Watchmen Chapter 1 (Vietti, 2024). Incredibly faithful but well adapted animation of the first half of the book. The CGI animation took a while to get used to but the voice work nails it. Some may ask why it exists when the comic exists. The answer is that I can't cook and read at the same time.
Avatar (Cameron, 2009). Looks better than most CGI movies made today (they actually were given the time needed, which helps). Has aged far better than I expected. Genuinely touching and emotional. Action scenes kick ass. High cultural impact.
80. Savage Streets (Steinmann, 1984). A Junkfood Cinema Podcast recommendation- had never heard of it. Features the oldest teen-agers you will ever see in your life in part high-school, part rape-revenge movie. The revenge takes a while to get to but by golly she gets it. Terrific sleaze.
The Last Wave (Weir, 1977). Incredibly effecting exploration of the links between aboriginal culture and their view of the land and our place in it all wrapped up in what ostensibly seems like a murder mystery. Unforgettable final shot. Brilliant.
Master & Commander (Weir, 2003). Supremely effective, incredibly well constructed Napoleonic seafaring adventure. Didn't love it as much as many- felt a little too close to reenactment. Still, stirring stuff.
House (Obayashi, 1977). Impossible to describe. Pure dream logic. Surreal almost satirical teenage melodrama horror. No idea if I liked it or not. But the images in it are burned into my brain.
Le Cercle Rouge (Melville,1970). Stoic thieves attempt jewelry heist leading to a predictably 1970s ending. This said, terrific fun, beautifully shot and acted.
