If you’re ever in a pinch and looking for something to watch, did you know you can watch free (legally, with ads) movies on YouTube? I’ll often use this to scope out something before paying for it, or if it’s not streaming elsewhere. Here’s a sample of a few sourcesβ¦
I’ve been thinking about Weapons (the movie) off and on since I saw it. This has been partially bolstered by others’ video essays. I’m not going to go into detail to avoid spoilers, but I’m curious what others think.
The movie draws on several sources:
A standard mystery/drama: The first section of the film operates like one, with characters trying to find missing children and exploring the lives of Josh Brolin and Julia Gardner.
Fairy tales: Most obviously, the Pied Piper and Goldilocks.
P.T. Anderson’s Magnolia: The episodic nature, the cop character, the overall look and feel. Plus, the director even said so!
Alcoholism: The director has gone on record as saying this is a massive piece of the film. Julia Garner’s character is one, as were Josh Creeger’s parents. The idea of a child taking care of their parents originated here.
I first saw Wings of Desire in a college film course and have seen it a few times since. City of Angels was a loose Americanized remake made around the same time. I’m not someone who is generally angered by remakes, but I think this one so missed the mark that it got to me a bit at the time.
Despite decades of awareness of the U2 song from the movie (with a music video based in the same world), I have yet to see the sequel, Faraway, So Close!
This video by Nerdwriter does a great job of comparing the strengths and weaknesses. If you’ve never seen the Wim Wenders original, I encourage you to seek it out! Watch almost any other Nic Cage movie.
I’ve previously written about AI and what uses I do and don’t like. Here’s one I do likeβ¦ gathering info about posts I’ve written in the past. I thought I’d see what movies I’ve referenced over the last few years.
Movie Title
Year
Director(s)
Abigail
2024
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Attack the Block
2011
Joe Cornish
Barbarian
2022
Zach Cregger
Billy Elliot
2000
Stephen Daldry
Bit
2019
Brad Michael Elmore
Body Bags
1993
John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper
Brassed Off
1996
Mark Herman
Bride of Chucky
1998
Ronny Yu
Childβs Play
1988
Tom Holland
Childβs Play 2
1990
John Lafia
Childβs Play 3
1991
Jack Bender
Chopping Mall
1986
Jim Wynorski
Dark Star
1974
John Carpenter
Dune (1984)
1984
David Lynch
Dune (2021)
2021
Denis Villeneuve
Fright Night
2011
Craig Gillespie
Fresh
2022
Mimi Cave
Freaky
2020
Christopher Landon
Halloween II
1981
Rick Rosenthal
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II
1987
Bruce Pittman
Hereditary
2018
Ari Aster
It Follows
2014
David Robert Mitchell
Late Night with the Devil
2023
Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes
Lisa Frankenstein
2024
Zelda Williams
Love and Monsters
2020
Michael Matthews
Malignant
2021
James Wan
Martin
1977
George A. Romero
No Time to Die
2021
Cary Joji Fukunaga
Nosferatu (Robert Eggers, upcoming)
(2024/2025)
Robert Eggers
Parasite
2019
Bong Joon-ho
Phantasm
1979
Don Coscarelli
Possession (1981)
1981
Andrzej Ε»uΕawski
Pride
2014
Matthew Warchus
Prom Night
1980
Paul Lynch
Seed of Chucky
2004
Don Mancini
Shadow in the Cloud
2020
Roseanne Liang
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
2021
Destin Daniel Cretton
Sleepaway Camp II
1988
Michael A. Simpson
Sleepaway Camp III
1989
Michael A. Simpson
Slither
2006
James Gunn
Talk to Me
2022
Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
The Babadook
2014
Jennifer Kent
The First Omen
2024
Arkasha Stevenson
The Forever Purge
2021
Everardo Gout
The Funhouse
1981
Tobe Hooper
The Lighthouse
2019
Robert Eggers
The Northman
2022
Robert Eggers
The Omen
1976
Richard Donner
The Omen III
1981
Graham Baker
The Omen IV (TV Movie)
1991
Jorge Montesi, Dominique Othenin-Girard
They/Them
2022
John Logan
A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddyβs Revenge
A few months ago I stumbled on a YouTube account called James Whale Bake Sale. The channel features interviews with comedians, directors, and other celebrities talking about their own films or those they admire. Most of the interviews are taken from podcast appearances. I’m particularly drawn to the interviews with Bill Hader, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorcese, and other directors. One of the most discussed filmmakers on the channel is John Cassavetes. I’ve been aware of him for decades, between seeing his 1958 film, Shadows, back in college and repeated viewings of Rosemary’s Baby.
I spent late November and most of December watching the films he directed, wrote, or starred in⦠ranging from the very terrible The Incubus and Big Trouble to the highly influential Gloria, and A Woman Under the Influence, and Shadows; and television appearances on Columbo and his starring role on Johnny Staccato. Like Wes Anderson (whose Darjeeling Limited was clearly influenced by Cassavetes Husbands) often sports a troupe of regulars that includes Peter Falk, Gena Rowlands, Seymour Cassel, Timoty Carey, and Val Avery (and others).
I’m looking forward to seeing Love Streams, which I could only find on Blu-ray β most of his other films can be found on Max or Amazon Prime. I highly recommend seeking out the films he wrote and directed and would include Elaine May’s Mikey & Nicky.
There are two, count them, TWO versions of Nosferatu being released this year. One is a slightly new take by Robert Eggers and the other is meant as a direct remake of the 1922 version using modern technology.
It’s an interesting story. Nosferatu was an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula. So unofficial that Stoker’s widow sued the makers of the new version. There were minor changes to the story and names (for example, Count Dracula became Count Orlok), but many elements made it from page to screen.
Werner Herzog’s 1979 version retains much of the plot from the novel and Murnau’s film. While it follows the original closely, it lacks much of the dramatic lighting and scares that made the 1922 version what it is. There are some minor changes that helped make it a fresh adaptation.
You can see a very heavy influence the look of Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula, mostly through the heavy use of the vampire’s shadow.
Shadow of the Vampire is yet another take β it portrays the actor playing Orlok in Murnau’s movie as an actual vampire.
Both the 1979 and 2024 versions of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot use Orlok’s look as inspiration for their main vampire (Kurt Barlow).
Stephen Quirk 