IJW: They Will Kill You (2026)
An enjoyable romp. Set design and photography was outstanding — everything and everyone onscreen looked great. Action scenes and special effects were pretty good, set-up was good enough. As long as you think you’re up for a Sam Raimi-esque mix of humor (somewhere between Army of Darkness and Evil Dead 2), you’re likely in the right frame of mind to enjoy the eye candy.
Perhaps my only criticism is of Beetz, who nails the action but is more uneven in the other scenes. (This is nitpicky. Again, I enjoyed the film. But I gained new appreciation for Bruce Campbell’s performances in the aforementioned movies — or maybe his editor/director? — after watching Beetz in this, who I’ve liked in other things — most notably Atlanta. I’m reminded of how watching the second Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie made me appreciate the challenge of playing Willy Wonka. I didn’t love Wilder in that until I’d seen Depp’s take and could see how a good actor can make defensible choices that miss the mark.)
Anyway, 7/10 for horror/slapstick fans. Comparable movies: Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness, Ready or Not, The Raid (ha, sliiightly different tone to that last one)
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US (2026) Jim Thorpe - Lit By Lightning
Really been looking forward to this. Out today!
Jim Thorpe - Lit By Lightning
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In Jurassic Park III (2001), everyone involved in production agreed that this was the best way to convey Alan Grant's lingering trauma from the first movie.
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IJW: Ready Player One (2018)
So I just rewatched 2018’s Ready Player One for first time since seeing it in theaters. Upon rewatch, I still think it is a great movie.
The action and adventure displayed in the story is great to watch. You also have multiple great performances from Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, and Ben Mendelsohn. Maybe not on the same level but Mark Rylance also gives a good performance. My final positive is the creativity. Everything from the characters displayed to the worlds is very imaginative
I only have 2 small negatives. First, at time it got a little chaotic either in terms of volume or camera work. The other is that there is at least one location that I wish had more to offer in terms of detail compared to other locations. Other than those, I really enjoyed my rewatch
Rating-4/5
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IJW: Moana 2026
There are over 1 billion reasons why this live-action remake of Moana needs to exist, none of which are good on any creative or entertainment level. Look, I get that big-budget IP movies like this are designed to make money. But this is easily the most audience-insulting cash-grab in recent memory. F1: The Movie and Jurassic World Rebirth are masterpieces compared to this.
That opening paragraph is almost a word-for-word copy of my review for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. But Moana insults its audience so much more that it’s only fair and fitting that I review it through the Ctrl-C + Ctrl-V lens that characterises nearly every aspect of this remake. So, why partake in such a pointless exercise when I should be exploring the merits of this movie?
I could ask the same thing of Disney. I’m merely giving it the respect it’s showing us.
There’s no point in going through the plot because it’s the same thing as the original animated movie. In fact, virtually every line, shot, and sequence is basically the same thing, just with an uncanny valley sheen covering every inch of the screen. The script might as well have been a literal copy-and-paste job from Jared Bush’s original screenplay. Co-writer Dana Ledoux Miller must’ve had the easiest time of anyone working on this movie.
Okay, that’s not fair. In the original, Moana’s shtick to bait out Tamatoa (Jemaine Clement) involves her walking from the left of the screen to the right. In the remake, Moana (Catherine Laga’aia) walks from right to left. See, massive difference. Actually, I take my earlier statement back. This must’ve also been the easiest payday of Jemaine Clement’s career, as every single line Tamatoa has could’ve been an outtake from the original movie and no one would be the wiser.
The only thing more tired than the script is, weirdly, Dwayne Johnson as Maui. He’s saying the same lines as the original animated movie, but they’re all missing that extra 10 per cent of zeal he brought to Maui the first time around. When he first meets Moana, he looks bored and over everything rather than the excited mischievousness one would expect from being given a potential escape route. That persists in every moment he’s on screen. Maybe he also thought the Maui wig looked utterly ridiculous, or perhaps it was the residual disdain for the 40-pound body suit he had to wear.
The only positive aspect is Laga’aia as Moana. She does her best with the character, but there’s only so much one can do with a nothing-there script and blue screens to act off. The music video sequence of her performance of ‘How Far I’ll Go’ gives off the same lifelessness as the musical sequences of the 2019 version of The Lion King, which encapsulates Moana as a whole. It’s not offensive or impressive, nor is it misguided. It’s just… reductive with literally no reason for it to exist. At least we get to hear how great Laga’aia’s voice is.
Please read the rest of my review here as the rest is too unwieldy to copy + paste: https://panoramafilmthoughts.substack.com/p/moana-2026
Thanks!
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The Conformist (1970)
Basically, I'm looking for some writing/scholarship/etc about this film. Most of the stuff I can find approaches it from a thematic angle, but I'm more interested in the visual and stylistic aspects of the film: there are so many formal choices made by Bertolucci and co. that intrigue me but that aren't particularly easy to parse, so I'd be grateful if anyone knows where I can find pieces that address the motivation behind the film's aesthetic.
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In "The Odyssey" (2026) they should have allowed Christopher Nolan's son to be the writer because of the quaility of his roasts.
