Is there a preemptive #FridayMovie poll this week too? Why yes, friends, yes is is! Vote one, vote all! Invite your aunts, alts, ults and other miscellaneous hangarounds!
Dead men don't wear plaid (1982)
20%
Bagdad café (1987)
10%
The conversation (1974)
50%
The andromeda strain (1971)
20%
Poll ended at .
Lads, ladettes, flaps, flappers, b-boys & girls, mall goths, teds and/or mods - the time has come to vote on this week's #FridayMovie. Summon your inner obscure subcultural identity and double-click
Dead men don't wear plaid (1982)
0%
Bagdad café (1987)
50%
The andromeda strain (1971)
50%
The omega man (1971)
0%
Poll ended at .
Friends! This is the penultimate vote for this round of #FridayMovie shenanigans. Which means that you not only get to vote for which movie I'll see this week, but also - indirectly - which two movies will go next week. Make the future happen today!
Dead men don't wear plaid (1982)
46.2%
The andromeda strain (1971)
38.5%
The omega man (1971)
15.4%
Poll ended at .
Since last week's #FridayMovie vote was the penultimate vote, this week's poll is the ultimate one. The decision is thus: which of these 1971 horror (technically) movies should I watch first in this end october viewing?
The andromeda strain (1971)
100%
The omega man (1971)
0%
Poll ended at .

And so, #FridayMovie round two is officially over. To recap:

How to make an American quilt (1995)
Operation Avalanche (2016)
Ghost world (2001)
Dr Strangelove (1964)
River of no return (1954)
The day the Earth stood still (1951)
OtherLife (2017)
The good, the bad and the ugly (1966)
[The good, the bad and the weird (2008)]
Plan 9 from outer space (1957)
The conversation (1974)
Bagdad café (1987)
Dead men don't wear plaid (1982)
The Andromeda strain (1971)
The omega man (1971)

