JFF: What Was the Last Film You Saw, and How Would You Rate It? (Pt. 20)

Tron Ares (2025)

Award-worthy stuff. 

(And I do mean Razzies all round)

5/10

The Intern 6/10Law Abiding Citizen 7/10 - would 9 if it ended without Butler in losing positionMe Before You - 5/10Nocturnal Animals  - 7/10Starship Troopers - 8/10The Lobster - 9/10

After The Hunt (2025) - 5½ / 10  - Would have benefitted from more clarity on what precisely happened. ½ extra point for "Go away, they!" ... Hilarious and brave.

Back In Action (2025) - 6 / 10 - Standard for the genre. Okay popcorn watch.

Knives Out 3 (2025) - 8½ / 10 - Best installment yet. Has anyone noticed the pattern? ;)

The Patient (2025) - 4 / 10 - Barely watchable. Best skipped.

I saw the Japanese film KOKUHO. Magnificent cinematography and performances 

I was disappointed it did not get a Golden Globe nomination 

I've been to the movies 158 times this year, so far.The last one I posted here was 100 Meters. So, I have 40 trips to the cinema to update here.Here goes:Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro: first time seeing it on the big screen (rewatch), 8/10.

It Was Just an Accident: 9/10.

Orwell: 2+2=5: 9/10.

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: A lonely dragon wants to be loved: 10/10.

Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc: seen it twice - once in IMAX and the second time as 3D. This is likely my all time favorite 3D cinematic experience and the likeliest to be my favorite film from 2025 - 10/10.

Blue Moon: 8/10.

Mistress Dispeller: Ironically, this was the first movie that I have ever walked out of before it finished - not because it was bad but because it was pretty pointless. A generous 7/10.

Paranorman: 4k restoration/3D (rewatch) - still a 10/10.

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain - I bought the ticket under the impression it was for the original French language version (online page describing the screening as having English subtitles): Wow! I can't say how much better the original French language version would have been but the English dub was terrible and the English narration was clunky and super pretentious. 5/10.

Sentimental Value: 9/10.

Predator: Badlands (IMAX): a generous 7/10.

Nobody (Chinese language animated feature): If I knew many of the Chinese folk tale-based jokes and references (spoilers: I did not), this would have hit harder). A strong 9/10.

Virgin Punk: Clockwork Girl (short film): If I knew that this was basically a remake of the creator's Kite (1998 mini series) I wouldn't have wasted time or money on it. All the same story problems (brutal misogyny and such) but with much better animation production. 6/10.

Angel's Egg (1985): 4k restoration/Dolby Theater (rewatch)- first time ever screened theatrically in the US: This will get an honorable mention in my favorite films of 2025 list. 9/10.

Arco: This was also a French language animated feature where I was misled about what version it was going to be (both a failure on the Angelika Film Center). This time? It didn't matter. The English dub was on par with a Ghibli Studio English dub. 10/10. Another top ten lister.

Train Dreams: 9/10.

Jay Kelly: 8/10.

Come See Me in the Good Light: 10/10.

Wicked for Good (IMAX): I'd like to say it's the biggest disappointment of the year, but we were warned by people who knew the second half of the Broadway musical was really weak. A generous 6/10.

Rental Family: Charming. 8/10.

Part 1/2

I’ve just been to Avatar: Fire and Ash. Visually flawless, just like the other two movies. The story was okay, with a few logical flaws and some cheesy moments. All in all, solid entertainment with the highest high-gloss visuals.

A few scenes were so gripping that I could barely look away. This is definitely a film you should see in the cinema at least the first time, so you can later relive those impressions when watching it in 2D at home. I was entertained enough to give the film an 8/10.

Now You See Me, Now You Don't (2025) - Very nicely done. Rosamund Pike nails the S.A. accent, even Leo failed at that one. 7½ / 10'

Pluribus (2025, Season 1) - Nicely done. Could have benefitted from faster pacing. 8½/10

All Her Fault (2025, Mini-Series) - Very good watch. 7/10

Happy New Year To The Poll Board

🎈🎆🤗

First full weekend of the year:

Proof of Life (2000) - 6/10

Song Sung Blue (2025) - 8/10

Bad Seed (1934) - 7/10

Movie theater experiences in January:

Stranger Things series finale: a generous 8/10;

Solaris (1972), a rewatch but a first on the big screen: 10/10;

No Other Choice (rewatch): still a 9/10;Father Mother Sister Brother: 8/10;

All that's Left of You: 5/10;

Audition (1999): probably the most scratched and damaged projection I've encountered. A rewatch but first on the big screen: a generous 7/10;

All You Need is Kill: a generous 8/10;28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: 9/10;

A Private Life: 5/10;

Sound of Falling: 6/10;Mr. Nobody Against Putin: 8/10;

Arco: (rewatch): 10/10;

A Poet: 8/10;

Marty Supreme: (rewatch): Dropping down from a 7/10 to a 6/10.

Today:

The Lego Movie (2014), 3D: 9/10

Blue Moon (2025) - 8/10

Rush Hour (1998) - 7/10

Weapons (2025) - 8/10

Hamnet (2025) - 7.5/10 didn't like it as much as I hoped.

The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025) - 9/10, very hard to watch but very important film, highly recommended. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NVYKE ACQUIRES ‘SCREAM’ FRANCHISE IN HOSTILE TAKEOVER; ANNOUNCES TOTAL SYSTEM RESET

HOLLYWOOD, CA (March 3, 2026) — In a move that has sent shockwaves through the industry, a private investment firm has completed a $500 million acquisition of the Scream intellectual property from Spyglass Media Group.

Effective immediately, the former leadership has been dissolved. The new owner, known as NVYKE, has reportedly fired the executive team responsible for the recent casting disasters, stating that the franchise had become "bloated, fearful, and out of touch with reality."

“The Return of the Real”

In a series of early-morning statements, the acquisition was framed as a radical new direction for the series, directly addressing the "corporate cowardice" that led to the firing of Melissa Barrera and the exit of Jenna Ortega.

"The franchise was being choked to death by fossilized thinking," the statement read while the new owner walked into the studio carrying a literal kitchen sink. "We are bringing back the talent the fans actually want. We are paying them what they’re worth. Let that sink in."

The New Mandate:

Under the new leadership, the upcoming production—provisionally titled SCREAM: ULTIMATUM—will implement the following changes:

• The Carpenter Restoration: A formal apology has been issued to Melissa Barrera. Both she and Jenna Ortega have been offered massive equity stakes to return. 

• Fossil Deletion: It has been confirmed that "Legacy Armor" is officially disabled. The next film will open with the definitive, non-negotiable death of the "Botoxface fossil" characters to restore actual stakes. No more cameos. No more safety.

• Analog Horror: All high-tech gimmicks—including the widely hated AI-deepfake subplots—have been scrapped. The franchise is returning to grounded, high-intensity psychological warfare.

• The Tatum 2.0 Recast: The previous casting for the younger generation has been deemed "unfit for purpose." The studio is personally searching for actors with actual "Final Girl" energy, rather than generic placeholders.

A New Era of Stakes

The production is moving to a "hardcore" schedule to ensure a 2027 release. When asked about the high price of the acquisition, the simple reply was: "Worth every penny to stop the rot."

The era of the "Safe Slasher" is dead.