The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

 

***The Following is a Review of the 223-minute Extended Version of the Film***

Based on the novel trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is the second part of the trilogy of stories in which the fellowship of the ring are splintered where two of the four hobbits travel to Mordor where they are accompanied by the creature Gollum while the rest of the fellowship deal with Sauron’s forces as they set to attack Rohan. Directed by Peter Jackson and screenplay by Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Stephen Sinclair, the film follows members of a fellowship as they go on a journey to destroy the ring of Sauron as they also deal with the wizard Saruman who has aligned himself with Sauron. Starring Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Bernard Hill, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Karl Urban, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Brad Dourif, Sean Bean, John Noble, Christopher Lee, and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a rich yet visceral film by Peter Jackson.

The film revolves around a fellowship that had been splintered by events and challenges where they all go on a quest to destroy Sauron’s ring at Mount Doom in Mordor. It is a film with three different storylines where Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) travel to Mordor by themselves where they meet the creature Gollum who agrees to take them to Mordor after Frodo takes pity on him. The other storyline has the ranger Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) travel to Rohan where they help King Theoden of Rohan (Bernard Hill) deal with Saruman (Christopher Lee) and his army who want to destroy Rohan. The other two hobbits in Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) escape the clutches of the Uruk-hai and go into Fangorn forest where they meet the Ent Treebeard (voice of John Rhys-Davies) to convince him and other Ents to wage war on Saruman for destroying parts of Fangorn forest.

The film’s screenplay by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Stephen Sinclair has a cross-cutting narrative that play into the different journeys the fellowship would go through. Especially after events forced the group to be splintered following tragedy and uncertainty that led to their separation where Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli decide to follow the Uruk-hai who had captured Merry and Pippin only to learn that the Uruk-hai had been killed by Eomer (Karl Urban), who is the leader of Rohan’s calvary in the Rohirrim, and his horsemen as they had been exiled by Theoden’s advisor in Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif). Going through Fangorn forest, they learn that the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) has been resurrected as Gandalf the White who had left Merry and Pippin to the Ents for safety while he joins the rest to Rohan to free Theoden from Saruman’s powers. The narrative involving Frodo and Sam as they struggle to find their way to Mordor until they meet the creature Gollum, who had once possessed the ring, who had been following them hoping to recapture the ring where he reluctantly to accompany them to Mordor. During their journey where Frodo learns that Gollum was once a hobbit named Smeagol, they also run into Gondor rangers led by Faramir (David Wenham) who is Boromir’s younger brother.

The script also play into character arcs where Merry and Pippin are forced to grow up as they deal with their own situations as they realize that the Shire would be in danger if they cannot convince the Ents to wage war on Saruman. Aragorn would go through his own arc as he becomes aware that he is a symbol of hope to Rohan including Theoden’s niece Eowyn (Miranda Otto) who becomes smitten by him even though he is in love with the elvish princess Arwen (Liv Tyler). The script also play into Arwen having to make the decision to leave with the elves who are all leaving Middle Earth as her father Elrond (Hugo Weaving) reveal her fate if she chooses to stay. Yet, Elrond would have his own conversation with the elvish queen Galadriel who is aware that Aragorn and Rohan are in danger of losing to both Sauron and Saruman.

Jackson’s direction is grand in terms of how big the visual presentation is at it is shot on various locations in New Zealand as well as studios in New Zealand. The film opens with events from the previous film where the fellowship run from Balrog where Gandalf would take a stand at the monster. What Jackson does is show what happened to Gandalf as the fellowship see him fall to his death only for Gandalf to fall while fighting Balrog. It then cuts to Frodo and Sam continuing to walk towards Mordor as they find themselves lost where Jackson’s approach to close-ups and medium shots play into the sense of the unknown in the locations they are in where they later meet Gollum who had been following them. Jackson would maintain this tense and eerie atmosphere for the scenes involving Frodo, Sam, and Gollum as they travel towards Mordor. Even as there are a bit of light-hearted moments in the tension between Sam and Gollum where the former comments about creating a stew with the need for some potatoes.

