THE DANMAN CAN

1.    One Battle After Another   ****1/2 [ review ] 2.    Marty Supreme  ****1/2 [ review ] 3.    Eddington   **** [ review )] 4.    Reflection In A Dead Diamond  **** [ review ] 5.    Bugonia   **** [ review ] 6.    Roofman  **** [ review ] 7.    Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl  (2024) **** [ review ] 8.    The Phoenician Scheme   ***1/2 [ review ] 9.    The Monkey   ***1/2 [ review ] 10.  The Shrouds  (2024)  ***1/2 [ review ] 11. Caught Stealing  ***1/2 [ review ] 12.  Black Bag   ***1/2 [ review ] 13.  Companion  ***1/2 [ review ] 14.  The Naked Gun   ***1/2 [ review ] 15.  Hard Truths  (2024) ***1/2 [ review ] 16.  Deathstalker   ***1/2 [ review ] 17.  The Running Man  ***1/2 [ review ] 18.  Honey Don’t!  *** [ review ] 19.  The Toxic Avenger ...

The French Dispatch   (2021),  Wes Anderson 's ode to journalism (via the likes of  Harold Ross ,  James Baldwin , and more), draws inspiration from (and pays homage to) sources as varied as  Jacques Tati ,  The Adventures Of Tintin ,  Jean-Pierre Melville ,  Serge Gainsbourg , and  Henri-Georges Clouzot , just to name a few. In typical Anderson fashion,  TFD  features an enormous ensemble of famous actors (many of whom have worked with him before), but it also spends a healthy amount of time with a select few charming characters ( Benicio Del Toro ,  Frances McDormand , and  Jeffrey Wright  being standouts).  Split into three main stories plus a wraparound,  TFD  is  incredibly  dense (even for Anderson), both on the visual and storytelling front. Most of the amazing design, tongue-twisting dialogue, visual effects, animation, and information zips by at lightning pace. And yet there are some ...

As far as  Wes Anderson  stop motion films go, I like  Fantastic Mr. Fox   (2009) more (there are a few beats in this film that fall flat, unlike FMF , which is close to perfect), but  Isle Of Dogs   (2018) is a whole lot of fun. Some of the characters don't do it for me, some are underutilized, and some of the scenes drag a bit, but on the whole I love the film, which is bursting with eye and ear candy.  Wes' style of storytelling suits the scenarios perfectly, this time around working from a story by himself,  Roman   Coppola   (who previously co-wrote 2007's  The Darjeeling Limited   and 2012's  Moonrise Kingdom  with him),  Jason   Schwartzman   (who has previously worked with Anderson as both actor and writer) and  Kunichi Nomura  (who voices one of the characters in this film). Anderson   has always worn his influences on his sleeve and in  Dogs  the more ob...

Wes Anderson takes some risks here and the production design is immaculate, as always, but it's still dense. The Phoenician Scheme (2025) is very enjoyable, but in that Anderson-of-the-last-decade way of if you throw enough stuff at people they are bound to laugh for at least some of it. I'd still consider this one of the best films of the year so far, but part of me wishes Anderson would scale back or do something radically different. Wes Anderson Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

1.    Killers Of The Flower Moon   **** ( review ) 2.    Beau Is Afraid   **** ( review ) 3.    The Holdovers  **** ( review ) 4.    Poor Things   ***1/2 ( review ) 5.    Evil Dead Rise   ***1/2 ( review ) 6.    Asteroid City   ***1/2 7.    Infinity Pool   ***1/2 ( review ) 8.    Oppenheimer   ***1/2 ( review ) 9.    Smoking Causes Coughing  (2022) ***1/2 10.  Dream Scenario   ***1/2 ( review ) 11. The Iron Claw  ***1/2 12. May December ***1/2 13. Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny   *** 14.  The Killer   *** ( review ) 15.  Thanksgiving   *** ( review ) 16. Saltburn  *** 17. Napoleon *** 18. Master Gardener (2022) *** 19. Talk To Me (2022) *** 20. Suitable Flesh   *** Biggest Disappointments Kids Vs. Aliens (2022) **1/2 The Exorcist: Believer **1/2 ( review ) When Evil Lurks   **1/2 Barbie ...

