Films – Spinning Platters

Film Feature: Chad’s 100 Favorite Films of All Time (75-51)

To catch you up: I’m turning forty-two this Thursday, June 11. I feel that commemorating this meaningful/meaningless birthday with an extrapolated version of my annual list of all-time favorite films would be fun, and it turns out to be a lot of work.

I have also decided to hang up my film critic hat. Over thirteen years and nearly three hundred film reviews written, beginning with my April 2013 review of 42 (see, it’s fate that I finish on my 42nd birthday), I’m ready for my next chapter. Of course, I’ll leave the door open for the occasional guest post or podcast appearance.

Here’s yesterday’s post listing films #100-76.
And now for #75-51…

Why: If I recall correctly, this was the first R-rated movie I saw in theaters and also one of the first CDs I ever owned (it’s still one of my favorite movie scores). It was a huge movie event in the Bay Area because the film takes place and was filmed across various San Francisco locales.
Favorite Scene: The San Francisco car chase.

Why: The Grand Budapest Hotel felt like the culmination of all of Wes Anderson’s style and motifs up until that point, allowing for a large-scale character-driven story.
Favorite Scene: The “Get your hands off my lobby boy!” train stop.

Why: A brilliant send-up of Westerns, with the rare quality of containing humor that still holds up today.
Favorite Scene: Eating beans around the campfire. Continue reading “Film Feature: Chad’s 100 Favorite Films of All Time (75-51)”

Film Feature: Chad’s 100 Favorite Films of All Time (100-76)

I’m turning forty-two this Thursday, June 11. In the spirit of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I’ve spent some time considering the existential mundanity of turning this age, and what has been the answer to the question of my life, my universe, and everything. Since I turned thirty and on every birthday since, I’ve curated an annual list of my “100 Favorite Films of All Time” and posted it to Instagram (it’s a personal ‘time capsule,’ not what I consider the “best” films of all time; please note the difference). I feel that commemorating this meaningful/meaningless birthday with an extrapolated version of my annual list would be fun, and it turns out to be a lot of work.

Without further ado, here’s my current list of 100 Favorite Films (divided into four countdown posts, because 100 is a lot) with short blurbs reasoning why each title is included, what each means to me personally (if applicable), and a link to my Spinning Platters review (also if applicable)… And presented in reverse order for added suspense. Here we go…

Why: A fun (and the superior) film adaptation of Charles Portis’ novel that fits perfectly into the Coen Brother’s tonal wheelhouse.
Favorite Scene: Tom Chaney gets the jump on Mattie.

Why: A stacked cast and great performances power this western actioner to the peaks of rewatchability, even if the final few minutes are hokey.
Favorite Scene: Doc Holliday’s surprise showdown with Johnny Ringo.

Why: Such a beautiful film. Also, this is my wife’s favorite film and one which I quoted in my wedding vow. But that didn’t factor into this 😉
Favorite Scene: Black’s discovery of peanut butter. Continue reading “Film Feature: Chad’s 100 Favorite Films of All Time (100-76)”

Film Review: “Obsession”

Want a clever, scary movie? Your wish is this pic’s command

Nikki (Inde Navarrette) unexpectedly comes back out to talk to Bear (Michael Johnston).

Imagine the beloved Tom Hanks film Big crossed with an evil-possession movie like last year’s hit Weapons, and you’ll have a decent idea of what Obsession is about. Unhinged, but in a fun way, Obsession made a splash at both the Toronto Film Festival last year, where it was first runner-up in the People’s Choice Midnight Madness category, and at this year’s SXSW, where it was nominated for the Festival Favorite Audience Award. That the film garnered such crowd-pleasing accolades is understandable. This is a picture tailor made to watch with an audience ready for jump scares and “ewwww!” moments. Up until its somewhat predictable and weak ending, Obsession is clever and engaging, and actually features some surprisingly high-quality performances, considering its low-budget, horror movie status.

Continue reading “Film Review: “Obsession””

Film Review: “The Sheep Detectives”

A cute (and woollen) murder mystery

Cloud (Regina Hall), Mopple (Chris O’Dowd) and Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) stare at a clue in ‘The Sheep Detectives.’

For a moment there, about halfway into The Sheep Detectives, things get dark. Not Babe: Pig in the City levels of dark, but not-for-small-children serious and scary, even surprisingly existential. The Sheep Detectives is a new charming murder mystery featuring a flock of computer-generated sheep and a talented cast from director Kyle Balda (The Lorax, Minions). The film is reminiscent of the live-action Disney films of the 1990s and early 2000s, when scripts were less focused on maximizing jokes-per-minute, and when movies trusted young audiences with mature material while still having tons of fun! Continue reading “Film Review: “The Sheep Detectives””

Film Review: “The Devil Wears Prada 2”

The Devil falls flat in glossy but listless sequel

Andy (Anne Hathaway) receives some fashion help from Nigel (Stanley Tucci).

Did we need a sequel to the 2006 hit The Devil Wears Prada? The original movie was a box office success and garnered a slew of awards, including an Oscar nomination for Meryl Streep, but the cast reportedly was hesitant to star in a follow-up. That a second film, with the rather uninspired title The Devil Wears Prada 2, was green lit, and that its stars agreed to reprise their roles, means they thought the story was worth revisiting. Or maybe everyone involved saw the potential for a built-in audience and an easy cash grab. Unfortunately, with Hollywood’s penchant for recycling old IP, I think the situation here is the latter.

