Viewing Journal: 3/31/2026

135) 

HOW TO SHOOT A GHOST

(2026 dir. Charlie Kaufman) Date Seen: March 31 2026

this is the first Kaufman i've been on the fence about. Thankfully it's short subject, because 50% of it is sort of exhausting.

134) HEAT LIGHTNING

(1934 dir. Mervyn LeRoy) Date Seen: March 31 2026

Only discovering this just now, It's crazy how modern & alive the film still feels. Lush photography & tense desert atmosphere captivated me right off the bat. Shot on location @ Victorville, Cali

Viewing Journal: 3/30/2026

133) THE HOUSEMAID

(2025 dir. Paul Feig) Date Seen: March 30 2026

How did Feig get good at directing all of a sudden? Did he take a course? There's some really smooth stuff peppered throughout this. Better than your average Yuppies in Trouble Lifetime filler.

132) THE 

CHRONOLOGY OF WATER

(2025 dir. Kristen Stewart) 2nd Viewing: March 30 2026

K. Stew really did an exceptional job on her debut. With cine-craft that's equal parts Debra Granik and Gus Van Sant.. Also, Imogen was snubbed for Lead Actress.

Viewing Journal: 3/29/2026

131) IN COLD LIGHT

(2026 dir. Maxime Giroux) Date Seen: March 29 2026

Never mind that I've a hard time buying Maika Monroe breaking this type of bad; The jittery neo-noir vibe the film's shot in feels like somebody goofing on the late Tony Scott. It's a bit overkill for this specific story.

Viewing Journal: 3/28/2026

130) ANDRÉ IS AN IDIOT

(2026 dir. Tony Benna) Date Seen: March 28 2026

Ricciardi seems like he was a good dude & my heart goes out to his family. I wish I didn't find this brand of documentary filmmaking so annoying.

Viewing Journal: 3/27/2026

129) ALPHA

(2026 dir. Julia Ducournau) Date Seen: March 27 2026

Happy to report that Julia continues to disturb & confound in her own unique way. Even if i did feel like this had some pacing issues.. maybe a bit of a drop-off in quality is inevitable after the masterly high of TITANE.

Ms. Farahani is still one of the greatest actresses around.

Viewing Journal: 3/26/2026

128) 

DHURANDHAR: THE REVENGE

(2026 dir. Aditya Dhar) Date Seen: March 26 2026

127) DHURANDHAR धुरंधर

(2025 dir. Aditya Dhar) Date Seen: March 26 2026

126) A MAGNIFICENT LIFE

 [MARCEL ET MONSIEUR PAGNOL]

(2025 dir. Sylvain Chomet) 2nd Viewing: March 26 2026

Viewing Journal: 3/25/2026

125) MARC BY SOFIA

(2026 dir. Sofia Coppola) Date Seen: March 25 2026

124) THE AI DOC: OR

HOW I BECAME AN APOCALOPTIMIST

(2026 dir. Roher/Tyrell) Date Seen: March 25 2026

I think the cautious optimism these filmmakers frequently loop back to will look like folly in time. But I'd be lying if I said this wasn't decent food for thought for a lot of its run

Viewing Journal: 3/24/2026

123) PROJECT HAIL MARY

(2026 dir. Lord/Miller) Date Seen: March 24 2026

I really dug this once it became an E.T. friendship movie about communication. "Rocky" was a mensch

Viewing Journal: 3/23/2026

122) THE RED SPECTACLES

(1987 dir. Mamoru Oshii) 2nd Viewing: March 23 2026

4K Restoration @ Texas Theatre

121) STRAYDOG:

KERBEROS PANZER COPS

(1991 dir. Mamoru Oshii) 2nd Viewing: March 23 2026

120) 

JIN-ROH: THE WOLF BRIGADE

(1999 dir. Hiroyuki Okiura) 2nd Viewing: March 23 2026

I coulda swore Mamoru Oshii had directed this one too. Looking back though, I guess he was busy on AVALON.

119) 인랑  ILLANG: 

         THE WOLF BRIGADE

(2018 dir. Kim Jee-woon) 2nd Viewing: March 23 2026

Viewing Journal: 3/22/2026

118) RAD

(1986 dir. Hal Needham) Date Seen: March 22 2026

40th Anniversary and 4K Restoration

@ AMC

Viewing Journal: 3/21/2026

117) TOW

(2026 dir. Stephanie Laing) Date Seen: March 21 2026

Viewing Journal: 3/20/2026

116) THE POUT-POUT FISH

(2026 dir. Ricard Cussó) Date Seen: March 20 2026

My wife says this is based on a cute illustrated book, so I was surprised I disliked it as much as I did. I doubt the illustrations in the kids book make all the characters look like they're from the kidney-bean head school of generic design though. This movie put my inner child to sleep. Thankfully not the euthanasia kind of sleep; Just the drowsy bored kind. Cinematically it only plays a little bit better than those two THE REEF slops.

(Which i'm convinced only exist to have playing in the background of a dentist waiting room on mute)

Viewing Journal: 3/19/2026

115) READY OR NOT 2: 

           HERE I COME

(2026 dir. Radio Silence) Date Seen: March 19 2026

Viewing Journal: 3/18/2026

114) HOPPERS

(2026 dir. Daniel Chong) Date Seen: March 18 2026

If i'm keeping things 100, this is basically OVER THE HEDGE w/ a fancy coat of Pixar gobbledygook (+ the same shambolic bothsidesism peeking out). Some cool ideas & fun moments thumping into loads of irksome. YMMV.

my personal Pig-Czar tier-list >

Viewing Journal: 3/17/2026

113) TESTAMENT

(1983 dir. Lynne Littman) 3rd Viewing: March 17 2026

#Criterion #bluray

112) VIRIDIANA

(1961 dir. Luis Buñuel) 4th Viewing: March 17 2026

#Criterion #bluray