1.    Licorice Pizza   ****1/2 ( Review ) 2.    The French Dispatch   ****1/2 ( Review ) 3.    The Tragedy Of Macbeth   **** ( Review) 4.    Nightmare Alley  **** ( Review ) 5.    West Side Story   **** ( Review ) 6.   No Time To Die   **** 7.   Dune   ***1/2 8.    Psycho Goreman   (2020) ***1/2 ( Review ) 9.   Benedetta   ***1/2 10. Titane ***1/2 11. Annette   ***1/2 12.  No Sudden Move   ***1/2 ( Review ) 13. Mandibles  (2020) ***1/2 ( Review ) 14. Pig  ***1/2 15. The Last Duel  ***1/2 16. Last Night In Soho  *** 17. In The Earth *** 18. The Many Saints Of Newark *** 19. Censor *** 20. House Of Gucci *** Biggest Disappointment Ghostbusters: Afterlife   ** ( Review ) (Click image above for Letterboxd link)

The French Dispatch (2021), Wes Anderson 's ode to journalism (via the likes of  Harold Ross , James Baldwin , and more), draws inspiration from (and pays homage to) sources as varied as Jacques Tati , The Adventures Of Tintin , Jean-Pierre Melville , Serge Gainsbourg , and Henri-Georges Clouzot , just to name a few. In typical Anderson fashion, TFD  features an enormous ensemble of famous actors (many of whom have worked with him before), but it also spends a healthy amount of time with a select few charming characters ( Benicio Del Toro , Frances McDormand , and Jeffrey Wright being standouts).  Split into three main stories plus a wraparound, TFD is incredibly dense (even for Anderson), both on the visual and storytelling front. Most of the amazing design, tongue-twisting dialogue, visual effects, animation, and information zips by at lightning pace. And yet there are some slower, more drawn out moments that really shine as well.  Alexandre Desplat  delive...

Wes Anderson is known for being meticulous but The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) has to be his most meticulous film (so far). Aside from assembling one of his most impressive casts (in a filmography filled with ridiculously impressive casts)—down to what are essentially bit parts— GBH  is, well, just his most grand film in every way. And unlike Moonrise Kingdom (2012) (which I still greatly enjoyed), there's never a feeling of stunt casting—even the smallest roles feel lived in (whether they are name actors or not). And the fictional world which Anderson created for all the wonderful characters that populate GBH is simply breathtaking. GBH   boasts three (!) (technically four but one is a matted version of another) aspect ratios to represent different time periods throughout the film (1932, 1968, 1985 and present day). There are hundreds of effects shots of varying disciplines (practical, miniatures/models, matte paintings, some digital here and there), all brilliant...

1.    Mary Poppins Returns   ****1/2 ( Review ) 2.    Let The Corpses Tan  (2017) ****1/2 ( Review ,  Take 2 Review ) 3.    Isle Of Dogs  **** ( Review , Take 2 Review ) 4.    Suspiria  **** ( Review ) 5.    The Favourite  **** ( Review ) 6.    Mandy   **** ( Review , Take 2 Review ) 7.    You Were Never Really Here   (2017) **** ( Review ) 8.    The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs   ***1/2 ( Review ) 9.    The Other Side Of The Wind  ***1/2 ( Review ) 10.  Hold The Dark  ***1/2 ( Review ) 11.  BlacKkKlansman   ***1/2 ( Review ) 12.  Unsane  ***1/2 ( Review ) 13.  Hereditary  ***1/2 ( Review ) 14.  Summer Of 84   ***1/2 ( Review ) 15.  Thoroughbreds   (2017) ***1/2 ( Review ) 16.  Sicario: Day Of The Soldado  ***1/2 ( Review ) 17.  Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdo...

I updated my Top 20 Directors Letterboxd list to include links to my Ranked list for each director. You can view the list (and access those additional lists) here .

For round 2 of Isle Of Dogs  (2018), I'd say that I felt largely the same as my first viewing ,   which is a good thing because I loved it. I will say that there are some beats in this film that fall flat, unlike  Fantastic Mr. Fox   (2009), which is close to perfect. Some of the characters don't do it for me, some are underutilized, and some of the scenes drag a bit, but on the whole the film is bursting with eye and ear candy. The voice work of Cranston , Norton  and Goldblum  in particular are all stellar. One thing I didn't mention in my original review   is how excellent Alexandre Desplat 's score is—at times full of drums beating like a heart, at times as sparse as a 3-note whistle. Despite the shortcomings, my star rating hasn't changed and I can see myself enjoying many more viewings of Dogs , more than anything else to soak in its art form. A funny, sad, charming adventure that still has thought-provoking statements to make abou...

