browse my DVD shelf

COMFORT FLICKS	UNCAGED	NOSTALGIA	HORROR
Movies I could watch any day any time.	What can I say... I like him.	Ahh, brings back memories.	Gross me out, dude.
Mirrormask (2005) "Noooo! I don't want to be a waiter!"	Birdy (1984) "I wish I could die and be born again as a bird."	Tank Girl (1995) "If you want to torture me, spank me, lick me, do it. But if this poetry shit continues, shoot me now, please."	Saloum (2021) --click the pic to watch a clip
Director: Dave McKean Writers: Gaiman + McKean Thoughts: nothing compares to the particular brand of artistry this movie has to offer. i don't have the words to describe how meaningful this movie is to me.	Director: Alan Parker Writers: William Wharton + Sandy Kroopf + Jack Behr Thoughts: Birdy was born in the wrong generation. If he was around today nobody would blink an eye at the queer therian. Cage had his front upper canines ripped out without painkiller for this role, because he wanted Al to have a weird speech pattern. Need to get around to reading the book.	Director: Rachel Talalay Writers: Alan Martin + Jamie Hewlett + Tedi Sarafian Thoughts: this movie deeply shaped who i am as a person (and proobbbably is reponsible for some of my kinks)	Director: Jean Luc Herbulot Writers: Jean Luc Herbulot + Pamela Diop Thoughts: BRILLIANT display of bad-assery. gorgeous look into trauma and strength. and the soundtrack with KOKOKO! is so captivating. It has everything I want in a movie. I saw this twice at TIFF when it first premiered.
Lost Boys (1987) "My own brother. A goddamn shit sucking vampire! You wait till mom finds out..."	Moonstruck (1987) "I ain't no freakin monument to justice!"	Little Miss Sunshine (2006) "You can't fly jets if you're colorblind."	Wickerman (1973) "A heathen, conceivably, but not, I hope, an unenlightened one."
Director: Joel Schumacher Writers: Jan Fischer + James Jeremias + Jeffrey Boam Thoughts: i want to eat this movie. if i could switch places with the main character in any movie i'd want to be michael, except i wouldn't pussy out when it came time to eat people. this movie is why i like sabbat in vampire the masquerade. the ritual. the pack. the family. the cunty little brother. i've seen this film too many times to count.	Director: Norman Jewison Writer: John Patrick Shanley Thoughts: the only romcom ever. at no point are you sure exactly how it's going to end. i heard nobody wanted cage in this movie, but cher said she'd walk if they kicked him out. they should have let her have grey hair for the whole movie...	Directors: Jonathan Dayton + Valerie Faris Writer: Michael Arndt Thoughts: i liked paul dano before ANY of you motherfuckers. i was ten years old pausing this movie so i could take pics and draw hearts on them with my nintendo DSI. on a more serious note though, WOW this movie hits so hard in so many ways. it's utterly absurd, heartbreaking, and cringe.	Director: Robin Hardy Writer: Anthony Shaffer + David Pinner Thoughts: the king of folk horror... honestly i just like when christians take the L on camera. pagans are the butt of the joke or the boogeyman so often. and yeah ok. they're the boogeyman here too. but like. they win, soooo. on a personal note, Maypole with the local folk punks was my favorite party of the year growing up, so i love to see may pole celebrated on camera.
Whisper of the Heart (1995) "It’s nice, isn’t it? Your dream will come true."	Vampire's Kiss (1988) "Christ, where am I? I have become one. A vampire. Oh, God..."	Stand By Me (1986) "Fuck writing, I don't want to be a writer. It's stupid. It's a stupid waste of time."	The Thing (1982) "Nobody trusts anybody now, and we're all very tired."
