Weekend Studios
★★★★★
A jungle floor view of Werner Herzog becoming a filmmaking legend. Or perhaps lunatic.
★★★★★
Smart, funny, and (slightly) relatable.
★★★★★
Loved it! A “classic.” So good, I added a copy to my VHS collection shortly after watching.
★★★★★
Genuinely surprised and impressed by Punishment Park. I did not expect the filmmaking to be as sharp and biting as it was. Intense and pertinent film.
★★★★★
Both the characters and environment of Gas Food Lodging carried so much weight and depth that I was quickly taken aback by how much I felt immersed in it, definitely looking forward to revisiting.
★★★★★
Yes, I know...it took me too long to get to Heat, and yes, it did take the edge off The Dark Knight for me just a little.
14 Paris, Texas 1984
★★★★★
Quite possibly my favorite child performance. The last 30 minutes had me more tense than any horror film I watched this year.
★★★★
I didn't understand the hype around Persona until I watched and saw its influence on every genre of contemporary cinema, down to the tiny short films I made BEFORE watching Persona. So good, I purchased a collection of commentaries on the film later in the year.
★★★★★
Pearl contains what I would consider to be a grade A, perfect performance. Mia Goth should have received an Oscar nomination. Completely bonkers film.
11 Throne of Blood 1957
★★★★★
Kurosawa was my most-watched director of 2025, and for a few weeks, Roshoman was locked firmly on this list; however, at the last second, Throne of Blood swept in to take its place. I am always blown away by every Kurosawa work, but Throne of Blood is a true masterpiece and one of the best interpretations of Macbeth that can be found.
★★★★★
I love Red Dead Redemption 2. Red Dead Redemption 2 is heavily inspired by Jeremiah Johnson. Naturally, I loved Jeremiah Johnson.
★★★★★
Wild Strawberries engages complicated ideas in a simple way, while exploring "simple" ideas with depth. Can’t decide if this should be labeled a faith-based or faith-adjacent film?
★★★★★
Blew my mind. I see why Evil Dead II is considered one of the greatest sequels of all time. Top-tier zaniness.
★★★★★
I treat any media relating to the 2008 recession like homework, so Margin Call was an easy 5 stars..
★★★★★
For years I’ve considered the Coens some of my favorite directors and have cited Burn After Reading as one of my favorites. That being said, Blood Simple could be my favorite Coen Brothers’ film. Blood Simple has everything you both want and expect from a Coen film, making it all the more charming that it is their first.
★★★★★
I always love watching Lumet’s films, and this venture into his work impressed like all the others. The hype was high. Dog Day Afternoon exceeded it.
4 Dave Chappelle: Killin’ Them Softly 2000
★★★★★
Is this Dave's best special? If it's not, let me know the best so I can watch it immediately.
★★★★★
This is one of those movies I thought I had seen. I remember as a middle schooler, Se7en was one of the movies I read about as I was taught about worldview, philosophy, and how movies could be more than just entertainment. I remember studying the VHS tape, captivated by the design and confident that I was likely holding a copy of the most violent and deranged film ever made. I’ve seen a lot more movies since then, but when I finally caught up to Se7en I was surprised and grateful that it was all still there. The darkness, the mystery, the ideas that introduced me to philosophy as a kid, Se7en delivered it in full.
★★★★★
I don't know if I've ever seen romantic chemistry quite so convincing in a film as the chemistry in Slow. I am rarely in the mood for the tonal intimacy of a film like Slow; it may be a while before I revisit, yet the images and mood from Slow have stuck with me since I first watched it, and it will be a long time before I encounter a film that draws me in the same way that Slow did.
★★★★★
I remember seeing the early trailers for Wind River and hearing the buzz, feeling confident it would be either a hit or a mid-tier straight-to-streamer cop drama. I remember Wind River succeeding as a hit, and years of passing by it thinking, “I gotta check that out.” Finally I started it out of boredom late at night and quickly found myself glued to the screen. What impressed me so much about Wind River was the balance it kept between genuinely strong action, and incredibly vile but necessary scenes of cruelty, all the while impressing upon the viewer of the harsh realities that many Indigenous women face. A brilliant script and exercise in tone.