In the extended version of the film in its 223-minute running time, as opposed to the 179-minute running time in its theatrical release, where Jackson can do more with the story and flesh out the characters. One notable sequence involves a flashback scene with Boromir (Sean Bean) who had recaptured the port city of Osgiliath for Gondor as he would share his victory with Faramir. It plays into why Boromir was keen on having the ring as the scene also featured his father Denethor (John Noble) who believes that the meeting is about the ring as Boromir is reluctant to go. The sequence adds depth for Faramir’s own reasons in wanting the ring as it relates to his troubled relationship with his father. Jackson’s usage of the wide shots for the locations would add greater depth for the film’s climatic battle at Helm’s Deep. In its mixture of practical effects, miniatures, and computerized-visual effects, the battle of Helm’s Deep is truly a marvel in terms of how to create a battle with lots of extras and detail into every moment that is shown.

So much is happening during the battle as it would cross-cut on the narrative of Merry and Pippin convincing Treebeard and the Ents to go to war on Saruman as the extended version in the film reveal a lot of detail about Fangorn forest and its own magical powers. There is also more into what Frodo, Sam, and Gollum go through after being captured by Faramir where they encounter the Nazgul and orcs at Osgiliath as its aftermath would play into a key decision Faramir makes about the ring. The ending of the second film sets up what is to come ahead between the forces of Rohan and the fellowship while Frodo and Sam continue their trek towards Mordor with Gollum in tow. Overall, Jackson crafts a grand and gripping film about a group of individuals continuing their quest to destroy evil for good.

Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its approach to color grading for some of the interior/exterior settings at night as well as the look of the daytime exteriors for some shots in the valleys as well as scenes in the forests as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Michael Horton does brilliant work with the editing in the usage of jump-cuts for some montages as well as other stylish cuts to play into the action and suspense as it is another highlight of the film. Production designer Grant Major, with set decorator/supervising art director Dan Hennah, and set decorator Alan Lee, does incredible work with the look of Saruman’s tower at Isengard as well as the look of fortress of Helm’s Deep in its interiors and exteriors with additional work from conceptual designer John Howe. Costume designers Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor do excellent work with the costumes in the look of King Theoden’s armor as well as the look of the Rohirrim and the soldiers of Gondor.

Hair and makeup designers Peter Swords King and Peter Owen do fantastic work with the look of the Uruk-hai orcs, the elvish army, and King Theoden in his decayed state under Saruman’s spell. Visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel does amazing work with the look of the Nazgul creatures as well as the look of the Ents and the motion-capture design of Gollum as it is a major highlight of the film. Sound designers David Farmer and Michael Semanick, along with sound editors Mike Hopkins and Ethan Van der Ryn, do superb work with the sound in the way the Nazgul sound and other sound effects that help play into the action and suspense. The film’s music by Howard Shore is great as its usage of heavy brass sections, soaring strings, heavy percussions, and somber woodwinds for some unique themes along with a few songs including a funeral song sung by Eowyn.

The casting by Victoria Burrows, Amy Hubbard, John Hubbard, Liz Mullane, and Ann Robinson is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Sam Comery and Olivia Tennet as a couple of young Rohan children who escape the Uruk-hai, Robyn Malcolm as their mother, Paris Howe Strewe as Theoden’s son Theodred who gets seriously wounded following an ambush by the Uruk-hai, Bruce Hopkins as one of Theoden’s military leaders in Gamling, the quartet of Robbie Magasiva, Jed Brophy, Nathaniel Lee, and Stephen Ure as Uruk-hai orcs, and Craig Parker as the elvish general Haldir. Christopher Lee and Brad Dourif are superb in their respective roles as the evil wizard Saruman and the spy Grima Wormtongue with the former being a once-respected wizard who has aligned himself with Sauron as he wants to destroy Rohan while the latter is a slimy figure who works for Saruman in poisoning King Theoden’s mind as he would also play a role in wounding Rohan.

In the extended version of the film, John Noble and Sean Bean are fantastic in their respective roles as Lord Denethor and Boromir with the former as Gondor’s steward who learns about the ring as he wants Boromir to Rivendell. Bean’s performance as Boromir is given more complexity as a man that is devoted to Gondor as well as trying to give his younger brother Faramir more credit. David Wenham’s performance as Faramir is excellent as a captain of Gondor who captures Frodo and Sam while he hopes to get the ring to win the approval of his father. Karl Urban is brilliant as Theoden’s nephew Eomer, who gets exiled by Wormtongue as he and the Rohirrim go on their own war against the Uruk-hai as he laments over his home and his uncle’s state of mind. Miranda Otto and Bernard Hill are amazing in their respective roles as Eomer’s sister Eowyn and King Theoden of Rohan with the former as a woman who wants to fight as she becomes smitten towards Aragorn as she also does what she can for the people of Rohan. Hill’s performance starts off as a man poisoned and disconnected from reality under Saruman’s spell and Wormtongue’s activities only to come out of it in trying to help his people as he laments over the power of the Uruk-hai in their hatred of everything and everyone.

