January & February 2026

Started to type out a basic "Happy 2026!" but it really hasn't felt like one, has it? Hell I felt it four days into the year when I posted my last blog! Does the word 'Hypernormalization' even have meaning anymore? We are so fucking cooked, folks!!
Despite it all, there has still been a lot of good to my personal life. I returned to the theaters for the first time since my son was born, my favorite show Scrubs is getting a new season (and so far it doesn't suck!), all my friends are playing my favorite video game once again, my mom is currently in town, and I have more friends coming over in a week! In times such as this, I am beyond lucky to have my wife as a spouse and the mother of my child, and I'm very grateful for our family. Most importantly, our son is healthy and growing! The edge of the bed calls to him like a siren's song, so we expect him to be crawling any day now. There is truly nothing like holding a child that yearns to move, but is utterly incapable of doing so on their own—he is so very wiggly, and he's only getting heavier!

If I may extends some parting words to you all, albeit the title of the aforementioned movie I saw in theaters:

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die

Malcolm X [1992]

Maybe the greatest biopic I have ever seen. I don't love for my 3+ hour movies to feel like their length, but I will make an exception for this incredibly exhausting film about an incredible man. This review, said it better than I can, but it correctly places his ideas and intellectual development at the center of the story. This is the best Denzel has ever been, and it's not even close.

10/10, What a way to kick off Black History Month

The Grapes of Wrath [1940]

Geroge Carlin once said: "It's called the american dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it." That dream—built off lies and blood, held exclusively for white men—has long been dead, but when did it truly start to die? Here, in the Dust Bowl?
Henry Fonda was good, but for me, the stand out performance comes from Jane Darwell as Ma Jode: burning her box of memories, holding grandma through the night, feeding hungry kids when they can hardly feed themselves, trying to save what is left of her son & the family. Extra points for communist propaganda, but it does take the sting out of the Steinbeck's cynical and sad story.

9/10

Where Is the Friends House [1987]

Hey will somebody please stop and empathize with this little boy’s struggle for fairness born from his strong sense of loyalty & compassion? Please??

9/10, Clocked my inner child

Blow Out [1981]

Philadelphia, USA.

Jack Terry has given up on being happy, but life hasn't given up on him; that is to say, life sure has a way of kicking you in the balls when you're down. A sound mixer by trade, Jack accidently records an car accident & saves the life of dear Sally. Only later does he realize that there is more to his accident then at first seemed, putting him at the heart of a deep government conspiracy and in the warpath a rogue agent trying to tie up loose ends at all costs! Jack must use every tool at his disposal if he has any hope of getting out the truth!

For a film about audio, the sound engineering is spectacular! We see the painstaking process of mixing raw film to audio, creating copies, and preserving a library. A palette of red white & blue is painted across the screen the way light & shadows were in old school noir. Pure national cynicism on display for us all; trauma is exploited, repackaged, & resold for profit, victims are forgotten, and the weight this dark world leaves on a soul who dares to look too long.

9/10, What a picture!

How To Blow Up a Pipeline [2022]

It's not enough for movies & actors to be sympathetic to climate change, like it's a fucking land acknowledgement; if you don't support eco-terrorism, I don't even want to hear from you!

Hell of a tense flick, really makes you think.

9/10, JustKiddingStar

Bright Star [2009]

When you make a movie about a poet, the film should be a reflection of that poet's work as much as it can be. "Poetry soothes and emboldens the soul to accept a mystery", like the feeling of plunging into a lake, or falling madly in love.

Fanny Brawne is the central character of the story and I wouldn't have it any other way. Their romance to takes center stage, instead of John Keats' tragic & short life overshadowing the love that drove him to be the Romantic we remember today. I can feel their lovesickness, both the physical and social walls that sperate them, the desperate longing for a future together.

9/10, I may have a soft spot for stories about love & incurable illnesses

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead [1990]

"We must be born with an intuition of mortality. Before we know the word for it. Before we know that there are words. Out we come, bloodied and squalling, with the knowledge that for all the points of the compass, there's only one direction. And time is its only measure."

Trouble with memory, unable to shut up, plagued by simple physics—Rosencrantz is me fr!

