Noah Baumbach has evolved over the last three decades into one of the best modern writer/directors in the United States. He knows his voice. He knows his lane. He knows what he knows. And he does it all very well.
Author: Michael Thomas
Ranking the Pedro Almodóvar Films
In my head, I had seen a lot of Pedro Almodóvar films. When I actually went and tried to figure out which ones I had seen, I realized I had only watched 1-2 in college and then went to the theater a few years back to watch the very good Pain & Glory. The lasting impressions of my apparently brief dive into his work over the years were mostly that Carmen Maura was very good, Antonio Banderas was very good, and lots and lots of colors. Little did I know what I was getting myself into by diving deep into his work with the knowledge that HBOMax was removing all of his stuff after October 31, 2021. [This list will be updated as more films get watched over the years.]
Films to Watch Still: Labyrinth of Passion, What Have I Done to Deserve This?, Law of Desire, High Heels, Kika, The Flower of My Secret, Live Flesh, Talk to Her, Julieta
Ranking the Lynne Ramsay Films
Let the great Willow Maclay explain Lynne Ramsay to you:
Ranking The Shield Seasons
It took me a long time to finally watch The Shield in full. A decade-plus ago I had dipped my toe in the waters but did not get in. I heard all the praise from all the credible sources. I knew I had to get to it. And I finally did this year. I am delighted to report that the show is as good as people say.
Ranking the Kelly Reichardt Films
Ranking Kelly Reichardt films is an absolutely fool’s errand. Every time I watch one of them I think, “That has got to be one of her better ones.” Anyway, I am a fool, so…
Ranking the Paul Thomas Anderson Films
PT Anderson is one of the last real United States studio-backed filmmakers left. When his films come out, it is still something of an event – an all-too tragically rare thing these days. When looking back at his career, you can pretty neatly divided into two distinct halves. Before Blood, he made a lot of notable films very well, but in retrospect, they do not overall stand out as much. From Blood on though, he really found his own distinct voice and visual style and has just been off to the races ever since. Continue reading Ranking the Paul Thomas Anderson Films
Ranking the Alien Films (& Television Seasons)
The best franchise in the history of film! All of the films are were once good and all feel completely different from each other. Keep making them, Ridley. The evil Disney corporation needs to go back to letting Ridley make them. Here is a ranking of the supporting performances in the series.
Continue reading Ranking the Alien Films (& Television Seasons)
Ranking the Lee Chang-dong Films
I am very late to the Lee Chang-dong party, but I am grateful I finally got there. He is a very beautiful filmmaker.
Ranking the Ingmar Bergman Films
Films I Still Need to Watch: Face to Face, In the Presence of a Clown, Prison, Music in Darkness, It Rains on Our Love, Madame de Sade, This Can’t Happen Here, A Dream Play, The Image Makers, The Bacchae
Ingmar Bergman was one of the most consistently good directors in cinema history. For nearly sixty years, he cranked out good film after good film with a handful becoming iconic and very few being artistic failures. Diving into the Criterion box set was a long project but well worth it.
Ranking the Sex and the City Seasons and Films
Sex and the City is one of the most important television shows ever. I had a mildly unusual experience watching the show. I watched most of the show when I was 13-15 years old, and I did not watch it week to week but sporadically on-demand and out of order. So, before re-watching the show in 2023, I had seen just about every single episode but really had no concept of when things happened. Besides the end. Boy, did I ever remember the end of this fucking show. This column will rank all movies and seasons of the Sex and the City world.
Continue reading Ranking the Sex and the City Seasons and Films
