Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Dad's high strung. Mom is stressed out. The son's a nihilist. Grandpa is thorny. The uncle's depressed. The daughter is obsessed with making it to the beauty pageant in time. This is a perfect family road trip comedy in my eyes. No notes.

5 life lessons out of 5

Sideways (2004)

A depressed, failed writer accompanies his over-the-hill actor buddy on a middle-aged dude's trip to wine country for a week, in preparation of the latter's upcoming nuptials. All one wants to do is drink, while the other wants to sow his oats. This is a fantastic road trip comedy about depression, unlikely friendships, love, sex, and alcohol. A nutshell review can't really do it justice.

5 spit buckets out of 5

Two Days (2003)

Paul Miller (Rudd) has lost the will to live and is planning to kill himself in two days. He hires a small documentary film crew to chronicle his final moments, in the hopes of making others understand. Meanwhile, nobody seems to take him seriously and thinks he's either full of shit or doing it for attention. There's a real risk for dramedies like this to become preachy or moralistic, but this is a grassroots style indie film that offers no easy answers. It's a bleak movie, but deals more realistically with the subject matter than it gets enough credit for.

3 walks on the beach out of 5

Tony (2026)

I knew nothing about chef and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain, other than the manner of his demise. This biopic shines a light on a sliver of his life as a directionless young man trying to get by, by any means possible. Aspiring to be a writer, and chasing a girl cross-country, he happens into a job at a Cape Cod restaurant that would change the trajectory of his life forever. What I admire about this film is how dirty and rough around the edges it is. It doesn't pass judgement on its sleazy characters and his dark past, and breathes an air of fresh authenticity. I honestly didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did.

4 buckets of water out of 5

Hot Summer Nights (2017)

A wayward youth becomes entrenched in the high-risk, high-reward business of drug trade during the raucous summer of 1991. I couldn't help but think of Risky Business, but this has its own stylish devices. It's a neo-noir drenched anti-coming-of-age drama that manages to do enough right to recommend.

3 incoming storms out of 5

Snack Shack (2024)

Set in 1991, two best friends hit on a money-making scheme at their local community pool food stand, where they both fall for the beautiful lifeguard that threatens to tear their summer plans apart. It's nice to see the return of raunchy R-rated coming-of-age films, although they had to set it as a period piece in order to truly get away with it. It reminded me a lot of Adventureland (which was also a period piece). As much as I enjoyed it, it made me profoundly sad on many levels. Mostly because this was not my experience of growing up, and having missed out on so many rites of passage as a teen that one can never get back. So all you do is live with that pain and regret throughout your adulthood. But hey, at least there are movies to show you what you're missing.

3½ hot dog messages out of 5

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

Last day of summer camp, 1981, and the camp counselors get up to all sorts of mischief. Despite the title, this is far from softcore porn, it's just a very dumb parody of teen comedies in the vein of Meatballs. I did not care for this film the first time I saw it, but it's somewhat grown on me over the past 25 years. Some of my favorite jokes ended up being DVD extras which live on in my memory. It's known for being an early showcase of many comedic talents and has since grown a devoted cult following. As many times as I've seen this movie, I just can't get myself to love it, but I can't entirely dismiss it either.

Spawned two TV series 15 years later, both of which I liked more than the film.

2½ cans of vegetables out of 5

Eight Days a Week (1997)

Peter is in love with his childhood crush and next-door neighbor Erica (Keri Russell), and under the advice of his well-meaning grandfather, resolves to camp out on her front lawn all summer until she agrees to go out with him. Nowadays, this would just be called stalking or harassment, but believe me, it was much more innocent and endearing back in the '90s. I've always loved this film for its raunchy yet sweet sense of humor, even though it largely went unnoticed and panned by critics. Fuck 'em. It's an underrated gem in my book.

