Mat Brewster

What a marvelous week for cool things.

Two classics film noirs from Jules Dassin get the Criterion treatment.

I’ve really been enjoying a lot of older films that aren’t quite up to classic status lately.

This adaptation of a French satire failed to make me laugh or think very deeply.

May he forever rest in power.

A sweet romance from Clint Eastwood feels a bit queasy due to the age difference.

I’m amazed this thing got made in 1932.

An important black story unfortunately told from a white perspective.

This Douglas Sirk melodrama takes a realistic look into a marriage on the rocks and the temptation of another woman.

The Flash keeps getting bigger and bigger, but not necessarily better and better.

Jean Renoir’s realistic portrayal of migrant workers in the South of France helped influence the French New Wave and Italian Neorealism.

The script by Horton Foote is smart. It won him an Oscar. It knows about people and their inner lives

After a couple of weeks off, I’m back with Five Cool Things.

A lighthearted social satire about French life that could have used a few more laughs.

It says something about Richard Burton’s star power that he still had a career after this stinker.

The way they swing for the fences with absolute nuttiness is glorious.

When Batwoman finds its groove, it’s really good.

A great opening setup leads to just a pretty good film.

Nico Mastorakis gets into the exotic adventure game with typical mixed results.

Frederic March is brilliant as a fighter pilot slowly going mad in this gripping war drama.

A documentary-style narrative film about the days following first atomic bomb dropping.

Mike Hodges oft-neglected thriller about a fake medium who gets real powers works best when it focuses on the relationships between the characters.

Utterly disappointing in every way.

This zombie rom-com takes the genre into fun directions.

I’ve heard about Audie Murphy’s remarkable life since I was a kid. I’m thrilled to finally be getting to see some of his films with this new set.

What an eclectically cool week.

Kino Lorber presents three mid-tier films from the great actor, and it is great to finally have them on Blu-ray.

A cool week was made even cooler by a trip to the bookstore.

I’m getting tired of staying home, but at least there are still cool things to consume

A high-flying adventure on the high seas.

The rare comic that uses the trappings of noir to tell a new story.

Some of the cool things from this past week.

These three films are decent enough dramas but lack the edge of a good film noir.

A glimpse into my country’s past a viewed from a foreigner.

James Earl Jones quotes Shakespeare and conjures a barely seen monster in this masterpiece from Greek auteur Nico Mastorakis.

Happy Birthday, United States of America.

Donald Pleasence steals the show.

Here’s five films I’ve watched this week and enjoyed.

Three very different films get the excellent Arrow Video treatment.

We are still staying home and still finding cool things to watch.

Kino Lorber Studio Classics presents three more lesser-known noirs in a nice collector’s box.

Here’s another five cool things.

Arrow Video does a great job of presenting this controversial ’80s classic.

Kino Lorber presents this nice collection of westerns from the 1940s.

I love me some boutique movie labels.

The beast is man.

An extraordinary movie about how women suffer both during and after the war.

This week we take a deep dive into Italian horror for my cool things.

Enjoy some cool things I watched this week.