april

This month I decided to rewatch Lost in addition to all the other movies I’ve had on my list. I originally watched it when it aired, so it’s interesting to revisit a show from my early 20s in my late 30s.

Books

The Haunting of Tram Car 015

A fun introduction to a magical alt-Cairo. I’ve had a harder time finishing Clark’s Ring Shout and perhaps prefer his short fiction.

The Caledonian Gambit

Space heists and spy stories are my jam. I loved this and hope that his other books return to the universe he created here, because it seems full of intrigue and possibility.

Movies

You Won’t Be Alone

The VVitch it isn’t, but it is a great exploration of what it means to be human. Reminiscent of the anime To Your Eternity.

Hunt for the Wildebeest

This movie rules. So heartwarming and wonderful.

Wind River

Hawkeye wears a cowboy hat, and the Scarlet Witch does a crime detective. Ultimately an interesting film, but with a slow start.

Ambulance

A fun mess that reminds me of a lot of other heist movies. Gylenhal is really hamming it up throughout. Tonally a lot of the jokes land super awkwardly, but the copious explosions and shots kept things moving.

Uncharted

This had its moments but was mostly just a goofy action film. I never finished the one Uncharted game I played, so maybe I missed out on what was really cool about these.

Harmony

I barely understood this movie. I threw it on because for whatever reason I expected it to mostly be an action film but it had a much more intense consideration of the human condition than I was prepared for on this day.

Toni Erdmann

A slow build but it hits and hits big. This made me miss my dang dad.

Swallow

Pica pica… chew?

The Batman

Dang! I figured Nolan had made the definitive Batman movies but this is such an interesting and different take. I love the Zodiac Killer meets Batman vibe, and all the low-key DIY costumes and vehicles. I want to see this universe’s version of Poison Ivy.

The Humans

Old apartments are so unsettling and strange that I kept expecting this to build into a horror film. The actual horrors of family holidays are the only ghoul in this movie though.

X

The pacing was a bit slower than I expected and the antagonists never clicked.

Infinite Storm

Sparse and a bit grim, but I enjoyed the adventure.

The Perfection

Allison Williams has perfected the dangerously awful white last character. A twisted thriller that went places I didn’t expect.

Cold Fish

I forgot this was loosely based on actual murders. There are bits of this that are absolutely wild and hilarious and parts that are awful to watch due to their content. Sono is a weirdo.

Infinite

For all the action and plot explanation, this was a bit of a weird mess. Glad to see Mantzoukas in a fun role at least.

355

Lady spies are cool. This never quite lived up to the potential of all the amazing actresses, but it was fun enough. Diane Kruger should be in more films, I think.

Hateful 8

Other than the first chunk of the movie aiming to hit a slur quota it was well-shot and full of excellently weird performances. I could feel the cold and taste the bad coffee.

Becky

A wild addition to the Paul Blart universe. At some point after Mall Cop 2, he became a Neo-nazi and spent time in jail. When he gets out, he messes with the wrong twisted teen. A gruesome Home Alone-alike.

Soul

A movie about a jazz pianist ended-up as a lot more. Really cute, well-animated, and soul-stirring.

The Third Murder

Making my way through the back catalog of Koreeda films and this stands out as a really fascinating murder investigation drama. It’s a little slow in places, but the framing of the shots and the exploration of the complexities of feeling, memory, and story are excellent.