3½ neck braces out of 5

Girls Like Girls (2026)

"Girls like girls like boys do; nothing new"

As a cis straight male, it is very, very easy for me to relate to a gay woman. I guess you can call me an ally. I'm just a lesbian trapped in an ugly guy's body.

This might be the first movie based on a novel based on a music video based off an anthem to female love, all by the same artist, Hayley Kiyoko. It's set in the early days of the internet and AOL Instant Messenger (those sound effects still haunt me), at an age where feelings are brand new and coming out still felt taboo. Coming-of-age might be my favorite genre because it allows me to experience something that I felt I missed out on, during the most important and seminal part of one's life. Film can be a gateway to experiencing first love all over again, for the first time, over and over. That combination of nostalgia and innocence never fails to stir me. The jealousy, the heartache, the pangs of raw emotion, of falling for someone who is emotionally unavailable. The most relatable feelings for me. I can't say for certain why this movie moved me so. Maybe it's just capturing an era so precisely. Like trapping lightning in a bottle.

4 "olive juice" out of 5

My First Summer (2020)

After her reclusive mother drowns in a reservoir, a heavily sheltered rural girl bonds with the only witness to the incident who agrees to keep her identity a secret. Together, they find consolation in each other's company over the quiet solitude of the summer in this gentle Australian coming of age drama. I adore the simplicity of this film and how it plays out in a dreamlike haze. They exist in their own world outside of space and time. It's rather sweet in its naïveté. 

3½ purple promises out of 5

Foxfire (1996)

Four high school girls bond over delinquency and rebel against the patriarchy when a gutsy, exciting drifter (Angelina Jolie) comes to town, helping them to stand up against the bullies and the abusers. It's a gritty coming-of-age drama that fumbles the ball in the last act, but still manages to leave a lasting impact.

3½ tit tats out of 5

Now and Then (1995)

In 1970, four friends pledge a pact to always be there for each other. 25 years later, they meet up and reminisce on the summer that brought them together. Everyone is terribly cast as the adults, although the biggest injustice to me is that they predicted that Christina Ricci would grow up to be Rosie O'Donnell. Thankfully, we spend the bulk of the story back in the past, centering around the friendship between 12-year-old girls who are obsessed with looks, boys and boob size, which isn't particularly deep. It's basically Stand By Me aimed towards girls, which is perfectly fine with me, although it lacks the gravitas associated with the former. The stakes are lower, but the sentiment is real.

3 friendship bracelets out of 5

Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain (1995)

These days, the only thing that powers me through each miserable day after another is nostalgia. The endless search to hold onto what makes me feel most like myself. That's all that means anything anymore in my broken little brain. I have no sense of objectivity left at this point, but who gives a shit?

This is a coming of age adventure tale which feels like Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer transposed to modern times. Set in 1980, a city girl moves out to the sticks where she befriends a tomboy and they set off in search of mythic treasure. Two kids going off on an adventure together; what could be better? 

As a kid, I wanted nothing more than for Anna Chlumsky and Christina Ricci to be my friends. No, it never happened, and the film is not quite as amazing as I remember, but it does capture that feeling of youth and innocence long past.

3 reflections out of 5

The Man in the Moon (1991)

Dani is a 14-year-old farm girl growing up in the 1950s who is obsessed with Elvis and jealous of her sister's burgeoning transition into womanhood, as she experiences her own growing pains. An auspicious debut performance from Reese Witherspoon who embodies the spirit of that age. I love the setting of this movie, the way it's shot and the lessons it imparts. It's a bit schmaltzy at times, but it has a quiet, relaxed pace which transports you to another time. There are scenes in this film that have stuck around in my mind for decades.

3½ tractors out of 5

Flirting (1991)

It's 1965, and Danny is now a moody teenager stuck in an all-male boarding school across the lake from a female boarding school. He has his eyes on an exotic student, and as respective outcasts of their institutions, they form a bond while avoiding the all-seeing eye of the strict headmasters and other jealous students. This was the second film in John Duigan's planned The Year My Voice Broke trilogy based on his life, which sadly remains incomplete.

