Watch List Digest 4/20/25
What do movie posters tell us? Also, a farewell to a pulp genius and some musings on what film patriotism might look like in 2025.
Latest
Why Are There No Good Movies About the American Revolution?
And a tip to a pretty good film for the upcoming Patriot's Day
New Review: "The Wedding Banquet" 🔒
Poster Boy
On movie posters and the mixed messages they send us. Plus: the lurid pleasures of the late Robert McGinnis, pulp illustrator extraordinaire
Watch List Digest 4/12/25
Farewell to a freak-folk legend, an amazing documentary about a secret mall apartment, and the latest movie reviews.
New Reviews: "Drop," "John & Yoko," "Sacramento," "Misericordia" 🔒
Four new theatrical releases, four reviews from the WaPo.
What to Watch: "Secret Mall Apartment"
Plus: A guide to the weekend's best streaming movie bets.
Michael Hurley 1941-2025
The original freak-folkie and one of this country's great outsider artists has passed on to the jamboree in the sky. You don't know what we've lost.
Watch List Digest 4/5/25
Compassion seems to be the watchword of the week's posts, and I know you know we could use some.
New Reviews: "The Friend," "Freaky Tales," "The Ballad of Wallis Island" 🔒
What to Watch: Animal Shelters
Bless the beasts and the ... never mind, just bless the beasts. Plus: movies to remember Val Kilmer by.
One Good Film: "The Painter and the Thief" (2020)🔒
A profoundly moving documentary about an unlikely friendship, with a little bit of Zen throat-clearing from yours truly.
New Movies
New Reviews: "The Penguin Lessons," "Thank You Very Much," "Death of a Unicorn" 🔒
What to Watch
10 Suggestions for 9 Good Films
New theatrical releases, your best streaming movie bets and one glorious stinker.
A Critics' Statement in Support of Hamdan Ballal
Weekly Digest
Watch List Digest 3/21/25
Movies to resist by, a new "Snow White" reviewed, and more.
New Movies
New Reviews: "Snow White" and "Magazine Dreams" 🔒
A much-mocked remake turns out to be not half bad and a cursed film from Sundance 2023 finally surfaces.
Good Movies 📽
What to Watch: "No" and two movies about The Janes
Some movies to stiffen the spine as we head into the wind.
New Movies
New Reviews: "Eephus," "Opus," Black Bag" and more 🔒
A ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ baseball movie, a ⭐ 1/2 horror-comedy bomb, and a few things on the high end between, including ‘On Becoming a Guinea Fowl’ and a new Soderbergh.
Politics
News You Can (Actually) Use
I really do have some movie tips in this one, but first I want to talk about where we get our information. I am grateful for your indulgence.
One Good Film
One, no, TWO Good Films: “Crazy Love” and “Mother”
Resurfacing on VOD: A twisted New York love story and early Bong Joon ho -- plus the latest edition of Ty's Movie Club.
New Movies
New Reviews: "Mickey 17," Seven Veils," "There's Still Tomorrow" 🔒
This week's reviews from the Washington Post.
What to Watch
What to Watch: Weekend Guide
More Oscar nominees come to VOD, along with a DIY Gene Hackman festival, a ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ foreign film and two intriguing oldies.
Good Movies 📽
One Good Film: "My Foolish Heart"
The one movie that J.D. Salinger allowed to be made from his work -- and the reason it was the last. Plus: My meeting(s) with Jerry.