Rambling Film

  Official synopsis:  Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) lands a job for artist Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde) as her sexual muse. Director Gregg Araki has made his name as being a very "out there" filmmaker and I love him for it. He's spent the last decade mostly directing TV episodes, but he's finally back with another feature film and I couldn't be more here for it.  If you're thinking "wow, this absolutely sounds like something Philip Seymour-Hoffmans kid would make" you would be right. Cooper brings a charm to Elliot, which is much needed because there is a lot to get frustrated with him with. I think the film does a mostly good job of calling out Elliot's shitty behaviors, but Cooper makes you want want to keep watching him. A lessor actor could've made this role insufferable. Olivia Wilde feels so perfectly cast here. I honestly can't imagine anyone else playing Erika.  Obviously with a title like I Want Your Sex you know the film is going to be...

  Official synopsis: Joe (Seth Rogan) and Angela's (Olivia Wilde) marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors (Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton) for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places. I was a bit skeptical of this film when I first started hearing about it. Olivia Wilde doing Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? Is this going to be a Book Smart scenario where so many beats are just another version of Superbad ? I had low expectations, which slowly grew and grew as I read more positive reviews after its premiere at Sundance. While you tell Virginia Woolf very much inspired the film visually, the rest of it easily stands on its own. I feel pretty confident in saying this is the best Olivia Wilde has been both in front of and behind the camera. The way this apartment is shot is so visually appealing. It feels so grand, even though we spend the majority of the film in this one setting.  Wilde has always had strong comedic timing...

                                           Official Synopsis: After the Trojan War, Odysseus (Matt Damon) faces a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like the Cyclops, Sirens, and Calypso (Charlize Theron) along the way. I'm not going to pretend that I remember exact details of reading the Odyssey, or the Iliad for that matter. It's been so long since I've read those stories that there was just no way I was going to be a book purist about anything in this film. I do know if someone was going to reignite my interest in these stories, it would be Christopher Nolan and this insanely large cast. Did Homer write the first popcorn flick? I think he might have. Everything about this adventure is so exciting on the big screen. From the epic battle scenes, to the SFX work on the creatures, to the amazing score by Ludwig Gorranson, This film was just fun...

The Emmy Nominations are upon us and while the Comedy and Drama categories have all the usual suspects, the Limited Series line up is what truly shocked me.  OUTSTANDING DRAMA The Diplomat The Gilded Age A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Paradise The Pitt Pluribus Slow Horses Your Friends & Neighbors I'm so happy to see A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms here. That was the drama series I was rooting for the most. Of these, I haven't seen any of The Diplomat, The Gilded Age or Your Friends & Neighbors. I'm sure The Pitt has this on lock. I wasn't as high on Pluribus as others were.  LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age Chase Infiniti, The Testaments Keri Russell, The Diplomat Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus Zendaya, Euphoria I'm happy to see Chase Infiniti for The Testaments. I wish there was room for Lucy Halliday too. Zendaya getting nominated for all 3 seasons of Euphoria is a great stat for her. She deserves better than that 3rd season gave her.  LEAD ACTO...

  Official Synopsis:  Two teenage boys, Naim (Joe Brid) and Ryan (Stacy Clausen) must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most - each other. Joe Bird is certainly making a name for himself as an up-and-coming Aussie talent to watch. After his excellent turn in another horror flick, Talk To Me , he's back again as the lead here. Leviticus will no doubt draw a lot of comparisons to It Follows. It's about an entity that "follows" its victims after all, but this time instead of being framed like an STD, it's explicitly passed along in a nonconsensual religious ceremony? Possession? I'm not even sure what to call it. It's specifically used to target LGBTQIA youth. This is what sets this film apart. It also effectively builds tension because at times you're never sure if Naim and Ryan are interacting with each other, or the entity.  I might be projecting my own feelings into this a bit, but as much as I enjoyed Leviticus ...

  What I knew going in: Nothing Pride month may have "officially" ended but Pride is all day every day around here. Last month, Letterboxd and various other outlets were asking folks what their favorite film with "queer joy" was, and this one came up quite often. I realized that I had heard the title, but didn't know anything about that. Lucky for me, I was able to correct that wrong on a recent flight.  To Wong Fu may have a ridiculous title but it's one of the most charming movies I've ever seen. Three queens (played by Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and John Liguizamo) are on a cross country road trip when their car breaks down near a small town. Turns out, they are just what this town needs to broaden their horizons.  "Drag queens saving the day" should be a genre in itself. Everything about this movie was delightful. I expected it to feel very dated to someone just discovering this for the first time in 2026, but I was surprised just how m...