Film Review: “We Bury the Dead”

Ridley helms this tightly bound clash of disaster and zombie genres

Ava (Daisy Ridley) sits amongst the deceased in ‘We Bury the Dead’

I can’t help but admire Daisy Ridley’s recent role choices, starring in a variety of mid-tier dramas and sneaky-fun genre films: Sometimes I Think About Dying, Young Woman and the Sea, and Cleaner. In each film, Ridley is giving her all. Now she’s starring in We Bury the Dead, an Australian quasi-zombie drama by Zak Hilditch (1922). Tight on world-building scope but heavy on quiet intensity, We Bury the Dead is a solidly constructed thriller to kick off the new year. Continue reading “Film Review: “We Bury the Dead””

Film Feature: Chad’s Top 20 Films of 2025

What a sneaky good, but not great, movie year. 2025 was full of major blockbuster disappointments (Mickey 17, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Tron: Ares, The Running Man, Wicked For Good) and a few five-star masterpieces. But there was a plethora of three-and-a-half to four-star fare, some good and some great, that made moviegoing a memorable experience. The honorable mentions will be many this year, but here’s my ranked list of the twenty best films of 2025:

20. FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES

The sixth film in a series is rarely, if ever, as good as, if not better, than all previous installments. Bloodlines refreshed the ‘90s horror franchise in inventive new ways, killing off a plethora of death-cheaters. 

19. THE NAKED GUN

Pure comedies can still be good, and still make money! The reboot of The Naked Gun had some of the funniest lines of the year, and produced the rare pleasure of joining in raucous laughter with a moviegoing audience. Continue reading “Film Feature: Chad’s Top 20 Films of 2025”

Film Review: “Marty Supreme”

Chalamet delivers powerhouse performance in Safdie’s wild ping pong tale

Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) wants to be a ping pong champion.

If you’re feeling a little sleepy this afternoon after too much Christmas cheer and need a jolt of energy, put the coffee down and instead head out to see Marty Supreme. Writer/director Josh Safdie’s newest is the cinematic equivalent of ten espresso shots and ten Red Bulls. Anchored by a tour de force performance from Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme is a whirlwind of a good time that makes its two-and-a-half hour running time seem like five minutes.

Continue reading “Film Review: “Marty Supreme””

Film Review: “Is This Thing On?”

Cooper’s latest is a misfire

Newly single Alex (Will Arnett) tries his hand at stand-up comedy.

Maestro and A Star Is Born, both directed and co-written by actor Bradley Cooper, garnered multiple award nominations and wins. Cooper’s third writing/directing project, however, may not be so lucky. Is This Thing On? isn’t nearly as watchable as Cooper’s previous pictures, and proves itself the least interesting of his current filmmaking trio.

Continue reading “Film Review: “Is This Thing On?””

Single of the Week: “Lydia” by The Floor Is Not Lava

Honestly, I can’t believe that it’s nearing the end of 2025. Rock & Roll has existed for around 75 years at this point. Somehow, The Floor Is Not Lava has not been selected as a band name until now. And they deserve to take one of the best names ever. “Lydia” is a dramatic journey, taking the listener on an emotional journey that recalls fellow Seattleites Heart AND Sunny Day Real Estate (at the same time, believe it or not). 

The Floor Is Not Lava’s latest release is It’ll Go To My Grave. You can enjoy that and more here! Hoping to convince them to hop in the van and head south! <Fingers Crossed>

Film Review: “Ella McCay”

Likable cast wasted in forgettable film

Governor Bill (Albert Brooks) speaks with Ella (Emma Mackey), his lieutenant governor.

James L. Brooks, the writer and director best known for his multiple-Oscar winning and nominated pictures Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News, and As Good as it Gets, returns to cinemas with his first film since 2010’s poorly reviewed How Do You Know? Unfortunately for Brooks, Ella McCay is bound to share the same fate as that forgettable flop rather than achieve the accolades of Brooks’s earlier titles.

Continue reading “Film Review: “Ella McCay””

Single of the Week: “The Dock (Bill’s Song)” by Lila Wolfe

Life is weird. I’ve been waiting for Lila Wolfe to follow up “Seafarm” for a really long time. And I had no idea this was specifically in the queue. “The Docks (Bill’s Song)” is hitting hard for me today… I’m not sure the writer’s original intent, but a week and a half out from my mother’s abrupt passing, hearing a heavy song about the complex relationship you can have with someone who is no longer with you? 

Phew! 

Thank you for gifting this song to me and to the world. Stream this single here. And you can send her encouraging messages to keep her putting out music via Instagram. 

Single of the Week: “Summer Sweat” by Hannah Cohen

Hannah Cohen is a name that I’ve been noticing for a while, but, for one reason or another, I haven’t really given her the listening time. And, yes, my “Single Of The Week” column can sometimes run a bit like personal diary. But I’ve been dealing with an abrupt passing of my mom this week, and I haven’t really been able to focus on anything at all. Then my kid go the flu and everything became messy. I wasn’t even going to do a column this week. But I put the kid down for a nap, and had a moment of silence where I decided to take a look at my inbox and saw this Hannah Cohen email sitting there unread for two weeks. I clicked on the track and listened. I took in a beautiful and bright piece of music and for the first time all week, I was able to feel a sense of peace. So, yeah, thank you Ms Cohen. Thank you, “Summer Sweat.”

“Summer Sweat” is off Hannah Cohen’s latest record, Earthstar Mountain, available now from Congrats Records. 

Film Review: “100 Nights of Hero”

100 Nights is a flimsy whimsy

Cherry (Maika Monroe) and Hero (Emma Corrin) indulge in chess and falconry in ‘100 Nights of Hero.’

Arabian Nights meets queer feminist fantasy in Julia Jackman’s magical romance 100 Nights of Hero, based on a graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg. The film is drenched in colorful costumes and whimsical folklore in order to engage audiences with a Middle Eastern-inspired medieval tale. The film’s stylings are unique and thorough, but the script leaves us yearning for deeper thematic resonance. Jackman’s confident direction, even as the film struggles to commit to a tone, preserves 100 Nights of Hero’s sincere portrayal of queer feminism and the precious art of storytelling. Continue reading “Film Review: “100 Nights of Hero””

Spinning Platters Interview: J. Willigoose, Esq. of Public Service Broadcasting

This month sees the stateside return of one of the 21st century’s great independent bands, Public Service Broadcasting.  Over the last dozen-or-so years, they’ve been releasing these brilliant storytelling albums, mixing historical audio with music that can be beautiful, exciting, sad, uplifting, and even fit for the dance floor. Their most recent album, The Last Flight debuted at #3 on the UK album chart and its remixed counterpart Night Flight has recently dropped. And here in San Francisco we’re being honored with a rare live performace by the band in the United States, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled that J. Willigoose, Esq, guitarist and founder of the band, got on a call to chat with me about Amelia Earhart, the secretive future of album concepts, writing on commission, the challenges of touring, and so much more. 

Spinning Platters: I’m just going to start going to start with Amelia Earhart. So I don’t know if you saw that the US has started declassifying all the Amelia Earhart documents. Have you heard about this? Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: J. Willigoose, Esq. of Public Service Broadcasting”