12 favorite films, currently

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  • ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (Sergio Leone, 1968; 20+ year reign at the top continues)

  • HEAT (Michael Mann, 1995)

  • THE MALTESE FALCON (John Huston, 1941)

  • ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (Peter Hunt, 1969)

  • PARASITE (Bong Joon-ho, 2019)

  • REAR WINDOW (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)

  • CHILDREN OF MEN (Alfonso Cuarón, 2006)

  • PARIS, TEXAS (Wim Wenders, 1984)

  • CHUNGKING EXPRESS (Wong Kar-Wai, 1994)

  • HIGH AND LOW (Akira Kurosawa, 1963)

  • PERSONA (Ingmar Bergman, 1966)

  • ALPHAVILLE (Jean-Luc Godard, 1965)

JIMMY CORRIGAN: THE SMARTEST KID ON EARTH (Chris Ware, 2000)

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(***** / *****): On something of a Chris Ware kick lately (there are worse to be on), to the point (even) that I resubscribed to the Paris Review, just to re-read their interview with him. At times brutal, particularly the flashbacks to Jimmy's grandfather's upbringing, but always bursting with a spirit of experimentation and an unfiltered love of the medium. Nothing short of (awe)inspiring.

GODZILLA MINUS ONE (Takashi Yamazaki, 2023)

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(*****+ / *****): Best GODZILLA film since the 1954 original. Deeply-drawn characters whose pain and fear pack an emotional wallop; a resonant anti-war message and examination of Japanese PTSD and devastation; and – at last – a return to Godzilla as a terrifying, world-destroying monstrosity. Adding to Blu/4k library as soon as it's available – hope they include the black and white version. Masterpiece.

godzilla chases a boat

KRAVEN'S LAST HUNT (DeMatteis / Zeck, 1987)

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(*****+ / *****): Hate to admit it, but this isn't a re-read: a cardinal sin – nevermind KRAVEN'S LAST HUNT's hallowed status, but (for me) that it's penned by one of my favorite Spidey writers (and comics writers in general; I have a soft spot for his run on THE SPECTRE, featuring Hal Jordan on his post-Parallax road to redemption), JM DeMatteis, under the moody, evocative pencil of genius Mike Zeck makes it even more so. That said, HUNT deserves every bit of its hallowed status: though I knew the main points of the story and the surprise at the end of part five, it still came as a shock. A case study in why I'm devoted to getting the "Great" comics stories in their original single issues: to experience it for the first time largely as it was originally released was something special.