

Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon in Bound (1996).

What are your favorite on-screen gay love stories? Brokeback Mountain. I saw that movie in New York in 2005 and I was so shocked. I just thought, “What the fuck have I just been through”? The ending… Nowadays, I would never want to kill off a character in a gay movie, but then, it’s so vague that you don’t even know what happens to them. It breaks my heart, it still does.

I really enjoyed God’s Own Country. I thought it was really moving and touching. Josh O’Connor is a revelation, and the other guy [Alec Secareanu] is amazing too. They have great chemistry. It’s just so delicately made.

I also love the Wachowski sisters’ Bound. I remember when I saw it, oh my god. Back then, seeing that was really something. I love Jennifer Tilly, what a star!

In terms of a movie that gay communities really love: Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion. I’ve seen it literally a thousand times, I just rewind it and watch it again. It’s so amazing. When we were younger, 50 percent of the lines we would say would be lines from that film. It’s hilarious. It’s such a great story about friendship. If you haven’t seen it, congratulations, you have so much to look forward to!

And how did I almost forget My Own Private Idaho?! I saw that as a kid in the 90s, and it’s just so amazing. River Phoenix. What a movie.

Could you give the Letterboxd community a primer to some great Georgian films? I love My Happy Family, a film by Simon Groß and Nana Ekvtimishvili. They’re a directing couple. They did another film called In Bloom; about a teenage girl, it’s sort of autobiographical I can imagine, as it feels very lived. It’s about a Georgian girl in the 90s. Both films were at Sundance—My Happy Family was there three years ago and I think it won an award. [It was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, and was Georgia’s entry for the 2013 best foreign language Academy Award]. Netflix bought it, so it’s on there now.

My Happy Family (2017).

It really shows this thing in Georgia where there is no private sphere. Families live together inter-generationally for life for many reasons—financial ones for sure. It’s the story of this woman who lives with her mother, her father, her children, everybody is in that house. She decides that one day she wants to move into her own apartment, and it’s the most shocking thing anyone has ever heard of. She says she just wants to sit alone and read books and have her own space, and everyone is so provoked by that because that can’t happen in Georgia.

There’s another Georgian film I love called Street Days, by Levan Koguashvili, which came out in 2010. It was one of the first new-generation movies in Georgia showing the reality of Georgia the way it was then. It’s the story of a man who is struggling to support his family, but he’s also a drug addict. It sounds really bleak but it’s made with such dark humor.

To go really far back to the directors working through the Soviet time, there’s The Wishing Tree by Tengiz Abuladze. So many shots from that film are so, so beautiful. It’s set in the rural parts of Georgia, and it’s about a young girl who falls in love with a boy, but they can’t be married because she has to marry an older person because it’s better for the family. And the boy she was in love with was killed by the husband. She goes insane, because she keeps thinking about it all the time; she’s talking to his ghost. This old woman in the village hears her and thinks she’s cheating on her husband, so they decide to do this ritual where they stone her. It’s so sad and so beautiful, and there’s a woman in the village who’s like the town fool but she’s the only one making sense. It’s so poetic.

Sergei Parajanov is another of my all-time favorite directors—I love The Color of Pomegranates and Ashik Kerib. He’s a great surrealist director and has inspired many directors since, such as Tarsem Singh and Mark Romanek, who did a lot of music videos in the 90s. Madonna’s video for ‘Bedtime Stories’ was really inspired by Parajanov. He worked a lot with tableaux, and it’s so queer. [Parajanov] was gay and he was imprisoned for it many times. He was very close friends with [Andrei] Tarkovsky and he attributes his artistry to being inspired by him, saying that Tarkovsky released his creativity. They were close, but they’d also fight a lot. One time Parajanov told Tarkovsky, “You can never be as amazing a director as me, because you’re not a homosexual”, which is funny!

Finally, what was the film first made you want to be a filmmaker? I love that question. It feels like I’m closing a circle because I think the movie I’m thinking of has some similarities with my movie. It’s Some Kind of Wonderful, [written] by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch. It’s not one of the most famous John Hughes movies but it’s one of the first ones I saw in the cinema. I think I was seven years old, I went with my older sister who was eleven at the time.

Mary Stuart Masterson and Eric Stoltz in ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’ (1987).

It’s a love triangle between Eric Stoltz, Mary Stuart Masterson and Lea Thompson. Stoltz plays this working-class kid, he lives on the wrong side of the tracks, the classic perspective that’s always in John Hughes movies. He’s in love with the popular girl in school, Amanda Jones. She is also from his part of the town but is dating the rich guys. He’s really in love with her, and his best friend is played by Masterson, she’s called Watts but her nickname is Drummer Girl, and she’s a tomboy. When I was little I thought she was a boy who was a gay character. I didn’t understand that she was a girl because I’d never seen a girl like that as a kid. It’s just a great movie, it was a love triangle before love triangles were boring. I don’t know if it consciously made me want to direct films, but it was the first film that I saw that that stuck with me.

We didn’t have a lot of movie culture in my house, my parents emigrated to Sweden in the late 60s. My father read a lot, but we didn’t come from any culture. The films I’d find were the ones you could rent in the local store. Mostly American movies. The more highbrow stuff came later when I was older and could search them out myself.

‘And Then We Danced’ premiered in Director’s Fortnight in Cannes last May, and has won several prizes at other prestigious festivals since. The film is currently showing in select cinemas on the east and west coasts of America, and opens in UK cinemas on March 13.

[geek-gem]

So for any of you watching this, you may of heard Uwe Boll or maybe not. I wanted to share this because alright first, I decided to check out on Wikipedia and read all three of Uwe’s Rampage movies on Wikipedia, and I think I understood what he was going for those movies. Then later checking him on Rotten Tomatoes, I decided to go on YouTube to search him up. I find this video. 

Gonna be honest I don’t really watch I Hate Everything and his videos. I’ve watched his Jurassic Shark The Search For The Worst video. I’ve seen Captainmidnight’s video on Uwe Boll(I don’t watch that Captainmidnight really) a long time ago and I’ve read about Uwe too.

Uwe is like this director even if he made some of the absolute worse films in history, I’ve read some stuff that may have good points. But not fully only parts I guess I could say.

Yet watching this funny video by I Hate Everything(Spoiling in case you hear him laugh too a lot) I think shows Uwe Boll is a person I don’t wanna even give my attention to, or even wanna take him seriously as a person or a director.

Because this video truly shows how much he’s pissed off of people reacting to his work, him being a troll, and someone who after watching this I don’t care what he has to say. In a nutshell don’t take Uwe seriously because of how he acts. In fact again it’s best to not give him attention I’d rather remain hidden from a guy like this. Because Uwe again and I wanna be nice, just ignore him. Even though I’m sharing this video. Yet it’s funny and I want to share this. Because I lost respect and that’s what I wanted to say, Uwe is just wrong on quite some stuff. But yes okay there are opinions but holy shit this man.

Again it’s funny because he literally wrote these reviews and he’s like the definition of a troll. Also I found out in the comments below this video, he got banned from Letterboxd Reviews. 

My favorite part of this video is Uwe actually did a review of Rampage 2018, and wow he actually reacted to it. That felt like a revelation and I wanna say closure. This is truly funny and I hope you enjoy this. Beware some harsh language and other stuff is said in this. Point is Uwe is crazy and it’s a good thing he retried from making movies. He’s doing his own thing with owning a restaurant, and he’s quite a mess again watching this video of these so called, “Reviews”. 

Edit after just watching I Hate Everything’s House Of The Dead Search For The Worst video. I found out in the comments Uwe Boll backs out from challenging critics who have boxing experience and I literally said, “Wow Uwe Boll is a fucking coward” I think that’s correct not sure on the wow. Then said he was a fucking coward again...yeah I don’t like Uwe I’ll leave it at that. Okay I just laughed at those comments under that video, he literally backed out. Sorry I’m rambling but this was a surprise.

[wetookanoath]

Yeeeeeeewwwhaaaaaaa, let’s watch The Haunted Town Of Tombstone!

Ryan, motherfucker, why are you this HOT? I'm pleased with their silly costumes, they are simple and not silly at all. I'm combusting. Ugh, I love Ryan's long cloat.

"And now I'm hunting ghouls with my big pal" :)

Cowboys accents. "I don't even know how that works, but I'll be there right beside you, buddy" LMAO.

Shane likes to humiliate his enemies. And friends. No, but for real-- what a mood, wanting to humiliate people that doubted you/made fun of you.

You know, kiddos, I just remembered that I haven't fucking updated the list of movies at Letterboxd, holy fuck. I mean, I know no one cares, but I used to xD. I never have time now, uh? *sighs*

"I GOT YOU!", Ryan, honey sjhfjdfhdnjfndjkjf. You got owned by Dirty Shane, man.

Ryan is sooooo excited, you can really see it and it's cute as fuck, I'm dying with how adorable it is. You go, baby <3

Oh no, I'm attracted to Shane again. Terrible. "It has been an honor. To meet you.", what the fuck are you-- don't kiss the doll, dude.

I actually like the lighting in this episode. Like, it's fucking dark and I'm gonna suffer editing once again, but they look really good.

Man, nothing is absolutely happening in this episode, lmao.

That fucking stock image of the cowboys riding into the sunset actually looks like them and I'm living for it.

Floating murderous beer? Sign me the fuck up.

Oh God, Ryan, you are so fucking adorable. And the way Shane keeps just going with whatever he is doing is sooooo cute.

"You are not a big breakfast guy".

I'M CRYING, GUYS, THEY LOOK SO GOOD IN THIS EPISODE.

Shane's Santa laugh is killing me.

"You are a very commited ghost hunter.", "No, I just believe" is probably the best line ever. I love it.

Ryan side looking at Shane while saying he didn't believe in the horns thing, nice.

Shane's voice, asjfndskdjfndk. I'm crying with laughter, oh my God. 

"I really want you to throw something at my face, PLEASE" and immediatelly looking at Shane with panic in his face is exactly what I would do while trying to get murdered by ghosts.

The Swamper, sdnjdfndmdn. This banter about The Swamper is just-- God, I love them.

They did it at the same time. Ryan... no.

Ah, yes. Good ol' terrifying baby shoes.

Shane saying he will delete the evidence just to fuck Ryan up, skjdndkjfd. Also, love the edit of this because we can say Shane saw shit and he just deleted it, lol.

Man, do I like Shane without his coat. Nice shit right there.

"Because I'm a masochist", Ryan I'm so proud of you.

"Boy I really wish my time was up", Shane torturing Ryan like this, I love it. "RYAAAAAN BERRGARAAAA!", dnfjsdncjdnfj. "You look mess up right now", SKDJDSKDJFDJSKDJF SHANE YOU ASSHOLE.

I love this ep because they looked good, they had fun and nothing happened, so it was just Ryan fullfiling his childhood dream.

[shyanlibrary]

I was scrolling through your blog and you mentioned that faq doesn't work for Android and I have an android so could you please tell me the gist of what I should know? Thanks!!

Okay, so:

~ To know before asking

English is my second lenguage and I’m latina. Sorry for any mistakes I may make with my english and my different time zone.

I have read ALL finished fanfictions tagged under Ry*n B*rg*ra/Shan* M*dej tag at AO3 posted until feb. 14, 2018. I read everything that calls my attention in the tag from that day on.

I have my preferences and I have not read certain fics that may trigger old traumas and etc. Personal preferences are listed here.

Most recs I do are personal and come from my favorite fanfictions in the fandom. I’m a very picky person, so what I may like, you may not. I will not tolerate any kind of hate because of this.

Hate speech of any kind and “anti” sentiments are NOT welcome in this blog. I will never support the bullying and self-righteous feeling some members in certain portions of the fandom may post in the tags.

I only read shyan fanfics and I’m not into polyam. This doesn’t mean these kind of fics aren’t allowed in this blog, just that I won’t be reading them.

This also means platonic stuff will NOT be listed here, since this blog is dedicated to the romantic aspect of this dynamic, as already pointed out by the shipname SHYAN.

I believe all fics deserve exposure, but for safety and the purpose of this blog some may not be listed here.

~ Won’t be on this blog

Contains narrative, dialogues, tropes and speech born from racism, homophobia, transphobia, any kind of hate speech.

Platonic works crosstagged in the Ryan Bergara/Shane Madej tag. Exceptions: Pre-slash and queerplatonic.

Shipping works crosstagged in the Ryan Bergara & Shane Madej tag, since we should not be the problem by invading spaces that does not belong to us.

The author is a known bully, guilt trips other people into doing things for them, is a racist, homophobic, fetishist, abuser, toxic member of the fandom.

Feminization that isn’t born from a kink explored in the story is also not welcomed and will not be encouraged.

Contains queerbaiting.

Fetishises the relationship or one of the boys in any way, especially Ryan.

Abusive relationships that stay that way, especially between the boys.

Contains non-con, underage, pedophilia, necrophilia, bestiality, especially between the couple.

Exposes a kink or dynamic that is not abusive in real life in an abusive way. This applies especially with BDSM fics. Works that expose the dynamics in a negative way without this being part of the story, aka makes believe the reader is a positive rep, are not allowed in this blog.

~ Frequently Asked Questions

Do you know this one fic…?

If you want me to find you a fic you read a long time ago and you can’t remember the name or author, please tell me as much as you can about it and I will try to find out which one is. In case I can’t, I will make you a list with options that may be.

Before sending this, PLEASE, check the finds tag to know if someone else has already asked about it.

I don’t read watpatt fics, only AO3 and tumblr fics.

You think I should post my fic?

