July 2025

I wondered if I'd even be able to get out this recap, but alas Hector has decided to make us wait a little longer even though we're super excited to meet him! We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love we received for our growing family from so many people. I know not all of them read this silly little blog, but I hope they all know how grateful we are and how much we love you! We have NO IDEA what we're doing, but I hear that's part of the fun. Thank you all for wanting to be a part of our journey, and I'm excited for all of you to meet the little guy we grew out of chicken nuggets & fruit smoothies 💗
I hope my review of Aftersun didn't bum y'all out too bad. I really do think it is a beautiful film, and I genuinely hope you check it out one day (currently streaming on HBO Max).
I watched 32 films this month, so lets just jump into it!

Powwow Highway [1989]

Two Cheyenne take a road trip to oppose the government by rescuing their sister & her kids from captivity during Christmas, with themes of reconnecting with culture and fighting for peace in the tumultuous time that is the modern day.

I don’t deserve this movie, but I thank the trickster Wihio for it anyway🤎

    10/10, #ACAB

    Beaux Score: "Immediately nostalgic, wholesome ACAB movie!"

Birds of Passage [2018]

Is the privilege of walking away enough if you lose the blessing of your ancestors?

Yeah I don’t think indigenous lifestyles and capitalism mix guys. An absolute tragedy, uniquely contrasted with tradition of the Colombian natives it portrays. Beautiful visual style, sparse but incredible music, and a captivating soundscape.

¡Tierra de Aguafiestas!

Haven’t seen a matriarch fuck up a family this bad since Lady Macbeth

    9.5/10, I'm still angry at these characters!!

    Beaux Score: "Do not protect rapists"

Rita [2024]

This is the hardest I've seen some magical realism grounded in reality, probably because it portrays a real life horror story. The low budget of the film adds to this effect, morphing these girls into the miracles they already are as they suffer abuse, mistreatment, and rape with the complacency of the state—grim, heart-wrenching, magical, and unfortunately very real.

My one complaint is that it became very clear to me what the film was about early on, and therefore it felt very slow reaching its conclusion. Bustamente commented that he made the film because of the backlash the public had to finding out about their actions—labeling the girls as criminals rather than children, and treating them as such—wanting to invoke empathy in for their lives. It would've accomplished the same thing to devote the first act to Rita's life before the orphanage rather than having it explained.

All that to say, the message seems pretty clear to me: organize & engage in violent protest.

    7/10

The Pit and the Pendulum [1961]

The exhumation is apparently still vividly in my brain after all these years. Poe's tales are timeless, and it shines through even in adaptions to his work such as this and The Fall of the House of Usher. I completely forgot how long that pendulum was teased!

First time really seeing this as an adult, and I gotta say I did not care for the character Francis: noir detective brother in a doublet, with nothing three-dimensional about his character except for that skeptical scowl he maintains throughout.

    8/10

Last and First Men [2020]

Genuinely hypnotic. My Tata would always look for faces in nature, even pictures of rocks. Did you see their faces too?

Spent a mesmerizing 70 minutes before bed trying to make sense of the shape I was seeing with Tilda Swinton’s gentle narration of the fate of mankind and the brilliant music of the late Jóhannsson slowly swelling to a crescendo. If you’re willing to give it your attention, patience, and imagination, I think you’ll love it. Great sci-fi, no idea what to rate it lol

Walk the Line [2005]

The first biopic I ever saw.

Walk the Line has a lot of the charm and drugs I remember. Phoenix & Witherspoon simply become the infamous Cash & Carter, and I get wrapped up in the music every time (actually performed by the leads)! Additionally, stereotypical it may be, I didn’t mind seeing Cash’s drug addiction played out on screen. I know Johnny & June had a complicated relationship for their entire lives, but yikes my guy.

    7.5/10, Yeehaw 🤠

    Beaux Score: "Because yurh mine, I Joaq the line..."

Adolescence [2025]

Kids have to grow up too fast these days, a phenomena that has been accelerating for a while now. A boy enters the world, a fresh consumer for the market to sell to, and what does he see? What is sold to him? It almost feels as though these days, every teenager feel the weight of the world on their shoulders, like if they do not have the right apps or information or language they will be socially stigmatized and their entire future ruined. And we let this happen to them; the market demands their attention, they'll say anything to get it and keep it, and suddenly there's a stranger in your house. But teens have always been like that haven't they? This is just how things are... right?

