Accepting that humanity is destined to forget, if it can even remember, in the face and wake of impending doom. Waves of memory engulfed by the present and time lost to the act of remembering. qntm's THERE IS NO ANTIMEMETICS DIVISION is clever science fiction that can feel dense but keeps it simple.
Europe, why are your cinemas so nice? Oh, because you care.
In Berlin, coincidentally at the same time as Fantasy Filmfest, so about to sit down for NIGHTBORN.
Alex North's THE WHISPER MAN starts off supernatural than settles into something more crime procedural, not unlike THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Which ultimately worked for me a lot as it explores violent behavior and neglect through generational trauma and parental guidance.
Bad City (2022) Hydra 2019 Ghost Killer 2024 Chocolate 2008 The Swordsman 2020 Eye for an Eye 2022 Eye for an Eye 2 2024 The Night Comes for Us 2018 The Raid 2011 The Raid 2 2014 Baby Assassins 2021 Baby Assassins: 2 Babies 2023 Baby Assassins: Nice Days 2024 Everything Everywhere All at Once 2022 SPL: Kill Zone 2005 Dragon 2011 Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In 2024 Flash Point 2007 Blade II 2002 Raging Fire 2021 Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins 2012 Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno 2014 Rurouni Kenshin Part III: The Legend Ends 2014 Rurouni Kenshin: The Final 2021 Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning 2021
threw together a letterboxd list of movies you can watch or re-watch before The Furious comes out - featuring the best stuff Kenji Tanigaki, Kensuke Sonomura, & the cast have worked on or starred in before letterboxd.com/bbw_bff/list...
I am extremely excited to revisit THE FURIOUS when it releases on May 29th. Here's my full review out of TIFF last year.
Following up on yesterday's poster, the trailer for THE FURIOUS has dropped. It's nuts. Don't believe me? Believe the guy they quoted twice in the trailer.
Oh hey, that's me.
Happy to report that Lord and Miller did right by Weir's novel (some minor quibbles aside). Gosling remains one of our most dependable movie stars and that Daniel Pemberton score is extraordinary.
The heavier book to offset some of my lighter reading ended up being Cormac McCarthy's BLOOD MERIDIAN. A disturbing vision of Hell rooted in American history. Immersive, brutal, and eloquently written, it's heralded as an American classic for a reason, and I'm glad I finally gave it the time of day.
Definitely had fun with READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME, but its more expansive lore and signature bloodshed comes at the cost of meaningful character work, tension, and heart.
Had a really fun time with Dave Boyle's NEVER AFTER DARK out of SXSW. asynchronousmedia.com/film-reviews...
In the process of catching up with Slamdance reviews while also writing SXSW reviews, so expect coverage from both, starting with a Slamdance review of THE BULLDOGS.
asynchronousmedia.com/film-reviews...
It's Oscar catch-up weekend, which for me is mostly just the shorts and a couple features that slipped through the cracks.
I needed something lighter as a palette cleanser before I dove into heavier books, and there's probably nothing better for that than Matt Dinniman's DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL. It took some time for me to appreciate it, but the shades of revolution colouring a new violent reality got me in the end.
Decided to read Andy Weir's PROJECT HAIL MARY before the movie. Loved it! Speculative sci fi that reminds what is capable when faced with insurmountable odds. The struggle for survival birthing ingenuity and opening the door to a world of discovery. Science is so cool.
Switched from hard sci-fi to science fiction horror with S.A. Barnes' GHOST STATION. A creeping dread moves stealthily throughout until everything locks firmly into place and the pace becomes unrelenting. Fans of ALIEN and THE THING will love this, but it also evokes games like DEAD SPACE and PREY.
Finally wrapped up a book I started a while ago that made me invested in a universe once seemingly beyond me. Dan Abnett's XENOS is well-written pulp, imbued with incredibly visceral imagery, all grafted onto detailed worldbuilding that transports readers without losing them in the process.
The book that both my wife and I enjoyed immensely and have discussed ad nauseam came from @anthonyjeselnik.bsky.social, as well. Vincenzo Latronico's PERFECTION fully realizes the specific unease felt by my generation. A book that I want to share with everyone I ever meet, even if it's depressing.
DAYS AT THE MORISAKI BOOKSHOP by Satoshi Yagisawa was the right kind of cozy novel to start 2026. It's a quick read and very light. However, it's also a bit uneven when it strays from the bookshop and tries to flesh out its other characters, especially in the second half. Quaint but unremarkable.
When I heard M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks were working on a project together, it felt like two worlds colliding just for me. Anyways, I found REMAIN's central romance to be lacklustre, though its supernatural elements were clever enough at times to make me excited for the film.
That shifted into my first foray into the writings of Yukio Mishima with THE SOUND OF WAVES. Cultural and patriarchal values complicate a romance in an isolated Japanese village. Took some time to get into the rhythm of it, but found myself engrossed by the end.
Started with a recommendation from @anthonyjeselnik.bsky.social's book reviews he started last year and has now turned into a book club. THE SAVAGE, NOBLE DEATH OF BABS DIONNE by Ron Currie is a page-turner about the loss of cultural identity and the desperate struggle to keep it alive.
I have been slacking on reading, so I've been trying to make up for that since November. I'm now in a good flow and have a solid list of books I'm excited to dive into from my local library and Libby. Always looking for recommendations, though, so will post a thread of what I've read since November:
Began RESIDENT EVIL: REQUIEM last night. Here's a dirty urinal as proof.
That being said, MONSTERS, INC. has held up incredibly well, even when its on for the fourth or fifth time within 24 hours.
A week of plumbers and trying to reschedule flights really took it out of me, but last weekend my son finally paid attention to a movie that wasn't CARS or MONSTERS, INC. Very happy it was E.T. and yes, I got overly emotional.
Poster for Mexico Noir featuring 1950s actors
I've curated the Mexico Noir film series for
@viffest.bsky.social featuring 15 movies, most of them screening in new restorations from March 26 to April 8. Join me in Vancouver this spring for a showcase of classic noir. Tickets are available via viff.org/series/mexic...
It has been all movies and few games over the past few months, but I pre-ordered RESIDENT EVIL: REQUIEM so we'll see if that helps get me back into gaming for a bit. Reviews pushed me over the edge.
The fear of what Bloober Team would do to SILENT HILL 2 with a remake (and thankfully avoided) was realized in cinema form from Christophe Gans.