Spider-Man: Brand New Day feels like 2 films mashed together in unwieldy fashion. One is a decent continuation of the Peter/MJ/Ned story from the “Home” trilogy. The other is a rote MCU film with haphazard references and introductions of new elements that will REALLY be paid off in future films.

I watched TROY (theatrical cut) for the first time, just because I'm in the sword and sandals mood. This film is worse than THE ODYSSEY in just about every way: the plot, the acting, the visual effects, the dialogue. But there is one thing it does better: The sheer scale of the battle sequences.

THE AGENCY season 2 (all eps now on Paramount+) is hugely enjoyable. S1 was decent but S2 is more of the things that made S1 good (hyper tense scenes of spies infiltrating unknown territory) and fewer of the things that made it suck (philosophical musings on the nature of spying). Had a blast!

THE ODYSSEY: Top tier Nolan. An epic, unforgettable experience. Somehow manages to wring a story that’s fresh and relevant from a text that’s thousands of years old. The cast is uniformly excellent but my favorite is Robert Pattinson, who will test your limits for how much you can hate a character.

Can’t believe I flew back from Portugal to the US just to catch this press screening. I’m kidding!! (am I?)

EVIL DEAD BURN is maximalist horror filmmaking. Relentlessly brutal and unpleasant. It will test your limits of what you are willing to consume when it comes to body horror. A handful of bravura sequences showcase some real passion and flair behind the camera. Had a good time with this one.

Rewatched THE SOCIAL NETWORK, which has somehow become more relevant since it came out 16 yrs ago. While initially I thought its focus on Zuckerberg’s petty grievances made its scope too small, what time has revealed is that that is in fact what motivates A LOT of the tech billionaire class.

Man TOY STORY 5 bummed me out. A totally disposable entry in the franchise. Despite a promising/relevant premise, it has virtually nothing new to say. It barely even moves any existing relationships along. What used to be must-see, genre-defining films have become “I guess they made another one.”

New posters for THE SOCIAL RECKONING & imho the vibes for the whole campaign have been pretty cringey. Feels like one marketing team imitating the brilliance of another, long-gone marketing team (from the 1st film) Having said all that I am going to be first in line to see this movie opening wknd.

Thoughts on THE BEAR season 5

I’m sorry but the elevators (and elevator buttons) at Heathrow airport are completely unhinged. In what world is this labeling acceptable? This country can conquer 23% of the world’s population but apparently it can’t make elevators that make logical sense.

This Netflix trilogy goes so hard.

Just got to Lisbon and I loved this guy’s shirt so I asked to take a pic 😂

Without a doubt, one of the most unhinged, fucked up stories I’ve ever watched. Suspenseful storytelling that leads to an inevitable, horrifying conclusion. An unbelievable descent into human depravity. Heartbreaking and gut-wrenching. I will probably be in shock for awhile from this.

Wow the Rivian R2 sounds amazing

DISCLOSURE DAY: There are camera moves in this film that are mind-blowingly cool and show that Spielberg is still one of the greatest to ever do it. As for the rest: Emily Blunt is phenomenal, but the story has an extremely quaint conception of how the idea of aliens would be received by the public

SPIDER-NOIR (Prime Video, I’ve seen all eps) is really good! It somehow finds a way to let Nic Cage be Nic Cage in all his manic & tragic glory. While the middle episodes drag a bit, I was enthralled by these characters by the end. It’s beautiful in black and white, which is how you should watch it

In Portugal, Scary Movie (2026) is called Scary Movie What’s Up? I have no other use for this information so I’m sharing it with you.

Is this what old people way back then felt like when STAR WARS and JAWS came out and made a zillion dollars

Maybe one day we’ll live in a society where we assume the Two Prosecutors ARE Two Women

My thoughts on BACKROOMS

Every week I watch this show and I ask myself, “What is the most reckless and destructive decision someone could make here, causing maximum trauma and emotional damage to everyone involved?” And that’s always what ends up happening. (Complimentary???)

I liked David Lowery’s MOTHER MARY (out on VOD). Its depiction of a relationship between artists in a state of turmoil really resonated with me & Lowery’s ability to conjure a dreamlike feel remains unparalleled. That said, I enjoyed the first, grounded half of the film much more than the second.

MANDO & GROGU doesn’t have the fundamental elements of what makes for a good film. The stakes feel VERY low, which is fine, but the protagonist(?) has no arc. His character barely makes any decisions. It’s not that this part is poorly executed. It’s like they didn’t even try to execute it at all.

Me watching any TV show or film shot before 2000: Damn, we used to really light these things. We used to be proud of how things looked and how they were lit. Me watching any TV show or film today:

Here’s how good the new LORD OF THE FLIES show is on Netflix: I am actively concerned not only for the lives of these characters but of the literal children that are in the show. Are they okay? Have they been traumatized??

Billie Eilish’s HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is one of the most technically impressive concert films I’ve ever seen. Nothing else has made me “feel” like I’m in the arena as much as this film. The result is a testament to the visual wizardry & sheer physical stamina required to put on one of these things.

THE BEAR’s surprise episode drop (GARY) was very good. An intense character study with wonderful performances from its two main leads. It provides a snapshot of the painful path that led to where we are at the beginning of the show.

SHEEP DETECTIVES (in theaters) is a delight. It has one of the silliest premises imaginable -- a group of sheep must work together to solve the murder of their shepherd -- but the VFX are solid, the cast is great, and it has a heartwarming message about found family. Plus some great Sheep Humor!