I disagree as I find RT’s “tomatometer” to be completely askew in reference to my personal rating while IMDb to be (more) aligned, in this way I find IMDb to be more “authentic.”
Of course, this is coming from a simple watcher who does not gush at each Foley sound, sway at the perfect Dutch angle, groan at another sepia filter; one without aspirations to be yet another critic so my opinion is entirely just that.
It is good, definitely amongst the top 3 films released in 2025 that I’ve seen (of which amounts to 30 as of this comment).
Initially the intention to reply was vacant until I noticed your username so I’m sure you can (and will) apply most of the themes in ‘The Present Age’ to Hallmark movies and their audiences, notably sans reflection. Although, I can’t properly remember if I have ever watched a Hallmark movie in full, perhaps my preconceived assumptions will be proven false.
I also watched ‘De-Lovely’ a few weeks ago and “meh” summarizes it perfectly.
‘The Battle of Lake Changjin’ is based on the eponymous events where the US - under MacArthur - occupies the role of the aggressor nation. The movie itself wasn’t noteworthy as it’s equivalent to standard Hollywood mediocrity, however my confused mind railed against accepting that the US can be anything other than the protagonist and so served to expand my limited worldview as my media consumption was admittedly US-centric.
TIL this movie in my watchlist is the third in a trilogy; another two to be added.
I appreciate your candour and time given to the response. The (superior) alternatives in respect to the given objectives were given as these were also concerns shared by me and at the time of my personal search they were the top contenders. Napster I recall eliminating early due to bountiful issues and subpar features, however I admit their state in 2025 is unknown to me.
At day’s end, the goal of the ideal is never summited by the well-worn path of least resistance. Our thoughts whisper “at least it’s better than XYZ” so that our conscience, though we know it a lie, is lightened. But I’m blathering on the piracy Lemmy so I can be ignored.
Music is actually one thing I will always pay for. I use Apple Music because they pay artists more and they offer better quality.
If paying artists and hi-res audio are your primary metrics, why not Tidal or Qobuz?
I’m saddened to see for Kbin was the first instance I signed up on.
The worst movie of this week’s list if watched in many of the previous weeks would have been situated at the top; what a lineup!
My Dinner with Andre (1981)
My god. This enchanting, verisimilitudinous evening had me so spellbound, I desired to be a fly on the wall for every future conversation. Malle masterfully navigates the treacherous straits, avoiding both pretentiousness and the shallows of pseudo-intellectuals. It’s a film composited of the now rare authentic discourse without a hint of artifice or speciousness. There is no grand message being proselytized, just a stark tête-à-tête of two minds shown in this perfectly imperfect cinematic marvel.
Naked (1993)
A ravaging, unflinching descent into societal decay embodied by a loquacious nihilist known simply as Johnny who verbally eviscerates the perceived vacuities around him like a feral, intellectual schoolyard bully. This is a raw, ugly world, a X-ray exposing the festering wound of our collective spiritual homelessness. Johnny isn’t just lost; he’s the furious, articulate symptom of a world that discarded him, and which he, in turn, discards with vicious futility. The supporting cast is likewise absolutely brilliant. My singular gripe is the Machiavellian Jeremy subplot did not come to a head yet it barely dims this bleak, brilliant, essential mirror.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
“We are infinite.” Rarely does a tagline resonate with such aptness. This beautiful coming-of-age tale flirts with familiar clichés yet endearingly embraces and transforms into a poignant film of self-discovery and healing. While the climatic revelation stumbles slightly, it does not diminish the film’s hopeful tone.
A Man Escaped (1956)
This film strips prison escape to its stark, exacting essence, unclad of superfluity, with every sound purposeful, shots only necessary, dialogue and voiceover laconic. The palpable tension stems not from visible villains, but from the solitary, agonizing precision of the attempt. The antithesis of Michael Bay, a symphony of restraint where silence screams louder than any explosion.
