An interesting week for #LetterboxdFriday:
Warfare (2025) - 4 - Viscerally asks "what's the point?" and leaves you to piece together an answer.
Anchoress (1993) - 4.5 - Just a beautiful film about a girl who, enlightened or not, wants to live her life her way.
Mad Foxes (1981) - 4 - Euro-sleaze exploitation that will deliver 77-mins of WTF.
Penda's Fen (1974) - 2.5 - I appreciate much of this stream of consciousness self-discovery, but I'm not British enough to fully connect with it.
The Pledge (1982) - 2 - Basically nothing.
The Sermon (2018) - 4 - When two people really love each other...
Robin Redbreast (1970) - 4.5 - Terrific! Rosemary's Baby but in a village.
The Wedding Banquet (2025) - 3 - Fine, predictable, mostly good performances.
The Brutalist (2024) - 4.5 - Still so great.
Sinners (2025) - 4.5 - From Dusk Till Dawn but meaningful and actually good.
The Ugly Stepsister (2025) - 3.5 - Cinderella with a hint of The Substance and a touch of Pearl.
The Order (2024) - 4 stars - Jude Law looking like a trim Gene Hackman in a good movie about some hateful folks. Sadly still relevant.
The Muppet Movie (1979) - 4.5 stars - Always a hoot!
One of Them Days (2025) - 3.5 stars - Fast-paced silly fun.
White Lightning (1973) - 3.5 stars - Can't go wrong with Burt Reynolds chewing gum and cackling in a car.
The Shrouds (2024) - 4 stars - Love, loss, grief, multinational techno-conspiracies, dreams...it's Cronenberg, baby!
An almost great week for #LetterboxdFriday!
The Wicker Man (1973) - 4.5 - Fulfilled my wish to watch it, @willhopkins, and it was great!
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019) - 4 - Pretty good doc about sound design; cried for no reason at the end.
The Producers (1967) - 4 - Brisk, zany fun!
Fight or Flight (2024) - 2 - Screen Unseen. Went in blind. Should've just seen Sinners again instead, but here we are.
Scanners (1981) - 4 - Maybe I'm entering my Cronenberg Appreciation Era?
A short #LetterboxdFriday for a change.
Thieves Like Us (1974) - 4.5 stars - Excellent Robert Altman. Colorful characters, great environmental storytelling, Carradine and Duvall just chewing it up. Kind of a "Bonnie & Clyde if Bonnie stayed home" thing going on. Loved it.
A Simple Favor (2018) - 2.5 stars - Gone Girl for babies.
Another Simple Favor (2025) - 1.5 stars - I don't know why they made a sequel or why they tried to make it zany. A worse Murder Mystery 2 meets a worse Barb & Star.
Was busy/had no time for #LetterboxdFriday last week, so here it is on a Tuesday(!):
Eternal Sunshine... (2004) - 5 + a heart
Sneakers (1992) - 5 + a heart
The Vanishing (1998) - 4.5
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) - 5 + a heart
To Live and Die in LA (1985) - 4.5
Slugs (2025) - 5
Final Destination (2000) - 3
Final Destination 2 (2003) - 3
Final Destination 3 (2006) - 3.5
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025) - 2
The Final Destination (2009) - 0.5
Final Destination 5 (2011) - 3.5
#LetterboxdFriday is here and I'm very tired.
Friendship (2024) - 4 stars - Good as a comedy, works better as a light horror in my mind.
Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025) - 3 stars - Solid entry in the franchise (though 5 had a great ending that kinda wrapped up the series, in a sense). Good family representation and a decent enough send-off to Tony Todd.
Manhunter (1986) - 4.5 stars - When Michael Mann is good, he's great.
#LetterboxdFriday is upon us.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) - 4.5 - A classic for a reason.
The Life of Chuck (2024) - 3 - A lot of folks will really like this tale told in three acts about a guy named Chuck. It's schmaltzy and I think it's only just fine.
Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) - 4.5 - Diane Keaton as you've never seen her before. An unhinged Richard Gere. William Atherton in an almost normal/romantic role? An ending that left me in stunned silence. Fan-fuckin'-tastic.
