A Month in Film: December 2025Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Wanted to give this another chance, since in theory it should be right up my alley. But it's still too zany and over the top for me. I just don't think this is content that needs to be satirized, and bastardized to a certain extent. Could go with or without RDJ here, but that's how I feel about him in general anyways. Val Kilmer is cool though.
Watched on 35mm at the Revue.
Watched on 35mm at the Revue.
An Education (2009)
To me, the creepiness looms large the whole time. But it's pretty shrewd in still making me sympathize with the decisions Carey Mulligan's character makes, her youthful naivety and idealistic thoughts of love really rendering her unable to act in any other way. And it's not like her bumbling parents (shoutout Doc Ock) are doing her any favours. But the ending here felt incredibly rushed and unearned. Hollywood hates a bad ending, and I get that it's based on a memoir, but at least make it count!
Watched on 35mm at the TIFF Lightbox. This was presented by TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey as part of his monthly From the Collection series, where each month a 35mm title is selected from the TIFF library and screened for members. I love this kind of meaningfully curated programming. This print was acquired by TIFF from Mongrel Media after its original theatrical run back in 2009. Wild to me that only 16 years ago, smaller budget films like this one were still getting distributed on film. This was my first time attending one of these screenings, but hopefully I can get a ticket for Three Colors: Red next month!
Watched on 35mm at the TIFF Lightbox. This was presented by TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey as part of his monthly From the Collection series, where each month a 35mm title is selected from the TIFF library and screened for members. I love this kind of meaningfully curated programming. This print was acquired by TIFF from Mongrel Media after its original theatrical run back in 2009. Wild to me that only 16 years ago, smaller budget films like this one were still getting distributed on film. This was my first time attending one of these screenings, but hopefully I can get a ticket for Three Colors: Red next month!
American Psycho (2000)
Cutthroat satire taking down '80s yuppie culture, and has a hell of a lot of fun in doing so. It's the comedy that shines through, Christian Bale perfectly playing a fish out of water psychotic that really has no business carrying on a normal life. And it's a such a superficial world that he exists in, his colleagues, friends, associates — literally anyone in his life — all none the wiser to whatever is actually going on with him.
Watched at the TIFF Lightbox, screened with director Mary Harron in attendance for a post-film Q&A, in celebration of the film's 25th anniversary. Fun to witness it with a crowd. Lots of cool insight during the Q&A. So glad the moderator brought up how these monsters on Wall Street still exist today, albeit in a different form, in tech bros. And Mary quipped that she didn't think we'd be still dealing with them thirty years later. It's a fantastic movie, just unfortunate how it's celebrated by some misguided individuals nowadays.
Watched at the TIFF Lightbox, screened with director Mary Harron in attendance for a post-film Q&A, in celebration of the film's 25th anniversary. Fun to witness it with a crowd. Lots of cool insight during the Q&A. So glad the moderator brought up how these monsters on Wall Street still exist today, albeit in a different form, in tech bros. And Mary quipped that she didn't think we'd be still dealing with them thirty years later. It's a fantastic movie, just unfortunate how it's celebrated by some misguided individuals nowadays.
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2006)
Feels like a cheat code logging this, but this was indeed the whole bloody affair! There's no doubt to me that this is the way Tarantino meant the film to be seen. Independently, volume 1 is more of an exercise in style, and experimentally draws from a whole host of influences, while volume 2 boils it down to its thematic core. Logically speaking, it makes a lot more sense to evaluate it as a whole, because what either half may appear to lack is offset by what the other offers. And it's just a whole lot more ballsy to feed this to audiences as a four hour action epic.
Watched on 70mm at the Varsity Cineplex. Full house for a matinee screening. This 70mm setup reminded me a lot of the Park Theatre in Vancouver.
Watched on 70mm at the Varsity Cineplex. Full house for a matinee screening. This 70mm setup reminded me a lot of the Park Theatre in Vancouver.