The trio of Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, and Hugo Weaving are incredible in their respective roles as the elvish queen Galadriel, Arwen, and Lord Elrond with Blanchett’s brief appearance in her telekinetic conversation with Elrond about what is at stake with Weaving being someone unsure as he laments over the life his daughter Arwen would have if she chooses not to leave Middle Earth where Tyler brings a gracefulness of a woman who is aware of what she will lose. Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd are remarkable as the hobbits Merry and Pippin as the two hobbits who were briefly captured by the Uruk-hai until they are saved by the Ents where they deal with Saruman’s growing power and the need to convince the Ents to go to war against Saruman. John Rhys-Davies is marvelous in a dual role as the voice of the Ent Treebeard, who often talks in an unconventional fashion, and as the dwarf Gimli who does provide humor in some of the action as well as be someone who remains loyal to the fellowship where he does what he can to fight the Uruk-hai.

Orlando Bloom and Ian McKellan are great in their respective roles as the elvish warrior Legolas and the wizard Gandalf with the former being this skilled elvish warrior who deals with the severity of what Rohan is facing while doing what he can to fight off the Uruk-hai. McKellan’s performance as Gandalf is only on a few scenes as a wizard who gets resurrected where he also realizes that Rohan is in danger where he would go to find Eomer for help. Sean Astin and Viggo Mortensen are phenomenal in their respective roles as Sam and Aragorn with the former dealing with Gollum and Frodo’s declining emotional/mental state while the latter as a ranger who realizes that he must become a leader where he deals with many obstacles as well as a near-death experience during an ambush.

Elijah Wood is tremendous as Frodo Baggins as the hobbit carrying the ring where he deals with the severity of the quest as well as the ring’s power where he would start to lose himself. Finally, there is Andy Serkis in an outstanding supporting performance as the creature Gollum/Smeagol as a former hobbit who once held the ring where he guides Frodo and Sam to Mordor in the hope, he can reclaim the ring as there is a lot of complexity to his performance where he can the kind and light-hearted Smeagol or the meaner and manipulative Gollum.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a spectacular film by Peter Jackson. Featuring a great ensemble cast, vast set pieces including the Helm’s Deep battle sequence, intoxicating visuals, an exhilarating music score, and a story of good versus evil. It is a fantasy film that does a lot more in its exploration of what creatures face in the darkest of times as well as the need to find light in that darkness. In the end, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a tremendous film by Peter Jackson.

Peter Jackson Films: (Bad Taste) – (Meet the Feebles) – (Braindead) – (Heavenly Creatures) – (Forgotten Silver) – (The Frighteners) – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) – (King Kong (2005 film)) – (The Lovely Bones) – (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) – (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) – (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) – (They Shall Grow Old Together) – The Beatles: Get Back

© thevoid99 2026

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

 

***The Following is a Review of the 208-minute Extended Version of the Film***

Based on the novel series by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the first in a trilogy of stories of different creatures who go on a journey to destroy the one ring created by the dark figure in Sauron by going to Mordor and destroying it. Directed by Peter Jackson and screenplay by Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, the first story explore how the ring is rediscovered where nine individuals travel through Middle Earth on a quest to destroy Sauron’s ring. Starring Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Sean Bean, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, and Christopher Lee as Saruman. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a grand and majestic film by Peter Jackson.

Set in a fictional ancient world known as Middle Earth, the film revolves around a young hobbit who inherits a ring from his uncle where a wizard realizes it is the ring created by the dark demon known as Sauron. There, the wizard, a hobbit along with three other hobbits, a dwarf, an elf, and two men go on a journey to Sauron’s homeland of Mordor to bring the ring to its land and destroy it. It is a story that is part of an immense epic that follows different creatures who venture on a quest to vanquish evil finally just as Sauron is set to return and destroy everything that is good. The first story is about a hobbit who is given this ring as he would accidentally wear the ring as he realizes its power and why so many want it. Yet, there are those who would become part of the fellowship who have their own reasons for not wanting to carry this ring as well as his own reasons for why he has abandoned his role in becoming king for one of the last free countries of Middle Earth.