Continue reading “Film Review: “The Devil Wears Prada 2””

Film Review: “Hokum”

Hokum invites us to embrace being scared

Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) is in a tight spot in ‘Hokum.’

Though the word sounds like the name of an ancient demon stalking the Pacific Northwest woodlands, “hokum” is actually a noun that refers to any media or material (like a film, for example) that is insincere, exaggerated, or manipulative for the sole purpose of pleasing audiences. In the case of the new horror film, Hokum, by Damian McCarthy (Oddity), the idea of art as “hokum” is both explored within the context of the story and in a metatextual sense. Despite a minor reliance on cheap thrills (more on that later) and vague character motivations, Hokum is a terrifying good time due to Adam Scott’s performance and McCarthy’s impressive ability to keep ratcheting the intensity. Continue reading “Film Review: “Hokum””

Film Review: “Mother Mary”

Lowery’s pop-star exploration gets bogged down by metaphors and self-importance

Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) is dressed up for the shot in ‘Mother Mary.’

Writer/director David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon, A Ghost Story, The Green Knight) is one the finest visual directors working today. Lowery’s deliberately paced stories pack surprisingly emotional gut punches, and he doesn’t let his distinct style get in the way of the story. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for his latest film, Mother Mary, a musical surrealist drama. Inviting audiences to interpret the events of a film’s ending, or major moments, or striking visuals, is one thing, but requiring audiences to fill in the narrative gaps while interpreting the events of a story is a tall task, and a distracting one. Mother Mary has visual panache and vibing music, but lacks a complete story, instead relying on pretentious dialogue and dreamlike imagery to gloss over its shortcomings. Continue reading “Film Review: “Mother Mary””

Film Feature: 69th SFFILM Festival Preview #3

It’s finally here! The 69th SFFILM Festival starts TOMORROW, Friday, April 24th! Running through Monday, May 4th, this year’s Fest features over 100 films from more than 40 countries. The SFFILM Festival FAQ website will quickly answer all your questions about programs, tickets, and venues. And be sure to review our two previous preview posts (#2 and #1) for more Spinning Platters-approved Festival highlights!

Below we highlight an additional two documentaries and two features that are worth a look. See you at the Fest!

1.) WHO MOVES AMERICA
(USA, 2026. 87 min.)

A real-life drama about the power of unions in the vein of Norma Rae and Pride, this inspiring documentary will leave you cheering. Focusing on the 340,000 UPS Teamster members and their 2023 contract negotiations and potential strike, documentarian Yael Bridges crafts a portrait of union struggle and solidarity that is as thoughtful as it is rousing. Bridges turns her camera on local chapters in New York, southern California, Kentucky, and New Jersey, and the stories of the workers profiled are insightful and engrossing. UPS doesn’t come off well, and its executives can’t be happy about this film. But that just makes this truth-to-power story all the more affecting. Union yes! .

Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Mon., Apr 27th, 6:15 pm PT @ Marina Theatre
– Mon., Apr 27th, 8:45 pm PT @ Marina Theatre
– Fri., May 1st, 3:45 pm PT @ Marina Theatre
Continue reading “Film Feature: 69th SFFILM Festival Preview #3”

Film Feature: 69th SFFILM Festival Preview #2

The 69th SFFILM Festival is days away, April 24 – May 4, featuring over one hundred films from more than forty countries. Please visit the SFFILM Festival website for more information about the exciting program, how to purchase tickets, and a calendar of special events and presentations.

In the meantime, here’s a second preview of the Festival, highlighting three films and six shorts: Renoir, How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps, Filipiñana, and shorts Corpus Christi, The Veil, Vultures, A Year of Marriage, Cardboard and First Winter.

1.) RENOIR
(Japan/France/Singapore/Philippines/Indonesia/Qatar/USA, 2025. 118 min.)

In Renoir, director Chie Hiyakawa (Plan 75) takes us deep into the emotional hardships of a Japanese family in late-’80s suburban Tokyo. Yui Suzuki is incredible as 11-year old Fuki, whose perspective we follow as she navigates coming to terms with a terminally ill father, an overwhelmed mother, and her own imagination, which often blurs the line between fantasy and reality. At times beautiful, and other times haunting and tense, Renoir is a patient meditation on grief as seen through the eyes of an adolescent.

Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Sat., Apr 25th, 11:30 am PT @ BAMPFA
– Sun., May 3rd, 6:00 pm PT @ Marina Theatre

Continue reading “Film Feature: 69th SFFILM Festival Preview #2”

Film Review: “Everyone is Lying to You for Money”

McKenzie’s impressive directorial debut aims to sort through the crypto hysteria

Ben McKenzie sits down with Sam Bankman-Fried in ‘Everyone is Lying to You for Money’.

Best known for his lead role in the early 2000s teenage soap opera The O.C., Ben McKenzie has since supplemented his acting career with a journalistic approach to economics (a subject he earned an undergraduate degree in from the University of Virginia). Based on his writing debut, 2023’s “Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud,” McKenzie has directed, produced, and starred in a documentary, Everyone is Lying to You for Money, exploring his concern and criticism of the cryptocurrency era. Maintaining a brisk pace and a high-level approach suitable for wide audience consumption, McKenzie’s documentary effectively frames the critical questions we should all, as a monetarily-driven society, be asking about crypto. Continue reading “Film Review: “Everyone is Lying to You for Money””