DO IT. All authors deserve exposure and I will support you as much as I can. I will read your fic, I will comment it, I will rec it.

You gotta realize that this fandom is small and very nice; people do care about their writers and try their best to leave feedback and is very, very rare that someone would leave a bad comment.

I understand the fear of posting, believe me I do, but I want you to know that you are not alone and you will find your own public, there is always a reader for each author.

What’s the most famous fic in the fandom?

No such thing, to be honest.

But the most hitted and kudoed fanfc in the tag is Foolish Mortal by ghostwheeze, most commented fic is A Ghoul’s Guide to Life, Death & Afterliving by MercurySkies, and most bookmarked fic is two to fall apart by literalmetaphor.

Fics I’ve seen more recommended in lists and so are Foolish Mortal by ghostwheeze (which isn’t actually shyan–  it’s platonic, by the way. But even though the author told this in the story, people still considers it a shyan story, so I’m torn if I should keep including it or not. Let me know what you think), be all my sins remembered by spoopyy (in which Shane is a vampire), Oblivion by InkStainsOnMyHands and contrapposto by spoopyy.

Would you recommend me a fanfic about…?

Here is my personal rec list: post | page. I also check my rec lists masterpost with all the list I’ve made.

Would you read my fanfic?

Please, first read this little page and then, if your fic doesn’t contain any of these things, go ahead, send me a link and I will happily read it.

Can I rec you/your followers a fic?

Sure, submit your fic rec here (and remember to follow the rules). If you don’t know how to submit, visit this page. Do not rec platonic stuff, this is a blog for shyan. Means romantic dynamic.

Allowed kind of platonic: queerplatonic and pre-slash (meaning It is known and obvious they will eventually land into a relationship).

I don’t want my fanfic in your blog.

That’s fine. Just tell me which one is and you won’t see it ever again over here.

Why do you call yourself Nini from Fandom Resources?

My friend, Beru (yaboimadej), always called me Fandom Resources Girl before we became friends while in another fandom. I’m someone who loves to help, and every time someone had a doubt about something in that one old fandom, I tried to help them no matter what.

When I started to do the same in the BFU fandom, she started to call me ‘Nini from BFU Fandom Resources’ and here we are.

Which of the boys is your favorite?

I love both of them, but maybe Ryan is ultimately my “favorite”. Yet, I’m a little more sexually attracted to Shane. Probably because he is the type of man I usually date. My current boyfriend is a 6'4 big guy with sandy blond hair and a devilish smile, so there is that.

What the fuck with the big-dick-Madej thing?

So, abuelas and tías in Mexico say that a man with big hands and big feet have a big dick. In my experience, cocks tend to fit the dude’s body, so me and many other authors came into the conclusion that Shane probably has a fitting cock. And well– he is the Big Guy, you know.

What do you think about their girls?

I respect Sara and whoever Ryan may date in the futre, fanfics that bashes them are not allowed in this blog. I also made a little rant regarding the way outsiders or newies always try to damage our fandom regarding them here.

What else will be in this blog aside from fanfics?

Fanart and edits done for fanfics. In case someone did a fanart and next, an author made a work based on it, it will be reblogged. You will also find prompts, prompts lists, writing memes, writing resources and references that may help for fanfics (aka information about the boys and their work).

Also, I will be reblogging the videos of the episodes and other “official” stuff of BFU and/or the boys.

Can I tag you in my fanfic?

Yes. You can mention the blog or you can tag the blog in your first five (5) tags of your post, and I will reblog it here and (maybe, unless you ask me to) read it.

Tag tag the blog as #shyanlibrary NOT #shyan library, please.

Do you enjoy doing this?

I love it. Please never stop writing and/or supporting fanfiction.

Do you write BFU fanfics?

I do! My AO3 profile is here. Right now, I’m busy with life and other sutff, but I do have plenty of ideas you can check out here.

Other social media I can find you in?

yaboybergara | twitter | letterboxd | instagram

Nina, can you help me with something else?

Fandom related? Of course. Please check this tag with all the thingys I have helped with on my main blog, and if your thingy is not there, send me a message at yaboybergara and I see what I can do.

I help finding information, videos, icons, screencaps, etc.

Writing? Send me a message and let me see what I can do. You can send me your ideas, fic or drafts at the Library’s e-mail. Send me a message for it.

Personal? I’ll try my best.

[rob-blog1234]

BUMPER CHRISTMAS EDITION TV HOT FILM PICKS!

Welcome to my Christmas film round up!

14 Days of TV trawled - Friday 22nd through to Jan 4th.

196 films. 42 HOT PICKS! for all your festive film needs and more.

Merry Christmas to you and yours. Let's put the telly on. I think there's a film on somewhere.

FRIDAY 22nd DECEMBER

HOT PICKS!

BBC1 @ 1345      Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) *****

The LAST Crusade. The third and last of the Trilogy. No fourth… Nope, definitely the Last Crusade… (weep). Spielberg! Why!?! You should have took advice from your own film title. A funnier and action packed END to the TRILOGY.

Film4 @ 0025      Source Code (2011) *****

Duncan Jones is a fantastic Director. After the great success of his 2009 directorial debut Moon, I was hot on his trail and looking forward to his next film. Source Code has bigger ambition and is an extremely entertaining film, it’s just not as Sci-Fi pure as Moon. Source Code is a complex, compelling and a great mystery. Not sure of the idea of the recent Warcraft film as there’s only so much Orc special effect extravagance a man can take, but I’ll still give it a pop based on his previous work.

Jake Gyllenhaal is Captain Colter Stevens, a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown man on a train, here begins the mystery of who he is and why he is here. Gyllenhaal is fantastic and Jones drip feeds the story and keeps the mystery running with great skill. This is one of my Top 10 films of 2011…. and I thought it was very believable… until Captain Colter Stevens used Bing as his search engine. :)

Best of the rest:

TCM @ 1740     The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) ****

5* @ 1855          Dirty Dancing (1987) ***

Film4 @ 1905    Men in Black (1997) *****

Syfy @ 2250      The Signal (2014) ***

Quest @ 2300   The Omen (1976) *****

SATURDAY 23rd DECEMBER

HOT PICKS!

TCM @ 1305      What's Up, Doc? (1972) ****

Why it took me so many years to see this gem of a comedy I simply do not know. It’s also responsible for a serious crush on Barbara Streisand. This is a crazy comedy caper that really doesn’t take itself seriously. It almost verges on slapstick at some points. Its main strength lies in the interactions between the 2 leads - the situations they get themselves into and the carnage that ensues - it is a pleasure to watch. You’ll have a laugh on your lips and a smile on your face throughout. Classic screwball comedy.

Gold @ 1325    It's a Wonderful Life (1946) *****

This is one of the greatest Christmas films ever made - it defines Christmas. It is a feel good film - plain and simple. A perfect Christmas film. No matter how you are feeling - It’s a Wonderful Life is sure to lift the spirits. Merry Christmas!

Best of the rest:

TCM @ 0855      The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) ****

C4 @ 0900         The Boxtrolls (2014) ***

ITV3 @ 1305      Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) *****

Film4 @ 1305    The Book of Life (2014) ****

ITV1 @ 1335     Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) ****

ITV1 @ 1630      Despicable Me (2010) ***

ITV2 @ 1910      Gravity (2013) *****

ITV1 @ 2000      The Hobbit: the Battle of the Five Armies (2014) ***

ITV4 @ 2100      The Fugitive (1993) ***

Film4 @ 2315    High-Rise (2015) ****

C4 @ 2320         Gladiator (2000) *****

TCM @ 2340      Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) ***

Film4 @ 0135    The Big Lebowski (1997) *****

CHRISTMAS EVE SUNDAY 24th DECEMBER

HOT PICKS!

C4 @ 1830   The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) *****

Check out the Muppet’s take on the Christmas Carol. I adore this film, it’s full of all the great Muppet characters you know and love as they re-tell this classic Christmas story Muppet style! I dare you not to shed a tear during the rather emotional scene concerning Tiny Tim. It’s full of stunning sets and a host of great musical numbers, this is perfect Christmas film for the whole family to enjoy.

TCM @ 2210    Gremlins (1984) *****

Gremlins is a classic comedy horror. When a father gives a rather unusual pet to his son as a gift for Christmas he got a lot more than he bargained for. Billy has to stick to three important rules with his new pet. Don’t feed it after midnight, keep it out of bright light and keep it well away from water. When he inadvertently breaks these rules, his new pet multiplies and these new additions to the family prove to be quite a handful indeed. Madness, Mayhem and destruction quickly descend on the town as these “Gremlins” go on a rampage the town will not forget in a hurry.

It’s funny, sharp and with some splendid animatronics, Gremlins is a great fantasy adventure with almost slapstick style comedy that always gets a laugh. The stair lift scene will hold its crown as one of the best comedy death scenes put to film. Joe Dante has directed some brilliant films. This is certainly one of my favourites.

Film4 @ 2255    Predator (1987) *****

30 YEARS OLD! Amazing.

According to Letterboxd I’ve seen this outstanding film 18 times in the last 4 years. That’s not even taking into account the early days on VHS and the many wonderful times on TV where it was dubbed and cut to oblivion. It is one of my all-time favourite films and... I think I have a problem. I can’t stop buying it! I have 5 copies now: VHS, DVD, DVD double set with Predator 2, Blu Ray, and now 3D Blu Ray Steelbook. I am an addict. Why? Well - It's goddam awesome. That's why. Everything in this film works so wonderfully together. All I need now is the 3D Blu Ray in a life size Predator head box set to fulfil my crazy addiction. So, the film…

I watched it in 3D for the sixth time. The 3D doesn't really bring anything new to the film, as a conversion it still looked a little flat, I was hoping the jungle would really come alive and take me. But it did not detract from my enjoyment one little bit and I will admittedly always grab the glasses for a slice of 3D action if there is ever a choice.

This classic Arnie Sci-Fi Action-er is ultimately re-watchable. You’ve seen it hundreds of times, you quote each line seconds before they happen, you even know the sound of each and every gun shot and explosion as they are about to occur. This is my most quoted film, at least once a week I shoe horn a Predator quote into my everyday life: from “I’m gonna have me some fun” to “I wouldn’t wish that on a broke dick dawg” … Amazing.

The music is completely iconic. Alan Silvestri’s score is right up there with the greatest scores in film. Coupled with some fabulous sound effects. It’s quite simply perfect. It’s so apt and effective, driving the film forward with an urgency like no other. It gets your blood pumping and puts you right in the jungle maze with them. It’s as if the Jungle just came alive and took him… Sorry.

This is Arnie’s finest hour. Yes he’s fantastic in Total Recall but here he is doing what he does best. Big, bold, mumbling muscle. Wielding a gun as large as a child in one hand and with a list of one liners at the ready, he storms this performance. He is together with a crack team of commandos - an eclectic mix of characters played by an equally eclectic mix of actors. Carl Weathers has either been airbrushed within an inch of reality or is wearing so much make up at the start of this film. His face is just too smooth, almost like he’s made of putty or like the jungle came alive and paint shopped him. Jesse Ventura’s larger than life character just fits right in here. And of course the late and great Sonny Landham as the ju-ju bag fondling tracker whose lines are just amazing, such a mix of muscle must have been hell for McTiernan to direct, but boy did he do well! In such a difficult terrain he pulled it out of the bag in momentous style.

This crack team go on a rescue mission in the Central American jungle. The mission goes from bad to worse as they soon realise a dangerous alien predator is hunting them down one by one. It’s tense, fast paced and full to the brim with enough action and bullets to take down a small country. It has got some great shocks and splattered with some well-placed gore as the team gets picked off in an array of bloody violent ways. It’s ultimately thrilling and will always stand tall as one of the great Action Sci-Fi Thrillers of all time!

“GET TO DER CHARRPARR!” (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)

Film4 @ 0105      It Follows (2014) *****

Don’t miss David Robert Mitchell’s superb modern Horror on Film4. After a sexual encounter - Jay can’t escape the feeling something is after her. Something relentless. So - yes, it’s probably some statement about safe sex.. but it’s so much more! It’s not often I throw 5 stars at a Horror movie. This one pushed all my buttons. So… why so good? Well, in the eternal struggle of the genre to produce new ideas that move away from either pure paranormal jump scares or intensely shocking gore-fests - It Follows steps confidently to one side with a suspense filled, tension busting, atmospheric, and 80’s saturated thriller. The awesome soundtrack keeps the film bubbling over literally all the way through… I need to buy this soundtrack. It’s bloody fantastic! It’s all wrapped up in such a stylish way, I can’t wait to watch it again. Hit Record!

Best of the rest:

C5 @ 0920        Gone with the Wind (1939) *****

More4 @ 1245 The Jewel of the Nile (1985) ***

ITV1 @ 1255     Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) ***

Film4 @ 1500   Jingle all the Way (1996) ***

C5 @ 1615        Scrooge (1951) ****

Spike @ 1630   Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) ****

ITV2 @ 2100     Casino Royale (2006) ****

Film4 @ 2100  Anchorman: the Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) ****

Syfy @ 0100     Akira (1988) *****

CHRISTMAS DAY MONDAY 25th DECEMBER

HOT PICKS!

BBC1 @ 1320     Toy Story 3 (2010) *****

Another great success for Pixar, they really know how to pull the heart strings of an audience both young and old. Toy Story 3 lives up to the hype with its wonderful characters who we know and love gallivanting through the superbly written story with plenty of drama, comedy, laughs, thrills and, of course, heart wrenching emotion that concludes this great trilogy.