We now enter into a couple of weeks of #FridayMovie shenanigans, where options do not return in subsequent polls. It is therefore imperative that you think carefully about these options; you only get one shot. Do not miss
Attack (1956)
6.7%
Attack of the crab monsters (1957)
20%
Attack of the 50 ft woman (1958)
60%
Attack of the giant leeches (1959)
13.3%
Poll ended at .
Recent events will not cause an end to our ancient #FridayMovie tradition. In fact, it is a cause to cling even harder to 'em. Thus, I present to you these four options
Point of no return (1985)
50%
Point of no return (1991)
25%
Point of no return (1993)
0%
Point of no return (2018)
25%
Poll ended at .
And so yet again we have a tuesday #FridayMovie. I present to you these four options, featuring various levels of intricate interconnection
Hidden dragon, crouching tiger (2000)
50%
The hidden fortress (1958)
20%
Enter the dragon (1973)
30%
Ek tha tiger (2012)
0%
Poll ended at .
The venerable #FridayMovie tradition continues apace. This week, we go classic, to the pillars of cinematic history, the essentials, the must-sees for any film buff. Thus, I present to you, these four options
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
30%
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
35%
Princess Mononoke (1997)
20%
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
15%
Poll ended at .
Our #FridayMovie escapades stride forward into round three. The premise is simple: at some point during the week I post a poll, and when I get home on friday afternoon, I watch the winner. Thus, without further ado: the four options
I am a fugitive from a chain gang (1932)
12.5%
I was born, but... (1932)
25%
I walked with a zombie (1943)
12.5%
I married a monster from outer space (1958)
50%
Poll ended at .
In these troubled times, it is more important than ever to hold on to our ancient traditions. Thus, the #FridayMovie polls march on. Here's this week's options:
Silent movie (1976)
33.3%
Only lovers left alive (2013)
22.2%
A star is born (1954)
22.2%
Stranger than paradise (1984)
22.2%
Poll ended at .
This week, we poll some of the classics, in my journey towards becoming a film knower. Thus, this week's #FridayMovie options are:
Battleship Potempkin (1925)
25%
Bicycle thieves (1948)
25%
Obaltan (1961)
0%
8½ (1963)
50%
Poll ended at .
#FridayMovie time! This week, I present to you, four titles that can not, even with the most tenuous of argumentation, be labelled as christmas movies:
Arsenic and old lace (1944)
50%
The lavender hill mob (1951)
7.1%
The hidden fortress (1958)
7.1%
Wizards (1977)
35.7%
Poll ended at .
This next friday takes place in the liminal week between christmas and new year's, where the exact weekday is somewhat shrouded in mystery. Thus, this week's #FridayMovie is one of these four uncertain and ambiguous options
Man with a movie camera (1929)
54.5%
Limite (1931)
0%
Viridiana (1961)
18.2%
Persona (1966)
27.3%
Poll ended at .
Seeing how it is the first #FridayMovie poll of the year, we need something to set the mood for the rest of the year. You can thus have a direct impact on the course of my 2025, by voting on one of these four trajectories
Women on the verge of a mental breakdown (1988)
43.8%
The cook, the thief, his wife and her lover (1989)
25%
My own private Idaho (1990)
31.3%
The double life of Veronique (1991)
0%
Poll ended at .
Slowly, gradually, grudgingly, we are returning to a time when we know what day of the week it is. A sign of the times is this week's #FridayMovie, with its inscrutable yet scrumptious options
Casablanca (1942)
20%
Rashomon (1950)
46.7%
Tokyo story (1953)
20%
Memories of underdevelopment (1968)
13.3%
Poll ended at .
I'm not saying that this week's #FridayMovie options are monster movies
but
there is at least one monster in each of these movies
I walked with a zombie (1943)
16.7%
Viridiana (1961)
16.7%
Wizards (1977)
50%
Only lovers left alive (2013)
16.7%
Poll ended at .
A bird whispered to me, it is time to choose this week's #FridayMovie. As I looked to see what kind of bird would such a thing say, it sang a little tune before fading away
I was born, but... (1932)
16.7%
Casablanca (1942)
41.7%
A star is born (1954)
16.7%
Persona (1966)
25%
Poll ended at .
The winds of change are changing. Which direction should this week's #FridayMovie yearn, pine and/or howl?
Tokyo story (1953)
27.3%
The hidden fortress (1958)
54.5%
Obaltan (1961)
9.1%
Stranger than paradise (1984)
9.1%
Poll ended at .
BEHOLD! The sun has risen, the tides have turned, the wheel of time has squeaked. This means we are all a week older, and also that it is time for a new #FridayMovie poll
I am a fugitive from a chain gang (1932)
0%
Bicycle thieves (1948)
37.5%
The lavender hill mob (1951)
50%
Memories of underdevelopment (1968)
12.5%
Poll ended at .
We now take a brief break from our usual historical #FridayMovie shenanigans to make a visit to this side of the millennium. Sometimes, the 10s refers to the 2010s
La vie en rose (2007)
15.4%
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
7.7%
The grand Budapest hotel (2014)
0%
Everything everywhere all at once (2022)
76.9%
Poll ended at .
And so we return to the #FridayMovie syllabus ™️. The trivia for this week is that one entry was completely destroyed except for a (1) copy, which was painstakingly restored by enthusiasts who refused to let go
Limite (1931)
22.2%
I was born, but (1932)
33.3%
Tokyo story (1953)
44.4%
Obaltan (1961)
0%
Poll ended at .
HWAET! Camera! Set! #FridayMovie! Action!
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
80%
I walked with a zombie (1943)
20%
Memories of underdevelopment (1968)
0%
Poll ended at .
For these being turbulent times under strange skies, we can still trust the #FridayMovie poll commencing like a finely chiseled clock tuned to an oldtimey channel
A star is born (1954)
30%
Viridiana (1961)
20%
Stranger than paradise (1984)
20%
Only lovers left alive (2013)
30%
Poll ended at .
This week on #FridayMovie, there are two contestants: the best Korean movie ever made, vs the best Cuban movie ever made. Round 1! Fight!
Aimless bullet (1961)
66.7%
Memorias del Subdesarrollo (1968)
33.3%
Poll ended at .
For this week's #FridayMovie, we are taking a me-centered approach
I am a fugitive from a chain gang (1932)
28.6%
I was born, but... (1932)
42.9%
I walked with a zombie (1943)
28.6%
Poll ended at .