The film’s screenplay by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens opens with a prologue about life in Middle Earth where rings of power were given to the races of men, elves, and dwarves only to realize that the dark lord Sauron (Sala Baker) has created one ring to rule over everyone in Middle Earth. It would lead into a war where men and elves formed an alliance to fight Sauron and his forces where a prince in Isildur (Harry Sinclair) severs Sauron’s hand but chooses to keep Sauron’s ring until it would be lost following an ambush years after the battle. Then it would be in the hands of a creature known as Gollum (Andy Serkis) who would keep it for centuries until it abandoned him where it would be in the hands of a hobbit in Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm). The prologue sets up the stakes as well as what Bilbo’s nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood) must destroy by going to Mordor and its volcano in Mount Doom where the ring was created. The first act is set 60 years after the events in which Bilbo found the ring as there is a birthday celebration for him where the wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellan) visits him. The celebration would be notable for Bilbo disappearing where Gandalf discovered that Bilbo has a ring that Bilbo found many years ago where Bilbo reluctantly gives the ring to Frodo. Gandalf would then discover that the ring is the one ring created by Sauron after Frodo reads the inscriptions after it was on fire.

Part of the first act has Frodo being accompanied by his best friend Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) and later joined by hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) as they to evade Sauron’s rangers in the Nazgul. After meeting a ranger named Strider (Viggo Mortensen) who takes them to Rivendell where the fellowship is formed that would include Gandalf, the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), and Boromir (Sean Bean) of Gondor to go to Mordor and destroy the ring. The fellowship would be challenged by many forces including a new army of orcs in the Uruk-hai created by the wizard Saruman who had turned on Gandalf and aligned himself with Sauron. Even as Frodo becomes tempted by the power of the ring as is Boromir who wants the ring for his home of Gondor that is threatened by Mordor. Yet, the fellowship would go through obstacles with Strider revealed to be Aragorn who is a descendant of Isildur and the rightful heir to Gondor’s throne.

Jackson’s direction is grand as it is shot on location in New Zealand along with some scenes shot in studios in New Zealand. Jackson goes for a varying degree of styles in the direction through some wide and medium shots for a scope of the locations. Notably in scenes involving the mountains, rivers, and valleys as they function as characters into the film where it plays into the richness of Middle Earth with the Shire as this peaceful and isolated world of hobbits that very few outsiders visit. It is a direct contrast to other parts of Middle Earth such as the world of the elves in the forest where the elf-queen Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) lives in a Mordor where orcs and other dark creatures settle in as they get ready for war. The usage of aerial shots of the locations along with some intimate moments where Gandalf interacts with hobbits are unique as the usage of trick photography and visual effects do add a sense of wonderment into the film. Jackson also puts in some humor as it relates to the adventure that balances the suspense and drama throughout the film.

Jackson’s approach to some of the intimate moments such as a sequence where the fellowship of the ring are in the Mines of Moria as Frodo copes with being the one to carry the ring as the dialogue plays into Tolkien’s words about the choices everyone must make. Even choices that are the most difficult to endure as it would lead to some intense fight and action scenes. The usage of wide and crane shots are immense in its scale that includes the fellowship running from a demonic monster in Balrog. The third act in which the fellowship go to the elvish land of Lothlorien as they deal with their own struggles and encounters with the orcs. In the extended version of the film, in its 208-minute running time that expands 30 additional minutes from the theatrical release, where characters are fleshed out more such as Boromir who struggles with wanting to fulfill the wishes of his father as well as the need for something better where he sees Aragorn as the leader Gondor needs. Overall, Jackson crafts an astonishing and riveting film about a group of different creatures going on a quest to destroy a ring of evil to its land of darkness.

Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its unique color grading and look for some of the exterior scenes at the Shire and Lothlorien as well as some of the usage of light for the scenes in the mines and caves as well as the usage of blue light for scenes set at night. Editor John Gilbert does excellent work with the editing in the usage of slow-motion cuts as well as fast-cuts for some of the action along with moments in the drama and suspense where shots are allowed to last more than a minute. Production designer Grant Major, with set decorator/supervising art director Dan Hennah and set decorator/conceptual designer Alan Lee, does amazing work with the look of the sets, with additional help from co-conceptual designer John Howe, in how the homes at the Shire are presented as well as the world of the elves and Mordor including Saurman’s tower at Isengard. Costume designers Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor do brilliant work with the costumes in the clothes the elves wear as well as the armor that Aragorn, Boromir, and Gimli wear, and the look of the armor that the orcs wear.