Harold and Maude (1971)
Young Harold, morbidly fixated on death finds unlikely kinship in ancient Maude’s - possibly cinema’s eldest manic pixie dream girl - vitalic whimsy. Eccentric, hopeful absurdism is its crux and its deliberate juxtaposition has a certain charm that earns its cult status. Understandably divisive, undeniably unique.
I unabashedly spent the most amount of time writing this week’s reviews, hopefully doing justice to these marvellous films.
That’s sad to hear. I most enjoyed the weekly movie thread where I could write review snippets and peruse (and find) new movies to add to the list.
That explains why I haven’t seen your reviews in a while. I am sure you’ve heard countless platitudes during this time so I’ll only add that I am truly sorry for yours and his family’s loss.
Thanks for putting The Ugly Stepsister on my radar!
Blue Valentine (2010)
This beautifully raw film looks at a relationship in stages juxtapositional. It’s euphoric, passionate, morose, and hopeful. It’s the nature of love in real life and for most of us, will cut close to the heart. It’s glorious.
That Thing You Do! (1996)
A classic tale of the 50-60s music industry done in the typical fun biopic style so much that I believed it was a real band. It is romanticist light fun and better than most biopics.
Terrified (2017)
An admirable attempt at the genre but falls to the classic pitfalls by the midpoint and logic goes out the window. The lingering scenes with the child was a clear high point of the film.
@kux@lemm.ee I finally watched it.
Vikram Vedha (2017)
I was recommended this as a film that tackles morality. It did not fulfill the promise as its characters and lessons are juvenile but it is an average action film with above par story for Kollywood (and Bollywood).
Elevation (2024)
Remove believable characters, modify the script, and you are now watching a (very) poor version of A Quiet Place. It fails on all fronts and is filled with tropes done poorly, which saddens me as I like Morena Baccarin.
Molly’s Game (2017)
A film that takes a subject I’m uninterested in and creates a compelling watch will always be appreciated despite its revisionist romanticism.
Carry-On (2024)
I did not expect this to be a Christmas movie nor to have this much fun with it. This is Die Hard modernized.
A Goofy Movie (1995)
This kids movie surprisingly holds up as an adult. I caught a glimpse of why this is supposedly a core memory for Millennials.
A Man Called Otto (2022)
Tom Hanks is a curmudgeonly widower whose neighbours are blissfully unaware as they cheerfully put up with him and life daily. It’s a decent redemption story but now I need to watch the original at a later date to see which I prefer.
To Catch a Thief (1955)
Little did I know I would be escaping into a romance novel with a sprinkle of mystery set in the idyllic Côte d’azur which most mesmerized me. If you’re expecting typical Hitchcroft, forget it for it’s a much lighter fare.
The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Not quite to the standard you expect from Studio Ghibli and it felt more like a last hurrah when I found myself noticing too many similarities between this and many of his previous works. It’s messy, it’s disjointed, it’s surrealistic, and it’s absurd; it’s Miyazaki turned up to 11 and seems to be made for the Miyazaki acolytes.
Plane (2023)
Plane promises the viewer will see Gerard Butler as a pilot forced to save his passengers in hostile situations alongside unlikely companions and it delivers precisely that.
My Blueberry Nights (2007)
Legendary director Wong Kar-Wai’s first foray into the western market and it is disappointing. Let me clarify, it’s not bad, yet it is knowing that it’s from WKW, like your straight-As student suddenly handing in a C. Everything seemingly felt contrived and I don’t know if it’s the language or the actors or both.
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
Superstars Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s style of composition is obvious in this operatic rock musical which is surprising given its shoestring budget as we are now accustomed to Buzzing blockbuster affairs in musicals like Wicked, Wonka, and even Joker 2. Despite it appearing as a college production at times, the Mystifying and energetic numbers and a dash of Hosanna ensures Everything’s Alright.
The Graduate (1967)
Watch this for its surprising cinematography, if you’re a fan of Simon & Garfunkel, and a specious glimpse of the 60s for its protagonist is anything but likable and its message is painfully dated.
Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) (2016)
A simple story of the few days a man spends attempting to reconcile with his past set in the backdrops of the Himalayans and immersed in their Indic traditions.
Mayhem (2017)
Ignore the thin veneer of a premise and forget your logic and this movie succeeds in exactly being average on all fronts in this self-contained take of 28 Day’s rage virus.
Movies at the top of the list does not necessarily signify the top movie is a masterpiece while the bottom being a calamity, it simply means I enjoyed it more (or less) than the other movies of the week. Using a previous week’s review as a prime example, the gap between the best and worst movie of that week is <1 point on a 10 point scale.
Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
A symbiotic tale between Sidney Falco, a sycophantic press agent who will do anything short of murder to climb the “golden ladder” and J. J. Hunsecker, the powerful columnist who marionettes others in his machinations. There’s a lot to applaud from the cinematography to acting with special notice to its clever dialogue as it’s chock full of memorable lines (eg. “match me, Sidney”, “you’re a cookie full of arsenic”, etc.). An excellent example of film noir.
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
A clearly divisive film as the friends I watched with did not enjoy it yet I did. One of their (many) criticisms was it should not have been labelled as “horror” to which I begrudgingly agreed as it’s not horror in the conventional sense. What it does beautifully is the 80s aesthetics coupled with its themes and allegories which can be interpreted in a myriad of ways so that where your mind is at that point in time will determine the enjoyability of this film.
The Last Duel (2021)
The unreliable narrator reigns in this Ridley Scott film reminiscent of Rashômon. The subtle retellings from one character to the next ensured the audience’s rapturous attention and despite it dragging in parts (a cut of 30-45min would be perfect) and the odd choice of speaking English in this medieval French setting, it was altogether enjoyable.
Piece by Piece (2024)
The entire movie is on how successful and wonderful and artistic Pharrell is through scenes of famous friends interviewed interspersed with his songs that sounds vaguely dissimilar. Yet another clichéd biopic that attempts to break the formula by using phantasmagoric Lego and fails as even the customary third plot point is woefully anemic. At least Lego visuals are still nice.
Movies at the top of the list does not necessarily signify the top movie being a masterpiece while the bottom is a calamity, it simply means I enjoyed it more (or less) than the other movies of the week. Using last week’s review as a prime example, the gap between the best and worst movie of that particular week is <1 point on a 10 point scale (low 7s - low-mid 6s).
Odd Thomas (2013)
A small town comes under threat and its native supernatural sleuth must save it. Although not ground-breaking in any sense, it has heart and is quite delightfully charming with its small town characters and setting with hopeful young love.
The Awakening (2011)
This period horror/thriller sends a professional skeptic into a haunted boarding house to unearth the truth behind hidden ghosts. Though it’s mostly formulaic horror, its capable protagonist and cinematography and atmosphere carries the film even if the ending is weak.
My Spy (2020)
I erroneously thought I had watched this before watching the sequel late last year as the premise sounds vaguely alike to every other family spy movie. I thoroughly did not enjoy the sequel but this original was (surprisingly) decent with enough action and laughs for little and big kids alike.
The Order (2024)
The Order takes a look at the white supremacist movements that are unfortunately still relevant in this day and age. It’s a solid film though hampered by its indecisiveness of wanting to be realistic in one scene while becoming pure dramatization in the next.
I’m not following how you came to this conclusion, but to give you the benefit of the doubt, I pulled up ‘Superman’ (2025) on both IMDb and RT as it’s the one in most recent memory - and mine also. This is the result:
From my recollection, ‘Superman’ was serviceable fare and my personal rating is closest to IMDb’s critics than any other. My first reaction upon seeing the large disparity between mine and RT’s ratings (both) isn’t that they’re full of bots bombarding RT with perfect scores, but perhaps the people on RT simply has a preference to superhero movies.
I may very well be missing something as you seem more intimate with the working on both sites and would appreciate any insight you can provide.