Director: Yoshifumi Kondô Writer: Aoi Hiiragi + Hayao Miyazaki Thoughts: deeply personally relatable story to me... what a wonderful romance. breath of fresh air. pursuit of your passions because others' passion inspires you. i love it.	Director: Robert Bierman Writer: Joseph Minion Thoughts: the horrors of vampirism stripped of fantasy. this movie is about a ghoul. this is the poor man's American Psycho, and I am a poor man. cage insisted he eat the roach. no one else wanted him to do that.	Director: Rob Reiner Writers: Stephen King + Raynold Gideon + Bruce A. Evans Thoughts: the Outsiders was a little too old fashioned / a little too out of date to be the relatable young boy story for me growing up, though i did also consume that film and book pretty eagerly. But stand by me? ohh that film hits me right in the i wish i was born a boy gut	Director: John Carpenter Writer: Bill Lancaster + John W. Campbell Jr. Thoughts: ohhh this is mostly so high up because it's my spouse's favorite movie. it is quite good though, i do like a john carpenter film, and there's really something about the way in which the puzzle pieces of this film don't add up that are just too delicious.
Spirited Away (2001) "I’ve gotta get out of this place. Someday I’m getting on that train."	Bringing out the Dead (1999) "Okay, I.B. Bangin', we're gonna bring you back from the dead."	Scooby Doo and the Alien Invaders (2000) "I met by chance a girl in bell-bottom pants and she likes to say 'Groovy'."	Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) "Yeah, she was in great pain! Then we cut off her head, and drove a stake through her heart, and burned it, and then she found peace."
Director: Hayao Miyazaki Writer: Hayao Miyazaki Thoughts: ohh this movie. why is it so high up for me? probably the dragon river boy. you know why this movie is good i don't need to explain myself.	Director: Martin Scorsese Writer: Joe Connelly + Paul Schrader Thoughts: the director of Goncharov really knew how to handle Cage. i think this was the perfect mixture of going thru a divorce with your on screen romance plus a good director plus a fantastic story that just really makes this one of cage's best movies. the first time i saw this film i saw just the very last few minutes of it and it totally captured me. then i saw it in the front row of a packed theater, and i realized, oh, this is that movie i saw just the ending of that one time. fun fact- the way it visualises how he experiences driving is very similar to how i experienced driving! it's the closest true match to what it was like when i had a liscence. that, everything is swimming together and i see certain things more clearly than others - none of which is the road in front of me, kind of vibe.	Director: Jim Stenstrum Writer: Davis Doi + William Hanna + Joseph Barbera Thoughts: why the worst scooby doo movie as your pick you may ask me? well. i like the silly hippie aliens. plus i got to experience a romance with shaggy vicariously.	Director: Francis Ford Coppola Writer: Bram Stoker + James V. Hart Thoughts: it's so long, which is great because i get more of it. the werewolf fucking is so hot, and um, there's other stuff that happens in this movie that's good.
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) "Heal yourself!"	Zandalee (1991) "I think money's an excuse for a lack of art, anyway. I don't care who you are, Donald Trump, who the hell! Without creativity, without life, then you are truly unable to go straight up the devil's ass, look him in the face, and smile. And survive!"	Donnie Darko (2001) "You're not crazy. I used to be crazy. But you're not crazy."	American Werewolf in London (1981) "Yeah, be rational, sure. I'm a fucking werewolf, for Christ's sake!"
Director: Norman Jewison Writer: Melvyn Bragg + Norman Jewison + Tim Rice Thoughts: i was peripherally aware of this film growing up because my high school prided itself on its musical theater performances, since we were downtown on Broadway and didn't have any sports access except basketball, and so anyway, JCSS was one of the big marquees we had down in the theater room left over from the year it was performed. but it was my spouse that actually opened my eyes to how cool this movie is, their birthday is around easter, so it's a tradition to watch this movie in spring for them. i've got a great poster hung up on my wall from when i saw this at the cinema. Partial poster	Director: Sam Pillsbury Writer:Mari Kornhauser Thoughts: did you know nic cage was in the first ever NC-17 movie? cause i didn't until i saw Zandalee. honestly this screen grab is a pretty good telling of what the movie is about, go forth my scarab.	Director: Richard Kelly Writer: Richard Kelly Thoughts: ohhh to be an emo teen with a halloween birthday watching this film over and over. the first time i watched this with my family they said, what do you think happened at the end? and i said, "i think the world ended for donnie darko."	Director:John Landis Writer:John Landis Thoughts: mmmm yummy. pivotal film for the werewolf genre. game changer in the VFX world. technically an amazing movie. and that's not even to mention to story and humor of it all. this should be in my comfort flick section but it's a bit too nasty to be one of my go-tos.
