Watch List Digest 8/16/26
Just one this week, sorry.
Latest
What to Watch: "Wild Inside," "Late Fame," "Tony" & "The Invite"
An owl, a poet and a chef walk into a bar.
(More) Tales of Brave Ulysses
Looking for a leaner, meaner, classier "Odyssey"? "The Return," with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, awaits you on VOD. Plus, some thoughts on Emily Wilson (scorpion) and Christopher Nolan (frog).
On Rock 'n' Roll Ghosts and Other Matters
David Toop's "Two-Headed Doctor" is a spellbinding genealogy of American music tied to one of the strangest, deepest records of the 1960s. Plus a few movie things.
What to Watch: "Remake," "Tuner"
A nifty little thriller on demand and, in theaters, an aching confession of complicity and regret from one of our finest documentarians.
The Watch List Turns 5
Ramblin' Man: "The Odyssey" reviewed
Christopher Nolan's blockbuster adaptation of the classic tale is an unexpected Homer.
Sam Neill 1947-2026
Farewell to a changeling actor who amassed innumerable credits while never quite getting the credit he deserved.
Watch List Digest 7/12/26
Went away, got bit, got sick, got better -- how's your summer been?
Weekend Playlist: Drive, He Said
In which the author searches for the fool's gold of the Platonic Ideal of a car tunes playlist.
What to Watch: Four Cool Streams for a Hot Weekend
New to VOD: Four cinematic diversions running the gamut from the sublime to the very silly.
"Eddie Coyle," Anaplasmosis and "Off the Map"
Come hear Chris Vognar and me talk Boston crime-film turkey Thursday night, and make time for a lost little charmer on demand. Plus, Ty vs the ticks.
What to Watch
What to Watch: "I Swear," "Eno," "EPiC"
A pottymouthed feel-good Scottish movie on demand, plus music docs from the King and the Brain.
Music 🎸
Hitch(ing) Post
In praise of one of the great rock 'n' roll eccentrics.
What to Watch
E.T., Come Home: "Disclosure Day," "Power Ballad" and more
Steven Spielberg returns to his extraterrestrial roots in a mostly magnificent blockbuster drama. Plus: I probably shouldn't like "Power Ballad," but I did.
Events
Everyone Comes to Rick's (Still)
Come for a screening and discussion of the deathless "Casablanca," 6/11 at the West Newton Cinema.
Zen Journal
The Time of My Life
How two photographs taken 50 years apart have the author pondering ... everything.
Movies Ty Forgot He Reviewed: "Silent Souls" & "Don't Think Twice"
Take your pick: A deadpan bit of Finnish poetry or an incisive human comedy of Manhattan bad manners.
Guilty Pleasures 🤦♂️
A Scream is a Wish Your Heart Makes: "Obsession" and "Backrooms"
Two up-from-YouTube directors upend the studio system -- but can the revolution last? And are the movies any good?
What to Watch
What to Watch: "Exit 8," "Spider-Noir" & actual noir
An existential thriller of liminal space comes to streaming, as does a curious Marvel update of an old Humphrey Bogart movie. Plus: Criterion noirs.
What to Watch
What to Watch: "Silent Friend," "I Love Boosters," "The Drama" and more
Two rewarding new theatrical releases -one haunting, the other hilarious - and a worst-case-scenario wedding drama on demand.
Good Movies 📽
Five Weird (But Pretty Good*) Movies on Netflix
Dig deep into the service's offerings and you can come up with some interesting fool's gold.
Remembrances ⭐️
Rex Reed 1938-2026
Thoughts on the movie critic as cultural relic.
What to Watch
What to Watch: "Blue Heron," "The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist"
Sophy Romvari's heartbreaking memory play comes to theaters while Daniel Roher's AI both-sidesism hits VOD.