As far as Wes Anderson  stop motion films go, I like  Fantastic Mr. Fox   (2009) more, but Isle Of Dogs   (2018) is a whole lot of fun (and I've only seen it once, so its ranking could change). This is definitely a film that warrants multiple viewings in order to catch more details and appreciate the art behind the painstaking process of its creation. Wes' style of storytelling suits the scenarios perfectly, this time around working from a story by himself, Roman Coppola   (who previously co-wrote The Darjeeling Limited (2007) and Moonrise Kingdom (2012) with him),  Jason   Schwartzman   (who has previously worked with Anderson as both actor and writer) and Kunichi Nomura  (who voices one of the characters in this film). Anderson has always worn his influences on his sleeve and in Dogs  the more obvious ones are references to the films of  Akira Kurosawa   (and as mentioned before, I'll have to see the film again t...

1.   Boyhood   ***** 2.   Under The Skin   ****1/2 3.   Jodorowsky's Dune   ****1/2 ( Review ) 4.   The Strange Color Of Your Body's Tears   (2013) ****1/2 ( Review ) 5.   The Grand Budapest Hotel   ****1/2 ( Review ) 6.   Nightcrawler   **** 7.   The Dance Of Reality  (2013) **** ( Review ) 8.   Locke  (2013) **** 9.    The Drop   **** 10.  Blue Ruin   (2013)   **** 11. Enemy  (2013) **** ( Review ) 12. A Field In England  (2013) **** ( Review ) 13. Gone Girl   ***1/2 14. X-Men: Days Of Future Past   ***1/2 ( Review ) 15. Only Lovers Left Alive   (2013) ***1/2 16. Birdman   ***1/2 17. Starry Eyes   ***1/2 18. The Babadook  ***1/2 19. The Guest  ***1/2 20.  Cheap Thrills   (2013) ***1/2 Honorable Mentions 1.   Wrong Cops  (2013) ***1/2 2.   Dawn Of The Planet Of The ...

 Angelic.   Dr. Nelson Guggenheim : We're putting you on what we call sudden death academic probation. Max Fischer : And what does that entail? Dr. Nelson Guggenheim : It entails that if you fail another class, you'll be asked to leave Rushmore. Max Fischer : In other words, I'll be expelled. Dr. Nelson Guggenheim : That's correct. Max Fischer : Can I see some documentation on that, please?  Max Fischer : Sic transit gloria. Glory fades. I'm Max Fischer. Rosemary Cross : Hi. Max Fischer : Hi.    Max Fischer : So you were in Vietnam? Herman Blume : Yeah. Max Fischer : Were you in the shit? Herman Blume : Yeah, I was in the shit.   Max Fischer : I like your nurse's uniform, guy.  Dr. Peter Flynn : These are O.R. scrubs.  Max Fischer : O, R they?  "UNLOCK IT!!" Max Fischer :   The killing's gotta stop, esse. It's getting too loco. No more gats. 40  Ounce : Nigga, you the crazy one...

Round 2 and I think I may have liked this even more the second time. Thoughts from my first viewing here .

I was wavering between a 4-star a 4 1/2-star rating for The Grand Budapest Hotel  (2014) in my mind for some time, but decided to settle on ****1/2 because I think a repeat viewing will make me appreciate it even more. Because the first time I see a Wes Anderson film I'm usually just along for the ride and grinning almost throughout and the second (and subsequent) viewings are when I'm catching more dialog and nuances. And, unfortunately, there was a problem with the DCP  for this film, so the audience I was with had to wait over an hour to restart the film where it had left off when it had issues (it was worth it). It can be said that I am firmly in Wes Anderson 's camp and have been since his second feature Rushmore   (1998)   (still my favorite of his) was released on home video. I think his style is all his own and I'm OK with him making very similarly-styled films. Only a couple of his films ( The Darjeeling Limited   (2007)   and Moonrise Kin...

1.   Beyond The Black Rainbow (2010) ****1/2 ( Review ) 2.   The Master ****1/2 ( Review ) 3.   Cloud Atlas ****1/2 4.   Samsara (2011) ***** ( Review ) 5.   Looper **** 6.    Argo  **** 7.     Moonrise Kingdom  **** 8.    Lincoln  ***1/2 9.   Skyfall **** 10. Excision **** 11.  Frankenweenie  ***1/2 ( Take 2 Review ) 12.  Side By Side  **** ( Review ) 13.  God Bless America  (2011) **** 14.  The Avengers  **** 15. Cosmopolis  ***1/2 ( Take 2 Review ) 16. Haywire (2011) ***1/2 ( Review , Take 2 Review ) 17. The Dark Knight Rises ***1/2 18. Father's Day (2011) ***1/2 ( Review ) 19. Lawless ***1/2 20. The Woman In Black ***1/2 ( Review ) Honorable Mentions 1.   Django Unchained *** ( Take 2 Review ) 2.    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey  ***1/2 3.   Savages ***1/2 4...