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IJW: The Marine (2006)
So I own the 2006 John Cena action movie the Marine and in the past I really enjoyed it, but I haven’t watched it in many years. Upon a rewatch, it is not as good as I remember.
To be honest, I think it’s average. I think the one positive is the action. There is some good tension and music as well. The other aspects are the things that aren’t as good. I think the story is kind of basic. It doesn’t do anything that sets it apart. Finally the acting isn’t great. While I think Robert Patrick is a good villain, he’s also your typical villain. Also, John Cena is early in his acting career and it kind of shows. He doesn’t do anything to stand out in the role.
Rating-2.5/5
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What Pauline Kael, F.R. Leavis, and Northrop Frye can teach us about critical dogmatism
This essay uses Pauline Kael's take-no-prisoners film criticism and F.R. Leavis's rigid "Great Tradition" as cautionary examples of critics who issue verdicts rather than illuminate, and holds up Northrop Frye's more expansive, non-judgmental framework as the alternative. Curious what this sub thinks: is a critic's real job to render verdicts (Kael, Leavis), or to map and illuminate without ruling things in or out (Frye)? And can aesthetic judgment ever really be separated from moral judgment, as the piece struggles with re: Dirty Harry and Bill T.
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We should not automatically treat the director as the "author" of a film
Filmmaking is a collaborative artform. Very seldom is a film the work of one person. However, the widespread adoption of auteur theory has led to the general assumption that the director is a film's author. Even if someone isn't a huge film buff or anything, they will have a general idea that the director is the most important role in filmmaking.
Sometimes this makes sense. Alfred Hitchcock's films as a whole feel stylistically similar, even if they were made with different screenwriters, studios, etc. But sometimes this isn't the case. In Old Hollywood especially, films were the work of the studio. Of course the director exerted influence, but the studio itself had a lot of influence on the style of the film. *Casablanca* is a Warner Bros film, and it *feels* like a Warner Bros film. It's a Hal B. Wallis production. The fact that it was directed by Michael Curtiz doesn't feel quite as important. And *Gone with the Wind* is a Selznick production. Victor Fleming was the director...but only after Cukor worked on the film for a while. Selznick is far more responsible for the film's style than either director.
We've largely lost the sense of film as a collaborative artform today. For movies, at least. In the case of TV shows, there seems to be more acknowledgement of the collaborative authorship. The director of a TV episode is always credited, but we seldom pay attention to it. The showrunner or the creator of the show is more likely to be known to the general public.
TLDR, auteur theory has its place, but it's overused. Many people play a role in the creation of a film.
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In Killer Whale (2026) this is a real frame
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In MCU "Avengers: Doomsday" (2026), this, according to the movie's official concept art, is the costume of Steve Rogers, who once said "If you're gonna fight in a war, you gotta wear a uniform."
https://redd.it/1uue6lc
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What are some modern-ish Hollywood films that could be considered “poetic”?
I was thinking about the trio Bresson, Tarkovsky and Bergman who are often referred to as “poetic” film makers. Then there are people like Antonioni, Jarmusch, Denis, Wong Kar Wai, Tsai Min Lang etc etc who have obvious poetic tendencies in a lot of work.
I suppose a lot depends on how you define “poetic” in the first place, and what Tarkovsky meant when he himself called Bresson and Bergman poetic.
Recently I am wondering what modern-ish US Hollywood films might have managed to slip through the cracks and be called “poetic”?
I feel like I might be able to make a case for “Gravity” (2013), (although given the director Cuaron it makes sense!) Soderberg’s “Solaris” (2002) possibly, although a bit heavy handed. Maybe Linklater’s “Boyhood” (2012)? None of these are really on the same level though. “It Follows”???
I’m scratching my head feeling like there must be a ton of films i am missing.
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Almodovar
The more Almodovar moves I watch, the more I’m convinced he’s the best director in the world today, even better than the almighty Paul Thomas Anderson. He’s not everyone’s cup of tea, especially if you hate soap opera, but the way he combines melodrama, film noir, and dark comedy is ingenious.
Even at age 76, he’s still making subversive and transgressive movies and pushing the envelope. I’ve seen a lot of backlash about his 2002 masterpiece TALK TO HER—which is still highly ranked among the greatest films of the 21st century—from the younger generations (Puritans?) who claim the movie is pro-rape or something, but I’m gonna chalk that up to “media illiteracy.” I love that he never panders and stays productive
[REPOST\]
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IJW: The Pyramid (2014)
Probably the worst Ancient Egypt horror movie of all time. Basically lifeless, no storyline, and don't bother to watch it.
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IJW: Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Waking up to the sad news that Sam Neill has passed away I was a bit stuck on what film to watch. He was in so many classics. I decided on this one after watching it ages ago on the Irish language broadcaster TG4. It's a really beautiful film in how it deals with grief and it definitely hits home with me. Neill is incredible in it. The way it peels back his mask of gruff, emotionally distant mountain man to reveal someone very lonely who didn't get a fair shot at life is the kind of filmmaking that reminds you why you love cinema. It's certainly one of Taika Waititi's strongest. He had a real golden run from 2017-19.
Anyway, I thought it was a good choice to remember the majestical Mr. Neill.
