Quick Hits
Quick Hits: April 2026
With this, I'm caught up.
Austin Noto-Moniz
Quick Hits
Quick Hits: March 2026
A baker's dozen of my thoughts.
New Releases
Erupcja
"She told you Warsaw was the most romantic city in Poland? Not, like, Kraków?"
New Releases
Mother Mary
"This is what you do. You give people the gift of giving a shit about you."
Pop Culture Maniacs
Fuze
Following the staggering success of Avatar in 2009, Sam Worthington disappeared into a labyrinth of anonymous thrillers and franchise starters (well, attempted franchise starters) and a few romance films. Most have been long since forgotten trash that he failed to elevate. Some did better than others at the box office,
Quick Hits
Quick Hits: February 2026
Five films, five locations, four different languages.
Quick Hits
Quick Hits: January 2026
Welcome to a new recurring feature! I'm at the theater just about every week of the year, frequently doubling or tripling up to make the most of each trip to the multiplex. Given this blog is a passion project, other areas of my life sometimes take precedent over
New Releases
The Christophers
"Never underestimate the internet prowess of a man who’s spent decades Googling himself."
New Releases
Exit 8
"Do not ignore any anomalies."
Pop Culture Maniacs
Forbidden Fruits
Forbidden Fruits starts as a riff on Mean Girls, but set in a mall (somehow still thriving in 2026) at a store halfway between Forever 21 and Nordstrom, called "Forever Eden". The "Plastics" are replaced by the "Fruits", Apple (Lili Reinhart), Cherry (Victoria Pedretti)
New Releases
The Drama
At the center of The Drama is a provocation: what if just before getting married to the love of your life, you discovered something that completely changed your perception of who they are? If they told you something so shocking that it threatened to upend not just the engagement, but
Pop Culture Maniacs
Alpha
Bursting onto the scene with a strong voice, a distinct style, and a fresh tale is a fantastic way to get yourself noticed. But if your follow up repeats (or even deepens) the same beats and style, you risk pigeonholing yourself as a certain kind of director. Some are perfectly