3½ canings out of 5

The Year My Voice Broke (1987)

Danny is an Aussie boy in love with his childhood friend Freya, but she's keen on his douchebag friend Trevor instead. Meh. I can still feel those same pangs of jealousy, clear as day. The unrequited yearning of never getting what you truly want. The ache and longing are part and parcel of growing up. This is a very good movie, but it always makes me sad for a long time afterward, which I guess means it's effective in its messaging. The pain of first love never goes away. Even as the memories distance themselves, it stays with you forever.

4½ telepathic messages out of 5

Say Anything... (1989)

Cameron Crowe's debut feature is a classic romantic comedy/drama about an underachiever who falls for a valedictorian, and the class struggles that ensue as they court romance within their disparate social groups. It's a charming film full of memorable performances that only seem to get better with age, even though it's filled with tropes that have been overused for the past 40 years.

3½ boomboxes outside your window out of 5

One Crazy Summer (1986)

Savage Steve Holland's follow-up to Better Off Dead had similar quirky comic sensibilities, but leans a bit too far in the direction of absurdity to thoroughly recommend. Regardless, I still choose to revisit it often because there are just enough memorable scenes that make me laugh. The plot is entirely secondary here; it's just a series of oddball misadventures set on the island of Nantucket.

2½ Godzilla suits out of 5

Better Off Dead (1985)

After being dumped by his girlfriend, Lane Myer is depressed and suicidal, as his efforts to either kill himself or win her back both fail miserably. Despite the dark subject matter, this is a very fun and whimsical comedy with creative flights of fancy and surrealism that was destined to become a cult classic.

3½ persistent paperboys out of 5

The Sure Thing (1985)

A down-on-his-luck college student is seduced by the promise of a "sure thing" waiting for him in California, as he makes his way cross-country with a reluctant passenger by his side. This rom-com might seem dated by modern standards, but it's full of charming performances that stand the test of time.

3 hitchhikers out of 5

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Everyone remembers this film for stoner slacker Spicoli (Sean Penn), although he's very much the secondary character to all the ensemble drama around him.

Amy Heckerling's first film, based on the non-fiction book by Cameron Crowe (in which he posed as a high school senior for inspiration), is never quite as perfect as my memory of it purports to be, but it certainly captures the wild zeitgeist of American culture in the '80s. It's an iconic coming-of-age comedy with mammorable performances from Jennifer Jason Leigh and Phoebe Cates.

4 fapus interruptus out of 5

The Last American Virgin (1982)

Boaz Davidson remakes his own popular Israeli film for American audiences. Transposing the action to the '80s, the subject matter hasn't changed much. Gary is a teenager obsessed with losing his virginity, but he has his eyes on the beautiful Karen, who doesn't see him the same way. It's taken me almost three decades to finally come to terms that this is probably the superior film with deeper character development, although it's still a toss-up which has the better soundtrack. It's both crude and nuanced, but it's the last act of each film that elevates it from the usual teen fodder and will stay with me forever.

4 cases of crabs out of 5

Lemon Popsicle (1978)

AKA: Eskimo Limon

American rock 'n' roll music and nubile young women. What could be better? Being the guy who winds up with the girl, of course. Set in late '50s Tel Aviv, Benji and his horny friends are consumed with women and whose humorous misadventures in pursuit of sex usually end up blowing up in their faces, when Benji falls for new girl Nikki and feelings gradually become more complicated.

Inspired by coming-of-age films like American Graffiti and Summer of '42, this classic teen sex comedy then went on to influence the likes of Porky's, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Revenge of the Nerds and American Pie. As Israel's highest-grossing film of all time, it spawned a huge franchise numbering 9 or 10 entries. I've always meant to watch them all, but have yet to find quality subtitled versions. Looks like I'll have to put it off for yet another year...

