28 Hotels Rooms (2012, Matt Ross) - Sometimes all you need is two great actors in a single location, and you get one of the best films I’ve seen all year.

Eden (2024, Ron Howard) - This is not Howard’s MO at all, and frankly his shallow focus, constant close up photography is terrible. What saves it is a cast of excellent performers, And some genuinely shocking brutality.

The Outside Man (1973, Jacques Deray) - Excellent crime thriller that made me realize so much of arthouse aesthetics in past 20 years are just how they made movies back then. A lack of musical score, locked down framing, and a sense of atmospheric dread in every scene.

The Things of Life (1970, Claude Sautet) - Every scene is natural and wonderful, impeccable sound design, even the chaos of a crowded restaurant is used cleverly. Piccoli and Schneider are really something else, corny to say but cinematic magic happens with them on screen.

Macon County Line (1974, Richard Compton) - The first 30 minutes kind of drifts like most drive in exploitation. But, once the film gets going it’s a borderline masterpiece. Acted perfectly by relative unknowns, shot with precision by Stephanie Rothman’s DP & Compton.

Sweet Sweetback’s Badaasssss Song (1971, Melvin Van Peebles) - I heard for so many years about this film, wasn’t expecting this at all. An experimental work of art, with frequently hypnotizing, gorgeous images and lots and lots of glorious zooms.

R.I.P. Robert Redford. Delivers one of the most haunting performances in film history right here

4 underrated 90s jams The Crude Oasis (Alex Graves) Denial (Erin Dignam) After Dark My Sweet (James Foley) Jonah and the Pink Whale (Juan Carlos Valdivia)

Robocop (1987, Paul Verhoeven) - Insane how there’s not an ounce of fat on this entire thing, and is 97 minutes and gets all of its information out so freaking precisely. Also, Peter Weller’s great, lovely squibs, and excellent photography and use of the wide shot from Verhoeven.

Walking The Edge (1985, Norbert Meisel) - Feels like a film from 1973 both in look and in style. But, in the best possible way, you can feel every bit of grit and grime on this, the slowness just makes it hit even more.

Far From Home (1989) - Not much better than a tight, 89 minute forgotten thriller with nothing on its mind but brooding atmosphere and insanity. Written by Halloween III director Tommy Lee Wallace, and starring the underrated Matt Frewer.

Excellent movie. Free on Tubi. Wonderful shot compositions and particularly excellent sound design. I loved how every time we hear this salesman’s voice it sounds like he’s still talking through the phone even when he isn’t.

I’ve been saying this all year

And people get on my case for quitting my Jets fandom. In no universe will the Jets be good again with him as an owner

Child’s Play (2019) & Black Phone 2 (2025) - Both visually interesting but also very dull. Something about modern studio horror films, where the acting is so lifeless. Hard to take a combined 200 minutes of monotone line delivery

The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion (1970) - One of the best lit films I’ve seen this year. Just impeccable anamorphic framing and atmosphere.

Fred kills it per usual.

It’s all a ploy to move the Mavs, kill off fandom then use that as an excuse to move to Vegas

John and the Hole (2021, Pascual Sisto) - A really absorbing and terrific experimental (?) drama that seems to be despised by everyone but critics. Reminded me a lot of Van Sant’s Elephant, long 4:3 shot takes of psychologically disturbed youth.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (2025, Mary Bronstein) - Currently going through 2025 recommendations. This is excellent. I sometimes joke that certain films are just nonstop reaction shots for one actor, and you can’t get much better than 113 minutes of Rose Byrne reaction shots.