Really terrifying stuff, e3 especially. Talk to your fucking kids about their lives, so many of them feel scared and alone.

    8/10

Krull [1983]

Feels like I should put a disclaimer that I viewed this sleep deprived and delirious the day after my baby shower, and I'm honestly not sure if that helped or hindered my viewing experience. 
A castle that stands alone in the middle of a dusty field, space goblins land on earth to steal yo girl, watch men climb uphill for way to long, Liam Neeson plays a charming rogue, the blank faces from actors as their characters witness effects that they do not understand irl, James Horner falls asleep for the climax of the film.

It's so bizarre and I think the editor should be shot, but what a vibe for a story. Why did the glaive(??) cut the hole in that shape?

¡Tierra de Aguafiestas!

WHY WASN'T THE LEGENDARY MAGIC ITEM USED IN EVERY ENCOUNTER??? KAYLEE!!!!!

    5/10

Certain Women [2016]

Reichardt has such an incredible eye, and I am fascinated by her work. Profound disappointment defines all of these women's lives, however the film fell short for it's first two characters. Laura Dern & Michelle Williams are great actresses, but their stories felt very incomplete; Dern's story felt like it centered more on her client than her, and William's story felt almost too subtle in it's approach. On the other hand, and maybe I'm biased, but the Lily Gladstone / Kristen Stewart story was very captivating and dreadful and lonely. My wife sorta floated in and out of this movie, but she stayed for their situationship.

I see the overall vision, it just didn't totally land with me. Really great music though.

    6/10

Love Jones [1997]

Decided to check this out on Ryan Coogler's recommendation.

Great chemistry between the two actors, really well shot, & musically fascinating. The really sensual moments didn't feel forced, but I could've done without the back and forth between perfect match up & blatantly toxic.

    7/10

Superman [2025]

Breakneck speed superhero movie.

It took me a second to get into it's pace, but I honestly loved the way it started. Sometimes it was kinda corny, you can certainly feel Gunn's hand, and much of the world felt very rushed (I felt this most strongly from the media & the publics reaction to it). But this Superman is such a fucking boy scout, and that's honestly all I could ever hope from for an adaption of that famous alien refugee who finds a home here on earth. Major props to Hoult's portrayal of Luthor, been a while since there was a comic book villain that compelled me to hate them so much.

If this is the DC my son will grow up with, then I'm happy.

    9/10

    Beaux Score: 10/10 "I am little more than an excited 14 year-old boy" 

Deliverance [1972]

There was a banjo duel early in the film that I really loved, but that was sorta the highlight for me save for maybe the nature shots.

Voight’s character can’t hold a draw for more than 2 seconds before his early onset arthritis kicks in. Overall it was a cool survival story, but mostly it just made me want a canoe.

    7/10

Howl's Moving Castle [2004]

“I’m the Prince who’s been missing from the neighboring kingdom!”

Me: 💀

I am always surprised by how kind Ghibli’s characters are, and how contagious that kindness is to others. Billy Crystal’s Calcifer is the best part.

Weirdest found family movie ever.

    8/10

    Beaux Score: "I love a fag with a Batman voice"

Ixcanul [2015]

Decided to watch Bustamente’s debut film after seeing La Llorona & Rita only to find his most bleak work about a woman at the bottom of every power dynamic she can be. Absolutely horrifying.

¡Tierra de Aguafiestas!

CAN WE FUCKING STOP KIDNAPPING NATIVE BABIES PLEASE???

    8/10

Doctor Sleep [2019]

Doctor Sleep? Oh you mean Doctor Awake-For-96-Hours lol

Any real comparison to Kubrick is going to need some grace (especially as it this one tries to honor King's original vision for the story too), therefore I can see why a lot of film bros didn't like this movie. And for whatever it's worth, I think Flannagan did an incredible job.

What I liked, I really liked: a fun take on vampires, the magic sequences, Rebecca Ferguson & my boy Zahn McClarnon, seeing that damned hotel again. But then there was the parts I didn't like: how predictable each story beat was in relation to it's 152 minute runtime, forced nostalgic moments, that stupid constant needless heartbeat in the background. It's frustrating to really enjoy something overall, but to have this passive annoyance at little things that I couldn't seem to shake—it made rating the film difficult. I have a lot of respect for Flannagan, but in creating such a faithful adaption to King's sequel novel of the same name, I think he demands a little too much of his movie going audience.

