Viewing Journal: 2/19/2025

72) NO OTHER LAND

(2024 dir. Szor/Ballal/Abraham/Adra) Date Seen: February 19 2025

As a kid i remember a teacher showed us B.Z. Goldberg's PROMISES; and obviously we were all completely horrified by the cycle of violence the main kids were regularly struggling with, but we thought that that documentary ended with such hope and promise for a future peace for all of them.. That was 22 effing years ago and things have only gotten worse.

Viewing Journal: 2/18/2025

71) CAPTAIN AMERICA: 

                 BRAVE NEW WORLD 

(2025 dir. Julius Onah) Date Seen: February 18 2025

Mackie looks awesome as Cap for sure. But too much of this directorially was TV grade Paint-by-numbers + I was having a hard time caring about anything that was actually going on. Which is shame - 'cause given our tumultuous political moment in the U.S., this should've been a rousing crowd-pleaser.. No capping; Albery Pyun's goofy 1990 thing is more colorful & stylish than BRAVE NEW WORLD.

Viewing Journal: 2/17/2025

70) THE GORGE

(2025 dir. Scott Derrickson) Date Seen: February 17 2025

Derrickson without Massawyrm is not really my bag. Pretty much every part of this movie that didn't have creature stuff going on was dry as dust to me, if not unintentionally funny. I kinda liked the way the dp lit the underworld canopy like Andrew Droz Palermo.. But yeah, makes middling stuff like TOMORROW WAR and VIRTUS 明日戰記: WARRIORS OF FUTURE look cinematically poetic.

Viewing Journal: 2/16/2025

69) SLY LIVES! 

  (AKA THE BURDEN OF BLACK GENIUS)

(2025 dir. Questlove) Date Seen: February 16 2025

Equally as brilliant as SUMMER OF SOUL in every way. This one just became such a downer on the emotional front.. But I think that's kind of the point.

68) ASTERIX AND THE VIKINGS

(2006 dir. Fjeldmark / J.Møller) Date Seen: February 16 2025

Of the ten animated Asterix movies this one had my personal favorite animation style. Looking sort of like 90s "Waking Sleeping Beauty"-era Disney traditional cel 2D.. wish some of the humor landed better though.

67) ASTERIX AND OBELIX: 

      THE MANSIONS OF THE GODS

(2014 dir. Astier/Clichy) Date Seen: February 16 2025

really dug the new 3D character models and the color palette they went with.

66) ASTERIX: THE SECRET 

            OF THE MAGIC POTION

(2018 dir. Astier/Clichy) Date Seen: February 16 2025

Of the six Asterix/Obelix films I saw recently, this one was the best approximation of the source material. + it's a hoot! Make the kiddos watch it.

Viewing Journal: 2/15/2025

65) CHHAAVA छावा

(2025 dir. Laxman Utekar) Date Seen: February 15 2025

Once this movie was finally getting into that exceptional latter half I thought it was mostly some sweet sweet nectar.. 

however.. Don't get me wrong; A.R. Rahman is a titan of music (DIL SE '98 = all time banger) & i liked a lot his stuff in this, but some of it also had a tendency to get too cacophonous for me. To the point of being distracting.. & these Indian musicals aren't exactly known for their subtlety, so that being "too much" to my ears is saying something.

64) THE 12 TASKS OF ASTERIX

(1976 dir. Goscinny/Uderzo) Date Seen: February 15 2025

A pretty darn good audiovisual showcase of the Gaulish heroes & their unique charms.

63) ASTERIX IN BRITAIN

(1986 dir. Pino Van Lamsweerde) Date Seen: February 15 2025

but when them "black" caricature pirates show up, yikes!

It's like the first time you see Misutā Popo on DBZ as a kid. Your inner monologue is screamin' "Come on! who approved that?!"

62) ASTERIX & OBELIX: 

           MISSION CLEOPATRA

(2002 dir. Alain Chabat) Date Seen: February 15 2025

an adroit blend of the slapstick mayhem, visual wit, & iconic banter the comic was famous for.. Almost tickles the same funny bone as KUNG FU HUSTLE.

Viewing Journal: 2/14/2025

61) BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN

(2025 dir. Bernard MacMahon) Date Seen: February 14 2025

60) LOUDER THAN YOU THINK:

LO-FI HISTORY OF GARY YOUNG & PAVEMENT

(2024 dir. Jed I. Rosenberg) Date Seen: February 14 2025

Thematically much heavier than I thought it would be.. See also; the FEARLESS FREAKS doc and THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON.

Viewing Journal: 2/13/2025

59) NE ZHA 2

(2025 dir. Yang Yu) Date Seen: February 13 2025

Genuinely liked the first entry but this one just stunk of Bigger Louder Dumber sequel disorder in too many ways. Animation is obviously smooth and there's some decent God clashes to behold, but most of it is undeniably a step down from the 2019 one imo.

58) KENSUKE'S KINGDOM

(2024 dir. K.Hendry / N.Boyle) Date Seen: February 13 2025

Might not have quit the same tranquil brilliance of THE RED TURTLE (2016) but I still found it to be a very thoughtful "Stranded on an Island" story. A worthwhile adaptation of the book for sure.

Viewing Journal: 2/12/2025

57) THE STUPIDS

(1996 dir. John Landis) Date Seen: February 12 2025

56) 

THE DEVIL AND DANIEL MOUSE

(1978 dir. Clive A. Smith) Date Seen: February 12 2025

Viewing Journal: 2/11/2025

55) ATTACK ON TITAN: 

          THE LAST ATTACK

(2025 dir. Yuichiro Hayashi) Date Seen: February 11 2025

Thematically speaking, why do so many of these feel like obtuse riffs on Verhoeven's STARSHIP TROOPERS with the irony completely gutted out?.. Thank goodness for all the grotesque body horror eye candy.

Viewing Journal: 2/10/2025

54) ATTACK ON TITAN: 

     THE ROAR OF AWAKENING

(2018 dir. T.Araki/Koizuka) Date Seen: February 10 2025

for what it's worth, this season 2 mashup had my favorite action of the three theatrically released feature things.

53) ATTACK ON TITAN: 

    CRIMSON BOW AND ARROW

(2014 dir. Tetsuro Araki) Date Seen: February 10 2025

didn't realize this was just abridged season 1 cut into a feature film when I started prep for my LAST ATTACK screening.