I have strong feelings that I would have enjoyed this much more as a play (the camera work was not my favorite), but that doesn't Stoppard ol' Tom from showcasing his incredibly meta take on the absurd perspective of these two dipshits as they hurdle face first into tragedy. Gary Oldman has some surprisingly good physical comedy. Oldman & Roth make an incredible duo as well, and their constant verbal tumbles tickled me to no end. Love me a purgatory film!

8.5/10

Beaux Score: "Also good Shakespeare(?)"

Together [2025]

Intimacy is scary, being alone is worse.

Came for the body horror—and I was not disappointed—but I was charmed by its weird lore & how unexpectedly funny it was! Camera work, music, and sound design were great, and the point at which it became predictable did not take away from my enjoyment at all—an incredible freshman debut from Shanks!

8/10, An exceptional Valentine’s Day viewing 💞

Beaux Score: "If it ain't this, I don't want it"

Primer [2004]

Genuinely felt like a story about two brilliant men on the brink of discovery. To help add to that feeling, the film doesn’t talk down to its audience to help us understand, and that complexity adds to the tension. Plus, despite having a budget of nothing, it’s pretty well shot.

8/10

Beaux Score: "An affordable movie!"

Autumn Sonata [1978]

I don't think anyone gets out of childhood unscathed, but I'll thank my lucky stars that none of my parents were narcissists. The climactic confrontation between mother and daughter was heavy. This is the kind of movie that I want to recommend to a couple people, but I worry it would trigger them too much.

First Bergman film, what a vibe! Next time, I'd to see it in the original Swedish.

8/10

Dredd [2012]

You know I love an ambiguous ending in my cyberpunk. Absolutely no glorification about the role of police in our world. The soundtrack was nothing but bangers. ACAB, but sometimes they make good protagonists.

8/10

Ainu Mosir [2020]

I’ve only recently become aware of the Ainu as a people, and while it’s easy to empathize with their struggles, I find it daunting to think about the scale. Ainu Mosir presents the spiritual dilemmas that finds all conquered peoples after centuries of assimilation—such as loss, and the dissonance of identity—only in their case it isn’t centuries, but millennia. Yet despite it all, there is still power in their songs & stories, and peace that can be cultivated—if one chooses it, anyway.

8/10, A simple story that touched my heart.

Creed [2015]

Came for more Coogler + MBJ, and I got exactly that. Not always a fan of sports movies, but I didn’t mind this one. Now I wonder if I should watch the rest of the series.

8/10

Julius Caesar [2018]

Incredibly well done, Claire Dunne’s Portia moved me. Constant guards made me feel uneasy the whole time. Prison reform NOW!

8/10

Beaux Score: "It's good Shakespeare!"

The American Buffalo [2023]

Slaughtered nearly to extinction for industry, expansion, and to aid in their genocide. Brought back from the brink, using native land stolen by allotment.

“Man’s reckless greed, unchecked by the apathy of average americans.”

There is always more metals to mine. There is always more oil. There is always more clean water. There is always more breathable air.

There is always more buffalo…

8/10

Spencer [2021]

Exceptional cinematography & score, as well as an unforgettable performance by Kristen Stewart! I don't know shit about the royal family—nor do I want to—so all we have is speculation about what goes on behind closed curtains. Information is currency, after all. Regardless, I found the delicate horror Diana found herself in being a part of that family to be completely believable.

8/10

Westworld [1973]

Tapping in to some genuine terror, undercut by how 70's it is. It never felt like it was given the music or the pacing it deserved. Still, I liked the cassette futurism, and the plot is compelling enough to carry you forward. I do prefer it's modern contemporary as a story (at least S1).

7/10

Beaux Score: "I've had a nightmare just like this"

Nope [2022]

It was already my favorite Peele, but it's even better on a rewatch. OJ and Emerald have such great sibling energy, and I love to have my aliens feel alien. Incredible film, highly recommend seeing it on as big of a screen as you can!

10/10, NOPE

Beaux Score: "Like in reality, the day is saved by a lesbian on a motorcycle"

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang [2005]

A decent murder mystery, loved the dialogue (especially how cunty Val was to RDJ), but it does have some of that early 2000's ick towards its women. It's also pretty hard to believe there was this much shooting and car violence in Hollywood without the cops being more involved, but whatever.

Decent christmas movie, still don't like narrators.

7/10

American Beauty [1999]

I don't even know where to start with this one guys.