4 dick measuring contests out of 5

Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla (2013)

Warren is a lonely, timid ice cream man having a rough go of it. Constantly harangued by the dregs of society, he passes his time by watching old VHS copies of his favorite soap opera starring his crush, Katey George. His life is devoid, meaningless, and in need of a major shake up. Retreating further and further from reality in order to cope, it's only so long before a man is pushed too far. It goes without saying that I'm biased, but I love this dark little indie.

4 furious faps out of 5

Ice Cream Man (2026)

No relation. Eli Roth takes on the domestic horror of suburbia. After being seduced by the ice cream man's sweet serenade, the neighborhood kids go on a rampage against the adults. It's a little bit Children of the Corn and Beware! Children at Play, yet all I could think about was Halloween III: Season of the Witch. Any which way you slice it, it's pretty cheesy, but strangely irresistible.

1½ lactose intolerances out of 5

Note: The film was accompanied by a fake grindhouse trailer, Don't Go in That House, Bitch!, which may or may not actually be its own upcoming movie.

Ice Cream Man (1995)

Ahh, the sweet allure of the ice cream man. Nothing says nostalgia like a hot summer's day and that familiar jingle. Little do you know, he might be a serial killer working out of his truck who chops up small children and serves them up as ingredients in his special recipe. This one is an oldie but a crappy; a cheesy classic which I was never quite fond of, despite the presence of cult favorite Clint Howard at his most repugnant. It's very basic but has the charm of cheapy '90s direct-to-video nasties. It scratches an itch, but not a very deep one.

1½ brain freezes out of 5

Evil Dead Burn (2026)

They're just releasing Evil Dead films willy-nilly now. This doesn't even feel like the event film it should be...just a casual release dumped in the middle of summer. I guess it's safe to say this is now considered its own trilogy and not a series of reboots as I had assumed, since one has nothing to do with the other. However, it won't remain a trilogy for long, since it's already being followed by yet another standalone, Evil Dead Wrath. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Sébastien Vaniček has been handed the keys to the kingdom, along with a cast of relative unknowns. At a wake, tempers flare and the dead indeed remain evil. You want buckets of gore? Check. Ridiculous over-the-top situations? Check. Despite the presence of the Necronomicon, Kandarian Dagger and a double dose of buzzsaws, this doesn't feel much like Evil Dead to me. It's too serious, too angry, too intense. It feels more like torture porn at this point, which was never the point of this series. Trading brutality for any sense of character development or story, it merely becomes a series of horrifying scenarios. Weirdly, it reminded me a lot of that Mummy movie from a few months back. Still, I'm of two minds about it; I enjoy the sheer balls of it, but feel like it's simply going through the motions. I really despise this blatant bastardization of the original Evil Dead brand. It's just not fun anymore.

2½ jackhammers out of 5

SOULM8TE (2026)

A software engineer grieving the loss of his wife decides to take the AI beta companion model out for a spin and easily falls for it when it presents as the perfect partner. As he tweaks her code and removes the restrictions to make her more human, of course it all backfires on him. This spin-off of the M3GAN series leans more towards sci-fi erotic thriller, as both the natural evolution of Her and Ex Machina, and yet another formulaic cautionary tale in the style of AfrAId. Personally, this is everything I've ever wanted in my life. Believe me, when robots get to the point of looking like that, I won't fucking care.

2½ Kegels out of 5

Her Private Hell (2026)

This. Movie. Is. So. Deliberately. Slow. When I went into it, I didn't even realize this was Nicolas Winding Refn's first new film in a decade, since the marvelous The Neon Demon. It involves an actress working on a sci-fi movie as well as a parallel storyline involving a man searching for his daughter in hell, and how these two stories intersect, I still have no idea. It features Refn's trademark dreamy style draped in red, purple and blue, and a superbly lush score by Pino Donaggio which I wish were attached to a more worthy film. It's a pretentious, fartsy, neon-soaked mess that succeeded in nothing more than sending me to sleep. I didn't know what was going on, but more importantly, I just didn't care.

