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What is there to even say about Fargo at this point? It and the Coen Brothers - alongside Quentin Tarantino and his 90s classics - pretty much created the template for the dark comedy crime caper.

Quirky characters? Check. Criminals completely out of their depth? Check. A strong sense of place? Check. Pitch black comedy and brutal violence? Check and check.

It's almost hard to watch a film like this and think about it objectively. The film's impact and influence is so vast that it ceases to be a movie, but a cultural institution. That being said, it's a really good move in its own right.

I was surprised by how small of a role Frances McDormand's Marge actually has in this movie. She's actually quite marginal to the plot, and it's mostly driven by Steve Buscemi's Carl and William H. Macy's Jerry. Jerry is arguably one of the best examples of a truly pathetic man put to screen. He's so pathetic that you can't help but feel bad for him, but not that bad when you consider all of this problems are directly due to his own conduct.

Famously, Fargo - which does not take place in North Dakota or Fargo - is one of Minnesota's greatest cultural exports. Some may decry the exaggerated, almost caricatured accents and "aww shucks," nature of many of the people involved. I think it's brilliant.

The entire point of the film is to uncover the seedy underbelly behind even the seemingly friendliest people; a dose of Americana that is both sentimental and willing to confront the violence bubbling right underneath. Oh, and winter itself is am omnipresent, almost oppressive character in this film as well. Fargo is undoubtedly one of the best "place" films ever made. (The Coens are from Minnesota, by the way, so it's not like they just made this stuff up)

Yeah, it's a masterpiece, and it's a movie that is pretty much essential viewing for a comprehensive look at American cinema. Without it (and a few other movies), how we think of crime films would be completely different. And honestly, mostly for the worse. You betcha this rocks.

When i first saw this film as a child, I not only didn't really understand it, but really hated it. On the insistence of my wife, we decided to give it another watch and honestly...it's pretty good. But I think part of my opinion derives from the dire lack of films like this anymore.

Holes is an adaptation of a young adult novel that FEELS like it's for pre-teens and teens without trying to be overly edgy or saccharine. It explores some very interesting themes about racism, injustice, and exploitation, but does it in a way that's digestible for young audiences to understand. I also felt the mystery that drives this film really fun and engaging, if not a bit *convenient* how everything sort of falls into place. Yet, from the beginning their is some established supernaturality going on here, so I'll give it a pass.

There's a fair bit of wackiness and toiler humour you'd expect from an early 2000s Disney flick, but it's not excessive. I'll admit the requisite "silly family" stuff is probably the weakest aspect of this movie, but it does help keep everything fairly light hearted.

Shai LaBouef is really good here and it's crazy watching this film and knowing how his career (and frankly, life) would turn out. He has screen presence, charisma, and is so likeable in this movie. While I did feel his relationship with Zero (Khleo Thomas) was nice, and very sweet, it did come out nowhere and very much falls into the "did we just become best friends?" trope that kind of drives me crazy in movies like this.

Sigourney Weaver, Tim Blake Nelson, and John Voight are really fun here as well, doing their best "villainous Disney adult" schtick before that term..meant something a little different later on.

I did briefly mention the themes this film explores and again, while I can't fault director Andrew Davis or even the studio for this...I do wish the themes of racism was a bit more explicit than it was.

It ends up being a pretty big plot point and was a bit jarring given that a substantial portion of the plot takes place in early 20th century rural Texas. It's only when it's absolutely necessary is it a topic that comes to the forefront, but I feel like even small indicators (passing glances or disapproving statements) would be more effective. As it stands, the film implies that racism was an aberration in this time period and region, used by bad people to get what they want, and only part of that is true: racism WAS the norm for a majority of people, and yet, it was used by bad people to get what they wanted.

This might be the most random reassessment of any movie I've previously seen, but yes, Holes is good. Did anyone need this recommendation in 2025? Honestly, maybe, given how rare live action kid oriented dramadies are nowadays.

After Hours is a seminal film in the "night time movie" microgenre that I personally really enjoy. There's something kind of magical about films that capture "one crazy night," and After Hours is pretty much a must-watch if you're looking for that.

This is a film bursting with chaotic energy, dark humour, and this veneer of almost cosmic unluckiness that befalls our very ordinary protagonist, Paul (Gene Hackett), who is just trying to get laid. It's great seeing Scorsese's style and unique pacing applied to a relatively low stakes dark comedy.

The film feels like a fever dream and straddles the line between surrealism and reality. Often, it's hard to tell if something is actually happening or if it's metaphorical. But, the film succeeds because at the end of the day, absurdity - and our brief encounters with it - is a staple of the night time. The freaks come out at night, as they say.

I honestly don't have much to say about After Hours. Just watch it.