It deserves some praise—I suppose—for taking an uncomfortable & absolute dogshit of a premise, and somehow getting something resembling watchable. Yet I still remained extremely uncomfortable thorough most of it; and yes, a lot of that has to do with the fact that Spacey's character here is lusting after a teenage girl in the film when he actually raped a teenager in real life.

It was pretty, I guess, and kinda funny when it wasn't completely awful.

4/10

Beyond Failure [2023]

I do have a nice ass, what’s step 2?

Please help me. I’m not even close to kidding, write it in an email.

7/10

Beaux Score: "Can't make an ass without chicken, stupid"

Mulan [1998]

The tone shift halfway through this movie gets me every time. Very pleased to say this one held up, and no I have no intention of seeing its live action remake.

10/10, You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty.

Beaux Score: "Hits different when you're bisexual"

Blue Beetle [2023]

Better than it has any right being, despite how formulaic it is. I know that the moral Jaime struggles with the Scarab's morally neutral tendencies all the time in the comics, but literally everyone was killing everyone in this film, so his ethics felt oddly out of place. Does contain vague & meaningless anti-billionaire rhetoric, unfortunately.

¡Tierra de Aguafiestas!

I need help surmising a negative feeling I keep getting with a few different movies, something that says: And then the protagonist bangs his new girlfriend / CEO of the company that's no longer evil and together they are going to rebuild the neighborhood and stop racism forever.

6/10

Beaux Score: "Finally, a DC movie I can see"

TRON: Ares [2025]

A movie that makes me want Jared Leto to live and be happy? Why was he so cute, wtf?? NIN wasn't as good as Daft Punk, but the movie was better than Legacy overall.

Not exactly groundbreaking by any means, but a visual & auditory feast!

7/10, Tron shit be happening!

Beaux Score: "Do.. I stan Jared Leto?"

Hidalgo [2004]

I'll say first and foremost that I actually enjoyed this movie. It's a fun action adventure, Viggo plays a great american cowboy, and the horse acting is excellent. I had fun watching it.

However, it's hard to like this movie and not at least acknowledge it's glaring flaws. For one, the post 9/11 messaging of an american with an american breed horse going to the middle east and beat them at their own game is hard to ignore. I mean at one point in the film, Hopkins lassos an arab man with intention to strangle him, looks damn near into the camera, and says the words "Western justice". Bleeding into my second point a bit, this race probably never existed, and Hopkins & Hidalgo likely never set foot in that desert.

For me personally, it was hard to get over the blatant appropriation of the Oglala Sioux, after a watered down telling of the massacre at Wounded Knee to give our main character the whitest of guilt. Hopkin's super sacred "heritage" brings to mind the same appropriation I see every day whenever I mention that I am an Native American, and people feel the need to tell me about their Cherokee princess great-grandmother—as if that somehow gives them more of a right exist on stolen land, or to win this race with the blessing of "our" ancestors. You have executives at disney saying things like: "No one here really cares about historical aspects. Once a picture has been shot, people move on to others. We're like a factory. It's like making dolls. Once the latest doll is out, we go onto the next one. If it transpires that the historical aspects are in question, I don't think people would care that much. Hidalgo is a family film. It has little to do with reality". Such rhetoric brings into question the intentions behind it. Native historian Vine Deloria Jr. wrote about the release of this film: "Each generation faces these kinds of frauds and each generation should get up and howl and scream until this appropriation of Indian culture and history stops."

5/10

The Waterboy [1998]

Blake Clark's Farmer Fran may be the funniest side character in an Adam Sandler movie, right along side Kathy Bates as Mama.

6.5/10, Fairuza Balk.

Beaux Score: "I understand my dad now"

The Big Heat [1953]

Kenway, USA.

The first time we meet Detective Bannion, we meet the only man who seems to have eyes in his socket and a brain between the ears. This supposed suicide stunk right from the start, giving Bannion that compulsion to go digging in that mud! While I may not agree with Bannion's choice of profession or his brutish tactics, I respect his inclination for uncovering the truth and seeing justice done—and that dame he settled down with ain't too bad neither. But when we see him bring some of that mud home with him, Bannion becomes more than a detective, more than man even. What was once an inclination internalized, personified, and is set loose on this dark and uncaring world!