Best in Show (2000) "If you get tired, pull over! If you get hungry, eat something."	Wild at Heart (1990) "This is a snakeskin jacket! And for me it's a symbol of my individuality, and my belief... in personal freedom."	Rocky Horror (1975) "It's not easy having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache."	Candyman (1992) "If you had learned just a little from me, you would not beg to live. I am rumor. It is a blessed condition, believe me. To be whispered about at street corners. To live in other people's dreams, but not to have to be."
Director: Christopher Guest Writer: Christopher Guest + Eugene Levy Thoughts: i watched a lot of christopher guest movies as a kid but this is the only one that stuck with me. probably because two of the main couples are queer, and probably because there's a lot of dogs in it. i always forget which dog wins.	Director:David Lynch Writers: Barry Gifford + David Lynch Thoughts: a rollercoaster.... deeply disturbing and sad, and yet so utterly touching and sweet. this was during cage's elvis obsession era and it shows. people walked out of the theater when i saw this in person.	Director: Jim Sharman Writer: Richard O'Brien + Jim Sharman Thoughts: i have an on-again-off-again relationship with this movie. i watched it a TON as a kid. one time when i was in music school and one of the hot younger teachers was talking to me and rocky horror came up, i got excited that someone else knew it, so i started singing and dancing time warp. and my mom got really mad at me and told me not to do that because it's a song about sex.	Director:Bernard Rose Writer: Clive Barker + Bernard Rose Thoughts: the atmosphere is unparalleled. like most of clive barker's stuff, i always completely forget this movie exists, and then when i remember i'm smacked with the overwhelming sensation of OH Yeah, FUCK that's a good movie! ... Night Breed is the other one i do this with, i should make an entry for that movie down below...
House on Haunted Hill (1959) "Do you remember the fun we had when you poisoned me?"	Pig (2021) "We don't get a lot of things to really care about."	Bogus Journey (1991) "And over here, our bass player, the Duke of Spook, the Doc of Shock, The Man with No Tan, please say hello to Death himself, the Grim Reaper."	Fargo (1996) "He says, 'Yah, that guy's dead, and I don't mean of old age.' And then he just pays his tab and walks out saying, 'Geez, I'm goin' crazy out there at the lake!'"
Director:William Castle Writer: Robb White Thoughts: what a joy to behold, every time. this probably isn't the best vincent price movie, but it's certainly the one i rewatch most often.	Director: Michael Sarnoski Writer: Vanessa Block + Michael Sarnoski Thoughts: this is my best friend's favorite cage movie. it works really well because cage is a man known for his freak-outs. he does not freak-out in this film, but you can feel the angry chef energy rippling under the surface of his skin for the whole film. barely contained and boiling. what a wonderful and touching movie. i don't really think it's like john wick at all to be honest.	Director: Peter Hewitt Writer:Chris Matheson + Ed Solomon Thoughts: look i like the first bill and ted too okay! but everybody does. i think it's really funny that they go to hell in the second one. i didn't know this movie as bill and ted's bogus journey growing up. we just called it "bill and ted go to hell" much like we called jay and silent bob strike back, "jay and silent bob go to hollywood."	Director: Joel Coen + Ethan Coen Writer: Coen bros Thoughts: i'm not the biggest coen bros fan in the world. this movie is probably on this list because honestly, I really, really, really like season 1 of Fargo the TV show with billybob thorton and martin freeman. as for the '96 film, it's one i come back to. to be honest, i have adhd, which means i'm really shit at watching movies and understanding what's happening in them or remembering what happens in them. i did not realize the ending was as brutal as it is for like, yearrss. there's just something about the way the characters dance around each other in this film that really does it for me.
