Still sorting through my thoughts of 2025 and there are not many frontrunners in my mind. Here's what I got so far (subject to change in the coming weeks):
Best of 2025 (in no particular order):
Bugonia: Paranoia realized
Eddington: 2025 summed up in 2020
Eternity: How will you choose to spend it?
Friendship: Friendship is rare...
Hamnet: Shakespeare takes on the great tragedy
The Legend of Ochi: A throwback fantasy adventure
Love Me: AI takes on the concept of romance
Marty Supreme: Ping-pong for the big leagues
No Other Choice: When you've been dragged to your limit
One Battle After Another: And another, and another...
Presence: A POV ghost story
Rental Family: Loneliness, far from home
Song Sung Blue: Neil Diamond fans unite
Superman: Best superhero flick of the year
The Surfer: Suffer...Surfer...
The Life of Chuck: Currently my favorite film of the year
Honorable mentions (too many not to mention):
Americana: Coen meets Tarantino in a modern-day Western
Avatar: Fire and Ash: Yep, another one...
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey: Working through the traumas of the past
Cheech & Chong's Last Movie: Hope it's not the last we see of 'em...
Companion: Try not to spoil it for yourself
Die My Love: Romance, motherhood, mental illness; not in that order
Dracula: A Love Tale: An oft-told tale, done well
Dust Bunny: Always check underneath your bed
Frankenstein: Beauty on the outside, ironically
The Great Flood: Wash away our sins...
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You: Life is a kick in the nuts
It Was Just an Accident: Revenge is a dish...
The Long Walk: Get busy walkin' or get busy dyin'
Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning: Or is it...?
The Rule of Jenny Pen: The inmates have taken over
Sentimental Value: Reconciliation through art
The Smashing Machine: Rock, smash... our hearts
Together: Make sure you're in it for the long haul
28 Years Later: They never left...
The Ugly Stepsister: Cinderella with a dark twist
Wake Up Dead Man: Murder in the ranks of the church
Weapons: Wicked good fun
Wicked: For Good: I know when I've been beat
The cream of the crap (mmm...nutty):
Back in Action: First POS of the year
Ebony & Ivory: So bad, it's brilliant?
Fear Street: Prom Queen: I don't even remember seeing this one
I Know What You Did Last Summer: Didn't we do this already?
Ick: Infects the brains of the viewer as well
In the Lost Lands: My poor memory is sometimes a blessing
Kinda Pregnant: Kinda mostly awful
A Merry Little Ex-Mas: Made my holidays much less bright
Now You See Me, Now You Don't: I wish I didn't
Primitive War: Jurassic Park, minus everything great about Jurassic Park
Sacramento: Insufferable pricks to the end
The Strangers: Chapter 2: We still got one more of this shit to go...
The Toxic Avenger: Just when you thought Troma couldn't sink any lower...
Troll 2: I liked the old one better
Tron: Ares: At least the neon lights are cool...
War of the Worlds: Worst film of the year and a personal affront to H. G. Wells
Note: I will be going dark for a little while, while I recharge my batteries....
-bud
(Disclosure: AI was used to generate the above banner, and that is the only time AI has ever been employed on this blog.)