The story was great, the camera excellent, the dames darling, and the corruption grand. Unfortunately for us, dear reader, the larger problem is miraculously and uncharacteristically reversed! The Commissioner, who couldn’t stand to hear the name Lagana without wagging his tail, suddenly gains a heart and rejoins our former detective in his crusade; as if a dirty cop doesn't choice coin over comrades every time, as if they'd ever let the only person who saw them for what they really were back on the team. How could a man like Bannion ever trust the system again after what it almost did to him, after everything he lost?

If I've said once, I've said it a thousand times: I will not abide mediocrity!

7/10

Phantom Thread [2017]

Decided to check it out because it was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (director of There Will Be Blood, & One Battle After Another). It's clearly a vibe, I'm just not sold on what that vibe is.

7/10

Meet the Robinsons [2007]

Young Goob ranting about his baseball game is how I sound ranting to my wife about combats that could’ve gone better in D&D.

8/10, Disney as hell but I love it anyway

Beaux Score: "Just as fun when I was eleven"

Moulin Rouge [2001]

A tired romance, seen through a stylistic but disorienting series of quick shots, and set to a cacophony of soulless 20th-century pop music. Do you remember that controversy surrounding CoComelon? Parents were worried that it was too fast paced and overstimulating to their young children, and that it might be causing some severe psychological effects on them long term. I don’t even know if that ended up being true, but this felt like that—a CoComelon for confused theater-teens.

The editing was by far my biggest grievance. As a person that is already not inclined to enjoy a musical, I was hopeful that this film would at least be pretty to look at—camera work, costumes & set design, choreography. All of that hope was dashed against the rocks as I watched an opening 30 minutes that refused to breathe on a single shot for longer than 5 second. Not sure how heavy a hand Baz had in the editing specifically, but whoever is responsible needs to be disappeared!

Beyond that blunder, the music was worse than I was prepared for. I was told ahead of time that this movie had no original songs; and while that did not encourage me, it was something that I had made peace with leading up to it. I thought, "Hey, maybe I'll hear a great cover!" NOPE! Singing in the Rain sits right next to Smell's Like Teen Spirit, Roxanne gets an infuriating tango remix. Yet no song ever really shines, unless you count the ones that just had to be revisited to complete death. Just like with its editing, songs often compete for the stage before you and any feeling that might be evoked by their being there is lost—soulless.

I don't even have the energy to discuss the romance element, so I'll just say it was not for me. A lot of this movie was not for me. I don't believe myself to be a cynic, I don't hate fun movies (despite the accusations), but I genuinely am curious about what so many people like about this film, because I cannot see it. I don't understand how overdone commercialized music and attention deficit editing is anything but appropriative of the truly "Bohemian". Wish I was on any substance whatsoever, not a film for the sober mind.

3/10, THIS IS NOT THE OBI-WAN / SATINE ROMANCE I ASKED FOR, SANTA!

You Were Never Really Here [2017]

Sounded great, looked incredible, pedophiles and pedophile enablers get their fucking face beat in with a hammer, a concise 89 minutes. Joaquin often plays the socially unavailable man, but there's a different energy to his performance here that I appreciated. However, despite having all of the elements of what might make a great movie, but the entire thing felt so hollow and low energy. The ending was particularly strange, and even the scenes leading up to it were tonally very far from the rest of the film.

6/10

Coda [2013]

Always love depictions of death that are almost maternal, trying to grant the souls in her embrace peace

7/10

Kung Pow: Enter the Fist [2002]

Steve Oedekerk directed, wrote, produced, and stared in this movie—both as the main character and the voice of every dub in the film. It’s a stupid movie, but I appreciated it for the technical feat it is, especially considering it was made with maybe $100.

If you think this movie sucks,

🗣️ I implore you to reconsider

6/10, Weeooweeooweeee

Beaux Score: "Absolute Cinema!"

Tiger & Crane Fists [1976]

What surprised me the most was how much of this film—sound effects, & even whole lines of dialogue—were exactly the same as Kung Pow: Enter the Fist. Not sure if I'll ever get such a strong sense of watching something that seems totally familiar yet completely new.

A truly disorienting but incredible experience, I sat there reciting Kung Pow lines through basically every scene!

4/10

Nuremburg [2025]

It's okay.

