Brandon Thomas

PTA has - what - like four masterpieces under his belt now, huh?

Spent nearly six hours hiking this morning. My feet may never be the same.

If 43 year-old Brandon could go back in time and tell 16 year-old Brandon that he’d now be really into country, folk, and blues music, that younger version of myself would probably jump in front of a moving train.

The Call of the Wild - Maddwolf Folktales by Brandon Thomas Roger Ebert was once quoted as saying, “No movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmett Walsh in a supporting role can be altogether bad.” I don’t have a particul...

“Folktales doesn’t strive to stir up unnecessary drama or strife in its subjects. Instead, the film revels in the beauty found all around us as we try to recapture happiness, catharsis, and confidence.” @brandonct.bsky.social has our review:

I fucked up the spelling in the initial post so you know it’s legit.

Until tonight I thought I had outgrown the “get so drunk at a show that I want a pizza afterwards” phase of my life. Oh well.

Pretty sure I’m going to be tasting the salmon I had at lunch for the rest of my life.

Folks, I’m shocked - shocked I say! - to hear that HAPPY GILMORE 2 is atrocious. Comedy sequels are always bad. And Sandler’s comedies have been awful for decades now.

Just tried going to two different locations for lunch that are well known establishments. For some reason they don’t open until late afternoon/early evening. Is Columbus even a real city?

I don’t know if it’s any better that instead of binge drinking when I get depressed, I buy random shit off of the internet 🤷🏻‍♂️

Lost our 20 year old cat this evening. Roary was fiercely independent yet the sweetest cat ever. She will be missed.

a person wearing a scream mask is riding a bus ALT: a person wearing a scream mask is riding a bus

Man, the opening of SCREAM 6 almost hints at a series entry that might defy the formula. This is a franchise absolutely terrified of doing anything different. Huge bummer as I can remember how refreshing the original was when it opened in 1996.

Master of Puppets - Maddwolf Shari & Lamb Chop by Brandon Thomas Documentaries based on beloved children’s entertainers have become quite the trend in the last 10 or so years. Both Mr. Rogers and Jim Henson were the subject of wo...

“Shari & Lamb Chop still soars thanks to a steady filmmaking hand and the engrossing life of the film’s titular focus.” @brandonct.bsky.social has our review:

Entering that stage of my 40s where my first few thoughts upon waking up range from, “Shit… did I lock the front door last night?”, “What day is it?”, “I didn’t have to get up at all during the night to pee. Nice”.

Either way, the circling of the drain has begun.

I see it even worse in that it’s just a larger version of the broken American business model: always strive for MORE. Not quality - MORE.

It’s an industry - at least on the larger scale - that is populated by people who have no idea what they are doing.

Despite what the trades and click-baity websites tell you, the major studios aren’t going to save the movies and/or theaters. They will continue to produce nothing but IP garbage that devalues cinema and alienates more people than it attracts.

Sometimes I feel like I should toot my own horn a lot more but then my midwestern sensibilities are like, “Ope! That’s uncomfortable!”

SORCERER > WAGES OF FEAR.

Sorry folks, I don’t make the rules.

Quote with a movie sequel that really hits.

The Raid 2

Summer at the library is often like a real life adaptation of LORD OF THE FLIES without the beach.

It’s only June 7th, and like a true mid-westerner I’ve already sweated through two hats that now need a thorough cleaning and that magic touch that allows them to keep their shape.

I think calling a movie “slow” has eclipsed “plot holes” as my least favorite bit of lazy movie criticism.

Even as a visitor, I completely understand why New Yorkers loathe Times Square. So disgustingly gaudy.

I cannot mage giving one iota of shit about that new HARRY POTTER series. In an era of blatant corporate IP reliance, this might be one of the least subtle and pathetic.

Honestly, I think what has made both seasons of ANDOR great is that Tony Gilroy doesn’t really give a shit about STAR WARS.

So we are at the point now where ICE is the American version of the SS right?

Flight of Fun - Maddwolf Fight or Flight by Brandon Thomas Some might say we’re amidst a Josh Hartnett renaissance (Hartaissance?). 2023’s Oppenheimer saw the former teen heartthrob nearly steal the show in a more adult and s...

“with Fight or Flight, the fun action mixed with a bonkers Josh Hartnett performance makes this one a worthwhile effort.” @brandonct.bsky.social has our review:

There’s such a lack of craft in modern filmmaking that I get whiplash when a film is well shot and lit. The near complete move to digital has zapped most cinematographers of creativity and made even most studio films look like cheap TV episodes.

One of the biggest takeaways I have from SINNERS is that I’m a complete snob when it comes to craft. Yes, SINNERS would’ve always gotten noticed for how well it’s shot, but it’s all the more noticeable because of how terrible most modern movies look.