The Secret Agent (2025)
Sprawling political thriller that refuses to give you all the answers. Because sometimes there aren't any answers, and no one to pay for whatever has transpired. It's a cold truth, but certainly a story worth telling. The package we're getting here is a faithful homage to the '70s, a great era of political thrillers, so it's well worth your time if you're a fan of
Alan J. Pakula's Paranoia trilogy, or Brian De Palma thrillers like Blow Out. And De Palma would be pleased with the split diopter and split screen usage here.
Watched at the TIFF Lightbox.
Alan J. Pakula's Paranoia trilogy, or Brian De Palma thrillers like Blow Out. And De Palma would be pleased with the split diopter and split screen usage here.
Watched at the TIFF Lightbox.
Black Christmas (1974)
Coming from a Canadian with ice inside my veins, I love the idea of a cozy Christmas-set slasher. And this creaking old house, dimly lit by the fluorescent glow of Christmas lights, big enough to swallow up bodies while the whole town embarks on a wild goose chase, is the perfect setting for this kind of thing. It’s got that small-town Ontario feel perfected, intentional or not, but the movie itself is Canadian so I have to think that has something to do with it!
Watched on 35mm at the Revue.
Watched on 35mm at the Revue.
North by Northwest (1959)
Hitchcock at his most accessible still goes unfathomably hard. I mentioned it once before when I talked about <i>The Wages of Fear<i>, but this is the kind of timeless film that modern audiences can still eat up if they're willing to give it a try. It moves along like a well-oiled machine, flawlessly setting up multiple large-scale action set pieces throughout its runtime. From a filmmaking perspective, it's calculated and ambitious. And the execution is witty and sexy. What's not to love?
Watched on 70mm at the TIFF Lightbox. My first viewing from their Magnificent 70mm programming, running into January. We are getting spoiled this holiday season in Toronto!
Watched on 70mm at the TIFF Lightbox. My first viewing from their Magnificent 70mm programming, running into January. We are getting spoiled this holiday season in Toronto!
Zodiac (2007)
Watched on glorious 35mm at the Revue. What a fascinating artifact this movie is — one of the first to be shot entirely digitally, yet still distributed on 35mm because that was still the standard at the time, in 2007. Watching it on genuine film here, flickering and pops and all, made it truly feel like the ‘70s period piece it is.
Just because you can't prove it, doesn't mean it isn't true.
Watched on glorious 35mm at the Revue. What a fascinating artifact this movie is — one of the first to be shot entirely digitally, yet still distributed on 35mm because that was still the standard at the time, in 2007. Watching it on genuine film here, flickering and pops and all, made it truly feel like the ‘70s period piece it is.
Shogun Assassin (1980)
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you lay eyes on this thing. Mythic shit that needs to be seen to be believed. I had no idea that this kind of American edit/dub was ever a thing… but I’m kinda glad it exists, just for the sheer unhinged entertainment factor.
Watched on 35mm at the Revue. Black Belt Cinema in-house series.
When cut across the neck, a sound like wailing winter winds is heard, they say. I'd always hoped to cut someone like that someday, to hear that sound. But to have it happen to my own neck is… ridiculous.
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you lay eyes on this thing. Mythic shit that needs to be seen to be believed. I had no idea that this kind of American edit/dub was ever a thing… but I’m kinda glad it exists, just for the sheer unhinged entertainment factor.
Watched on 35mm at the Revue. Black Belt Cinema in-house series.
One Battle After Another (2025)
Had to come out for a few more small beers with Leo and Benicio. 70mm IMAX style, at the Cineplex in Vaughan. Unforgivably, we didn’t get this treatment in Vancouver. Ocean waves, baby.
Sinners (2025)
Double featured this on 70mm IMAX at the Vaughan Cineplex after One Battle After Another. Great to see Cineplex putting these prints to good use, for anyone like myself that had no easy way of seeing them earlier in the year. And the movie still rips.
The Shining (1980)
There's so much to unpack here, as always with Kubrick, but ultimately I see this as a masterclass in atmospheric tension. The massive scale of this thing is clear right from the get-go, as we snake through these gorgeous mountain vistas and end up at this colossally large hotel. Every room in this hotel feels capable of telling its own story. But it all just elevates the story told here into something that feels forbidden, frozen in time, yet destined to happen again.