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Examples of great performances from actresses that don’t involve lots of screaming/crying
I feel recently like a lot of major roles for women boil down to them giving intensely emotional performances, desperately screaming or wailing, and while there is nothing inherently wrong with these roles it seems like a rather limiting scope for their abilities to shine. I guess I’m just looking for some powerful performances from women that aren’t forced into this narrow range of expression.
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In Paddington in Peru, Paddington discovers his tribe is indigenous bears hidden in the Peruvian amazon. Immediately him and his European family colonize the bears and put them to work exploiting their native crop.
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In HotD S3 this man is portrayed as a bad guy for being prejudiced against incestuous aliens who subjugated his homeland.
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In Jurassic Park (1993), Alan Grant says "They do move in herds." This is a reference to everyone moving together to remember Sam Neill today.
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In Obsession (2026) Nikki borrows $20 from Sarah to give to a homeless person, later in the film, Nikki kills Sarah to avoid paying back the $20.
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IJW: 'Pulse' (2001)
A friend of mine selected it for a movie meetup as it's one of their favourite films. Really unsettling J-horror example. No big boo scares like a Western filmmaker would deploy. The scariest shots are the ones that you just hold on. Going in, you think it's going to be very dated as a Y2K Internet story but it's incredibly prescient. It shows how the technology that's supposed to connect us has only isolated us further and one of the strongest metaphors for depression I've seen on screen.
https://redd.it/1uusqso
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Announcement Mystery Movie Reveal for July 12, 2026
###Mystery Movie - Ip Man \(2008\)
picked by me
> In 1935 in Foshan, south China, there are martial arts schools on every street corner. Ip Man is the undisputed martial arts champion, yet he has not devoted himself to teaching. Despite this, it seems that all the kung fu masters of the city are eager to fight him to improve their reputation.
###Bonus - Mexico 86 \(2026\)
> Mexico's improbable bid to host the 1986 World Cup an audacious, against-all-odds feat made possible only by pure Mexican ingenuity.
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request is sopranos still a must watch?
I have seen the 1st episode of season 1, it feels slow.
for context: I have lowkey paused watching GAME OF THRONES as I am on S6 E9, battle of the bastards, will see it on a BIG ASS SCREEN BABY
I need a show that fills the space till then
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Request Shows/movies about mental health?
I'm currently watching 'Everything Now' and I'm loving it. I have also watched 'To The Bone, Sharing the Secret, Fanfic' and a few other things
I am NOT looking for:
\-Things not focused on mental health, but just having some of it
\-Popular shows (I'll know about them already)
\-Thrillers or horror
\-Main character over 30 (i prefer teenage life)
Thank you!
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In the "The Housemaid" (2025) - Sydney Sweeney's character performs several nude sex scenes. This is because the studio wanted the audience to know that they managed to get famous actors for their film, but weren't certain people would recognise her by face.
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Despite complaints that it was unnecessary and didn't need to exist, Moana (2026) still went to make millions of dollars at the box office. This is a reference to....wait, it's bombing???
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In The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026), 20 years later it’s okay to work for an impatient, demanding, and imperious boss, because it’s either that or Uber
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IJW: Moana (2026)
Source: https://www.reeladvice.net/2026/07/moana-2026-movie-review.html
As last year's How to Train Your Dragon proved, there are times when a live-action remake can feel worthwhile and justified. Unfortunately, Moana isn't one of those cases. What we get is a competent remake that faithfully recreates the moments that made the original so memorable. But because it follows the animated film so closely and this remake coming off it heels less than a decade from its release, it ultimately feels like a lesser version of something we've already seen.
Ever since she was a child, Moana (Catherine Laga'aia) has felt an undeniable connection to the sea despite her village's beliefs discouraging her from venturing beyond the reef. When a mysterious darkness begins threatening her island, she defies her father's wishes and sets sail to find the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), hoping to convince him to return the stolen heart that brought this curse upon her people.
It's easy to dismiss Moana as an unnecessary remake but that wouldn't be entirely fair. If you asked our daughter, she'd tell you she had an amazing time watching it. Experiencing the story for the first time, she loved it just as much as we loved the animated original and she even called it her favorite live-action Disney remake so far. It serves as a reminder that perspective matters and for younger audiences, Moana still works its magic regardless of the format you're experiencing it.
Adults (and those who have seen the original animated film before), however, will likely notice where this version falls short. Some stories simply lose a bit of their charm when translated from animation to live action, and Moana is one of them. Dwayne Johnson's return as Maui lacks the larger-than-life energy that made the animated character so memorable and likable before while the breathtaking world of the original feels noticeably less colorful and vibrant in this format. One pleasant surprise, however, is Catherine Laga'aia as Moana. She delivers a confident and heartfelt performance making the role her own. In the end, the choice is fairly simple. If you've never experienced Moana before, especially if you're watching it with children, this remake still delivers an enjoyable adventure if you want that big screen experience. But if you're looking for the definitive version of this story, the 2016 animated film remains the one to watch.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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Plot hole: My wife got pregnant even though I never fucked her. Also the poster thing in Shawshank Redemption (1994) doesn't make sense I guess.
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