Watched and Read - October 19, 2025

 Here’s what I watched and read last week..

MOVIES

The Killer (1989) is one of my favorite John Woo films, featuring some of his best action sequences. If you enjoy over-the-top action done with artistry, this movie is definitely worth checking out. Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets was a major influence, and you can also see the impact of Sam Peckinpah in Woo’s use of slow-motion violence.

The Conjuring 2 (2016) I really enjoyed this film and found it almost as scary as the first one. It had plenty of great scares throughout. The highlight for me was Lorraine’s encounter with the nun and the painting at her home — a chilling scene.

¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor! (2024). A very good documentary about South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker buying and renovating Casa Bonita, a beloved restaurant in Colorado.

Frankenweenie (2012). I was deeply moved by Tim Burton’s film. My dog passed away earlier this year, so the story really hit home. I also loved all the references to classic films, especially Universal Horror and Godzilla. This is truly a hidden gem in Burton’s filmography.

Mars Attacks! (1996). This feels like one of those movies you either love or don’t — and I absolutely love it. I think it’s hilarious and a great follow-up to Burton’s masterpiece Ed Wood. Like Frankenweenie, it’s full of fun callbacks to 1950s sci-fi and the paranoia films of that era. Apparently, Jack Nicholson even wanted to play more than the two roles he already had! Also great to spot a young Jack Black. It was a lot of fun revisiting this one.

Dark Shadows (2012). This film is visually stunning, but I felt the story could have been stronger. The comedy didn’t always land, especially following the dark and dramatic prologue. That said, I loved the Gothic imagery, and I thought Johnny Depp gave a strong performance.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016). As expected, Burton’s visuals are impressive—especially his Gothic interpretation of the Peregrine home. However, the climax veered a bit into CGI overload. I felt the story could have been stronger overall; the narrative stakes for Asa Butterfield’s character never fully landed for me. That said, I did enjoy the time-loop elements—they added an intriguing layer to the film.

Sleepy Hallow (1999). I had mixed feelings when I first saw this back in 1999. Having grown up in the Hudson Valley, I wanted the setting to feel more authentic to the region I knew. But on rewatch, I really appreciated how Burton reimagined Sleepy Hollow. The set design is incredible, and Emmanuel Lubezki’s cinematography is stunning.

I also liked that the story is set not long after the founding of the United States, around the turn of the 19th century. I interpreted it as a moment of transition—moving toward modernity—which Johnny Depp’s character embodies through his tools, gadgets, and early forensic methods. I’m glad I revisited it. Heads will roll…

 

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TV

Task. The show keeps getting better every week. This week brought another surprise, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how they wrap it up. It’s definitely one of the best television shows I’ve watched this year.

Dept. Q. Episode one and two. I really like this so far. I’ve been a fan of Scott Frank’s work going all the way back to Out of Sight and Minority Report. The setting is well done, and I’m curious to see how they solve the case.

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BOOKS

Criss-Cross: The Making of Alfred Hithcock’s Dazzling, Subversive Masterpiece Strangers on a Train by Stephen Rebello. A good read overall. Having read quite a bit about Hitchcock, I felt much of what Rebello covers has been explored by other writers before. I thought the sections on Raymond Chandler and the film’s music could have been shorter. The most interesting part of the book for me was the production of the film. Still, it’s definitely worth checking out if you love Strangers on a Train. I also highly recommend Rebello’s Making of Psycho.

Tim Burton: The Iconic Filmmaker and His Work by Ian Nathan. I’ve read quite a few of Ian Nathan’s books on directors, and they’re always fun to read. This is a new edition focused on Tim Burton. As you can probably tell from what I’ve been watching this week, I’ve been revisiting a lot of his movies—especially ones I hadn’t seen before or hadn’t watched in a while.