Watched in IMAX at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto. 45th anniversary screening. Genuinely a bucket list IMAX experience here. Shoutout to the full house that came out for this at 9:30pm on a Tuesday. I would love to see more classic horror get the same IMAX treatment. Stuff like Alien or The Thing would be mesmerizing on the big screen.
Watched in IMAX at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto. 45th anniversary screening. Genuinely a bucket list IMAX experience here. Shoutout to the full house that came out for this at 9:30pm on a Tuesday. I would love to see more classic horror get the same IMAX treatment. Stuff like Alien or The Thing would be mesmerizing on the big screen.
Short Cuts (1993)
A sprawling ode to the banal everydayness of life in Los Angeles. If Altman was eulogizing a genre in The Long Goodbye, he's going a step further here to declare the magic has long left the city and its people. And it's telling that these are just normal people, going about their business, sometimes crossing paths but never really striking a connection. And even when something big happens, everyone picks up on it, but life simply just goes on.
Watched on 70mm at the TIFF Lightbox. Magnificent 70mm series.
I hate L.A. All they do is snort coke and talk.
A sprawling ode to the banal everydayness of life in Los Angeles. If Altman was eulogizing a genre in The Long Goodbye, he's going a step further here to declare the magic has long left the city and its people. And it's telling that these are just normal people, going about their business, sometimes crossing paths but never really striking a connection. And even when something big happens, everyone picks up on it, but life simply just goes on.
Watched on 70mm at the TIFF Lightbox. Magnificent 70mm series.
Strange Days (1995)
I already wrote about this one relatively recently, but what stood out to me this time was just how confident this is in its politics. We could use some of that these days. Wrap it up in a dystopian cyberpunk package with killer visuals like we have here and you would have a banger on your hands.
Watched on 35mm at the Revue. Nightmare Alley series. Seeing any film on a 35mm print is a treat, but especially this one, because of its scarcity both digitally and on physical media. I watched it when it popped up on the Criterion Channel earlier this year, alas it has left the channel since then, and isn’t available even to rent digitally, at least here in Canada. And it doesn’t have a Region A standard blu-ray release. All that to say, definitely check it out if you ever get a chance!
Watched on 35mm at the Revue. Nightmare Alley series. Seeing any film on a 35mm print is a treat, but especially this one, because of its scarcity both digitally and on physical media. I watched it when it popped up on the Criterion Channel earlier this year, alas it has left the channel since then, and isn’t available even to rent digitally, at least here in Canada. And it doesn’t have a Region A standard blu-ray release. All that to say, definitely check it out if you ever get a chance!
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Family-friendly Heat. I don't mean that dismissively, but there's a certain sense of institution that exists here with Spielberg's take on the cat-and-mouse routine, whereas Mann would dial in on the existentialism of a world where both order and chaos can exist simultaneously. I love the title sequence here, tricking us into thinking we're being set up for a breezy Charade type caper affair. But it's got higher stakes than that. So yeah, this exists somewhere on the spectrum between fun and gritty, which is often where Spielberg lands for me.
Watched on 4K blu-ray. New release from Paramount. Looks good, with the 1.85:1 aspect ratio flooding the screen.
Watched on 4K blu-ray. New release from Paramount. Looks good, with the 1.85:1 aspect ratio flooding the screen.
Top Gun (1986)
You know what they say... one of life's simple joys is playing with the boys. But in all seriousness, I adore this. Yes, it's a time capsule of '80s overindulgence, but at the same time, it's a very honest portrayal of platonic male grief, acknowledging the disorientation and withdrawal that can come with a loss like that. Most media would turn that into a revenge story, but not here, here we're allowed to process it for what it is. And the events of Top Gun: Maverick only reinforce this.
Watched on 70mm at the TIFF Lightbox. The sound system was absolutely rocking. I felt that shit rumbling in my bones.
God, he loved flying with you, Maverick.