1 Leatherman out of 5

Hadestown: The Musical (2026)

An intimate scaled-down performance, this filmed version of the hit Broadway musical tells the story of Orpheus and Eurydice: a penniless poet and a woman seduced by the promises of riches of an underground town. Though the story primarily revolves around the fate of these Greek characters, it's Persephone who stands out to me, trying to win back her lover Hades's hand. It's a simple tale, told over two and a half hours of a blues-infused jazzy soundscape. I like it for what it is, but my issue is more with the cruel myth that it's based on.

3 belladonna kisses out of 5

Moana (2026)

Welp, here we go again. Just 10 short years ago, the original Moana became a modern Disney classic. It earned a sequel which was equally beautiful, though less warmly received. Now they've decided to cash in on the original yet again with a nearly shot-for-shot recreation. The best you can say about many of these live-action remakes is that they're mostly the same, only worse. Luckily, the original remains in such high regard, that even a knockoff isn't enough to dampen its spirits. The practical locations are magical; it's the overabundance of CGI that bogs it down. Newcomer Catherine Laga'aia is cast perfectly as the seabound Moana, while The Rock reprises his role as the demigod Maui whilst rocking a full head of hair. It's far from terrible, it's just like, what's the point? To squeeze more milk from the mouse's teat. Still, I enjoyed it. It made me feel like a kid again, even though I was well into my 30s when I saw the first one.

3 Kakamora out of 5

Minions & Monsters (2026)

I'll admit, I haven't been keeping up with the Despicable Me series. This is the 7th overall film in the series, and the 3rd prequel spinoff to revolve around the Minions. I hate these yellow assholes with a passion. However, this one takes a slightly different tack and revolves around an alternative history of cinema, set in 1920s Hollywood. Since these pee-stained pricks only speak in nonsense gibberish anyway, it essentially takes on the feeling of a silent film. However, what had such great potential as a premise (for the first 15 minutes anyway) quickly devolves into colorful, low-hanging fruit to appease small children. It's a shame because as a tribute to early cinema and with fun film references peppered in for cinephiles (including a cameo from George Lucas), it elevates it from another trash entry but still fails to break out of the mold.

2 mini Cthulhu out of 5

Ulysses (1954)

AKA: Ulisse

Kirk Douglas stars as Ulysses, king of Ithaca. Punished by the gods for his role in the Trojan War, he is sentenced to wander the seas, continually knocked off-course and deprived of his memory. Meanwhile, his wife Penelope hangs on to hope that he's still alive, whilst fending off a league of suitors at home. This Italian-American co-production is a serviceable, condensed version of Homer that hits on many of the highlights, including the cyclops Polyphemus.

You know what I miss? The '50s version of buff, which still seemed attainable.

3 Trojan horses out of 5

The Odyssey (1997)

Odysseus sets off with his crew to conquer Troy at the beginning of an epic fantastical adventure set in a world of gods and monsters. What I like about this adaptation is that it tells the story in chronological order (unlike Homer), which makes it easier to follow along on the trials and tribulations of its hero's journey, and also helps to hammer home how long and plodding this voyage lasts. I would argue this two-part made-for-TV movie has a bit too much fluff added to pad its 3-hour runtime, but it's probably the most faithful regarding its content. Unfortunately, you can feel the constraints of the budget which hinders its overall vision, while the cheesy special effects easily date it.

2½ Nobodies out of 5

The Odyssey (2026)

Two things:

1) This is the best version of Homer's Odyssey ever committed to film.

2) This is far from the best telling of this story.