Ebirah Horror of the Deep (1966) "Let's wake up Godzilla."	Raising Arizona (1987) "Biology and the prejudices of others conspired to keep us childless."	Dogma (1999) "Me and Silent Bob are pro-choice. A woman's body is her own goddamn business!"	The Ritual (2017) "My old scoutmaster used to say 'If the shortcut was a shortcut, it wouldn't be called a shortcut, it would be called a route'."
Director: Jun Fukuda Writer: Shin'ichi Sekizawa Thoughts: oh i do love godzilla. i have a lot of memories around godzilla, not because i watched godzilla, but because one of the family friends collected godzilla related things. i would be at his house for wildly packed parties, new years or something i don't remember entirely, and i would fuck off by myself or with the one other kid near-ish my own age, and just stare at all the godzilla toys, and not play with them, because i wasn't allowed. anyway, then my partner and i said, yeah i think it's time we watch all of godzilla. so for the valentine's day/family day long weekend this year we watched as many as we could - made it through like? ten of them i think? and ebirah was the one i liked the most, between red wine and dark chocolate.	Director: Coen Bros Writer: Coen Bros Thoughts: honestly, mostly this movie just makes me incredibly sad, so i don't watch it that much anymore. but i watched it quite a bit as a kid. it's so charming and stupid. and admittedly it's one of the A tier cage movies of all time.	Director: Kevin Smith Writer: Kevin Smith Thoughts: I watched an unreasonable amount of kevin smith as a kid but this was probably my favorite. i also liked the jay and silent bob with the monkey movie, but Dogma just hits the spot for me. the FX are so cool in this movie, and matt damon gave me gender envy before i knew what that even was.	Director:David Bruckner Writer: Joe Barton + Adam Nevill Thoughts: deeply cathartic film. amazing performances all around. modern horror films are like, actually scary in weird ways, and this is no exception. so frightening. the characters are so flawed and beautiful. i really love this movie for the characters and the setting. it's a very satisfying movie.
Phase IV (1974) --click the pic to watch a clip	Adaptation (2002) "And neither the flower nor the insect will ever understand the significance of their lovemaking."	Troll Hunter (2010) "There's nothing heroic about what I do. It's dirty work."	Titane (2021) "I don't care who you are. You're my son. You'll always be my son. Whoever you are. Is that clear?"
Director: Saul Bass Writer:Mayo Simon Thoughts: so, Saul Bass was a graphic designer who made wildly famous posters and title sequences for films. and he said, yeah let me have a try at making my own movie why doncha. people didn't like it. i like it. the actors are terrible, i mean actually bad, and the writing is only so-so, but the vibes??? so cool. this movie is so, so cool, and so, so bad, and you should watch it.	Director:Spike Jonze Writer: Susan Orlean + Charlie Kaufman: Thoughts: the lore behind this movie is long and bonkers and i cannot get into it here. something something, dude was supposed to make a movie based on a book but then made a movie about how making the adaptation of the book drove him crazy? and nic cage plays his own twin in this movie? it takes a turn near the end that shifts everything. it's a very fun movie mostly, and the parts that aren't fun are at least touching. also, i was peripherally aware of spike jonez growing up due to his relationship with skateboard videos, so it's always neat to be reminded that he made like. a bunch of really famous actual movies too.	Director:André Øvredal Writer:André Øvredal Thoughts: the movie that made me love mock-umentaries and sparked inspiration for my short story Two Stone Motions Read Here A horrific delight.	Director: Julia Ducournau Writer: Julia Ducournau Thoughts: i've only seen this movie once, at TIFF when it came out. but i have not stopped thinking about it. it's i think, the most horrific horror movie i've ever seen? yeah. yeah i think so. well, crimes of the future (2022) was pretty rough too. but titane is rough in very real, visceral ways, which then are pushed even further by being totally unreal. french femme cousin to Tetsuo the Iron Man which i now realize i should add a new entry for tetsuo...