I want to add to the record that I watched Memorias del Subdesarrollo, and that it was an ingot of melancholia

This has no other effect than it not appearing in future polls, and me having to sit down in mute silence for a while

And so, gentle #FridayMovie listeners, it is time for another interlude. Subtitles can be found in the back of the seats in front of you, and extra pillows are available upon request
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
7.7%
Thelma and Louise (1991)
46.2%
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
15.4%
The grand Budapest hotel (2014)
30.8%
Poll ended at .
On this day of joeks, japes and other unrestrained tomfooleries, it might be a comfort to know that the #FridayMovie continues unperturbed, without ruffles or disruptions. This week's trivia: one of these entries was denounced by the Vatican and subsequently banned by Franco
Limite (1931)
12.5%
Viridiana (1961)
37.5%
Persona (1966)
50%
Poll ended at .
So when the news hit that Val Kilmer had kicked the bucket, it generated a null response in me. Being an unmarried yet inquisitive waif in possession of a running #FridayMovie poll, I swiftly sought to remedy this situation
Willow (1988)
36.8%
The real McCoy (1993)
0%
Heat (1995)
42.1%
Kiss kiss bang bang (2005)
21.1%
Poll ended at .
The wheel turns, and so we are here at #FridayMovie again. The current list is rapidly running out of titles, and I am looking into what to put on the next one. I'm not saying that "science fiction movies of ungodly cheesiness" is one of the potential directions things could go, but it's not not not not a direction. Stay tuned (and vote) to find out
I walked with a zombie (1943)
25%
Bicycle thieves (1948)
50%
Stranger than paradise (1984)
25%
Poll ended at .

Sensing a thematic resonance I went ahead and watched I am a fugitive from a chain gang (1932). This turned out to be true - when combined with Bicycle thieves, you've got yourself the basis for a good ol' critical paper on the criminal justice system

For bonus points, it also ties into the Powder ganger faction in New Vegas, as illustrated by this representative still

With only mere weeks left of this #FridayMovie round, the search for a category for the next round intensifies. I'm not saying that "over the top Bollywood bangers banging away" is a possible category, but
Viridiana (1961)
0%
Stranger than paraside (1984)
40%
Only lovers left alive (2013)
60%
Poll ended at .
We have arrived at the penultimate poll of the third round of the #FridayMovie cinematic ultravaganza. One of the potential categories for the next round might, just might, be "notable films about cats". But before letting the proverbial prowlers out of the bag, let's finish the current list, shall we?
Limite (1931)
28.6%
Viridiana (1961)
14.3%
Stranger than paradise (1984)
57.1%
Poll ended at .
We have arrived at the ultimate poll of the third round, which is rad and cool. Pitted against each other are the best Brazilian movie of all time (at the or at one time), and the best Spanish movie of all time (at the or at one time). Thanks for participating, and stay tuned for more time (past, present, future or pluperfect)
Limite (1931)
20%
Viridiana (1961)
80%
Poll ended at .

With the close of round three, we have arrived at the opening of round four. This brings with it a number of changes. One is that I will no longer be running down a list of movies until I've seen 'em all; the Syllabus is completed. Another change is that the options will no longer be specific films, but rather categories from which a title will be drawn. These categories may or may not be intuitive, as you will find out

Now, onward. There are more fridays ahead

This week's #FridayMovie category is "cities". Which is to say: a movie which is in some way inspired, influenced or reverse-engineered by or through the city it takes place in, either directly or indirectly. The options are:
Rome
0%
Paris
9.1%
Berlin
81.8%
New york
9.1%
Poll ended at .
For this week's #FridayMovie, we are introducing a couple of new categories. I think I have managed to make them self-explanatory, in that you fully and without ambiguity know what to expect. So let's have at it
Notable flicks about cats
10%
Everybody was kung fu fighting
30%
The soundtrack made me do it
50%
Just watch a normal movie for once
10%
Poll ended at .
We return with unrelenting spirit to the #FridayMovie tradition, with the following ambiguous yet straightforward options
OMG you haven't seen that one?
30%
Classic hollywood
0%
Noir noir
40%
Bollywood bangers
30%
Poll ended at .
This week's #Fridaymovie poll is brought to you by anti-aliased alliterations aimed at amphibious amphitheaters
Glorious Ghibli
15.4%
Salacious samurai
30.8%
Cheese cavalcades
46.2%
Friday feelgood
7.7%
Poll ended at .