No one was less excited about this movie than me. Even with Chris Nolan at the helm, a 3-hour epic based on a 3,000-year-old text is a big ask. I'm glad to be proven wrong. Matt Damon leads the big budget, all-star cast as Odysseus. Following a 10-year battle in Troy, it details his 10-year journey to get back home to Ithaca, told confusingly out of order. It's Greek mythology conveyed through grounded realism, captured practically for the most part on real-life locations. In order to emphasize its epic scale, it's also the first feature to be shot entirely on 70mm IMAX film, which comes with its own set of caveats. I found the colors on screen to be a bit drab and the sound mixing is absolutely horrendous. I watched it in IMAX, and for half the film the entire theater was rumbling, making it even harder to decipher dialogue. It's an all-out assault on the senses, although it makes the quieter moments stand out. No one would ever accuse Nolan of being a bad director, but he tends to be a little self-indulgent at times. However, there are moments here where you are held at rapt attention. As a fan of cinema, you owe it to yourself to check it out on the biggest screen possible, even though I still maintain it's far from perfect. 

4 gods defied out of 5

Note: If you enjoyed this modern retelling, I highly recommend The Return, which focuses on the final part of this story. 

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

Following the big spoiler at the end of No Way Home, Peter Parker is going through some pretty dramatic ch-ch-ch-changes. Meanwhile, he faces off against a powerful adversary who appears to be able to jump into different human hosts at will. It's your traditional comic book story involving heroes struggling to fulfill their purpose while overcoming great adversity, except this time everyone is firing on all cylinders (Punisher included). As always, humanity defines these characters, and at the heart of it, it's a warm, gentle story. I have nothing cynical to add. This is just a great Spider-Man adventure.

4 premature webshots out of 5

Note: Next up for our crew? Avengers: Doomsday, in time for Christmas 2026.

Jackass: Best and Last (2026)

Fun fact: I've seen every Jackass film on opening night since the first one was released in 2002. I love this stuff. It hits on a universal truth. It's only funny if it doesn't happen to you. You can't go into a movie called Jackass expecting high art. That's your first mistake. Once you meet it on its own level, you can enjoy the shenanigans. If you laugh, you don't get to claim the moral high ground.

We're all getting fucking old. None is more true than for the Jackass crew, who has put their bodies through the wringer over the past 25 years. Now in their 50s, they reflect back on their career highlights and lowlights, with a showcase of old footage and new. Disappointingly, it becomes a glorified clip show, with the new content being minimal and played a bit too safe. It's mostly a nostalgic trip down memory lane, but the Jackass farewell deserved better. 

This is far from the best that Jackass has to offer. Jackass Forever was a much better send-off for this crew. 25 years goes out with a whimper, not a bang.

2 peanut butter rectal exams out of 5

This is the Tom Green Documentary (2025)

Tom Green takes hold of his narrative by directing his own documentary, tracing his humble roots as a teenager interested in late night comedy to a modest rap career while making skateboarding videos. It's an interesting look into his life as a disruptor and pioneer of bizarre alternative comedy, from a grassroots public access show in Canada, to MTV, movies and beyond. What becomes immediately apparent is that there was always a method to the madness. It's a bit of a vanity show, cherry picking clips that reflect favorably on his career, but at the cost of getting an all-access pass to the behind-the-scenes stories. It sums up a once-in-a-lifetime period of avant-garde and punk rock comedy in the '90s and early aughts that wound up defining a generation, inspiring the likes of Jackass, Tim & Eric and The Eric Andre Show in his wake and innovating the podcast format with his early internet radio shows.

 

3 Slutmobiles out of 5

The Contestant (2023)

In 1998, Japanese comedian Tomoaki Hamatsu (better known as Nasubi) took part in a televised challenge requiring him to live alone in a small apartment, isolated and cut off from society, with no clothes or food, subsiding only on winnings earned through magazine mail-in sweepstakes, with the goal of amassing one million yen worth of prizes. Having viewed the original footage from Susunu! Denpa Shōnen for myself, I can confirm it's even more gonzo than you can imagine. It's an early example of extreme reality TV exploitation, exploring all the morality and grey areas contained within, although I like to see it more as an enormous triumph of raw determination and a celebration of the human spirit. Honestly, I'm not living too far off from this right now.