Woody and Buzz are put through their paces when they are accidentally packed off to a nursery, here we are introduced to a host of new characters that all have great merit, especially Ken, Mr. Pricklepants and Chuckles the Clown, who all add some great comedy moments to an already funny film. However I was a little creeped out by Big Baby and the cymbal banging monkey - a little intense for the younger of viewers… and of course me. All the characters are once again excellently voiced by a huge list of equally huge names - but most importantly they become the characters completely - so you are never detracted from the film with the realisation of the voice behind the character which can so often mar the full immersion into an animated story.

As soon as our favourites decide to escape we are thrown into their action packed ride to freedom. The direction, animation and pace are all top notch, never does the story lose pace or interest.

I originally watched this in 3D - which I must add is not a necessity. I thought it would have been another film that suffers with the whole “being created specifically for 3D” and it almost becoming the driving force behind various scenes but I am thankful that Pixar focused purely on the film and didn’t sell out for an obvious 3D showcase.

I was looking for a reason to not give Toy Story 3 the full 5 stars but I could find no such reason. It’s a great success, my favourite of the trilogy and has once again proved the Pixar team are masters of animation and storytelling.

C4 @ 1435     Scrooged (1988) *****

One of my favourite Christmas films of all time: Scrooged. In the pilot seat of this version of the Christmas Carol is the hilarious Bill Murray. He plays the bitter and twisted film executive Frank Cross who is in charge of the TV networks big Christmas Day TV program. He gets visited by three rather different takes on the Christmas Ghosts, from the cigar smoking foul mouthed taxi driver Ghost of Christmas Past to the angelic looking but rather violent Ghost of Christmas Present, you are in for a brilliant ride through Frank’s life. The characters really make this film a success - all of them are perfect, backed by a fantastic script and great directorial vision from Richard Donner - he’s squeezed in enough jokes, tenderness and a hell of a lot of heart that will certainly get you in the Christmas spirit.

C4 @ 1750    Home Alone (1990) *****

Macaulay Culkin accidentally gets left behind by his family over the Christmas holidays and defends his house against two of the worst burglars in history. No matter how annoying the little rascal is and whatever time of year, nothing can ruin this classic family adventure. It is Christmas after all!

Horror @ 2100    Big Trouble in Little China (1986) *****

If I’m ever in doubt of what film to watch to put a huge smile on my face and forget about the woes of the real world then I always reach for Carpenter’s classic Big Trouble in Little China. Most importantly this film is a whole lot of fun. It’s full of laugh-out-loud moments with an absurdly funny script and always raises smiles.

Kurt Russell is Jack Burton, an all American action-hero-wannabe. He’s a fast talking, macho, gambling, truck driver with tons of gloriously cheesy one liners. He agrees to help out an old friend by driving him to the airport to meet his fiancé who…guess what… gets kidnapped… from here Jack gets tangled up in a web of martial-art-fantasy-madness in San Francisco’s China Town.

This is one of the most entertaining Carpenter films that somehow manages to walk the very fine line of cheesy-but-good. It somehow walks this line so well it’s become a true cult classic. It quite simply cannot be missed.

…Okay. You people sit tight, hold the fort and keep the home fires burning. And if we’re not back by dawn… call the president.

Film4 @ 2100    Kingsman: the Secret Service (2015) ****

On release I wasn’t too fussed about this and let it pass me by unwatched. A film that on the surface looked like - just another Spy movie rehash, with a chavvy kid ultimately redeeming himself - it just felt a bit off. Then on recommendation I caught up with it on Blu Ray release - and was very happy I did too!

Matthew Vaughn - who we have to thank for Kick-Ass, Stardust and X-Men First Class - bring us into the crazy world of Kingsman - a Secret Spy organisation here to save the world. It unashamedly mimics the likes of Bond - constantly referring to itself as being “not that kind of movie” and has such huge set pieces and layered with tons of action - you will be hooked from the out. It’s funny too - it has plenty of comedy that made me chuckle. It’s sometimes silly but keeps its feet on the ground just enough to stay credible. It was a riot on my first watch and it holds up to repeat viewings. Need some fun on TV tonight? Get this on the telly.

Best of the rest:

ITV1 @ 0925    National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) ***

Film4 @ 1100  Arthur Christmas (2011) ***

C5 @ 1305       Singin' in the Rain (1952) *****

ITV1 @ 1510    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) ****

C4 @ 1630       Dumbo (1941) ****

TCM @ 1655   Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) *****

Film4 @ 1700  Romancing the Stone (1984) ****

More4 @ 1800 Miracle on 34th Street (1947) *****

TCM @ 1855    Gremlins (1984) *****

ITV2 @ 1945     Skyfall (2012) ****

ITV4 @ 2100     The Dirty Dozen (1967) ****

5* @ 2100         There's Something About Mary (1998) ****

Sky1 @ 2200    The Rock (1996) ****

Film4 @ 0120  The Warriors (1979) ****

ITV1 @ 0145    The Dam Busters (19540 ****

Sony @ 0225   Little Miss Sunshine (2006) *****

BOXING DAY TUESDAY 26th DECEMBER

HOT PICKS!

Film4 @ 1455    Paddington (2014) ****

Who would have expected a live action / CGI cross over of the much loved story of Paddington would work - but it absolutely does. It’s charming, heart-warming and walks the line of sentimentality that never goes too far, it honours the original material and brings an altogether joyful experience to all that watch it. A sure hit with children and adults alike, with enough sequences of absurd action and moments of effective comedy that keep the flow continuously. A truly lovely film. Don’t miss it.

ITV1 @ 1530     ET the Extra Terrestrial (1982) *****

This magical story of a boys love for a lost alien is truly heart-warming and one of Spielberg’s finest films. The family dynamic works wonderfully addressing really grown up themes with a rich and realistic platform that springs an unmissable story of friendship, love and loss. A childhood adventure full of heart and accessible to the whole family. It’s amazing that after all this time that little plastic turd like creature still makes me shed a tear.

BBC1 @ 1545    Mary Poppins (1964) *****

A truly magical story. One of my all-time favourite Disney films. The songs are all iconic and always inspire a sing-a-long. After watching the very impressive Saving Mr. Banks and learning more about this films difficult transition to the big scene, it seemed rude not to immediately watch Mary Poppins. It's big, bright and bold sets, larger than life characters, amazing songs and choreography and most importantly a very strong story, give this Disney a real edge over its peers. Magical for kids and adults alike.

C4 @ 1800    Back to the Future (1985) *****

Numerous filmmakers have attempted to construct a story and explain the most difficult and almost incomprehensible subject of Time Travel but the one that manages to nail it with surprising ease is Robert Zemeckis in this family action packed adventure Back to the Future!

This is my all-time favourite film and is complete cinematic enjoyment. We follow the unlikely friendship between school teenager Marty McFly and the eccentric scientist Dr. Emmett Brown. As Doc reveals his latest experiment, the iconic nuclear powered DeLorean time machine, things turn dangerous as the gun-toting terrorists Doc ripped off to get the plutonium, arrive on the scene. In an attempt to escape Marty jumps in the DeLorean and is sent back to the year 1955. We follow Marty’s adventures as he attempts to get back home to 1985.

Oh - and check out my Christmas Jumper! Secret Santa WIN. Thanks Rebecca Carver. :)

ITV1 @ 1840    Jurassic World (2015) ****

I could watch Bryce Dallas Howard running across rough terrain in her heels all day long. Welcome to Jurassic World - in a universe where previous massive disasters at creating dinosaur parks are completely ignored... again. It's a bigger, better and more exciting park but the money mad corporate suits want bigger, scarier and more dangerous. What could possibly go wrong? Well it does - obviously and Star Lord and our ginger high-heeled Howard go about saving the day. With enough nods to the amazing original it keeps the show on the road, by no means reaching the standard of Jurassic Park it is still a lot of fun and very worth a gander.

TCM @ 1910   Airplane! (1980) *****

Essential comedy viewing. Airplane! stands tall as one of the funniest classic comedies to date. Yes - it’s politically incorrect in parts but this 80’s comedy has hundreds of reasons to be forgiven. Leslie Nielsen’s ability to dead pan jokes was phenomenal. This disaster spoof is one of the best comedy greats and will surely remain up there with the best for many years to come… and don’t call me Shirley.

Film4 @ 2100    Ex Machina (2014) *****

I can’t believe this was Alex Garland’s directorial debut. He was the writer on 28 days Later and Sunshine - so here’s his directorial debut and it’s unmissable. It’s hard to even think this is his first film at the helm. The film oozes beauty in every shot - the clinical setting and awesome camera work produce some fantastic visuals in what is in essence a very tight and small set with 3 main characters in the most part. Ex Machina is one of the best Sci-Fi films to come out in recent years. It follows Domhnall Gleeson as Caleb, a 26 year old coder for the world’s largest internet company. He wins a competition to spend a week at the private mountain retreat of the company CEO - Nathan (Oscar Issac). Nathan is a recluse and the social interactions between the two are fascinating. Caleb finds out that he is to participate in an experiment interacting with the world’s first true artificial intelligence, housed in the body of a beautiful robot girl played by Alicia Vikander. This is true Sci-Fi. It could very easily be set right now. It’s only a matter of time before one of the big players launch something truly stunning. Thought provoking, brilliantly story telling that keeps your eyes glued to each interaction and the wonderful script wraps its way right through you. It lingers long after the credits roll. Don’t miss this. Look out for the trailer for his next step into Sci-Fi that I for one am very excited about… Annihilation.

Best of the rest:

TCM @ 0855    Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) *****

ITV1 @ 0925    Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) *****

C5 @ 1150       Chariots of Fire (1981) ****

TCM @ 1215    Singin' in the Rain (1952) *****

TCM @ 1415    Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) *****

ITV2 @ 1435     A Bug's Life (1998) ****

TCM @ 1615    The Dirty Dozen (1967) ****

C4 @ 1620       The Little Mermaid (1989) *****

ITV2 @ 1640    Despicable Me (2010) ***

ITV2 @ 1900    Uncle Buck (1989) ****

Sky1 @ 2100   Minority Report (2002) *****

W @ 2100       The Beach (2000) ****

Syfy @ 2100    Serenity (2005) ****

More4 @ 2100 The Green Mile (1999) ****

Sony @ 2100  A Few Good Men (1992) ****

5* @ 2100       Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) *****

C5 @ 2200      Dirty Dancing (1987) ***

C4 @ 2310      Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) ****

Film4 @ 2310  X-Men: First Class (2011) ****

Horror @ 0040 They Live (1988) ****

Film4 @ 0145  The Breakfast Club (1985) ****

WEDNESDAY 27th DECEMBER

HOT PICKS!

Film4 @ 1100    ParaNorman (2012) ****

Check out this impressive stop motion animated adventure from the makers of the dark and quirky Coraline. I was immediately taken aback by the sheer detail - it is beyond comprehension. With Norman having over 40,000 different printed facial expressions you can see the level of detail they were aiming for here. You’d be forgiven for not realising this is stop motion animation. With a cracking script and great balance of comedy, horror and drama this is definitely one to stick on your watch list.

Norman is an 11 year old boy who can see, hear and talk to the dead. We follow him on his personal journey against adversity and ultimately on to saving the town.

This is an extremely well presented animated feature. Slightly scary for very young viewers but a welcomed darker side to the genre.

C4 @ 1630    Back to the Future Part II (1989) *****

Check out this wonderful vision of the present day in BTTF2. An amazingly ambitious paradox filled second film in the trilogy. Equally intelligent and makes time travel easily accessible to all ages, one thing of note is what the first film had in amazing character credibility the second focuses heavily on style. It’s all about a visuals. However you feel this compares to the amazing original - it still stands strong as a brilliant, solid, fascinating and downright exciting sequel in one of the greatest adventure trilogies put to film.

ITV4 @ 2205     Jaws (1975) *****

The birth of the blockbuster. Spielberg’s suspense filled thriller is packed with shocks and surprises. Such a simple premise executed perfectly. With such iconic music, both kids and adults alike can’t stop themselves humming the tune as they creep up on someone in a swimming pool with their hand on their head like a rudimentary fin. Classic. One of the best. Perfect holiday film fodder.

Best of the rest:

TCM @ 0955      The Dirty Dozen (1967) ****

BBC1 @ 1420    Shrek 2 (2004) ****

BBC1 @ 1610     Big Hero 6 (2014) ****

Film4 @ 1635     Scrooged (1988) *****

C5 @ 1655         The Guns of Navarone (1961) ****

Film4 @ 1845     Super 8 (2011) ****

E4 @ 1930           I, Robot (2004) ****

Syfy @ 2100       Waterworld (1995) ****

ITV1 @ 2000       Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) ****

5* @ 2200           Django Unchained (2012) *****

C4 @ 2305          East is East (1999) ***

TCM @ 2325       Apocalypse Now (1979) *****

Horror @ 0055   We are Still Here (2015) ***

THURSDAY 28th DECEMBER

HOT PICKS!

5* @ 1505      The Burbs (1989) *****

Tom Hanks is in his comedy prime starring as Ray Peterson in this hilarious 80’s comedy classic. It’s way up there in my favourite Hanks comedy performances.

Ray is on holiday from work and to the annoyance of his wife decides to spend his vacation investigating the odd goings on of his creepy new next door neighbours: The Clopeks. When an old man who lives at the end of the street appears to be missing, Ray, together with some other neighbours in his street, are certain the Clopeks have something to do with it. They go on a mission to find proof.