For #LetterboxdFriday this week, I can confirm to @ishmaellasting that The Trip (2010) series (not movie) is better than the movie. I already enjoyed the movie, but wondered if it was worth my time to watch six 30ish-minute episodes of a 100-minute movie. The answer is yes, it is! Really great to see how it was formatted and what was cut and it works so much better in the episodic format. If you only have 1.78 hours (I did the math), though, the movie is still worth a watch. - 5 stars
(1/2)
My #LetterboxdFriday continues!
Jacqueline Novak's "Get on Your Knees" (2024) may not be for everyone, but I absolutely loved it. Just a fantastic, manic 90 min. set of poetic prose, mostly about blowjobs. - 5 stars
American Ninja (1985) is fine, but what brings it up from 2.5 to 3 is watching Michael Dudikoff and Steve James just being friends. They should've been huge together but their time was cut short with James' untimely death in '93. RIP, king (or whatever they say these days).
(2/2)
A great #LetterboxdFriday!
40 Acres (2024) - 4 - Maybe rated a little high, but went in blind and really enjoyed it.
The Warriors (1979) - 4.5 - A movie about a gang trying to get back home; filled with lovely touches and style.
The Phoenician Scheme (2025) - 4.5 - This really worked for me. A lovely send-off to a father-in-law.
The Trip to Italy (2014; series, not movie) - 3.5 - The movie might actually work better for this trip?
28 Days Later (2003) - 4.5 - Prep for Years; still holds up!
#LetterboxdFriday already?
28 Weeks Later (2007) - 4 stars - That opening!
The Trip to Spain (series, not movie) (2017) - 5 stars - A return to form!
28 Years Later (2025) - 3 stars - Alright...
The Trip to Greece (series, not movie) (2020) - 4 stars - That ending!
Nosferatu in Venice (1988) - 3 stars - Charming in its own way, despite itself.
I've been away the past few weeks, so here's me catching up with #LetterboxdFriday:
Jaws - The original summer blockbuster, still great at 50.
The Menu - Liked it even more on rewatch at 30,000 feet.
The French Connection - One of my dad's favorites, easy to see why.
Babette's Feast - What a delight to rewatch a favorite on a plane and cry.
Big Night - I'd like to give it a more fair shake and rewatch it when I'm not constantly dozing off mid-flight.
Kadaicha - Fun Aussie teen folk horror.
#LetterboxdFriday already?
Blood Hook (1986) - 3.5 stars - Silly, sleepy summer horror with loveable characters that's about 10 minutes too long.
The Tenant (1971) - 4 stars - I might have rated this .5 too low; it's great and I keep thinking about it days later.
Justin Willman: Magic Lover (2025) - 4.5 stars - I might have rated this .5 too high, but it really is good and Willman is a natural performer.
My #LastFourWatched this #LetterboxdFriday:
High School Musical (2006) - 2.5 - We have free Disney+ until the end of August so we're catching up on classics we missed.
Eddington (2025) - 4 - A big satire mirror reflecting all of our dumb right back at us.
The Naked Gun (1988) - 5 + ♥️ - Perhaps a perfect comedy. So smartly stupid.
The Naked Gun (2025) - 3.5 - Like 3/4 of the way there, then it pivots to a Lonely Island type of humor that is fun in small isolated doses, but not needed here.
A true #LastFourWatched this #LetterboxdFriday.
Queens of the Stone Age: Alive in the Catacombs (2025) - 4 stars - 30 minutes of dressed-down QOTSA songs in sepia-toned 4:3.
Yokohama BJ Blues (1981) - 4 stars - If Robert Altman were Japanese and made The Long Goodbye.
Freaky Friday (2003) - 4 stars - Pretty competent body-swap movie; Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan nailed it.
Tanner '88 (1988) - 4.5 stars - A wildly inventive experiment that just blew me away. For real.
#LetterboxdFriday is here.
Freakier Friday (2025) - 3 stars - Lindsay Lohan was great.
Adaptation. (2002) - 4.5 stars - Bold! Audacious!