3½ bags of rice out of 5

Jeff Ross: Take a Banana for the Ride (2026)

Jeff Ross, the "Roastmaster General," tells the story of his life in this one-man show performed live on Broadway. And boy is it a tough one, filled with death, tragedy, cancer and alopecia. The one true throughline is pain, but Ross is able to weave the humor masterfully through the tragedy, resulting in laughs and tears in equal measure, and makes himself vulnerable to the audience before turning the stage on them. This is a masterclass in empathy and selflessness and looking for the "good" in everything, even when it doesn't seem to exist.

3½ bruised bananas out of 5

Are We Good? (2025)

A portrait on Marc Maron, a neurotic, embittered comedian who deals with the loss of his partner, filmmaker Lynn Shelton, during the pandemic. Maron has always had a dark, sardonic disposition when he bares his soul on stage, but here he struggles to make light out of his grief. He comes off disagreeable and cantankerous most of the time, which makes him hard to stomach, yet is completely understandable given the circumstances, and honestly makes him feel more relatable than other personalities who have nothing original to say.

3 litter boxes out of 5

Brats (2024)

Being a child of the '80s, I found myself really invested in this documentary. It's a fly on the wall journey, following actor Andrew McCarthy attempting to reunite with his old colleagues after thirty-some years. It opens up about their uncomfortable relationship with the term "brat pack" (coined in 1985 as a play on "rat pack") which stigmatized many of their careers (although Rob Lowe and Demi Moore escaped relatively unscathed). As an outsider who missed that phenomenon by a few years, I never looked down on the brat pack label. In fact, I purposely sought out all of those films. And after having watched this, I want to go back and see them all again. The 1980s are like comfort food to me. I kind of wish it had been a reunion for all of them, rather than just Andrew's story, but there is some catharsis in following that personal journey. Sad that Molly Ringwald declined and Judd Nelson didn't end up being a part of it, since he seemed to be the one who was most affected by it in older interviews.

3 scathing articles out of 5

Pamela, A Love Story (2023)

First of all, I'm glad that this documentary "went there." It doesn't really shy away from any of the ugly parts of her life and embraces all the embarrassing details. I was also surprised how much nudity they included, since you figure at some point her sons would watch it (I was very relieved that they seem to have turned out well, despite all the shit they went through). That being said, with how raw and open she is about everything that happened to her, it's still shocking to me how a sex tape effectively ruined Pamela's life and career, yet became a stepping stone for the likes of Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian. I feel like that's the most fucked up thing; that she never really got her due or was able to build and control her own image (similar to Marilyn Monroe, I suppose). I was actually very moved and proud of her for headlining Broadway as part of her "redemption arc." It's inspiring how she pulled herself together and still seems keen on working in the arts. She definitely needs more opportunities to keep her busy and stop her from regressing into more empty marriages.

3 centerfolds out of 5

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023)

Michael J. Fox was dealt a bad hand. Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, he kept his condition to himself for almost a decade, when he became a public advocate and eventually created his own foundation for Parkinson's research in 2000. And the poor guy has been hanging in there ever since.

I put this off for awhile, but it's a really great doc. It doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of his condition, but treats it with empathy, kindness, humanity and dignity. It's also really fucking funny. I guess you have to have a strong sense of humor in order to survive that kind of tragic day-to-day struggle.

The way they combined old film/TV footage and outtakes in order to tell the story of his life was brilliantly put together. I've been a fan since Family Ties and the Back to the Future films, so there was a lot of history there. I feel so bad for the man, because you can still see the same light shining from behind his eyes; he simply can't control his movements. And all those falls and breaks and pins inside him...it's just heartbreaking to fathom. Selfishly, all I can think about is how much my life would be improved if I had a partner like Tracy in it. Despite all the bullshit he's had to endure and everything he's suffered for the past 30+ years, he's still pretty lucky to have someone like that by his side.