It’s absolutely hilarious throughout and the characters are all nothing short of superb - from Rick Ducommun’s “Art Weingartner”, the childish, gossip-mongering buffoon, to Bruce Dern’s “Rumsfield”, the paranoid ex-Army, flag flying Lieutenant. It really is a neighbourhood full of quirky and interesting characters that fill this film with top class comedy situations, both verbal and physical - I adore the scene at the beginning of the film where Art is eating all the food in Ray’s house and accidentally eats some dog food. Subtle and priceless physical comedy. It’s perfectly timed and laugh out loud funny. It’s just one example of this films comedy credentials.

This film always hits the spot and shows Tom Hanks at his very best. It’s a great bit of fun, ultimately re-watchable, and so very quotable. This is a film guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Watch this.

TCM @ 2140      Full Metal Jacket (1987) *****

I’ve had many discussions regarding people’s favourite War movie? …and this is mine. Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket is superb. It’s full of classic Kubrick shots and some stellar performances making this a true bonafide classic. The film has 2 clear parts; the first part of the film goes through the marine training from day one of their induction, with a powerful opening scene of each character getting their heads shaved, removing their identity. This training part of the film is bar far the highlight of the movie. The second part, although different is extremely complimentary and deals with their introduction to real army life out in their new various roles, specifically focusing on “Joker” in his role as war correspondent for the Stars and Stripes publication. The film shows the Vietnam War from their perspective and how their lives are consumed by it.  It is full of interesting characters, particularly Private Pyle played by the brilliant Vincent D'Onofrio. Lee Ermey’s wild eyed and aggressive drill instructor is almost cartoon in his extremes and pushes the new recruits to the very limit of their capabilities… and in some cases beyond.  Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket is a triumph of cinema and a much watch film. Like War films? Love this.

BBC2 @ 2330    Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013) ****

I’ve always been a fan of Steve Coogan’s Alan Partridge, and here we get him in a feature length comedy, packed full of genuinely funny, well written, splendidly timed jokes. The film follows Alan as he gets mixed up in a hostage situation at his local radio station after a corporate take-over pushes a DJ over the edge. Laugh out loud comedy whether you are a fan of Partridge or not - this will get you smiling from ear to ear.

Best of the rest:

BBC1 @ 0900   Pirates! An Adventure with Scientists! (2012) ***

Film4 @ 1100   Jingle all the Way (1996) ***

BBC1 @ 1420   Shrek the Third (2007) ***

BBC1 @ 1610   How to Train your Dragon 2 (2014) ***

TCM @ 1815    The Lord of the Rings: the fellowship of the Ring (2001) *****

ITV1 @ 2000     Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) ****

ITV2 @ 2100      Casino Royale (2006) ****

Spike @ 2100   Enter the Dragon (1973) ****

Sony @ 2100    Little Miss Sunshine (2006) *****

ITV4 @ 2105     The Fugitive (1993) ***

C4 @ 2305        About a Boy (2002) ****

Sony @ 0130    A Few Good Men (1992) ****

FRIDAY 29th DECEMBER

HOT PICKS!

BBC1 @ 0900    Monsters Vs. Aliens (2009) ****

I originally watched this purely to get a 3D fix and yes the 3D is excellent as it was made around that concept. I didn’t expect much but I really quite enjoyed this film - mainly down to the tons of movie references packed into this and there were some surprising laugh out loud moments.  The one liners from Seth Rogen, Will Arnett and Stephen Colbert are great. It’s definitely no Pixar and really works when watched in 3D and as a 2D film it still holds up well.

BBC1 @ 1425     Up (2009) *****

Yet another amazing Pixar. I really don’t know how they keep doing it. They have set their standards so high that although you don’t want them to - you kind of expect them to fail…. This is definitely not the case with the bizarre story of Up. Amazing animation - a great score and most importantly a great story makes this a top class animation. I was concerned about its bizarre premise but the story is close to perfect and has a great balance of fun, hilarity and the classic Disney sadness / tragedy from loss. Full of smart dialogue and the addition of “Dug” the dog is comedy at its best. This sad at times Pixar is both tender and funny. A classic Pixar success.

ITV2 @ 2000     Skyfall (2012) ****

Skyfall succeeded as it did not feel the need to carry on the story of its previous films - as it kicks off with an amazing car chase we know we are in for a treat. This film does not disappoint and it’s a darker more realistic Bond film that has kept up nicely with current times. After we all witnessed the fantastic Bourne Trilogy our tastes for this style of film got a bit more grown up. Mendes does a sterling job with Skyfall and has reassured me the franchise still has a lot of life left in it. Admittedly it does go a bit “Home Alone” towards the final act but I love the fact Bond films have almost no CGI. A great entry to the Bond franchise.

ITV1 @ 2000     Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) ****

If you want big battles, wizardry and spell bounding excitement - you do get a couple of crowd pleasers but this instalment of the Potter films focuses more on relationships. It's full of teenage crushes, giggling looks, teenage kisses and romance which was funny in places but also a little more for the teenage audience. In fact the scene where Ron’s sister kneels down to tie Harry’s shoe lace is pure awkward hilarity.

I have not read the books and I did feel the need for certain clarifiers to some partly explained and explored sub plots. There is a hell of a lot going on in this film. It just about gives enough of everything to keep confusion at bay. It is one of the more busy Potter films.

As always it looks amazing, today’s standard of CGI has allowed for this wonderful fantasy world to feel completely real. The young cast have all grown into their roles and give this film quality clout. I was also particularly impressed with Daniel Radcliffe in this film, especially during the scene where he took the luck potion - It was nice to see something different from him.

Although originally this was not one of my favourite Potter films it was more than good enough to keep the buzz alive, but now after numerous watches this Potter holds strong, and what small things frustrated the first time round, now seem altogether more whole and this has become a quality instalment to the Potter series I always enjoy returning to.

Best of the rest:

ITV3 @ 1030     Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) *****

Film4 @ 1100   Rango (2011) ****

C5 @ 1320        Labyrinth (1986) ****

TCM @ 1515    The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring (2001) *****

Film4 @ 1630   Arthur Christmas (2011) ***

C5 @ 1710        Footloose (1984) ***

ITV2 @ 1755     A Bug's Life (1998) ****

TCM @ 1840     Bullitt (1968) ****

More4 @ 2100 The Green Mile (1999) ****

Spike @ 2100   Fury (2014) ****

Horror @ 2100 The Mist (2007) ****

BBC1 @ 2115   Gone Girl (2014) ****

TCM @ 2255    Black Hawk Down (2001) ****

Film4 @ 2300   Predator (1987) *****

ITV4 @ 2320    Total Recall (1990) *****

SATURDAY 30th DECEMBER

HOT PICKS!

5* @ 1335       Teen Wolf (1985) *****

Teen Wolf always holds a place in my heart… I love it a little more than it deserves, but who cares. Michael J. Fox is Scott Howard, an average kid who plays for his unsuccessful school basketball team and works part time for his Dad in the local Hardware store. He is fed up of being so average and craves for excitement and success, but he could have never prepared for what happens next. Scott soon realises he comes from a family of Werewolves as one night at a party he begins to go through changes that alter the course of his school life, basketball success and relationships with his family and friends, forever. Teen Wolf is a great bit of 80’s family fun; Michael J. Fox is in his prime and really makes this film a success. With a great 80’s soundtrack and a superb story, Teen Wolf has everything you need for Weekend film escapism. It’s great fun, full of comedy and certainly has the feel good factor.

BBC1 @ 2000   Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) ****

Whedon managed to cram in a shed load of oldies but goldies, a fair few newbies and a shed load of robot Ultrons and somehow still made this a coherent and enjoyable MCU spectacular. Well done Whedon. It stuck to the age old Marvel formula resulting in a huge over the top sky battle of world ending CGI nonsense - but it was very good wasn't it. You know you loved it. Expectations were set to ridiculous levels and it still came out relatively unscathed by critics and fans alike. In more recent times I am happy to see the MCU films taking on new directions - with Thor Ragnarok and Deadpool taking a step out of the box is a refreshing change. Avengers: Age of Ultron was a fantastic sequel to a fabulous first film.

Film4 @ 2310    The Guest (2014) ****

Adam Wingard dished out a very entertaining romp with 2014’s The Guest. It leans on my love of the 80’s and combined with a cool synth-filled-soundtrack and some nice visuals this hits all my spots.

A soldier arrives at the home of the Peterson family and claims to be a friend of their son who died in action. He is welcomed into their home but soon suspicion arises in the household and some seemingly accidental deaths are coincide with his arrival. Its twists may not be the subtlest but it all gels rather nicely with some good quality action and tension. Watch this.

Best of the rest:

5* @ 1525       *batteries not included (1987) ****

ITV3 @ 1545    The Wizard of Oz (1939) *****

TCM @ 1645    Bullitt (1968) ****

ITV1 @ 2000    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) ****

ITV2 @ 2100    Bridesmaids (2011) ***

W @ 2100       The Beach (2000) ****

Film4 @ 2100  Men in Black 3 (2012) ***

TCM @ 2100   Black Hawk Down (2001) ****

Sky1 @ 2200   Minority Report (2002) *****

Syfy @ 2250    Serenity (2005) ****

ITV1 @ 2300    The Mask (1994) ****

Spike @ 2305  Enter the Dragon (1973) ****

C4 @ 2320       Speed (1994) ****

ITV4 @ 0005    The Dirty Dozen (1967) ****

TCM @ 0000    Goodfellas (1990) *****

Film4 @ 0115   Taxi Driver (1976) *****

NEW YEARS EVE SUNDAY 31st DECEMBER

HOT PICKS!

C5 @ 1700     The Lego Movie (2014) ****

Hilarious, heartfelt a wonderful story of the underdog reaching his true potential. It's a machine gun gag reel of monstrous proportions, you will struggle to keep up from laugh to laugh. Excellently visualised - albeit quite frenetic - Lord and Miller have created something that instead of being an overly long toy advertisement - is a re-watchable comedy classic. This is NOT just for kids - it bridges the age gap amazingly and this should not be dismissed as a simple kids film. Get it on your watch list. The Lego Movie is responsible for me shouting "SPACESHIP" whenever there is mention of a spaceship or in fact any situation involving hysteria. Its fallen short for me many times with strange sideways glances - but for fans of The Lego Movie - one of my favourite scenes is Spaceman redemption. I will continue to shout it until I'm old and grey. Awesome.

ITV1 @ 1950    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) *****

A very satisfying final act to one of the greatest film franchises ever. A suitably grand vision for this final chapter with spectacular action sequences. Everyone gets their moments here and all that troubles me now is how many different types of elaborate limited Blu ray box sets I’ll be wasting my money on… I already have 2!

Film4 @ 2335     An American Werewolf in London (1981) *****

It’s only in the last 7 years that I saw this film for the first time and I was concerned that I had missed the boat and it would be horrendously outdated, but I was pleasantly surprised. It barely shows its age at all!

The story begins with two American back packers on the remote moors of England that lose their way as they turn to a local village for help they find a rather unaccommodating group of villagers and they soon realize they are well and truly on their own. As they cross the moors they are attacked by a huge wolf like creature! The villagers appear to be covering up the true horrors of their encounter.

It has a real interesting mix of horror and comedy that is really quite subtle. The lighter moments offset the horror in a real complimentary way and the 80’s “moon” related soundtrack seemed rather odd to start with but adds yet another layer to the overall experience. Unlike today’s heavy reliance on CGI, director John Landis had to rely on physical effects and make up when putting together the transformation scene. It is an absolutely amazing job - every elongation of limbs and warping of body parts is done with amazing skill that looks very realistic and quite horrifying even to today’s standards.

Overall, the film is based on a very simple idea but is executed in a very accomplished way. If you haven’t seen this film, push it to the top of your to do list.

Best of the rest:

C4 @ 1355        We Bought a Zoo (2011) ***

Film4 @ 1420  Scrooged (1988) *****

C5 @ 1455       Groundhog Day (1993) *****

Syfy @ 1800     Waterworld (1995) ****

Film4 @ 1855  Home Alone (1990) *****

E4 @ 1900        I, Robot (2004) ****

5* @ 2100         There's Something About Mary (1998) ****

Film4 @ 2100    Kingsman: the Secret Service (2015) ****

TCM @ 2100     Goodfellas (1990) *****

ITV4 @ 2200     Total Recall (1990) *****

Sony @ 2305    A Few Good Men (1992) ****

TCM @ 2350     Airplane! (1980) *****

Film4 @ 0130   Quadrophenia (1979) ****

NEW YEARS DAY MONDAY 1st JANUARY

HOT PICKS!

ITV2 @ 1900    Uncle Buck (1989) ****

John Hughes has given us some fantastic 80’s films and here’s one of my favourites: Uncle Buck. John Candy plays Buck, who gets called in to look after his niece’s and nephew due to a family emergency. This unlikely Baby Sitter struggles with his new family role but it always ends in comedy results. It’s lovely, light-hearted, laugh out loud funny with some really memorable scenes - particularly the mole scene. John Candy is comedy gold and I just adore Amy Madigan as Buck’s girlfriend. Need a comedy to watch? Watch this.

Sony @ 0055   Sunshine (2007) *****

Don’t miss Danny Boyle’s splendid venture into the space Sci-Fi genre: Sunshine. I love this film. It pulls from so many influences from Science Fiction greats such as Alien, 2001, and even Event Horizon. The film is set 50 years in the future, a team of astronauts are sent on a mission to reignite the dying sun. They are Earth’s last hope of survival.

Sunshine relies heavily on the quality of the cast to drive this through and they all do a sterling job. Particularly Cillian Murphy and Chris Evans. They all capture the essence of how 16 months cooped up in a confined space must make you feel. The mission takes a turn when they find the original lost ship from a failed mission in a decaying orbit around the sun. This is the beginning of a string of unfortunate and strange events that put not only their lives but their mission to save the world as well.

