Here’s what I watched and read last week…
MOVIES
Are We Good? (2025) is a great and entertaining documentary about comedian and podcaster Marc Maron. Most of the film focuses on the years just before and after the lockdown. I especially loved seeing the studio where he records his podcast—and we even got to see his cats! After the screening, Larry Charles interviewed Maron, which basically turned into a stand-up set. I’m really sad that there won’t be any more WTF episodes.
Bullet in the Head (1990) – The Criterion Channel is currently featuring John Woo’s action films. While Bullet in the Head isn’t quite as great as The Killer or Hard Boiled, I still enjoyed Woo’s take on the story of three childhood friends trying to escape war-torn Vietnam. Having seen many Vietnam War films, it was fascinating to watch Woo’s perspective. The movie carries a Deer Hunter flavor, especially in the tragic fate that befalls one of the friends later in the film.
Slither (2006) – James Gunn’s directorial debut is a lot of fun to watch. It reminded me of the 1988 version of The Blob. You can already see some of Gunn’s signature touches, like his creative use of popular music and sharp sense of humor. The bathtub sequence was definitely the highlight of the film.
A Good Marriage (2014) – I believe this was a straight-to-video release. Stephen King adapted his own novella for the screen. It’s not a bad movie—slow at times, but still engaging. I especially enjoyed Joan Allen’s performance. The story comes from Full Dark, No Stars, a collection of four novellas by King that I highly recommend.
What Lies Beneath (2000) – I had mixed feelings about this one. I was living in Vermont at the time it was filmed, so it was fun to recognize some of the locations. The film is visually stunning, but the story feels a bit muddled. It starts in Rear Window mode, then shifts into Gothic horror with a “restless ghost” narrative. Zemeckis clearly shows his love for Hitchcock, but the film struggles to decide what it wants to be. That said, there are some great moments—especially the bathtub scene. Funny enough, that’s two horror films I watched this week featuring bathtubs.
Annabelle (2014) – Not as scary as The Conjuring, but I still enjoyed it. I liked that the story is set in an apartment, which gives the film a Rosemary’s Baby vibe. There are some solid scares, too.
Ozzy: No Escape From Now (2025) – This is a very good documentary about the final years of Ozzy Osbourne’s life. We watched the entire Back to the Beginning concert in July, and it was incredible—one of the greatest metal shows. The documentary doesn’t delve much into Black Sabbath or their brief reunion for one last performance, but it powerfully captures how much Ozzy struggled after his unfortunate back surgery. Very sad. RIP Ozzy.
John Candy: I Like Me (2025). Nice documentary that celebrates the life and work of John Candy. Uncle Buck is one of my favorites of his.
TV
The latest episode of Task was one of the best so far. Mark Ruffalo delivered an incredible performance, and that twist was huge. This series is really turning into something great.
BOOKS
Pure Excess: Capitalism and the Commodity by Todd McGowan is an excellent companion to his earlier work, Desire and Capitalism. In Pure Excess, McGowan’s central argument is that the commodity form conceals our fundamental lack by offering objects of pure excess. Since the subject is always psychically divided—meaning we carry an unshakable lack—the commodity form masks this truth by presenting the illusion of pure excess without requiring us to confront that lack. In this framework, limits are the enemy of capitalism. McGowan provides many scenarios and examples to illustrate how this dynamic plays out. Highlight chapters include his analyses of paranoia and modernism.
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