I like the message and the reminder being put out there, especially in such times as this. Overall, I think I wanted the subject to be handled more seriously than it was: quips & cheesy one liners stand right next to real life footage of the nazi genocide, Rami suffers from unlikeable main character syndrome (tries to make friends with a Nazi & the poor baby gets hims feelings hurt), and the actual trial takes up less than half of the film with the majority being some sort of dramatic team up that made me feel like the Avengers were gonna step out at any point, along with some version of My Dinner with Goring. Crowe is good, but it felt dishonest & perhaps unethical to portray his character as some sort of master manipulator who was this close to being acquitted. I disliked the excusing of the atomic bombings of Japan as not a war crime. I disliked that fact that chattel slavery & the Native American genocide were not brought up as a point of defense for the nazi's about where they received inspiration for their ideology, nor the Japanese internment camps the usa was performing.

It felt like something made for tv, with a theatrical remixing that happened at the last minute.

5/10

Instructions Not Included [2013]

I wouldn't say this film is a technical achievement by any sense, but it has a lot of heart to make up for it. I went through maybe the entire spectrum of emotion at some point or another.
Oh and also, Julie esta un puta babosa y espero que se valla a la mierda!

7/10

Demolition Man [1993]

Welcome to the future, we have rat burgers!

Wesley Snipes went so over the top that it went almost to the point of parody, except it actually made the whole movie! The amount of one liners shoved into every corner of this film should be studied. Bullock & Bratt’s characters felt completely unnecessary, but Bullock was charming as always. Surveillance state, morality police, over reliance on AI, people in power using violet men to solve their problems—this dystopia has it all!

7/10

Zoom [2006]

Meeting our main characters montage, to the song Hang On by Smash Mouth.

Creating the team montage, to the song Everyday Superhero by Smash Mouth.

Training montage to the song Come On, Come On by Smash Mouth.

Unnecessary baseball montage, to the song Punk Rock 101 by Bowling For Soup.

Wendy's ad, to the song The World is New by Save Ferris.

Another training montage, to a cover of Under Pressure by Smash Mouth.

Tim Allen having feelings at a vision board, to the song Superman (It's Not Easy) by Five for Fighting.

ANOTHER training montage, to the song The Middle by Jimmy Eat World.

Epilogue montage, to the song Days Like These by Smash Mouth.

And to kick off our credits, a reprise of Everyday Superhero, by Smash Mouth.

Why were they so mean to Chevy Chase? He only ever tried to help them :(

2/10

The Talented Mr. Ripley [1999]

¡Tierra de Aguafiestas!

I have nothing against a conman getting one over on some rich assholes, but I draw the line at calling someone "Talented", especially when all he ever did was panic & try to kill his way out of every situation where his web of lies came even close to being unraveled! What was the plan at the end of the film, Tom? Pretend you're Dickie?? Again?!?

Loved all the mirrors. Not enough Phillip Seymore Hoffman.

7/10

The Hot Chick [2002]

Found myself thinking, “Wow, this racist ass film is still pretty funny, and surprisingly forward thinking about gender & sexuality for its time.”

5/10

Steve [2025]

Cillian Murphy literally invents the helplessness that comes as a result of depression & your spirit being crushed over and over again.

7.5/10

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die [2025]

SO CLOSE TO GREATNESS

The first half was absolutely horrifying, a fantastic start to this inevitable catastrophe before mankind. Some of the commentary about the teenagers was a bit flat, but whatever I was rolling with it; probably because I could watch Sam Rockwell’s character for way longer than the runtime of this movie! Ended on the correct note too, props for that.

But somewhere in the second half building to the climax, it really lost some energy. It could have taken its commentary more seriously, explored the lore to a greater depth, leaned into the eldritch horror at the center of it all—instead we get that cat.

7/10, I missed the theaters so much! (First time back since baby)

Beaux Score: "A wholesome family story"

Minari [2020]

Immigrants struggling to find their footing in a new land, generations struggling to understand each other, love struggling to be expressed.

Minari is a very tender film. Considering the ethnicities & location of the characters, I expected there to be some racism, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that neither racism or even hate in general was any part of it. Christianity also plays a part in this film, but it feels very normal—sometimes even genuine and heartfelt. All of this together ultimately leads to a meaningful & unique lens in which to tell this story.

Didn't land for me all the way, but objectively great.

8/10

Matilda [1996]

First time seeing this as an adult, but it's just as magical and funny as I remember. Very faithful to the source material lots of humor for the adult viewer. Rhea Pearlman is incredible, and Danny DeVito is a national treasure!