Watch List Digest 7/26/26
Lotsa stuff: My reviews of "The Odyssey" and Ross McElwee's "Remake," a Sam Neill appreciation, and some ponderings on this newsletter's anniversary and getting older amidst resurgent chaos.
Latest
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: "I Swear," "Eno," "EPiC"
A pottymouthed feel-good Scottish movie on demand, plus music docs from the King and the Brain.
Hitch(ing) Post
In praise of one of the great rock 'n' roll eccentrics.
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.
Politics
On the Unnecessity of Killing a President
It's alright, Ma -- I'm only blogging.
What to Watch
What to Watch: "Pillion," "Sound of Falling," "The Christophers," "Miroirs No, 2"
Two in theaters, two on demand.
What to Watch
What to Watch: "Séraphine" (2008)
A forgotten film gem from France -- and a brief apology to my subscribers.