Boyle dishes out some seriously tense scenes and towards the end of the film it changes from Sci-Fi to Horror as certain things are revealed. Although not everyone welcomed these changes, I think they worked really well and it was a good twist ultimately carrying film to conclusion. Sunshine is a thrilling and very gripping Sci-Fi feast from a great British Director. A must see film.

Best of the rest:

ITV1 @ 0615      Flash Gordon (1980) ***

ITV1 @ 1310      Hugo (2011) ***

ITV3 @ 1315      The Wizard of Oz (1939) *****

Film4 @ 1435    Paddington (2014) ****

5* @ 1700         Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) *****

ITV2 @ 1705     Despicable Me (2010) ***

C4 @ 1730        Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) ****

E4 @ 1900        Titanic (1997) ****

ITV1 @ 2000     Spectre (2015) ***

5* @ 2000         Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) ****

Dave @ 2200    Kill Bill: Vol 2 (2004) ****

Syfy @ 2200     The Thing (1982) *****

TCM @ 2310     Blade (1998) ***

TUESDAY 2nd JANUARY

HOT PICK!

Spike @ 2300 Fury (2014) ****

There are plenty of war films with the same old formula, and this film does follow a rather formulaic approach, but here we focus solely on a U.S. Sherman tank crew. Not since the amazing Kelly’s Heroes had I seen a film focus on these tanks. A history lesson in itself for the ignorant and uneducated - the Nazi Tiger tanks they are up against completely and utterly out gun them and with armour so strong - the Sherman’s found it extremely difficult to stop them. Comparatively this film is nothing like the almost light hearted, satirically barbed Kelly’s Heroes, here we have a film attempting to capture the realism of war, the death, the squalor and the sheer inhumanity. It does this very well.

It’s dark, rich colour palette and beautifully framed cinematography certainly keep your eyes glued to the screen. The poor Sherman crews did not have much hope. We are taken deep inside the belly of “Fury” the Sherman tank with crew of 5 led by Don “Wardaddy” Collier played by Brad Pitt. Never before have I seen such oddly perfect hair styling in a war zone since Clint Eastwood’s barnet in Where Eagles Dare.

The claustrophobia of the tank is captured really well but it also somehow creates space with every odd angle when we see times where this crew felt secure in their new found home. The performances are the icing on the cake here with everyone pulling out performances to be very proud of. Not a film that will survive a re-watch mainly down to its bleakness, but never the less a film I am very pleased to have seen.

Best of the rest:

Film4 @ 1445 Antz (1998) ****

Film4 @ 2100 Die Hard 2 (1990) ****

TCM @ 2100 Blade (1998) ***

WEDNESDAY 3rd JANUARY

HOT PICK!

Comedy @ 2100     21 Jump Street (2012) ****

I’m a difficult customer when it comes to comedy but 21 Jump Street hit all the right notes for my difficult tastes. What a great surprise this film was! The trailer looked a little silly, Channing Tatum has had a fair share of negative press, everyone is getting a bit fed up of Jonah Hill these days - it just seemed like a dud from the start. I was very wrong indeed - Even on repeat watches it still stands up really well. Tatum and Hill are a hilarious pairing and they bounce the equally great script around with great comedy timing. It has 100’s of quotable one liners but most importantly it’s all wrapped up with real heart.

THURSDAY 4th JANUARY

HOT PICKS!

Film4 @ 1245    Rango (2011) ****

An absolutely stunning animation. You can certainly see why this won an Oscar. It’s visually flawless. This clever Western is packed with references to the greats and still manages to deal an original and always entertaining animation. It’s thick with interesting characters driving the story, Rango packs an emotional punch. One for adults to enjoy that will also keep the kids entertained.

Film4 @ 2310    Stoker (2013) *****

Park Chan-Wook’s first English language film is a stunning success. Mysterious and beautiful - I was completely hooked to the story at each and every perfectly placed turn. The amazing visuals are nothing short of breath-taking. Chung-Hoon Chung’s eye for Photography cannot be matched and this film seriously showcases his talent. The films pace is refined, almost cautious, never rushing the audience, always delicate and thoughtful, and thanks to the fantastic central cast this very simply story always seems thick, lush and robust to the very end. Experiencing this at the cinema was fantastic and it immediately became one of my favourite films of the year. After then seeing all the average reviews and even some negative press I approached my Blu ray re-watch with baited breath. This was all the more rewarding the second time around. Now on multiple watches I just become more appreciative. The use of sound is fantastic and as important as the visuals. This really is a feast for the senses. It firmly stamped its mark as number 2 in my top films of 2013. I always just want to stay right there and watch it all over again.

Best of the rest:

5* @ 1600      *batteries not included (1987) ****

TCM @ 1630  The Cruel Sea (1952) ****

Film4 @ 1855 Men in Black 3 (2012) ***

ITV2 @ 2100   22 Jump Street (2014) ****

TCM @ 2300   Mad Max (1979) *****

[letterboxd]

How I Letterboxd #3: Dave Vis

If you are one of the thousands of Letterboxd completists attempting to log every film on our official top 250, you have Dave Vis to thank for keeping that list current. He tells us why he adopted ownership of the list, how he felt when Parasite “dethroned” The Godfather, the curious case of A Dog’s Will, and several Dutch filmmakers worthy of discovery.

You wear your tenure proudly on your profile (“Member since 12/11/2011”). How did you come across Letterboxd way back then? I joined in the beta days when I got an invitation in November 2011 from a good friend who knew I was into film. Up to this date, I have no idea how she got a beta invitation for a movie geek website from New Zealand, but I’m happy she did!

Here’s the $49 question: How do you Letterboxd? I joined because I found it useful to keep track of everything I watched. At that point, I was probably still ticking off films from IMDb’s Top 250, and Letterboxd was a cool way to make other lists and see how I was progressing. When I started using the site more often, I also got to follow more users and enjoyed reading their takes on films. I don’t follow a lot of people, just a few that I know in real life and some other early adopters of the site whose opinions of film I got to value.

Talk us through your profile favorites. What spoke to you about these four films? The pragmatic reason for these four is that they were the last films I watched that got full marks from me. So the four favorites on my profile keep changing as I come across more films that I think deserve five stars. About the current ones: Jaws, of course, is an absolute classic, maybe even Spielberg’s greatest. How he creates that much tension with minimal exposition is masterful. Blade Runner 2049 baffled me, especially on an aesthetic level. I love how the story slowly unravels in probably one of the best world-building efforts of the last couple of years. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring doesn’t need much explanation, I think. Peter Jackson did what was generally thought impossible and in a way that had me walking out of the cinema in awe of the spectacle and production design. Last but not least, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. I’m a huge fan of the Studio Ghibli films and this one, [as well as] being the studio’s unofficial first, is probably my favorite. You can just tell that they worked years to get Hayao Miyazaki’s life’s work to the big screen.

Let’s get down to brass tacks: for the past six and a half years, you’ve been running the Official Letterboxd Top 250, one of our most popular and important lists. What prompted you to start the list? Did you think you’d be keeping it going this long? At least part of the credit goes to someone else on Letterboxd, because even my list is a cloned one! A great deal of thanks goes to a member called The Caker Baker, who sadly isn’t part of the community anymore, for having the idea of doing this list even before me. On the exact day Letterboxd introduced a sorting option by average rating on the Films page, he created the first top 250 list.

I decided to clone that list [Dave has archived it here], because I wanted to filter out the documentaries, shorts and miniseries. As long as I am interested in film and won’t have completed the list, I do see myself keeping it. I feel the overall quality of the list is outstanding and for my taste and film-watching experience it’s probably the best combination of blockbuster hits, timeless Hollywood classics, non-English spoken gems, and some pretty obscure entries.

What’s involved in keeping the top 250 up-to-date? What’s the hardest thing about it? Have you ever found the responsibility a burden—your ankle chained to Letterboxd each week? (We’re grateful!) These days it isn’t much of a bother at all, actually. I’m still so grateful for you guys introducing the ability to sort lists by average rating when editing them a while back. That was a huge relief, I can tell you! And apart from the odd comment when I’m a bit late on my weekly update or when I’m on a well-deserved holiday (yes, even the ankle chain comes off once in a while), I don’t feel like it’s a burden at all.

Let’s unpack it a bit. What are the best films you’ve discovered because of the list? Shoutout to my choices: A Special Day, Harakiri and The Man Who Sleeps. Harakiri is an excellent choice! If it wasn’t for Letterboxd’s top list, I would probably not even know about it today, although it also cracked IMDb’s top 250 last year. What a beautiful film. If I have to name two other, one would be The Cranes Are Flying. I’ve rarely seen a film about war being depicted so beautifully. The other is It’s Such a Beautiful Day, the animation by Don Hertzfeldt about a stick figure you get to care deeply about in a time span of just over an hour. Very different films that, without Letterboxd, the chances are next to zero that I would have checked either of them out. Joining a Kickstarter to finance my own Blu-ray edition of the latter was special too.

Béla Tarr’s 1994 masterpiece ‘Sátántangó’.

So, what’s your percentage-seen of the top 250? Which films rank highest on your list of shame? Are there any that you don’t think you’ll ever watch? At this moment I’m at 175 of 250, so 70 percent. I rarely consider films as being on a ‘list of shame’, but as I scroll through the unseen ones, there are a few that stand out. La Dolce Vita and Sátántangó [Editor’s note: recently re-released in 4K, nudge nudge] are ones that I feel I should have watched by now. Both are magnum opuses from legendary foreign filmmakers. Don’t really know why I haven’t though, but all in good time. Any that I think I’ll never watch? There’s not much I wouldn’t watch, but some are just so daunting in their runtime, that I’m not sure if I will ever feel up to the task (yes, La Flor, I’m looking at you). Probably also the reason I never popped Sátántangó in.

Has the way Letterboxd’s membership has changed and grown affected what’s in the top 250 in any interesting or unexpected ways? That’s not a very easy question to answer, because different people will be surprised about different things. However, you do see a trend—surprising or not—of traditional western cinema classics giving way to more non-English language films doing well on the list. Asian and Brazilian films have skyrocketed to great heights, often at the expense of western classics. Films that are traditionally doing great at IMDb, such as Pulp Fiction or The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, were in Letterboxd’s top ten for a long time, but have both dropped out of the top twenty. Beloved classics among film critics such as Citizen Kane, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans and Casablanca aren’t even in the top 100 anymore.

We now have a top ten with three Japanese films, one Taiwanese, one Russian, one Brazilian and a South Korean film at the very top. The only English spoken films left there are the two Godfathers and 12 Angry Men. I do tend to suspect that the growing community causes more diversity while also fuelling the more traditional moviegoers to broaden their interests. I personally think that’s a great development.

How did you feel when Parasite overtook The Godfather to become Letterboxd’s highest-rated film of all time? Do you think it’ll ever sink at this point? To say I was surprised is quite the understatement. For something to even come close to The Godfather’s record borders on sacrilege, let alone dethroning it. What you usually see is that new movies with overly positive reviews enter the list’s higher ranks with a bang, but when they are introduced to a bigger crowd, they slowly descend. For example, fellow acclaimed Best Picture nominees 12 Years A Slave, Her, Call Me By Your Name and Roma all peaked in the top twenty and only Call Me By Your Name is still in the list, at number 232 for now.

In these days of ready availability it is extremely hard to create something that has such a large following. That’s why this takeover by Parasite is so extraordinary. Seeing it rise day-by-day—even after the masses took it in—was something I didn’t think possible. I, for one, am very slow to watch new films, so when I got to watch it, it was already in first position. Safe to say my expectation level was through the roof, which probably wasn’t really fair. While I thought it was an excellent film, I personally wouldn’t rank it among my favorites. However, it’s not only the highest-ranked film on Letterboxd, but also the most popular one [a measure of the amount of activity for a film, regardless of rating]! So don’t expect to see it sink lower any time soon.

The top 250 is home to the largest comment section on the platform. Congrats! What’s monitoring that mammoth thread like? Thank you! Although that’s hardly an achievement on my part. I have to be honest, I don’t read everything in the comments section anymore. I try to keep up as much as possible, in order to respond to people who have an actual question. However, when I sign in in the morning and see dozens of new notifications, most probably about A Dog’s Will being in the top ten or about recency bias or about objective quality versus subjective quality, I let it pass me by every so often.

What is your take on A Dog’s Will’s rise to Letterboxd stardom? (At the time of writing, the 2000 Brazilian film from director Guel Arraes holds the number eight spot in the top 250.) Ah, there it is: the elephant in the room… My honest answer is a politically correct one, but also the truth: I haven’t seen it yet, so it’s impossible to pass judgment. However, from the comments section on the top 250, it seems clear that there are two camps: the Brazilians, who adore the film and continually claim the importance it in their cultural heritage. And there’s the other group, mostly non-Brazilians of course, who think it’s a fine film at best, but in their opinion not deserving of a top-ten spot. I’m quite impartial: if the statistics say that it is one of the best-rated films of the Letterboxd community, why would it not deserve to be there? I am curious though if more non-Brazilians will see it and if so, if that will have a significant effect on its rating. We can only wait and see.