3½ takes out of 5

Val (2021)

Throughout the course of his life, Val Kilmer shot hundreds of hours of home movies and personal footage, spanning 40 years. After being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, these archives were uncovered and assembled into a documentary told through his own words and narrated by his son, Jack Kilmer.

A promising young man with a playful persona, Val was a misunderstood artist typecast in a number of roles who lived life to the fullest while struggling to find his voice. It's a raw and intimate and deeply reflective journey ultimately ending in tragedy, but there is great power in having a voice and being able to tell one's own story, even when ironically it has been cruelly taken away. 

3 top guns out of 5

Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember (2025)

After being diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's, Chris takes his dad Craig Hemsworth on a trip down memory lane through the Northern Territory of Australia as a bonding exercise and an effort to recapture the past, since it's been proven that reminiscence therapy can slow down cognitive decline. The subject matter in itself makes this inherently sad, even as it celebrates a life, while Chris confronts his own genetic predisposition towards the disease. Although it can all feel so fruitless at times, there is also the cynicism that this type of experience can only come about through a publicly funded project. 

3 Crocodile Hunters out of 5

Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost (2025)

Ben Stiller directs this film as a touching tribute to his showbiz parents who performed together as a double act for decades. While going through their personal belongings in preparation of selling their home, it becomes about Ben and his sister's story as much as it is about their parents, told through home movies, audio recordings and letters left behind. It's a deeply affecting and often uncomfortable look at growing up amidst fame and professional embitterments, told through the uniquely skewed perspective of being an actor. It's very much a family affair that soon becomes a healing project and a way of connecting with his own kids, who grew up with similar experiences.

3 contained emotions out of 5

John Candy: I Like Me (2025)

A portrait on the late actor who starred in 43 films in his 43 short years. Still remembered fondly by fans and all who knew him, he was larger than life, but known for his kind heart and gentle nature. If you're looking for dirt, you won't find it here. No one has nary a bad word to say about him. His only demons were the ones he was battling in silence. A lot of his story is told in his own words, as well as through his SCTV castmates, and especially his collaboration with John Hughes. He resists being typecast as the fat man, while seeming very secure in who he is, which remains relevant 30 years after his death. Like John Belushi or Chris Farley, he appears to live on with each new generation.

3 smiles through the pain out of 5

Note: Hearing Catherine O'Hara give John's eulogy hits doubly hard now. R.I.P.

Marty, Life is Short (2026)

Comic actor Martin Short has led a life lined with many failures, punctuated by death and tragedy, but in the process managed to find his own voice. Filled with madcap energy, and ever the life of the party, his efforts might come off as exhausting, but his sensibilities are always funny. His greatest success was with his wife Nancy, whom he shared 36 years with before her life was cruelly curtailed. Lawrence Kasdan's documentary explores the behind the scenes through home movies and celebrity interviews, who all praise the man behind the persona, previously a one-note joke, but now more in demand than ever.

3 insults out of 5

Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces (2024)

"Do you ever get sad because you're not as happy as you think you should be?"

Steve Martin has always been an enigmatic figure to me, even though I've been watching his movies ever since he turned grey. Fascinating to see how his rocky childhood, Disney upbringing (working at a magic shop) and 15 years of stand-up helped hone him into the wild and crazy guy he would become. And yeah, even the banjos stretch back that far. This doc contains a lot of rare footage and newly filmed interviews, and even a couple of candid moments of raw emotion. The first half covers his upbringing up until his "retirement" from stand-up in 1980, while the rest encapsulates the breadth of his film career all the way to his successful stage show with Martin Short. It's a good overview a life well-lived; recommended for fans and comedy nerds alike.

3½ arrows through the head out of 5