Company of Wolves (1984) "I don't come from Hell, I come from the forest."	Face/Off (1997) "If I were to let you suck my tongue, would you be grateful?"	Waterworld (1995) "He doesn't have a name so Death can't find him!"	Penda's Fen (1974) --click the pic to watch
Director:Neil Jordan Writers: Angela Carter + Neil Jordan + Charles Perrault Thoughts: I actually have only seen this once but I for sure would and will watch it again once I get my hands on a copy of it. it's such a strange movie, calm and eerie and fantastic.	Director:John Woo Writers: Mike Werb + Michael Colleary Thoughts: so so so absurd in every scene. if any character was capable of a single ounce of logical thought, none of the events of this movie would occur. travolta and cage are perfect for each other. very sweet film at times. wonderful action at others.	Director: Kevin Reynolds Writer: Peter Rader + David Twohy Thoughts: i only just watched this movie for the first time like. this summer ('25) but it was an instant hit for me. it's the wet brother of Mad Max which i really ought to make an entry for but i can't pick my favorite. i was shocked to find that this was poorly received at launch given how timely the story is. it's got all the elements of a perfect apocalypse movie, annoying kid, weirdly sexy loner guy, poorly written lady whose sometimes bad ass and sometimes dumb as rocks, and a villain that is really only a villain because he's antagonistic to the main character's desires and not neccesarily because he's particularly evil. the body acting in this movie is what really thrilled me, and made the world come totally alive and be truly believable. i wish i had seen this movie as a kid so i could be nostalgic about it today.	Director:Alan Clarke Writer: David Rudkin Thoughts: this is a movie you probably haven't seen and if you have, cool, you're probably just as strange about films as i am. this is an english queer folk horror, and it's very slow. it's romantic in a way that it romances the audience into loving it slowly and gingerly, and it stays with you once you've finished. it is barely a horror film, but what else can you call the events that occur in it other than horrific? mysterious, perhaps.

Unshelved	stuff scattered around my house
Tetsuo the Iron Man (1989) "Our love can destroy this whole fucking world!"	Director:Shin'ya Tsukamoto Writer: Shin'ya Tsukamoto Thoughts: This film is straight nasty, incomprehensible at times, deliciously low budget, and horribly romantic. This is not a movie for most people. If you can't handle the first like ten minutes when he shoves rebar deep into his thigh, you should skip the rest. That being said, if you can handle truly disgusting body horror, the rewards are vast. The soundtrack made from scrap metal, the iconic running sequences, the makeup and design of it all, it's really wonderful. From what I understand about the filming of this, it was done really quickly because by the end of it, nobody wanted to work with the director to get it done, so he and like a skeleton crew had to wrap it alone.
The Linguini Incident (1991)	Director:Richard Shepard Writers:Richard Shepard + Tamar Brott Thoughts: Bowie brings you here, and the sets and story keep you here. What a fun little romp.
Querelle (1982)	Director:Rainer Werner Fassbinder Writers: Jean Genet + Rainer Werner Fassbinder + Burkhard Driest Thoughts: mysterious, touching, sexy. to be real the only reason anyone is watching this is because we get to see sweaty hunky sailors, but there's more to it than that I swear. it's a fairly melancholic film despite the heat, there's a real tragedy to it all.
Only the River Flows (2023)	Director:Wei Shujun Writers: Chunlei Kang + Wei Shujun + Yu Hua Thoughts: noir can be terribly boring so i don't tend to go for the genre, but i saw the trailer for this on criterion and something about it really scratched an itch, and i just had to watch it. it's a true mystery film, with gorgeous film techniques. it's awfully tragic, you really feel bad for the main character that he's caught up in all these red herrings around the murder case. and then it ends on this note about how gen x parents held a lot of denial about their mental illnesses which they then passed onto us millenial/gen z kids. fascinating film that drew me in instantly, i keep thinking about it since i watched it.
Seven Samurai (1954)	Director: Akira Kurosawa Writer: Akira Kurosawa + Shinobu Hashimoto + Hideo Oguni Thoughts: I'm slowly working my way through Akira Kurosawa's criterion collection, as well as getting into 50s/60s Japanese films in general, and though Seven Samurai is kind of the most well known (?) of the era and director, it's definitely the one I've most enjoyed watching. The action is powerful and tragic, and the characters / actors really draw you in and carry the film forward. I really enjoy this era of Japanese films.