Are there any films you’re surprised to have stayed in the list for so long? Conversely, what are some films that we’ll be surprised to hear have never made the list? If I have to name one film that I’m surprised about, it’s one I haven’t seen yet: Paddington 2. Every time I scroll past it, I find myself asking: “wow, this one still in?” It’s probably because I haven’t seen it, but it always strikes me as an odd one. I really have to seek it out some time. Some films that might shock people never having made it… Well, if you look at IMDb’s list for reference, you could say it’s shocking that a film like Forrest Gump never made it onto the list, but that might not be as much of a shock to Letterboxd members. Other popular crowd pleasers that never made it include E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Gladiator, all of Disney’s non-Pixar animated classics, and one of the films that also sparked my interest in movies, The Usual Suspects.

Dave has not seen ‘Paddington 2’.

I’ve actually been working hard on completing the list during quarantine and I finished it yesterday. Has anyone else gotten to 100 percent yet or am I the first? I have no idea, to be honest! There will probably be others who have, but I wouldn’t be able to name one. I suspect Jakk might have reached 100 percent at some point.

My completist streak will need a new avenue. What are your next most essential top lists? If you ever feel up for a challenge, I recommend Top10er’s 1001 Greatest Movies of All Time. He combined the average ratings of critics and users from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and Letterboxd, and then weighted and tweaked the results with general film data from several services. I have no idea how, but it’s a terrific list. Also, the directors’ favorites lists that are on Letterboxd are awesome. Edgar Wright’s 1,000 favorites and Guillermo del Toro’s recommendations are especially worth your while.

The top 250 list is the tip of the iceberg for the lists on your account. What is it you enjoy about keeping ranked lists? It’s a compulsion. I just really enjoy making lists, ranking films by certain directors, franchises or studios. Not really useful, mostly just fun to do! And I’m not the only one, it seems. Although, of course, lists like the Letterboxd Top 250 will always be an inspiration for finding well-rated films I haven’t seen yet.

Which films got you hooked on cinema? I do have a few titles that were important in terms of my film-watching development. Films like Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Jurassic Park came out when I was an early teenager and those were the ones luring me to the cinema to see and experience things you just couldn’t in the real world, both with groundbreaking special effects—I’m a sucker for those. Not much later, titles like The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction were popular and that’s probably around the time that IMDb’s list got my attention. That top 250 gets a lot of criticism, but the overall quality is fine and for me it was the perfect step in broadening my film-watching.

So, for a long time I watched a lot of films on that list and went to the cinema for your usual blockbusters, probably until Letterboxd arrived. That’s when I started watching the artsier stuff and foreign cinema of which, of course, all classics eluded me up till then. It was films like Seven Samurai, Persona and Werckmeister Harmonies that sparked that particular period. Now I just watch everything that comes my way that seems interesting or entertaining, from the new Marvel instalment to classic Godard.

Tell us about the one and only movie you’ve given a half-star. Ha, that’s an odd one… Once there was a challenge on the site that you could ask a fellow member to pick the next ten films for them to watch. I participated once and, of course, there would be underseen gems or personal favorites on that list, but also one or two that would be almost unwatchable. In my list that was Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny. If that title alone doesn’t give away how bad it was, watching the first five minutes will.

In your opinion, what’s the most underrated film according to Letterboxd average ratings? One that comes to mind, which was in the top 250 once, but has dropped substantially in the last few years, is Gravity. I also have a list where I collect all the films that were once in Letterboxd’s top 250 and it’s at the very bottom there. For me, seeing that film in a theater is what cinema is all about—finding new ways to immerse your audience into a movie experience they have never had before. Oh, did I mention I’m a sucker for special effects?

Dave is a sucker for special effects, including those in Alfonso Cuarón‘s ‘Gravity’ (2013).

As a Dutchman, please educate us: what are the greatest Dutch films people should see? The Netherlands doesn’t really have a thriving movie industry that brings its films across borders. If I have to give the essential tip, it would be Spoorloos, which was remade starring Kiefer Sutherland and Sandra Bullock and was not half as good. Other than that I would recommend Paul Verhoeven’s early work, such as Soldaat van Oranje and Turks Fruit, and the two Dutch films that won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, 1986’s De Aanslag and 1997’s Karakter. And to top it off, I want to mention two Dutch filmmakers worth your time, Alex van Warmerdam, director of De Noorderlingen, and Martin Koolhoven, director of Oorlogswinter.

What comfort movies are you watching whilst in quarantine? Are you working on any viewing projects? I actually am in a viewing project at the moment. One of mine and my wife’s guilty pleasures is superhero movies! So currently we are, again, on a Marvel Cinematic Universe rewatch streak. They just provide a wonderful form of escapism and are definitely deserving of the term comfort movies. Some are better than others of course, but the perspective of rewatching The Avengers, Thor: Ragnarok or Guardians of the Galaxy after a while still tends to fill me with excitement. In a way, there’s still a bit of the twelve-year-old in me that was so thrilled to see T2 or Jurassic Park.

How do you plan on inducting your kids into the cinephile life? Well, most important is that they just enjoy going to the movies like I did when I was young. Let’s hope we will be able to do so again in the near future. They are still young, but their access to screen time with Netflix, Disney+ and (mind-numbingly stupid clips on) YouTube is so different than the days when we were young. So having them watch some Ghibli classics is already quite a step. And then I think the rest should come naturally. If not, so be it.

Which, for you, are the most useful features on Letterboxd? Did you know they have a list with the 250 best rated narrative feature films? That’s basically all you need to know… All kidding aside, just reading reviews once in a while by fellow members whose opinions I value is still the heart of the service to me. That and the statistics pages. And browsing other lists.

Does anyone in your real life know that your list is kind of a Letterboxd big deal? Not really! Mostly because I don’t exactly feel that way about it. I mean: my wife knows, but other than that it’s pretty much still my pet project. To me, it’s still just a film enthusiast’s list that so happened to become the site’s official top 250. I do have to say that it is humbling to see the numbers of new followers every day—especially when Letterboxd mentions the list on her social accounts—and to realize that apparently almost 23,000 people around the globe have taken a liking to it.

Please name three other members you recommend we follow. Fellow countryman and longtime member DirkH. He is not as active as he was before, but writes beautifully personal reviews, always with his trademark witty humor or sometimes cheeky sarcasm, not always to the liking of everyone. You all got to know Lise in the first How I Letterboxd, but I’d definitely also recommend following her other half Jonathan White. His reviews are great, he knows so much about film and is always willing to share his thoughts or answer questions. And damn, that man can rhyme. Then there’s Mook, if only for his franchise lists. Check out his MCU list, it’s my go-to place when I want to read up on anything Marvel.

Related content

Official Top 100 Documentary Feature Films

Official Top 100 Narrative Features by Women Directors

Letterboxd’s ‘Official’ Top 50 of 2020

Several of the films mentioned in this interview—Sátántangó, La Flor—are (at the time of writing) available for virtual screenings. The details are in our Art House Online list.

[letterboxd]

Self-Defense.

“Tone is fun. Tone is like a fingerprint, and I’m trying to figure out what mine is.” —The Art of Self-Defense writer/director Riley Stearns tells us about his singular new film.

Leaning heavily into ideas centered around manliness, Riley Stearns’ new film The Art of Self-Defense feels pretty loaded. Although it’s clearly presenting itself as satire, the hot-button nature of its subject matter heightens the whole affair.

Set in what appears to be sometime in the 1970s or 1980s, or a cellphone-less present—you can never be quite sure—the film stars Jesse Eisenberg as Casey, a meek office drone who is violently mugged one evening. After recovering, he begins taking karate lessons at a local dojo and falls under the influence of his charismatic sensei, a man named… Sensei. Sensei is played by Alessandro Nivola in a hilarious performance that itself justifies seeing the film, but it’s worth it for several other reasons too, not least of which is a great turn from Imogen Poots, playing a fellow student.

Destined to be polarizing, The Art of Self-Defense affects a vibe that feels influenced in equal parts by Yorgos Lanthimos, Charlie Kaufman and Wes Anderson. For Stearns, who also helmed the 2014 cult-recovery feature Faults, a black comedy described by Letterboxd members as “terrific”, “inventive” and “original”, The Art of Self-Defense continues a never-ending exploration of tone, “the most important part of filmmaking”.

Letterboxd caught up with Stearns earlier in the year to talk jiu-jitsu, ambiguity, violence and the Coen brothers.

Writer/director Riley Stearns.

What was the impetus for you telling this story? Riley Stearns (writer/director): I think I started just worrying: what would happen if I got in a fight? What would happen if I got mugged? What would happen if I was with somebody I loved and something happened and I couldn’t defend them? And I just really didn’t know the answers to those questions. So I started looking into taking martial arts classes, and jiu-jitsu in particular is what I settled on. It was really out of fear initially, and now I do jiu-jitsu because it’s fun. It’s a hobby, it’s a sport that I like and it keeps me in shape. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done for myself, but it really started out of fear.

When I started writing the movie, I’d been doing jiu-jitsu for a little while. I wanted to make a movie in that world, but I realized I could take my experience and my fear and put it into the story, and I thought people might relate to that. And the really interesting thing is some of the guys I’ve shown it to have felt like they saw themselves in the character, even though for me, it’s a stylized and exaggerated version of myself. I see myself in the character, obviously, but I feel proud that they see themselves too.

Is this film’s time period deliberately ambiguous? Deliberately ambiguous, yes. I wanted to kind of be able to just mix technology. I happen to think that analog technology is more interesting-looking, and it adds a certain production design quality to the film that I really like. I don’t want people to have to think about the timeline too much. If you’re thinking ‘why is it ambiguous?’ that’s one thing. But thinking ‘oh there’s an iPhone 7, so this happened at that time’, I think it dates a film unnecessarily. I also try to stay away from cellphones just in general too. Because if you don’t have ’em and they’re never touched on, then you can’t use them, and that’s great, because it helps propel story. But yeah, it’s definitely an ambiguous timeline.

Having said that, your film delves into a subject that there’s so much discussion around right now in society: masculinity (and toxic forms of it). Is that a coincidence? I started writing this in 2015. I think the conversations were happening then, it was just a smaller version. Recently it has really picked up, [with] the #MeToo movement, and there’s people questioning and saying ‘no we’re not gonna take this anymore’. I think that’s amazing, but this was already something I was looking at doing for myself. Just saying, like, I’m a white guy and I’m middle-aged and I grew up in a middle-class family and this is my perspective, and so this hopefully is how I can help. It’s karate and it’s got action and comedy and all that, but I do think there’s a message at the heart of it. At the end of the day, it’s entertainment, for sure, but I don’t want to make something that’s pure entertainment. I want to make something that says something, at least. That was my goal.

The character of Sensei is really something else. What were your conversations with Alessandro Nivola like? For some reason I came up with this image that kind of started with Sensei: he’s the kind of guy who would wear sandals with socks. That’s who Sensei is. He’s a sociopathic character in the film, but he also is just a dork, too. I think he was the kid who was beat up in high school, probably started taking karate to be able to defend himself, thought it would make him cool. And at the end of the day, karate’s not necessarily the coolest thing in the world anyway. Anybody putting on a gi, you don’t look cool doing it. What you’re able to do from the martial art is one thing, but you don’t look cool in the gi.

I think Sensei just wants to belong. He wanted to belong to a group, and no group would have him so he kind of started his own, so he’s got his school, all these students look up to him, and he’s just pretending to be the cool person he always wanted to be. And he also just happens to be kinda crazy too. But yet, Alessandro had fun being that guy, just embracing the quirks of the character and not going the expected route.

There’s a declarative, deadpan tone to this film. Did you talk to your cast about tone? Definitely. ‘Deadpan’ is a word that’s used, and I think I accidentally slip into it here and there, but I like to say ‘literal’. In real life, we kind of hide the truth a little bit to be nice or friendly, and we don’t always express exactly what we’re thinking. I like to think that in the world of The Art of Self-Defense, everyone says exactly what they’re thinking. It’s either black or white, there’s no gray. And I think that helps inform the acting at times. Just saying what you think, and also a lot of times with quote-unquote jokes in the movie, I don’t think they work as well if you play it as a joke. But if you don’t play it as a joke, you play it dead serious, that’s where the humor lies. And we were really able to find that on set.

It’s hard to say that it’s a natural-feeling film, but I didn’t want it to feel so stylized that it takes you out of it. I wanted you to feel like this is just maybe a dimension over from us, a minute shift, but it’s enough that it makes things feel slightly off but it gives it its own world. I like building worlds, even if it’s not in some grand Avatar kind of way. Just hone and feel an atmosphere.

For me, tone is the most important part of filmmaking. I would rather have a nailed-down tone. I don’t know that I’m ever gonna achieve that; it’s always gonna be a battle to figure out what is perfect, but that means more to me than doing some really cool camera move. Or having some big explosion or something. I look at the Coen brothers and I say, like: how are they able to do exactly what they want to do with every single movie, and how does it feel like a Coen brothers film for me every single time? That’s an aspirational thing for me down the line; I want to get to that point where I know exactly what I want, we’re able to achieve it every time, and everyone’s on the same page. Tone is fun. Tone is like a fingerprint. And I’m trying to figure out what mine is.

Violence is a big part of this film. Were you trying to approach violence in a specific way? Um, not necessarily. I think that our society, in the United States especially, nudity and sex is so “horrible” to put on film, but everything gets away with violence. And I think that to a certain extent, that’s not a great thing, but I do happen to find a certain style of violence… when it’s used in a certain context. The films of Yorgos Lanthimos or… who else…

Paul Verhoeven? Yes. There you go. Haneke. There are ways of approaching violence that don’t glorify it, and I do think that there is humor in violence, but I know at the end of the day I’m making a movie. In real life, I’m not a violent person. I don’t like violent things. But being able to explore it is interesting in the context of the film. Maybe it’s the shock of it. Maybe I’m just being clichéd or whatever. But I do happen to find [violence] an interesting tool to be able to use. There are moments in the movie where we show the violence and there’s moments where we have it off camera. And I think being able to decide that may be too much, or being able to say, this is just doing it for shock and not adding anything to the discussion.