Relay (2024) - 3.5 stars - A mostly competent corporate thriller throwback - Riz Ahmed was great.
Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) - 4 stars - Love to watch a family torn apart by a terror of a gal.
Weapons (2025) - 4 stars - Spellbinding!
Punch-Drunk Love (2002) - 4.5 stars - Love is a powerful thing.
3 Women (1977) - 5 - What a film! Altman created a dreamy one here; Shelley Duvall and Sissy Spacek are magical.
Shin Godzilla (2016) - 4.5 - When disaster strikes, bureaucracy fights back. It's so good!
Naked Gun 2½ (1991) - 2 - Worse than I remembered!
Naked Gun 33⅓ (1993) - 3 - Better than 2½!
Shanks (1974) - 3.5 - Fantastic physical performances (feat. Marcel Marceau), the movie takes many strange turns!
Bring It On (2000) - 2.5 - A product of its time! It's fine.
#LetterboxdFriday is here!
Cure (1997) - 4.5 stars - Bleak and beautiful.
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) - 5 stars - Big ol' bummer how the tiny town of small brained and smaller hearted bullies in this movie are now in charge of the country. Fucking sucks, in fact.
Stone (1974) - 3 stars - A leisurely hang with a Satanic biker gang in Australia. There's more to it than that, but that's the vibe. It's fine.
Four-star #LetterboxdFriday this week.
Cloud (2024) - 4 stars - Bleak, but oddly fun!
Popeye (1980) - 4 stars - Perfect blend of Altman bringing the cartoon/comic to life with a perfect (especially Shelley Duvall) cast. #Movies
Happy #LetterboxdFriday!
Psycho Beach Party (2000) - 4 stars - Campy, spoofy, funny. A great time!
Vermiglio (2024) - 5 stars - Beautiful, sad, touching, funny, hopeful. Tears rolled down while I was smiling. Loved it.
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) - 4.5 stars - Another hazy, dreamy Altman. Another little world just buzzing with life. Another oddly prescient western.
Movies, man... Now more than ever.
Stacked #LetterboxdFriday because my wife was out of town on business and what the hell else am I going to do with my life?
Also Michele Soavi heavy list because my good friend Jesse wanted to watch them all and who am I to say no to that?!
The Church (1989) - 3.5 stars
The Sect (1991) - 3 stars
The Keep (1983) - 4 stars (rewatch, up from 3.5 originally)
Splitsville (2025) - 4.5 stars
Caught Stealing (2025) - 3 stars
Cemetery Man (1994) - 3.5 stars
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025) - 3 stars
#LetterboxdFriday is here, and my wife was out of town for a couple days again (can you tell?).
Countdown (1967) - 3 stars
The Thursday Murder Club (2025) - 3 stars
The Zone of Interest (2023) - 4.5 stars and a heart
Black Sunday (1960) - 3.5 Stars
La La Land (2016) - 4.5 stars
Thief (1981) - 4.5 stars
Three this week for my #LetterboxdFriday.
One Battle After Another (2025) - 5 stars - New Paul Thomas Anderson is as good as you may have heard (assuming that you've heard it's good) (and I guess that you just heard that it's good...from me!) (and by good, I really mean phenomenal, hence the 5 stars)!
Bone Lake (2024) - 2 stars - And this one is not that good at all (the last 20 minutes were fun, though, so...).
Kuroneko (1968) - 5 stars - But this was incredible and I loved it immediately.
Roofman (2025) - 3.5 stars - Steven Soderbergh by way of Derek Cianfrance. Based on a true story and overall enjoyable, but a tad long. Kirsten Dunst remains America's sweetheart.
The Cold Day in the Park (1969) - 4.5 stars - Hopped back onto that Robert Altman train and golly did I love this. I wondered where it was going to go, and it didn't end where I was expecting. My tagline for this would be: Before he directed 3 Women, Altman directed 1 Woman.
#LetterboxdFriday and #LastFourWatched (but I only watched 3):
Last Embrace ('79) - 3.5 - A peculiar movie with Roy Scheider that I didn't dislike, it's just a bit of a head scratcher.
Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean ('82) - 4 - Altman! Old James Dean fanclub friends reunite on the 20th anniversary of his death, reckon with what's become of their lives; it's a bit of a heartbreaker.
The House of Clocks ('89) - 3.5 - A fun made-for-Italian TV horror romp with a neat premise.
#LetterboxdFriday / #LastFourWatched!
Mr. Scorsese (2025) - 4 stars - Pretty good five-part docuseries about Marty. Best not binged.
The Wages of Fear (1953) - 4.5 stars - Exhilarating! Sorcerer does it a little better, but Wages did it first.
After the Hunt (2025) - 3 stars - Mostly great acting in a good Guadagnino with, I think, an unnecessary epilogue.
The House of Witchcraft (1989) - 3 stars - No new ideas here, but some solid red herrings in a fun flick with some silly line readings.
#LetterboxdFriday / #LastFourWatched (but I watched six) (and my wife was home this week!):
Don't Torture a Ducking (1972) - 4.5 stars
The Mastermind (2025) - 4.5 stars
The Devils (1971) - 4.5 stars
The Sweet House of Horrors (1989) - 2.5 stars
A Prairie Home Companion (2006) - 5 stars
Popeye (1980) - 4.5 stars
(Brief blurbs about each in screenshot alt-text)
#LetterboxdFriday / #LastFourWatched (but I watched seven)
Prêt-à-Porter (1994) - 3.5
Nosferatu (1922) - 4.5
The House of Lost Souls (1989) - 3
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You (2025) - 4
Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) - 3.5
Bugonia (2025) - 4
Frankenstein (2025) - 3.5
(blurbs about each in screenshot alt-text)
#LetterboxdFriday / #LastFourWatched (but I watched 8):
Predator: Badlands (2025) - 4 stars
Die My Love (2025) - 3 stars
Phase IV (1974) - 4.5 stars
Barry Lyndon (1975) - 5 stars
Mermaid Legend (1984) - 4 stars
Materialists (2025) - 4 stars
Nashville (1975) - 5 stars
The Fan (1982) - 4 stars
#LetterboxdFriday / #LastFourWatched (but I only watched three this week):
I Walked With A Zombie (1943) - 4 stars
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (2024) - 3 stars
Ugestu (1953) - 4.5 stars
#LetterboxdFriday / #LastFourWatched (but I only watched three again):
The 7th Victim (1943) - 4 stars - A young woman's search for her sister goes to some unexpected places; the ride is enjoyable. And that ending...Dang!
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976) - 5 stars - America., or That's Just Show Business, Baby!
Hair Wolf (2018) - 4 stars - Cultural appropriation and race relations as a short and sweet comedy-horror.
A #LetterboxdFriday with an actual #LastFourWatched? Amazing!
Sentimental Value (2025) - 5 stars - Norwegian Royal Tenenbaums? Not quite, but similar themes. Stunning performances, I cried.
Anatomy of a Fall (2023) - 4.5 stars - Effective legal/courtroom drama with more great performances, I teared up over a dog.
Jingle Bell Heist (2025) - 3.5 stars - Dumb holiday fun. Holt is good!
The Silent Partner (1978) - 3.5 stars - Neat semi-seasonal cat-and-mouse. Gould and Plummer are great!
Six for this #LetterboxdFriday, but sadly a lot of 2 stars or fewer going on.
Dr. T & the Women (2000) - 2 - Not all Altmans can be great.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) - 4.5 - Really great build-up. And soundtrack!
Champagne Problems (2025) - 2 - Ugh.
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2006) - 4 - It sure is Kill Bill!
The Lost Chapter: Yuki's Revenge (2025) - ½ - Terrible. Just...why?
Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025) - No rating yet (1.5?). Maybe good if you don't revere the original.
The 400 Blows (1959) - 5 - Lovely, heartbreaking. Takes place over the holidays!
Heat (1986) - 3.5 - Big softie Burt Reynolds takes down punks, dreams of going to Venice. Takes place over the holidays, too!
A Merry Little Ex-Mas (2025) - 2 - My least favorite of the four movies with Alicia Silverstone I saw this year. Takes place over the holidays as well!
