The Lists

This is a running list of the cinematic works that I watched for the first time in 2026 that I feel deserve 4 Stars (my highest film-rating distinction). The titles below are listed in the order that I saw them and grouped together by the month in which they were watched. January: Land of Silence and Darkness (1971) March: Daughters of the Dust (1991) April: Chronicle of the Years of Fire (1975) The Substance (2024) Snow Bear (2025) (short)

This list is of the 77 greatest Japanese cinematic works and was requested by D1. The reason for 77 instead of the requested number of 75 is because two of the features included are not from Japan but incorporate the Japanese language and culture. Side notes are provided beneath their entries with specific justifications. The names that follow the release years are the respective director(s). This list was completed 04/12/2026. 1. Shoplifters (2018, Hirokazu Kore-eda) 2.

This question was sent to me by C1, and I must admit, it was certainly more difficult for me to answer than I initially anticipated. For starters, I already own 93 Criterion releases, so those were all immediately out of the running. Which is both fair and a shame, since I already own personal favorites like L'Avventura (1960), Cat People (1942), Odd Man Out (1947), A Room with a View (1985), sex, lies, and videotape (1989), A Matter of Life and Death (1946), Kuroneko (19

This list is of the 53 greatest animated feature-length films and was requested by K1. The reason for 53 instead of a traditional 50 is that three of the films included are live-action films that prominently feature animated sequences. It was completed 02/24/2026. 1. Princess Mononoke (1997, Japan) 2. Grave of the Fireflies (1988, Japan) 3. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013, Japan) 4. Fantasia (1940, USA) 5. Waltz with Bashir (2008, Israel) 6. S

This list is of my personal favorite Japanese cinematic works and was requested by D1. The name(s) that follow each title are the respective director(s). It was completed 02/20/2026. 1. Battle Royale (2000, Kinji Fukasaku) 2. Redline (2009, Takeshi Koike) 3. Whisper of the Heart (1995, Yoshifumi Kondō) 4. Summer Wars (2009, Mamoru Hosoda) 5. Hausu (1977, Nobuhiko Obayashi) 6. The Castle of Cagliostro (1979, Hayao Miyazaki) 7. Ryuichi Sakamoto

The statistics are in for 2025's first-time watches! There were 204 feature films (including 2 TV movies), 79 short subjects, 2 TV episodes isolated from their series, and a singular comedy special (Richard Pryor, in case you were curious). We started with 1932's Shopworn and ended with the 1966 short Qolga. There were eight national film industries that I got my first taste of in 2025. Seventeen first-time watches received my highest rating distinction (4 stars) and 45 first

This is a running list of the cinematic works that I watched for the first time in 2025 that I feel deserve 4 Stars (my highest film-rating distinction). The titles below are listed in the order that I saw them and grouped together by the month in which they were watched. January : The Cat Concerto (1947) (short) The Original Kings of Comedy (2000) April : Elmer Gantry (1960) Anatomy of a Fall (2023) June : Another Hayride (2021) (short) Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus (2023)