Rob Reiner 1947-2025
The actor-director was a great mensch, and the virtues that flow from that informed the films he made and the life he lived.
Latest
Watch List Digest 12/13/25
What to Watch: "Wake Up Dead Man" & More
Donald Trump's Letter to Santa
Tis the season, God help us all. (I know everyone's doing one of these, but I had to get my licks in.)
What to Watch: "The Left-Handed Girl," "The Stringer," Jay Kelly"
As Netflix gets ready to take over the world, the service offers three fine new films. Resistance is futile.
The Turkey Day List
Reasons to be thankful, part 68.
What to Watch: "Train Dreams," "Listers" and more
One of the year's best comes to Netflix and a scrappy home-made documentary about birding takes YouTube by storm. Plus: Reviews of "Rental Family," "Wicked: For Good" and some bleak humor for a time of ICE.
One Good Film: "Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets" (+ new to VOD)
The Ross brothers's 2020 ode to a Las Vegas dive's last stand is warm, funky and trickier than it seems.
Max and Cheese
In which the author bites into the bittersweet Proustian madeleine of a youthful gig picking T&A movies for a major pay cable service.
What to Watch: Herzog on Criterion, "Sentimental Value"
What Not to Watch: "Nuremberg." (Well, if you must.)
What to Watch: "The Summer Book," "The Perfect Neighbor," "Bugonia"
Glenn Close stars in a film adaptation of Tove Jansson's translucent memoir. Plus: A Florida tragedy documented and Yorgos Lanthimos' latest provocation.
What to Watch: "Deliver Me From Nowhere," "Blue Moon" & more
The Bruce movie is a brooder based on a good book about a great album. Plus: "Blue Moon," "The Mastermind" and more.
Events
Lemmon Zest
The Newton-born actor gets a hometown festival this weekend – join me for a Saturday evening chat with his grown kids.
New Movies
What to Watch: "The Baltimorons" & More
Plus reviews of the new "Frankenstein," Jafar Panahi's latest, Keanu Reeves as an angel, Rose Byrne as a mother of a mother, and a little soapboxing
Remembrances ⭐️
Diane Keaton 1946-2025
An era's enchantress takes her farewell. Lah. Di. Dah. 💔
New Movies
New Review: "A House of Dynamite" 🔒
Good Movies 📽
What to Watch: "A Little Prayer" and "The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos"
Two new excellent, unknown films on VOD, plus new releases "Kiss of the Spider Woman " and "Roofman" and lots more.
New Movies
New Reviews: "Anemone" and "The Smashing Machine" 🔒
A great actor returns in a less-than-great movie and a popular star goes indie-unrecognizable.
What to Watch
What to Watch: Windswept with Wolfhounds
A potpourri of streaming recs, including Powell and Pressburger's "I Know Where I'm Going!," a neat little Riz Ahmed thriller and a documentary compendium of Bob Dylan's Newport appearances. For starters.
New Movies
New Reviews: "One Battle After Another," "The Lost Bus" 🔒
Paul Thomas Anderson's new movie is something to see. So you should see it.
News
Going Underground Part II
Following last week's post, a round-up of sites and newsletters with an eye toward an eventual unofficial news network. Oh, also a movie recommendation.
New Movies
What to Watch: "Souleyman's Story," "Undine"
Plus new reviews of "Steve," "A Big Bold Beautiful Journey" and "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale" (one hopes).
News
Going Underground
The news industry is in crisis. We need something new. A modest proposal.
Remembrances ⭐️
Robert Redford 1936-2025 🔒
This one hurts, doesn’t it?