The following review/mini-essay is something I wrote last year for a now-defunct film journalism website on why Gremlins is the greatest movie ever made. Since that site is gone, I thought I'd immortalise my ramblings on here. Merry (belated) Christmas to all!
Of the many hundreds of movies to fall under the "Christmas" genre, a good majority are tainted by empty cheer and goodwill to all mindless consumers. Rom-coms and Hallmark holiday romances are still trotted out year upon year;…
"Confusion is not an obstacle, nor clarity a solution."
The Armed were formed in 2009 in Detroit, Michigan; an anonymous musical collective with the apparent aim of spreading as much joy and chaos as possible. Through the release of their early work and debut album, this aim was realised. In 2018, the band transcended every boundary yet placed upon them, became something else entirely, and gifted the world the best musical release of the decade in the form of Only…
Super glossy, polished to within an inch of its life, and instantly forgettable, but while you're along for the ride it's fun enough. If you love the world of Mario you'll have a lot of fun spotting all the easter eggs and side-character appearances, and if you're completely unfamiliar with the franchise you'll have no fucking clue what's going on the entire time. Jack Black obviously steals the show as Bowser and everyone else is... uhhh... also there. Bang on 5/10.
Oh shit! I'm alive! I never forgot about Letterboxd this whole time!
Apologies for my complete absence from this site for the past month and a half, pals. I've been moving house, settling into a new job, and trying to manage a band on the side, so haven't really had any time or energy to even watch a film, let alone review one. Also was busy watching Beef, which rules, and Love Is Blind Season 4, which is the worst…
Apologies, but we're gonna get personal here, so strap in.
Let me preface this by saying that I was pretty terrified of watching this film. I'm a drummer in a punk band; I'm a metal lover and metal musician (literally dropped a song yesterday - check it out!); I spent a huge chunk of my teens (the six or seven years pre-pandemic) going to gigs and playing shows, often without earplugs or any real regard for my hearing. Music is…
Takashi Miike's gangster epic; his Martin Scorsese moment. Graveyard of Honor plays out like a cross between the director's own Black Society trilogy, Goodfellas, and Uncut Gems. The result is staggeringly brilliant, and a new favourite of mine which I imagine I'll continue to get more and more out of for years to come.
I have to confess I've never seen Kinji Fukasaku's original Graveyard of Honor (though it's on my watchlist), but I'm sure the high regard it's held…