You know what they say... one of life's simple joys is playing with the boys. But in all seriousness, I adore this. Yes, it's a time capsule of '80s overindulgence, but at the same time, it's a very honest portrayal of platonic male grief, acknowledging the disorientation and withdrawal that can come with a loss like that. Most media would turn that into a revenge story, but not here, here we're allowed to process it for what it is. And the events of Top Gun: Maverick only reinforce this.
Watched on 70mm at the TIFF Lightbox. The sound system was absolutely rocking. I felt that shit rumbling in my bones.
Minority Report (2002)
Prime Spielberg was operating on another level, at least as far as volume goes. Crazy that he put out this and Catch Me If You Can in the same year. And 2005 seeing him do another two in a calendar year, with War of the Worlds and Munich. And I think this speaks to how I feel about Spielberg in general — I thoroughly enjoy pretty much all of his stuff, but nothing filed as an all-timer in my books. So yeah, I enjoy this one. It has aged well thematically, a lot of that owed to Philip K. Dick. The visuals not so much, but at this point it's kinda part of the early 00s charm, and the dullness is certainly intentional with the dystopian hellscape vibe it's going for. I would take this over I, Robot any day of the week.
Watched on 4K blu-ray. New release alongside Catch Me If You Can. I wouldn't call it an essential release, but it hits enough categories that it'll probably end up in a lot of collections — fans of Spielberg, Cruise, or just sci-fi in general.
Watched on 4K blu-ray. New release alongside Catch Me If You Can. I wouldn't call it an essential release, but it hits enough categories that it'll probably end up in a lot of collections — fans of Spielberg, Cruise, or just sci-fi in general.
Zootopia 2 (2025)
There was some True Lies shit going on, and random references to The Shining, Silence of the Lambs, and Mulholland Drive, among others, so someone behind this knows ball.
Watched at Landmark Kanata.
Watched at Landmark Kanata.
Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)
I like the idea of bringing everyone out in the snow to see whatever new shit Jim Cameron has cooked up. I’m a little disappointed this one isn’t really tackling any new grounds, technically speaking, coming off of The Way of Water. And the story is still dogwater. But it’s still a hulking visual beast. And it needs to be seen in theatres for it to mean anything. If you were content enough with The Way of Water, I don’t think there’s any reason to dunk on this. Though at least we were rewarded with a The Weeknd track at the end of the predecessor.
Watched in 3D IMAX at Landmark Kanata. Didn’t realize that it’d be HFR as well. Kinda felt like a fever dream, catching the last showtime and not stumbling out of the theatre until nearly 2am. Still considering subjecting myself to the proper IMAX experience of this at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto.
Watched in 3D IMAX at Landmark Kanata. Didn’t realize that it’d be HFR as well. Kinda felt like a fever dream, catching the last showtime and not stumbling out of the theatre until nearly 2am. Still considering subjecting myself to the proper IMAX experience of this at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto.
Vertigo (1958)
Hitchcock's undisputed masterpiece. The hypnotically obsessive pursuit of a fantasy that is perhaps not meant to be understood. So much is said in between the lines here — it's what the characters are observing, and just as much what they aren't saying aloud, that really haunts you. Bernard Herrmann's score is absolutely fantastic. One of my all-time favourites. It's the perfect companion to the film, yet it also stands on its own if you simply want to be haunted again.
Watched on 70mm at the TIFF Lightbox. The colours here were beautiful. Almost done with this year's Magnificent 70mm series, just have 2001: A Space Odyssey next. I believe this print was struck from the 1996 restoration.
One final thing I have to do... and then I'll be free of the past.
Hitchcock's undisputed masterpiece. The hypnotically obsessive pursuit of a fantasy that is perhaps not meant to be understood. So much is said in between the lines here — it's what the characters are observing, and just as much what they aren't saying aloud, that really haunts you. Bernard Herrmann's score is absolutely fantastic. One of my all-time favourites. It's the perfect companion to the film, yet it also stands on its own if you simply want to be haunted again.
