Author: J. J.
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Movies watched in 2023
My 15 favorite films of 2023, and other thoughts on the moving pictures I’ve seen this year. If you’ve read my annual reviews before, you’ll know that I tend to enjoy lesser known gems, like the new Zora Neale Hurston PBS documentary. Previous years: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012.
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All films by Zora Neale Hurston
Hurston, a well-known author, also produced 15 reels (85 minutes, all silent) of probably the earliest autoethnographic documentation, from around 1928 to 1940 in the American South. Currently, it is a challenge to determine the details of each reel, so I’ll piece it together here the best I can. There are no simple IMDb entries…
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LA ROUE – 4.5hr vs 7hr discs (Overview)
Nearly 100 years after the film was made, the epic French silent drama La Roue has finally been released on Blu-ray. This version, almost 7 hours long, closely-resembles the early-1923 cinematic experience. Without the detective work done for the 2008 DVD (nearly 4½ hours long), it is unlikely that the longer Blu-ray would have come…
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LA ROUE – 4.5hr vs 7hr discs (Screenshots)
Supplement to “LA ROUE – 4.5hr vs 7hr discs (Overview),” so go there first for a subjective review and technical details about the film. Below are screenshots comparing 2008 DVD and 2020 Blu-ray, including special features from the Blu-ray. They are of “fair use” resolution, to avoid any copyright issues. SPOILERS AHEAD: Skip the summary…
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Spring cleaning needed
I updated PHP on my website and it broke a few things, primarily the search and sidebar widgets. Sorry about that. Anyone got any theme recommendations? In 2017, I made some modifications to “Responsive II” from Cyberchimps.com, but it’s not agreeing with PHP 8 now.
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Movies watched in 2022
These are my 19 favorite films this year. I’ve never been much of a superhero fan, but The Batman and new Doctor Strange were quite enjoyable, as well as the Werewolf by Night special. On the wave of Marvel’s Multiverse Saga, A24 added to the mayhem with Everything Everywhere All at Once. Disney’s other big…