To alleviate the rumors: last week's #FridayMovie was cancelled due to me re-enacting Midsommar, and this week's is cancelled for reasons stemming from the worrying words "computer won't start"

As consolation, I will give you that the most midsummer movie of all time is Melancholia (2011)

It also serves as an opposite to Armageddon (1998). All movies have an opposite, whether they warrant one or not. Figuring out which it is, is a fun and creative pastime for all ages

It returns! The #FridayMovie tradition, which asks you to pick on of four options that may or may not make sense, is now back on its eternal recurrence rotation
Oh hey I've heard about that one
13.3%
Bollywood bangers
26.7%
The soundtrack made me do it
53.3%
Subtitles required
6.7%
Poll ended at .
and the winner
which, according to several friends, has the mostest soundtrack of all time, whilst also being one of the most awarded musicals,
is
Gigi (1958)
*points at the screen, whispering*
it's Gigi
Logging on
the prequel to be gay, do crime
Fear not, for the #FridayMovie poll returns. Whatever you might be thinking, whatever you might be up to, whatever nonsense the world might force you into - here are four options that you, personally, have 100% agency to pick
Samurai, hai
25%
Everybody was kung fu fighting
33.3%
OMG you haven't seen that one!?
16.7%
Tumbleweed thumper
25%
Poll ended at .
and the winner
the final movie of one mr Bruce Lee
is
Enter the dragon (1973)
I'm going in
that's a lot of people kung fu fighting
listen
if I had infinite money, I too would build a big castle on an island 100% dedicated to teaching martial arts, onto which outsiders are only allowed once every three years
the rumors were true
EVERYONE is kung fu fighting
Denizens of the ultraworld! It is time to pass judgment on which fate shall befall your humble announcer this week in the #FridayMovie poll. Choose wisely! Or better yet - choose evilly!
Cheese cavalcades
26.7%
Notable flicks about cats
33.3%
Noir noir
20%
The soundtrack made me do it
20%
Poll ended at .
the winner
which at many times has been called the best documentary in our universe,
is
The cat from outer space (1978)
There it is!
solving money, the only way humanity knows how
when young goths grow up to become old goths
we asked the chatbot who the alien is. then we asked it again
I can confirm that it is in fact the best documentary of all time
@sargoth I watched this a few years ago for the first time since I was a little kid. Much of the movie plays like "Dr. Strangelove For Kids", I really liked it
@darius it really hits the spot
Explorers of the infinite multiverse! It is time to coalesce your infinite selves into one singular action - geographically situating the weekly #FridayMovie poll! Think carefully, lest the location spell DOOM for us all!
Paris (dimension 1)
0%
Paris (dimension 2)
33.3%
Hong Kong
44.4%
Taipei
22.2%
Poll ended at .

I realized that it has been a while since I updated the list of previous winners, so I updated it. If you find yourself in want of an extremely selective list of movie recs for a rainy day, here is one

*This list is incomplete. You can help by adding to it

https://longersky.com/2025/01/16/a-semi-randomized-list-of-movies-to-maybe-watch-sometime/

A semi-randomized list of movies to maybe watch sometime

A while back I started a thread on Mastodon, wherein I every week post a poll where four movie titles duke it out. I then watch the winner under ritualistic and ceremonial forms on friday evenings.…