Watched on 70mm at the TIFF Lightbox. The colours here were beautiful. Almost done with this year's Magnificent 70mm series, just have 2001: A Space Odyssey next. I believe this print was struck from the 1996 restoration.
Body Double (1984)
Coming off a screening of Vertigo, it's only naturally that I feel compelled to compare the two. The obsession in this one is geared towards finding answers, whodunit style. Vertigo is more about living out the obsession and being hit with the moral fallout. The latter sticks with me more, but I still really enjoy De Palma's typically dramatic murder mystery approach here. The camerawork here is cool — the inward and outward visuals of that swanky house on the hills are iconic. And apparently it's a real place, called the Chemosphere!
Watched on 4K blu-ray. It's a great looking transfer.
Watched on 4K blu-ray. It's a great looking transfer.
Marty Supreme (2025)
I could've led that off with lyrics from a number of the bangers in here. But oh my, did this ever exceed my sky-high expectations. I adore Uncut Gems for the anxiety laden trip it is, and I'm pleased to report we're right back on the anxiety train here. Career best performance from Timothée. OPN back on the score, doing his damn thing. Dream big, folks.
Watched on 70mm at the Varsity Cineplex. Fulfilling the Marty Supreme Christmas Day prophecy.
This is what you want... this is what you get.
I could've led that off with lyrics from a number of the bangers in here. But oh my, did this ever exceed my sky-high expectations. I adore Uncut Gems for the anxiety laden trip it is, and I'm pleased to report we're right back on the anxiety train here. Career best performance from Timothée. OPN back on the score, doing his damn thing. Dream big, folks.
Watched on 70mm at the Varsity Cineplex. Fulfilling the Marty Supreme Christmas Day prophecy.
Boogie Nights (1997)
One of the most vibrant ensemble casts ever put together. There is something to love about every performance here. You could say the same about Magnolia, but this is a group affair from get-go, while Magnolia independently iterates on each character before miraculously weaving it all together. There are aspects of both approaches that I love, and both are heavily indebted to Altman (shoutout to my recent viewing of Short Cuts), but here I particularly love how so much care is put into bringing all of these characters together, pulling them apart, and then sewing it all back together again. And having it set against the backdrop of a dying medium makes it feel everlasting, like Sunset Boulevard before it and Babylon after it.
Watched on the new 4K blu-ray from Warner Brothers. It may not pop as much as some would like to see, but it feels like a very honest presentation. But I'd be very curious to see this on 70mm some day, because I know there are prints out there, one of which circulated in Toronto as recently as this summer. And I fear for the Warner catalogue post Netflix acquisition, but thank goodness we at least got this one. We can only hope they don't forget about Magnolia.
It's a livin' thing
It's a terrible thing to lose
One of the most vibrant ensemble casts ever put together. There is something to love about every performance here. You could say the same about Magnolia, but this is a group affair from get-go, while Magnolia independently iterates on each character before miraculously weaving it all together. There are aspects of both approaches that I love, and both are heavily indebted to Altman (shoutout to my recent viewing of Short Cuts), but here I particularly love how so much care is put into bringing all of these characters together, pulling them apart, and then sewing it all back together again. And having it set against the backdrop of a dying medium makes it feel everlasting, like Sunset Boulevard before it and Babylon after it.
Watched on the new 4K blu-ray from Warner Brothers. It may not pop as much as some would like to see, but it feels like a very honest presentation. But I'd be very curious to see this on 70mm some day, because I know there are prints out there, one of which circulated in Toronto as recently as this summer. And I fear for the Warner catalogue post Netflix acquisition, but thank goodness we at least got this one. We can only hope they don't forget about Magnolia.
Marty Supreme (2025)
Witnessing that New Order needle drop on the big screen alone is worth the price of readmission. But here on my second watch, I'm really feeling this as the story of a kid who insufferably acts like he was put on this planet to do one thing, but after a bit of fucking around and finding out, realizes life can come at you fast. Both in an immediate and an everlasting sense. Relatable not in the insufferable sense, but just generally in that you kinda just gotta do what you feel you have to do in life, while youth is still on your side, otherwise you will always ask yourself... what-if? So yes — continue to dream big, folks.