Something I definitely did in conceiving the way that we shot it, anything with fists or feet, like punching, very analog fights, all of that could be very bloody. But the moment we used weapons or guns or anything, I wanted [scene description redacted to avoid spoilers] to be almost not bloody at all. I didn’t wanna glorify the gun violence. But with the karate side of it, we just went balls-to-the-wall. So there’s also a little bit of that too, knowingly adding more to certain elements that you want to enhance. I don’t think people need to see [scene description redacted]. That’s not entertainment to me.

‘The Art Of Self-Defense’ is in US theaters now. Comments have been edited for clarity and length.

[letterboxd]

Magic.

“I was sort of shackled by Will Smith. And in these last couple of years, I’ve just started finding my freedom.”

Aladdin stars Will Smith, Naomi Scott, Mena Massoud and director/co-writer Guy Ritchie tell Letterboxd about the whole new world of the live-action adaptation.

We’re now well into the era of the Disney live-action remake, but something feels a little bit different about the new Aladdin.

The original was released just one year after 1991’s Beauty and the Beast, the subject of its own live-action remake in 2017. Although Disney fantasies tend to exist in their own space and time, modern filmmakers strive to put a contemporary stamp on their versions. In Kenneth Branagh’s 2015 remake of Cinderella, for example, this amounted to populating the background with more diverse families than in the original, and making the stepmother somewhat less evil (she’s grieving, folks).

But Guy Ritchie had a tougher job with the new Aladdin. The 1992 version felt so fresh when it came out, due to both its surfeit of pop culture references, and Robin Williams’s never-ending stream of impersonations in his inspired, riffy performance as The Genie, that it’s a film very much still in the public consciousness. That makes a live-action remake a trickier proposition, not to mention a challenge—even to a star of Will Smith’s stature—to make The Genie his own.

The new Aladdin downplays the pop culture aspects of the earlier film, but still gives Smith room to infuse The Genie with much of his own personality.

As Smith told us at a press event in Beverly Hills recently, the key to finding his way into the character came in the film’s music: Will Smith (The Genie): It definitely started with fear. What Robin Williams did with his character was, he just didn’t leave a lot of room to add to The Genie. So I started off fearful. But then when I got with the music, it just started waking up that fun, child-like, silly part of me.

The song that got me over the hump of “Yes, I can play Genie”, was Friend Like Me. I went into the studio the first day and I really wanted to play with it to see if I could add something to it. And literally 30 minutes in the studio, and starting to play with it and finding that in that 94, 96 BPM range, we were playing around in there, thinking ultimately it was a little bit faster than that. But that 94, 96 BPM range is right old school hip hop.

So I grabbed The Honey Drippers’ Impeach The President, which is a really classic old school hip hop break-beat. And I had them throw that break-beat under there. And I messed with that and I messed with Eric B. and Rakim’s I Know You Got Soul under Friend Like Me. And I was like “Oh my God. I’m home, I’m home!”. I started playing with the hip hop flavor and then The Genie was really born in my mind from the music.

Of all the animated remakes, Aladdin probably hews closest to the plot of its inspiration, with the bonus of Princess Jasmine’s arc being beefed up a bit. She’s now somewhat more in control of her own destiny, as evidenced by a new solo number, Speechless.

Actress Naomi Scott describes performing the new song, which was written for the film by Disney legend Alan Menken, along with La La Land and The Greatest Showman songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul: Naomi Scott (Princess Jasmine): The fact that they wrote a song and I get to sing it, first of all, I was like, wow. That’s already surreal. But then when I heard it and just the words and the lyrics and how timely it was, the message behind the song and the idea of not going speechless, that everyone has a voice, doesn’t matter who you are, doesn’t matter what you look like, doesn’t matter what your gender is, your voice matters. And speaking out against injustice matters. Not just standing by and being a spectator. That day was very emotional because I wanted it to feel raw. And I wanted it to feel like what she’s going through in that moment. We did some of it live as well which was a different type of challenge.

On Princess Jasmine’s 2019 character update: NS: I really think it was a natural progression. Guy said something which I thought was really great. He was talking about equality of challenge. The idea that Jasmine needed even more of a challenge in this movie as well. As I said, it’s a natural progression. The fact that she wants to become the leader. I kind of just want people to walk out and go, oh yeah, that makes sense, right? She should be the leader. It’s not this thing that’s been shoehorned in. It just makes sense. And she’s a human. For me as an actor, my main thing is, how do I humanize her, how do I give her depth? So those things just came naturally.

Guy Ritchie (director/co-writer): If there was anything that looked like there could be some evolution in this narrative, it was that there needed to be a voice given to Jasmine. I mean, Aladdin has been given enough challenges to get on with. Genie had his hands full. The most conspicuous character thereafter was Jasmine, who was arguably a tad bit passive in the original. And it just felt like there was an obvious space there that we could have worked on. And as Naomi said, it was about equality of challenge. Because there’s no point banging on about something unless you can back it up.

To me, it’s not really about gender as much as it is about an individual standing up for themselves at a pertinent time. And they can illustrate that point, they can articulate that point. And they have the breadth and personality to do that. And I think it really works actually, that part in the film, because it is backed up. So that just felt like it was the most obvious place that this narrative could evolve, was to give Princess Jasmine a voice and that she could back that voice up.

Naomi Scott and Mena Massoud on set with director Guy Ritchie.

On bringing his own directorial flavor to the project: GR: You’ll be surprised how familiar I am in this territory considering I’ve got five kids and the oldest one is 18, which pretty much means I’ve been up to me eyeballs in Disney productions for 19 years. And also, by sort of family demand, it was about time I made a movie that we could all watch together. So Aladdin ticked the box in the sense that it was a street hustler and I was familiar with that territory. And frankly, I was just ready to do something in this world. Of course, it’s very hard to be objective about your own work, but inevitably what happens is that you leave an imprint upon it. But you know some clever director once said that the lion’s share of directing is casting. And I think that’s true. And I think once we got our little team together, it didn’t take us long before we all dialled into that same frequency. But then it just all worked from there.

On the diverse backgrounds of the film’s cast (Massoud is Egyptian-Canadian, Scott is English-Indian): Mena Massoud (Aladdin): I’m especially proud of the representation and the ethnically diverse casting that was put together for this. It’s not often you can go to a movie theater and see all people of color represented like this. It’s certainly something that I was missing in my childhood. So I’m proud of the cast and the casting that Guy and Disney put together. I’m excited for little boys and girls to go see people that look like them on screen, man. That’s what I’m proud of.

On Will Smith’s decision to get back to work: WS: I took a couple of years off. And I guess I had sort of hit a ceiling in my life. I had created the things that I could create in my career. I was getting to the end of my wisdom with leading my family and I kind of got to a point where I had a bit of a collapse of my life and creations. So I took a couple of years off essentially to study; to study and journey spiritually.

Aladdin was really my first sort of coming back in and seeing if my heart was even still in this kind of performing, and what I discovered is everything starts with: what am I saying to the world? How does this piece contribute to the human family? Can I go around the world with the ideas that the movie represents and can I teach and preach these ideas in good conscience?

Aladdin checks all of those boxes. I love the idea of Genie, and one of the things that I related to in Genie is that the Genie has shackles. The Genie has these spectacular powers, but he’s shackled. Like, he is a prisoner of his spiritual fate. And that is sort of how I felt with Will Smith. I was sort of shackled by Will Smith. And in these last couple of years, I’ve just started finding my freedom, getting free of Will Smith and I’m getting more comfortable being me. So Aladdin was that first step back out.

On the power of Disney: WS: This is my first Disney movie. There’s something that Walt Disney did in the design of these stories that at the core shocks the inner child within you and forces it to come alive and smile and appreciate the moment. This was the most joyful experience of my career.

‘Aladdin’ is in cinemas across the globe now. Comments have been edited for clarity and length.

[letterboxd]

Most Picture.

There are many ways to predict how the Oscars will go. How much money is the studio spending on the campaign? How highly rated are the nominated films? How much work have nominees put in during the awards season? Is it simply their time?

For this 2019 horse race, we thought it would be fun to go for a different metric. A fool-proof statistical analysis to find not what is the Best Picture, but what is the Most. And with that, we set about investigating the stats on rewatches of the eight films nominated for Best Picture.

It turns out that plenty in the Letterboxd community have logged the Best Picture nominees more than once, and in some obsessive cases, well into double figures. We had a feeling, based on anecdotal mood and general noise, that A Star Is Born and Bohemian Rhapsody would be right up there in the stanning stakes. And they are (read on for our Q&A with Letterboxd’s most obsessive A Star Is Born fan). But also: The Favourite made the top three, and the film you have rewatched the most left the other seven in the dust.

Without further ado, Letterboxd presents the 2019 “Most” Picture Awards, ranked by the number of members who’ve watched the 2019 Academy Award Best Picture nominees two or more times (total in brackets, as of today).

Each film features a review from its greatest fan, i.e. the Letterboxd member who has logged the film more than any other (at the time of writing).

And the 2019 “Most” Picture Awards go to…

1. Black Panther (13,268)

“Would I see this movie a personal record high of seven times in theaters? For Wakanda? Without question.” —Krys (12 watches, seven in cinemas)

2. A Star Is Born (5,943)

“TIRED: discourse about whether or not the film hates pop music, all think pieces about whether the film thinks Ally is a sell out and what that means for feminism, discourse on whether Why Did You Do That? is a bop or not.

WIRED: discourse about whether or not Jackson Maine even had an ass good enough to inspire such pop perfection.” —Juliette (16 watches)

3. The Favourite (5,378)

“I miss this so much I dreamt it. Instead of riding, Sarah was doing cartwheels.” —CBotty (15 watches)

4. Bohemian Rhapsody (4,928)

“The critics can go fuck themselves. THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE I HAVE SEEN! (for the fifth time).” —Iain (16 watches)

5. Roma (4,270)

“Yes I’ve seen this twice today, yes i cried like a bitch both times, yes this is the only movie.” —Eve (7 watches)

“My feelings regarding Roma are complicated to say the least. It’s like dating the girl of your dreams, only to realize that you are completely incompatible, which ends in desperate clinginess for an ideal that was never true to begin with. It’s been a strange journey of love, disappointment, and eventual acceptance, where I’ve come to terms with my feelings. I still admire the hell out of it, and I hope it wins all the awards in the world.” —Orrin (7 watches, admittedly more times than they have actually seen it)

6. BlacKkKlansman (3,669)

“This movie is so fucking powerful, and I loved every second of it.” —Kota (6 watches)

7. Green Book (1,370)

“OK what a way to start the new year. I love this movie so much. Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali are for sure going to get nominated (and it’s well deserved).” —Anthony (5 watches)

8. Vice (1,164)

“8.4/10” —Harrison (4 watches)

Unpacking the re-watchability of A Star Is Born.

“I just expect it to be exactly what it is and to be there.”

Of the eight Best Picture finalists, Black Panther has been out the longest, had the largest budget, and has done the rounds of the streaming services. It was always gonna take the top spot in a rewatch match. But to figure out the rewatchability of second-place-getter A Star Is Born, we went to the film’s hardest stanner, Juliette, to help us understand why fans keep coming back even though it’s a complicated watch.

While Juliette’s multiple reviews are meme-tastic, quippy, punctuation-free gems of observation, when we asked her to explain herself, she went remarkably deep. Her replies may just make you want to take another look at Ally and Jack. [Note: this interview contains spoilers for the film’s plot.]

How many times do you think you have seen A Star Is Born? Juliette: I think I have seen the film sixteen times? I know for certain I have seen it fourteen times in theaters, but I’m not sure how many times I’ve watched it in the comfort of my own home since it’s been released on digital. There’s just something about the energy in a theater while this film is being screened. It gives me chills just thinking about it!

What keeps you coming back to it? It's so hard to pinpoint what exactly it is that draws me back to this film time and time again. I love a good love story when properly executed! I’m kind of obsessed with celebrity culture! I love a great musical! And like many people, the subjects of this film: alcoholism, mental illness, suicide, self-doubt, the cultivation of the self, love, mentorship, and reconciliation of one’s experiences with a flawed parental figure are all things that have permeated my life. Some of these things, I understand and have a firm grasp on, they feel definitive and their impacts are a tangible output. Some of these things, I still grapple with daily. There is little definition, largely just confusion and sporadic outbursts of pain.

When I return to this film, which I often do, the thing I don’t expect it to give me is answers. I don’t expect the film to be able to define for me what I must come to define for myself. I don’t expect it to clarify my confusion. I don’t expect it to eradicate the pain. I just expect it to be exactly what it is and to be there.

There’s a scene towards the end of this film where, while mourning the loss of his brother, Bobby explains how he heard one of Jackson’s songs performed at a bar. At first, it angers him. He feels like no one really knew Jackson. But then, something shifts and just hearing the song begins to soothe him. It reminds him that, in spite of their trauma and their turmoil, it isn’t all for nothing.

That’s what this film is for me. It soothes me. It reminds me that the facilitation of our healing can come through art. It reminds me that for people, who once felt broken and irreparable, it is possible to find love and happiness not just with another person, but within one’s self. It reminds me that our pain and our devastation can be met in equal measure with (and even maybe be overcome by) our brilliance, our triumph, and our devotion to one another.

