BREWSTER MCCLOUD

Brewster McCloud (1970) was everything I hoped for when I set my 2025 goal to watch all of Robert Altman’s films.  The movie’s poster promises that it’s “different”—and it truly is.  It’s bizarre and also deeply thought-provoking and darkly humorous, with an edge that lingers long after the credits roll.

POPEYE

As part of my quest to watch all of Robert Altman's films, Popeye was one I approached with low expectations.  Honestly, I selected it early on... simply to get it out of the way.  When the film was released, the reception was far from enthusiastic, and at the time, I didn't have the film-viewing acumen to fully appreciate the immense talent of Robin Williams or Shelley Duvall.  Because of that, I always had a nagging sense that I would hate it.  But now that I've seen it, I can honestly say that not only did I NOT hate it… I found it surprisingly charming!  While it's not without its flaws, Popeye ultimately serves as a heartfelt and well-executed tribute to the classic Fleischer Studios Popeye the Sailor cartoons from the 1930s and 1940s.

3 WOMEN

3 Women (1977) is a captivating and enigmatic psychological drama from the mind of Robert Altman, who both wrote and directed this thought-provoking piece. If you're expecting a conventional plot you’ll most likely be disappointed. However, if you crave a film that challenges you to think and feel deeply, this movie delivers in spades.  3 Women stands out for its experimental narrative, with a storytelling style that invites open interpretation. 

RACHEL, RACHEL

In 1968, Paul Newman's first attempt at producing and directing opened to movie screens nationwide.  The film was Rachel, Rachel, a restrained drama of self-discovery starring his wife, Joanne Woodward. The movie went on to earn four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Leading Actress for Woodward.

DRIVING MADELEINE

How often do we encounter someone for a brief time, who rewards our soul and shapes our understanding of humanity simply by offering a different lens through which to calibrate the world around us?  Driving Madeleine is an immensely fulfilling movie that explores one such encounter.

WHIPLASH

I’ve always been a sucker for movies about good teachers, and even more so for movies about music teachers.  Music unites us, and for most people, the student-teacher experience is a universal one, so these films can resonate even if they aren’t remarkable.  Music of the Heart, Sister Act 2, Mr. Holland’s Opus, and Madame Sousatzka are among my favorite “feel-good” movies.  Whiplash (2014), a film about a music teacher and his student is a cinematic masterpiece and ranks as one of the best films I’ve seen.  With that said, Whiplash is not a “feel-good” film.  Whiplash is a tightly wound, tense anatomy of the cost of greatness and the humiliating psychological fuckery that a brilliant teacher thinks is required to motivate others to achieve greatness.  This film takes “No pain no gain” to its utmost extreme.

SEANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON

The first exposure I remember having to actress Kim Stanley was when she played the self-serving and dominating mother to Frances Farmer (Jessica Lange) in the 1982 movie, Frances.  She marvelously pivoted between helping Frances and simultaneously destroying her.  It was a bold performance, one that earned her an Oscar nomination. 

That was not Kim Stanley’s only Oscar nomination.  She was previously nominated for her leading role as Myra Savage, a psychic medium, in the often overlooked 1964 British crime thriller, Séance on a Wet Afternoon. Séance is an excellently paced and rewarding work that keeps you guessing from beginning to end.