Movies I Watched This Week (5/19/25 - 5/26/25)
movies? impossible!
PRE-ROLL
longer piece on “The Rehearsal” incoming. stay tuned.
for the most part, I definitely enjoyed the first season of “The Studio.” the energy and performances kept it afloat even when some of the specific. jokes often felt lazy or easy. MVPs for the season were undeniably Ike Barinholtz and Chase Sui Wonders. curious what season 2 will be!
for anyone curious; no, I will not be seeing the new LILO & STITCH movie, primarily because (a) no one is paying me to do so, and (b) I’m an adult in my 30’s. Dean Fleischer Camp is laughing all the way to the bank, I guess. hope he gets to make a movie soon that’s not regurgitated IP slop!
the local frozen custard joint (Lickity Split) has two base custard flavors (chocolate and vanilla) alongside a rotating third base custard flavor that rotates every month. this month’s flavor is Lemon and it’s the best flavor they’ve ever made. it is tart and sweet and everything you could ever want in a frozen custard. i had it combined with pieces of cheesecake and was more than satisfied. in short, summer is upon us.
THE MOVIES
FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES (2025, dir. Adam B. Stein & ). watched at Landmark Century Cinemas.
I waver on horror films in general, but I’ve inexplicably always been fully tapped in to the Final Destination films. maybe it’s just their inherent goofiness, their Rube Goldberg machinations turning murderous mayhem into, let’s be honest, Looney Tunes shorts, but I’ve always had a great time watching these films predicated on teens getting killed in profoundly silly ways. this latest one is an all-out-hoot, with some gnarly kills and committed performances and a really lovely swan song scene for the late, great Tony Todd. this is what the movies are about.
FRIENDSHIP (2025, dir. Andrew DeYoung). watched at Music Box Theatre.
second time seeing my good buddies Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, Kate Mara, and Conner O’Malley on the big screen. before the screening, i ran into some friends, and then ran into some other friends afterwards who were seeing the next screening of FRIENDSHIP. it’s the movie of the moment! rewatch thoughts; just as funny, and even sadder and angrier than before. Craig is a genuinely fascinating character, even if he is primarily just a comic doofus flung around from scenario to scenario. i can’t stop thinking about the scene where he stares into the flowers and then collapses on the floor. scary stuff, and yet, it’s still the funniest movie i’ll see this year. this is what the movies are about.
MATINEE (1993, dir. Joe Dante). watched on blu ray.
had some friends over to watch this wonderful underrated work of early ‘90’s genre cinema. Dante handles the tonal balancing act here perfectly, creating a satire that thumbs it’s nose at the sociopolitical atmosphere in early 1960’s America, but is still wholly earnest and heartfelt. easily one of my favorite John Goodman performances, and that Jerry Goldsmith score? boyyyyyyyyy howdy. definitely one to seek out if you’ve never had the chance. this is what the movies are about.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - THE FINAL RECKONING (2025, dir. Christopher McQuarrie). watched at AMC River East.
arguably the worst of the modern era of Mission films, bloated with heaps of exposition and doses of self-seriousness that only succeed in bits and spurts. but at the end of the day, when it’s just Tom Cruise putting his life on the line to perform ridiculous stunts, it’s a damn good time at the movies. the submarine sequence? hell yes. the bi-plane sequence? chef’s kiss. any scene starring Tramell Tillman? i’m in HEAVEN. mainly just made me want to watch M:I - FALLOUT so perhaps that rewatch is on the docket soon. ah, well. this is what the movies are about.
thanks as always for reading! anything you’re into this week? what’s your favorite summer treat? is this what the movies are about? see ya next time!