More longer friend see that sky?
Genderfluids, gendersolids and gendergasses! The time has come to put the heavy duty mining equipment aside and vote in this week's #FridayMovie poll, the outcome of which will determine the fate of one singular evening
OMG you haven't seen that one?!
23.5%
Tumbleweed thumpers
11.8%
Salacious samurai
35.3%
Noir noir
29.4%
Poll ended at .
the winner
for the category of Salacious samurai
one of Akira's classics
is
Throne of blood (1957)
hai
Tired: I asked the chatbot
Wired:
Rumor has it this movie is a Shakespeare adaptation
...it is true
@sargoth [chorus of doom intensifies]
@bstacey even the birds cry ominously
@sargoth blood makes a pretty bad throne, you have to freeze it and then it'll melt
@Runner you'll have to do it ice hotel style
Hwaet! Hear ye, hear ye! Let it be known that the #FridayMovie poll is on, with alternatives shorter and more unpredictable than ever!
Old
20%
New
0%
Song
60%
Goof
20%
Poll ended at .

in old style communication theory, a frequently asked question was "how few bits are necessary to convey a message?"

I sense we are not there yet, but progress is being made

and the winner
whose soundtrack contains oh, oh so many songs, and whose incidental diegetic music has spawned genres unto their own
is
Sholay (1975)
I'm going in
is this a western?
no, my friend
this is not a western
when does the singing start, you ask?
well,
Basanti is pure ADHD representation, and we need to protect her at all costs
movie of the year, 10/10, good voting everyone
also it is three hours 14 minutes long, which you might want to know before firing it up
"mastodon user sargoth, how much research do you put into these titles before pressing play?"
listen
as long as the wiki page does not begin with "x is considered a masterwork of chainsaw massacre cinema" or "is a propaganda movie made by", it's good. minor things such runtime - details, details, it'll sort itself out
Incongruous instantiations of the Nous! The eternal recurrence is recurring, and so here is this week's #FridayMovie poll. I present to you these four verbose verisimilar vermillion options
So that's where that sample is from
60%
You really haven't seen that one? For realsies?
13.3%
An egg boiled so hard the shoe leather seemed soft
20%
Please watch something from this century for once
6.7%
Poll ended at .

and the winner
which is the source of the quote "Gentlemen, it's a nuclear device" from the Red Alert soundrack
is
Evil brain from outer space (1964)

...tho it is part 4 of 6 in a series, so I'mma cheat a bit and watch them all

it is cheesy af, and I love it

and also, it is all on youtube, so you can watch it too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2TahnGvYZ0&list=PLvdSSBgGhR5HCbqRon9N-f7GyvMjR06Y_

Atomic Rulers (1965) STARMAN

YouTube
"mastodon user sargoth"
yeas
"did you just commit to watching seven hours of extremely camp 60s japanese science fiction?"
live your life such that it places you in situations

there are salamander men invading the earth by putting up elaborate stage production, complete with choreography and costumes and everything

it - to use a phrase common amongst us millennial elders - rocks

"we completed the alien design for the salamander men, just like you asked"
"jolly good"
"and the salamander woman"
"it's perfect, no notes"
it is 1981. Starman episode 2 has had its seventh rerun in just as many months. you have recently made some important discoveries about your young self, and in light of these discoveries, the visage of salamander woman stirs something within you. unfortunately, it is 1981, so you can not talk to anyone about it

I FOUND 'EM

Time is running out (33:30)

Gentlemen, it's a nuclear device (1:09:16)

I now know where the samples in the song Blow it up, by Frank Klepacki, from the Red Alert 2 OST, come from

The Red Alert 2 OST, for completeness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fV3USe9dlU

Red Alert 2 - Blow It Up

YouTube
"ancient tradition creator sargoth"
it me
"you know you could have just, read the comments to find the exact time stamps, right?"
that's lazy talk, that's the chatbot way. we are here to watch excessive amounts of obscure culture and learn how it all fits together
@sargoth As the ancient traditions taught us to do. ... wait.
Assorted elemental beings from the material plane! We have tabled this motion many a time, but the period of waiting is finally over! Thus, this #FridayMovie poll is all about picking a lucky number
10
15.8%
47
47.4%
50
15.8%
79
21.1%
Poll ended at .
@sargoth this is blatant erasure of genderplasma and genderIce-II
@batterpunts we did genderplasma back at The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love, and I have not recovered yet (positive)
@sargoth I voted soundtrack, have you seen Letter To Brezhnev
@tqft I am making a note of it as we speak

@sargoth

+1 for Melancholia (the movie, that is).