    7/10

    Beaux Score: "A long movie based off of a short book"

The Substance [2024]

So blunt in its messaging, it might as well be a face full of glass. Genuinely nauseating body horror, the likes of which I’ve never seen. Denis Quaid is in this movie and his character is somehow the most vile part.

God forbid a woman bleed a little 😒

    8/10

Real Women Have Curves [2002]

Mexican mom guilt on full blast, holy shit!

This film manages to say so much about the dynamics between children born in the US & their immigrant parents, how exploitive the fashion industry is to textile workers, and women being proud of their bodies and sharing in that pride with each other; all while telling essentially the same story as Lady Bird—which just feels like a worse remake now. I don’t want to hate on Gerwig too much (I don’t think coming of age films with mother / daughter tension should inherently be pitted against each other), but she clearly made an accessible teenage dream film about a skinny white girl, whereas this film feels like a real story.

    9/10, ¡Viva las trabajadoras! 

Nanook of the North [1922]

Knowing they forced them to appear more primitive than they were does take away from the film, but that’s pretty secondary to knowing what an asshole the filmmaker was. We mostly enjoyed seeing little Itivimuit kids all bundled & all those cute dogs.

I’m a desert native, so these guys are fucking crazy to me, no matter how authentic the portrayal.

    5/10

    Beaux Score: "The bundley babies and fluffy puppies 😭😭😭"

A Cinderella Story [2004]

"Laugh Out Loud" 

Another recommendation from my friend Gabbi, therefore I'm unsure if this was supposed to help me understand her as a person better or if she just wanted to inflict it on me. I got whiplash from how peak early 2000's it was, but the strongest feeling I have is relief that Carter ended up with a punk girl instead of that bitch Shelby. Jennifer Coolidge is my favorite ugly step-mother to ever exist.

Everything else about this film boggles my mind. Hillary Duff is concerned she's just some diner girl, when Chad Michael Murray literally works at a car wash? "Oh boo I live in my step-mother's attic." And??? You're in high school girl, nobody cares, get real.

    6/10

Sound of Metal [2019]

"The world does keep moving, and it can be a damn cruel place. But for me, those moments of stillness, that place, that's the kingdom of God."

I have never struggled with addiction or hearing loss, but Riz Ahmed is such a compelling actor that it doesn't matter. It's not even really a film about deafness so much as it is finding peace & assurance within yourself. Exceptional sound design that leaves you disoriented and sad (I mean this as a compliment).

    8.5/10

100 Rifles [1969]

I demand to start being called El Trigre de la Rocas. 

A half Yaqui native buys a bunch of guns for the revolution with stolen US money, which sounds like a movie made exactly for me. My ancestors opposed multiple attempts at colonization for four hundred years. It was nice to see a film that honors that, even if Burt Reynolds & Raquel Welch play the two most prominent Yaqui roles.

The story is solid, even if the acting is a little flat from the male leads. When they aren't forced to use guns, many of the Yaqui on screen prefer stabbing their oppressors, which just feels right in my soul. Welch is of course over-sexualized, but she uses that at damn near every turn to help her kill would be rapists, so good for her.
Still #LandBack, but won’t make my list.

    6/10

Sujo [2024]

The movie focuses on the young Sujo, but he is just a boy who inherited a life he didn’t ask for. 

Try as we might, men are only as good as the women who raised us, who believed in our potential and forgave us for our mistakes. The women of Mexico carry the stories that have always been there, the grief of generations, and the will to continue to try. 

    8.5/10, ¡Viva las brujas!

Happy Gilmore [1996]

I always get a little nervous revisiting older movies from my childhood, especially ones that used to bring me joy. I am delighted to report that this is way better than I remember, we laughed the whole time.

RIP Carl Weathers

    7.5/10, Guns don't kill people, I kill people

    Beaux Score: 9.5 "Really nostalgic movie, probably where most of me and my dad's vocabulary comes from"

Happy Gilmore 2 [2025]

I know for a fact that already enjoying golf would've made it funnier, but it isn't as accessible as its predecessor. When it isn't a commentary on the modern state of the "sport", it's overly reliant on nostalgia from the first film as well as a ton of cameos. I wish there was more of that classic Gilmore rage, but still kinda fun. I particularly liked Happy’s kids, as well as Bad Bunny & his cousin Esteban. 