A Cowboy Christmas Romance (2023) - ½ - This movie fucking sucks, but at least it also takes place over the holidays.
Last #LetterboxdFriday of 2025.
Antoine and Collette (1962) - 4 - The cutest friend-zoning I ever did see.
Architecton (2024) - 4 - A man reckons with having a rocky relationship with his work.
Last Christmas (2019) - 2 - Literal and dumb.
Blood Beat (1983) - 4 - Charming seasonal, regional, folk horror-esque movie. Trauma bonds.
The Green Knight (2021) - 4.5 - Beautiful retelling of an Arthurian legend that takes place over two Christmases, details the origins of the word "cummerbund".
First #LetterboxdFriday of 2026!
Stolen Kisses (1968) - 4.5 stars
Sparrows (1926) - 4 stars
Who Killed Teddy Bear? (1965) - 4 stars
Wake Up Dead Man (2025) - 4 stars
Bed and Board (1970) - 3.5 stars
Return to Sweethaven (2020) - 4 stars
The Deer Hunter (1978) - 5 stars
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977) - 4 stars
Love on the Run (1979) - 4.5 stars
#LetterboxdFriday / #LastFourWatched
To Fire You Come At Last (2023) - 2 - Would feel at home accompanying A Field in England; that's not saying much.
Our Selves Unknown (2016) - 3 - Unique/inspired!
We Always Find Ourselves in the Sea (2017) - 2
Mishima: A Life in For Chapters (1985) - 5 - A wondrous achievement of a biopic!
Bullet in the Head (1990) - 5 - John Woo's The Deer Hunter is his most political/personal. Unrelenting.
Hamnet (2025) - 3.5 - The child actors are great, but meh.
#LetterboxdFriday / #LastFourWatched
A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness (1977) - 4.5 - Dir. Seijun Suzuki, blacklisted for a decade, returns with a takedown of the entertainment industry, celebrity, and fandom. It's a beaut.
Psychomania (1973) - 3.5 - Fun watch! The best lines are in the trailer.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) - 5 - Gutting. A brief, deep love affair before a likely loveless marriage reverberates years later. It's a beaut.
The Changeling (1980) - 4 - Neat haunting cum mystery!
#LetterboxdFriday / #LastFourWatched
The Enchanted (1984) - 4
The Legend of Hillbilly John (1974) - 4
One's dreamy, one's a little goofy, both are neat Americana folktales.
Night of the Juggler (1980) - 4.5
One man's crazy chase across NYC to save his kidnapped daughter. Notes of Taking of Pelham, The Warriors, Die Hard 3; touches on gentrification/anti-capitalism. A wild ride!
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) - 4
What I wanted from the first part, but can't have one without the other.
#LetterboxdFriday IS my #LastFourWatched
The Testament of Ann Lee (2025) - 3.5 Slowness, boredom fills the gaps between some truly rapturous highs.
Hard Boiled (1992) - 5 - No dull moments, just explosive action choreography for days.
No Other Choice (2025) - 4.5 - Thrilling! Funny in ways I didn't expect. Minor subplot hiccup does nothing but add to the length. 2nd favorite fight of the last 12 months, tho!
The Soultangler (1987) - 3.5 - A kooky, enjoyable Shot-On-Video horror.
The White Reindeer (1952) - 4
A Witch Drum (1982) - 4
Both enchanting!
The Nightside of the Sky (2024) - 2
Dull, uninspired.
With the Reindeer (1947) - 3
Educational!
24 Hours in the Life of a Clown (1946) - 2.5
Eh...
Le Silence de le Mer (1949) - 4.5
Can't stop thinking about it! Loved it.
Haida Carver (1964) - 3.5
Nalujuk Night (2021) - 4
Both informative, one sad (the dying art form of a people), one fun (a look at one culture's new year tradition)!
@ej have you listened to Zombie Strains? A few friends of mine do it and they have an episode about I Walked with a Zombie:
https://redcircle.com/shows/zombie-strains/ep/020ce5d2-0ad7-401d-af6a-28f54c0b6cff
Eric J
Chris "Crunchy Leaf" Salzman