Watched again on 70mm at the Varsity Cineplex.
Watched again on 70mm at the Varsity Cineplex.
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960)
It's fascinating to see a slice-of-life style movie set in a time and a culture I'm not familiar with. But the messaging here is loud and clear, albeit bleak — you can only truly count on yourself in a world full of liars and cheats. And if you ask me, that's a universally true message.
Watched on 35mm at the TIFF Lightbox. Part of their current programming highlighting the works of Mikio Naruse. This one seemed to be the most popular of the bunch, so I figured I'd check it out. Too bad I didn't clue into this series earlier.
Watched on 35mm at the TIFF Lightbox. Part of their current programming highlighting the works of Mikio Naruse. This one seemed to be the most popular of the bunch, so I figured I'd check it out. Too bad I didn't clue into this series earlier.
Bob le Flambeur (1956)
The narrative here is a lot like Kubrick's The Killing. I wanted to say one was inspired by the other, but they both came out in 1956, so I guess it's just a happy coincidence. Logan Lucky doesn't get the same benefit of the doubt. Every Melville film I've seen has a calculated coolness to it, and this is no exception. There's just something about these worlds that operate on rules and codes that translates so well to the screen. I think Michael Mann would have to agree.
Watched on 4K blu-ray. 2024 release from Kino Lorber. This is a fantastic transfer — the source was evidently in great shape. When done right, old black and white films are a sight to behold in 4K. There's no HDR grade on this release, but I don't even think it needed one. The deep blacks and whites still pop beautifully without one.
Watched on 4K blu-ray. 2024 release from Kino Lorber. This is a fantastic transfer — the source was evidently in great shape. When done right, old black and white films are a sight to behold in 4K. There's no HDR grade on this release, but I don't even think it needed one. The deep blacks and whites still pop beautifully without one.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
I know for sure I watched this at some point as a kid, but going into this screening I didn't remember much other than the visuals of a pastel cookie cutter suburbia. Funny I remembered that more than Edward himself. But the suburbia thing works really well here, as a kind of satire of hollow suburban life to make you sympathize even more with Edward and his alienation. Because you know damn well his arrival is just about the most interesting thing that's ever happened in those parts. It figures no one thought to check out what was going on up on that hill until then, and of course it was an Avon lady that finally did. And the way these high school coded characters are handled makes Burton's loner angle pretty clear here.
Watched on 35mm at the TIFF Lightbox. Part of their Family Films series. Not quite sure I would call it a family film, but I'm not complaining!
Watched on 35mm at the TIFF Lightbox. Part of their Family Films series. Not quite sure I would call it a family film, but I'm not complaining!
Top Gun (1986)
Called back to the TIFF Lightbox to see this beauty again on 70mm. Still love it. Can't imagine there's a better way to experience this thing. Very grateful to TIFF for putting this series on.
Shivers (1975)
It took way too long for someone to speak French in this. And are we sure this isn't just Cronenberg's idea of an average Montrealer? Kidding aside, it's interesting to see early career Cronenberg outside of his Toronto element, when Montreal was the cultural centre of Canada. It feels like a time capsule — that radio news bulletin stating Olympic construction has been suspended is eerie in retrospect, if you're familiar with the legacy of those games in the city. But I mostly see this as Cronenberg finding his footing as a director. The parameters of the concept are loosely defined. How long has it been incubating? How does it spread? Are the symptoms always always violent? You could argue it strengthens the shock value, but I feel it rips out the momentum. The roadshow implied at the end is maybe where it could have taken off, but I imagine the budget ended there.
Watched on the Criterion Channel, part of their body horror collection that landed on the channel in October.
Watched on the Criterion Channel, part of their body horror collection that landed on the channel in October.
Vertigo (1958)
One doesn’t often get a second chance... to see this on 70mm. My second Magnificent 70mm viewing of it at the TIFF Lightbox. Just magical to deliriously follow Jimmy Stewart around San Francisco on the big screen.