    4.5/10

    Beaux Score: "Very funny and very watchable, not quite as magical as the first one"

Transformers [2007]

It’s an All-Spark cube of cheese riddled with plot holes, bad music, eye-rolling exposition, and is that the over-sexualization of what is supposed to be a junior in high school?? 

But seeing these robots transform on the big screen in 2007 was mind blowing. It’s nearly two decades later and that magic is still there, which is what I found most incredible.

Oh also they killed the only black Autobot.

    6/10

    Beaux Score: "😴"

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen [2009]

The worst part about the first film is the human story, and while I'm not totally sure on the ratio difference, it feels like there's way more of it in the sequel. It's not that I don't want the human story at all, it's just that there's very little to find compelling about LaBeof's screaming or Fox's screaming or the the American military shooting every gun they have while screaming. It doesn’t help that—like it's predecessor—it is riddled with plot holes, or how unimpressive its main antagonist ends up being. HOWEVER, Optimus Prime has some of the most badass one-liners of the series. So Instead of you having to sit through this to hear them again, I'm just gonna include them in my review:

Megatron: "Is the future of our race not worth a single human life?"

Optimus Prime: "You'll never stop at one! I'll take you ALL on!"

 

Optimus Prime: "Give me your FACE! I rise... you FALL!" 

        

    4/10

    Beaux Score: "😴😴"

Transformers: Dark of the Moon [2011]

It's the best one.

The action is better and tighter, the camera work is a huge improvement from the prior movies, the world feels more bleak, Megatron snarls at an elephant, Congress gives way to tyranny and immediately suffers the consequences, Leonard Nimoy voices Sentinel Prime (who is such an interesting character), Dutch <3, the damage feels impactful, Bumblebee gets to actually do some cool shit, the boots-on-the-ground soldiers also finally feel like they are doing something, Optimus Prime dual wielding a sword and axe, & I cannot stress enough that the scale of that final battle is gorgeous—way better than Avengers, and premiering a whole year earlier.

Unfortunately, the women in these films continue to uninspire, but that's just Bay for ya.

    8/10, Nihilistic as hell (affectionate)

    Beaux Score: "👀🌑😴"

Transformers: Age of Extinction [2014]

This is the first of the Bay movies I did not watch as they were coming out. Much to my surprise, my initial outrage that the Autobots were not considered international heroes after the last film was quelled, because of course a decision made by some black ops division of the CIA with no oversight has caused a shitstorm, and now we all have to pay the price. Bay decided to lean even further into the nihilism of the last film that seems to want to directly confront America’s failures (as well as our own for ever putting trust in them), making for an incredible set up that hooked me immediately. Additionally, the film decided to turn Optimus Prime into one of its most central characters, which I consider to be a huge step in the right direction. I even thought I’d be annoyed by the Dino Transformers, but they were actually awesome! Prime gets a fucking greatsword!

But then came the damn Wahlberg family & friends... He plays a humble texas inventor (with an inexplicable Boston accent) as well as the overbearing done-to-death single parent who seems to think he is the last knight guarding the bastion that is his daughter’s virginity. She of course wants her father to accept her growing up, yet she cannot evolve beyond a two-dimensional helpless damsel that vindicates her dad’s shitty parenting. Let’s not forget her secret Irish race car driving boyfriend that gets an entire scene dedicated to explaining why he is legally allowed to bang a minor. The billionaire who told Optimus Prime to his face that his dead friends—of which he was an accessory in killing—were his property, and he gets a redemption arc somehow. None of the third act makes sense, the action sequences take a major step down from the prior film, the human made transformers that posed a huge threat in the beginning suddenly start dropping like flies in the climax. 165 minutes long!!!! 

I’m pissed, what a waste.

    2/10

    Beaux Score: "😴"

Transformers: The Last Knight [2017]

My biggest mistake was having any hope that this would be anything at all other than an absolutely incomprehensible piece of shit. Should’ve just shut off my brain and enjoyed the ride, but even that wouldn’t have saved my eyes from the constant aspect ratio shifting.

    1/10

    Beaux Score: "☹️"