What have you noticed with each rewatch? What I notice most with each subsequent rewatch of the film is what a massive undertaking the sound editing and mixing for this film must have been. I have such deep and profound respect and admiration for all the work that went into crafting the audio for this film! The film is such a visceral experience, one that truly engages all of the senses. I remember physically recoiling in the theater the first time I heard the sound of Jackson’s tinnitus. I remember feeling my entire seat shake in time with the music during the concert sequences.

I also have a sincere recommendation! Once you watch the film a few times, I really encourage you to watch the film just through the lens of watching Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real in the background of the pivotal scenes. It adds so much dimension to scenes you thought you already knew!

What is the single greatest scene in this version of A Star Is Born? As clichéd or “basic” as it may seem to say, there is no denying that the greatest scene in this film is when Ally joins Jackson on stage and the two perform Shallow together. It’s a cataclysmic and mesmerizing moment.

It’s the way Jackson physically steps back and acquiesces his spotlight to new talent. It’s the combination of awe and support in Jackson’s eyes as he watches Ally assume center-stage. It’s the way Ally assumes her place at the mic for the first time. It’s how Ally—all at once terrified, shocked, overwhelmed, empowered, and free—finds a version of herself she had long thought impossible to access under the stage lights. The arc of which is punctuated by Gaga’s impeccable performance in this scene, most noticeably by the shift in her physicality, from her hands covering her eyes, unable to make eye contact, to grabbing the mic and belting her now patented cathartic wail.

It’s the way, two artists—no, two people—are separated physically on the stage singing into their individual microphones, but slowly find their way to meet in the middle and sing as one. In itself, this scene is the film in miniature. If this scene hadn’t worked, it’s very unlikely the rest of the film would have worked.

Not to mention, the scene is just absolutely stunning. Of course, the music is heavenly, that’s a given. In terms of the composition, I love how the camera moves around and captures each protagonist in different ways. And the color palette is gorgeous. The way that blue and red light dance around our protagonists throughout the sequence is just jaw-dropping. It’s the kind of high an artist, and in a turn a viewer, could spend their whole life chasing.

What do you wish haters understood about the film’s greatness? My first priority would be to tell the haters that Lady Gaga is not playing herself in A Star Is Born! Just because Gaga is a singer playing a singer, doesn’t mean she isn’t acting!

Furthermore, to me, it feels unfair that the power of her performance is sometimes diminished just because she sings in the film. Anyone can sing in a way that is technically proficient with enough training, but to tell a story through song? To act a song? To perform with every iota of your being musically? That’s a whole other skill and it is just as worthy of recognition and respect as any other leading performance this year.

Secondly, I would like to convey that just because something is a remake doesn’t mean that it lacks value or that it lacks something to say. I can’t pinpoint what exactly it is about this story that seems to capture the collective imagination every few decades, but I think it has something to do with how it presents ascension at the expense of descent, art as both artifice and freedom of authentic expression, and love in spite of sacrifice and self-destruction. There’s something about that cocktail that becomes the perfect receptacle for the expression and examination of our cultural anxieties.

Its malleable formula allows for questions to be asked about how we think about celebrity and fame, the self-identification process, and the value of art. In that sense, a remake of A Star Is Born is vital and refreshing, and certainly not tired and uninspired, and most importantly, it doesn’t lack something to say. It’s inherently reflective of the culture it was created in by its very nature. It allows us to ponder not just how Hollywood tells stories about itself, but also how we tell stories about ourselves. And if you ask me, there’s so much value in that.

What do you think should win Best Picture at this year’s Oscars? Well, I’m clearly biased towards A Star Is Born, but I would not be mad to see Roma or The Favourite walk off with the evening’s top prize!

What do you think will win Best Picture? My heart says Roma, my head says Green Book.

[fibula-rasa]

September 2018 in Review

You should all be proud of me this month, as I actually watched MORE than one movie made in this decade. There was little rhyme or reason to the films I watched this month. I was pretty scattered honestly and my viewing habits show it. I keep a full diary on letterboxd and IMDB.

A major highlight of September was TCM’s month-long series hosted by the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) The Black Experience on Film. I only caught a few of the films but went out of my way to watch the introductory conversations. TCM’s Trailblazing Women series with Illeana Douglas was a favorite feature of mine and I’d love to see even more hosted series for marginalized groups in film history. It might be too much to suggest Disability on Film… But I’ve been considering doing a blogging series on that myself!

The reviews below the jump are essentially transcriptions of the notes I took right after watching the films. They’re presented in the order in which I watched them.

Brigsby Bear (2017)

23 January 2017 | 97 min. | Color

When Brigsby Bear came out there were a number of people, in real life and online, who gushed about it non-stop. I was pretty wary to see it. In the past, often when people around my age pick out a new darling film or TV series, I’ve been burned. Sometimes it’s something cynically violent in a way that’s disturbing to overlook. Sometimes it’s something with too much ironic detachment for my taste. Or it’s something straight-up ableist, sexist, or bigoted. (How are we still traumatizing all “Strong Female Characters” in the 2010s. Come on.)

BUT, Brigsby Bear was really good!? I honestly wasn’t expecting such a heartfelt and humanist film. A modern comedy movie that has faith in the good of all people? Amazing. I hope that the success of this film can be the beginning of a new chapter of millennial comedy so we can wholly move on from calling cynical intellectualized bigotry humor.

I got emotional as the friendship between Spencer and James developed. Maybe because I’m a clinically strange person myself. I don’t always have the energy in social situations to keep my neurotypical mask on and when I show my actually autistic self to people it doesn’t usually go all that well. That’s why it’s a special, joyful moment to find acceptance. Brigsby captures this so well. That feeling where people suddenly like you for your weirdness, rather than getting aggressive over it, is like a psychological hug. Kyle Mooney’s portrayal of James in those moments of acceptance is very true to life.

It’s refreshing to have the tension of a comedy film built around a feeling that misunderstandings might make everything fall to pieces. And then the tension releases because everyone is trying so hard to be their best self and things get sorted. I’m used to this dynamic in quite a few old romantic comedy films, but it’s a strategy not employed all that often today. If this is where millennial art is headed I’m ready to take out the trash marketed to us in the last decade.

At first I was worried that this was going to be another early 1980s throwback nostalgia piece without the spirit of media it was referencing (yes, I’m already fatigued by this). That thought was dispelled quickly.

The casting is great. The use of Mark Hamill is particularly ingenious.

Where to watch: it’s currently on demand through Starz.

Perfect Blue (1997)

28 February 1998 | 81min. | Color

Perfect Blue is a must-see for giallo fans, I think. It was very cool to see a Japanese filmmaker create a giallo-inspired psycho-detective thriller and specifically to see Satoshi Kon’s take given his skill in weaving tales about identity.

Perfect Blue is a harsh criticism of Idol culture (and, more broadly, fan culture).

This film requires a huge content warning for sexual violence and assault. If I hadn’t been watching Perfect Blue in a theater, I absolutely would have had to pause the film and take breaks a few times. Which is why, if you haven’t seen any other Kon films, it might be best to start elsewhere–even though Perfect Blue was his first feature. My first exposure to Kon was a few years back with Millennium Actress (2001) and then Paprika (2006). Both are great for newcomers to Kon. Paprika is usually the easy to find. Tokyo Godfathers (2003) is also worth watching, but pretty far afield from Perfect Blue.

Now I’m not suggesting that Perfect Blue isn’t good. It’s great. It’s simply that it’s such an intense and potentially triggering film that it might put some people off Kon’s other work. That may well have happened to me if this had been the first Kon film I saw rather than my last of his filmography.

As with Kon’s other films, the animation is fantastic and imaginative. I don’t want to give too much away about the story, so feel free to ask if you need more specific content warnings.

Where to watch: This one’s not so easy to get your hands on. Your local library or video store might be the best place to look. But, GKids does have some theatrical screenings upcoming.

New Orleans (1947)

18 April 1947 | 90min. | B&W

I watched this film on TCM as part of the aforementioned Black Experience on Film series with AAFCA.

As it was a month-long series in September, I probably should have mentioned it sooner, but the whole series was fantastic. The critics offered useful context for all of the films. Given that the films elicit mixed responses and have complicated roles in cultural and social history, it was very cool to see people debate and disagree on the films. It was valuable to witness even the disagreements that weren’t all that complicated and more about personal taste than politics. With New Orleans for example, one of the hosts liked the film and the other disliked it, though both held an appreciation for it. More civil disagreement about films, please and thanks.

I liked New Orleans and am disappointed that I hadn’t even heard about it before. Although, I do agree with critic/host Jamaal Finkley that it’s a disappointment that New Orleans doesn’t provide any insight into the personal trials of the Black characters.

It’s always a treat to see Arturo de Cordova, but that goes double when it’s an American film where his role isn’t informed by Latin/Mexican stereotypes. This is actually one the more refreshing aspects of the film. The Black characters lack interiority and their struggles are left out of the film, but Louis Armstrong’s and Billie Holiday’s characters are average people and don’t hew to stereotypes. It’s not exactly a victory for representation, but it’s still an improvement.

That said, the music is great and I wish there were more of it. It’s well established in the film that New Orleans’ problems largely come from badly-behaved white people, which I appreciate. (Is that too real?) Arturo de Cordova is great as the romantic lead of the film. I only wish Dorothy Patrick had the charisma to seem like a better match for him.

New Orleans is definitely worth checking out if the progress of Black representation in film is of interest to you or if you have a special interest in jazz or New Orleans.

Where to watch: It looks like Kino’s DVD release might be out of print, so libraries & video stores might be your best bet. OR, you can wait until TCM plays it again.

The Boy (2016)

22 January 2016 | 97min. | Color

Sooooo depending on how long you’ve been following the blog, you may or may not know that I love horror movies and ghost stories and whenever those things meet. When I first saw the trailers for The Boy ahead of its theatrical release, it did pique my interest. However, that’s mostly because they made me laugh. I am not someone who’s creeped out by dolls though. If you are, I suspect this film actually might be scary to you.

The Boy has a solid premise. At first it reminded me of the story “Baby Doll” by Larry LeClair from the radio show Nightfall. (”Baby Doll” is a better story, FYI, and creepier.) Unfortunately, the execution of The Boy’s story was disappointing. The film drags when it shouldn’t and the flow of the lead character warming to the doll felt stilted. The Boy’s big reveal ended up feeling a bit cheap as a consequence.

That said, I had fun watching it. I got some good laughs from Brahms’ ghostly antics and the middle part of the film is chock full of them.

The house from the film is so beautiful. I can’t believe it’s in Vancouver. Or that it’s a location for Little Women (1994)? I somehow didn’t recognize it.

Whether The Boy is worth a watch is debatable. If you like Haunted Doll stories, the execution and ending might be unsatisfying for you. Maybe if you like the odd modern horror film that can’t embrace its own camp, The Boy would be perfect for you?

Where to watch: It’s currently streaming on Netflix.

Street Scene (1931)

5 September 1931 | 80min. | B&W

This movie was a good old kick in the pants.

Street Scene an adaptation of a Pulitzer-Prize-winning stage play by Elmer Rice. It depicts the problems of New York City tenement residents and their relationships with one another. Though this is a pre-code film, I still imagine there would have been notable changes for censors. That said, the film is still very… mature. Additionally, I’ve seen suggestions that the film we know today is a re-edit of the film for post-code re-release. Hoo boy, what that source material must have been then.

One challenge a lot of filmmakers have when adapting stage plays to film is avoiding static staging–as if someone simply recorded the play. Street Scene doesn’t fear this and I think it works out. Almost all of the film takes place on the stoop of the tenement. The building facade is a truly impressive setup for filming. The camera work livens up the visuals with tracking shots and unexpected angles not commonly seen in early-sound films. (Unsurprisingly, Gregg Toland worked on the film!)

The acting is fantastic and, as someone who has spent the lion’s share of her life in cultural melting pots, the atmosphere the actors create is very authentic. Frankly, after living in Brooklyn for five years (four years ago), some neighborhoods still feel like this–only the voices are Puerto Rican and West Indian instead of European. It’s fascinating to see those veins of permanence in a city that’s changed as much as New York has.

The story primarily focuses on one family. The matriarch (Estelle Taylor) is bored with her unhappy marriage and takes up with the man who collects payment for milk delivery. The eldest child, Rose (Silvia Sydney), is pursued by seemingly every young, eligible man on the block and her not-so-young and not-so-eligible boss. The only one Rose shares feelings for is her downstairs neighbor, an unemployed student, Sam (William Collier, Jr.), who also happens to be Jewish. There is plenty of external resistance to their relationship for anti-semitic and/or financial reasons. Rose’s misgivings are a little more complicated. She feels trapped by the neighborhood and is wary to tie herself down to her current status at so young an age, regardless of how she feels about Sam. In the end, Rose’s mother’s fate cements her own. You can’t help but feel for both of them.

In case you haven’t already gathered this, the film calls for a content warning for anti-semitism and the use of anti-semitic slurs. [Note for clarification: the film is not anti-semitic, a few of the characters are.]

Street Scene takes social issues head on and is a pre-code through and through. It’s absolutely a top recommendation if you like pre-codes. It’s also worth watching if you’re into New York City history or have an interest in film adaptations of stage plays.

Where to watch: This one is pretty easy to see, but I haven’t sussed out the distribution rights or home video releases.

I also watched the film Sanatorium pod Klepsydrą / The Hourglass Sanatorium (1973). That left me with too many feelings to put in an amalgam post. Once I sort through how personal I want to get in discussing the film publicly, you can be sure it’ll get its own post up here.

Last Month’s Review