Hair and makeup designers Peter Swords King and Peter Owen do fantastic work with the look of the characters, with additional help from John Howe and Alan Lee, as well as the design and look of the orcs including the Uruk-hai. Visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel does great work with the visual effects in the mixture of practical effects in the look of the orcs as well as the look of the demonic figure Balrog and the motion-capture look of Gollum. Sound designers David Farmer, Michael Semanick, and Ethan Van der Ryn, along with sound editor Michael Hopkins, do superb work in the sound as the way swords and flying arrows sound as well as the way monsters sound as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Howard Shore is phenomenal for its orchestral score that is filled with unique themes through woodwinds as well as bombastic orchestral themes for some of the action and suspense as it is an absolute highlight of the film.

The casting by Victoria Burrows, Amy Hubbard, John Hubbard, Liz Mullane, and Ann Robinson is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Sarah McLeod as a hobbit barmaid in Rosie Cotton whom Sam has a crush on, Bret McKenzie as an elf escort in Figwit, Marton Csokas as an elvish elder in Celebron, Craig Parker as an elvish military leader in Haldir, Sala Baker as the dark lord Sauron, Alan Howard as the voice of the ring and Sauron, Bret McIntyre as the head Nazgul leader in the Witch King of Angmar, Harry Sinclair as Isildur, Lawrence Makoare as the Uruk-hai leader Lurtz, and Andy Serkis in a brief appearance as the creature Gollum and the voice of the Witch King of Angmar. Ian Holm is terrific as Frodo’s uncle Bilbo Baggins who had possession of the ring as he dealt with wanting a chance to leave the Shire for an adventure and complete his book while expressing regret about what Frodo must endure in destroying the ring. Liv Tyler is fantastic as Elrond’s daughter Arwen, who is Aragorn’s lover, as she would help Frodo go to Rivendell following his encounter with the Nazgul as she also gives Aragorn a gift for the journey he will take.

Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett are excellent in their respective roles as the elvish leaders Elrond and Galadriel as the former is an elf leader who saw what Isildur did in keeping the ring while he laments over Aragorn and Arwen’s relationship. Blanchett’s performance as Galadriel is graceful as a woman who admits to be tempted by the ring during her conversation with Frodo as she is aware of its powers and would give Frodo a gift for the journey. Christopher Lee is brilliant as the wizard Saruman who has turned evil and aligned himself with Sauron where he would create a new race of orcs that are more powerful than the orcs at Mordor. Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd are amazing in their respective roles as Merry and Pippin as two mischievous hobbits who join Frodo and Sam in the quest as they deal with the danger of the quest while learning how to fight with swords. John Rhys-Davies and Orlando Bloom are incredible in their respective roles as the dwarf Gimli and the elf Legolas as two mismatched members of the fellowship with Rhys-Davies providing a lot of wit as a dwarf who is strong and cunning while Bloom brings a level of finesse and expert marksmanship as an elf who is the straight man of the two.

Sean Bean is marvelous as Boromir as the son of Gondor’s steward who joins the fellowship where he is tempted by the ring where he struggles to do what is right while becoming protective of Merry and Pippin whom he would befriend as well as Aragorn whom he hopes would take on the role as King of Gondor. Sean Astin is remarkable as Samwise Gamgee, who is Frodo’s best friend and the film’s conscience, where Gandalf asks him not to leave Frodo where he helps Frodo on the journey while providing some witty comments during the film. Ian McKellan is great as the wizard Gandalf the Grey who learns about the ring Bilbo had been carrying for years as he also joins the fellowship as a magical figure who can deal with Saruman from afar. Viggo Mortensen is phenomenal as Strider/Aragorn as a ranger, who is also Isildur’s heir, who helps the hobbits in dealing with the Nazgul as he would join the fellowship where he also deals with the temptation of the ring that plays into his own reluctance to be King of Gondor. Finally, there’s Elijah Wood in a sensational performance as Frodo Baggins as a hobbit who is given the ring where he would accidentally wear the ring as he struggles with its powers and the task he must play.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a spectacular film by Peter Jackson. Featuring a great ensemble cast, rich visuals, a gripping story of temptation and the need to bring good into the world, Howard Shore’s majestic music score, and top-notch technical work. It is a film that is not just this exhilarating fantasy-adventure film but also a film that explores different people going on a quest to vanquish evil and bring good to the world. In the end, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a tremendous film by Peter Jackson.

Peter Jackson Films: (Bad Taste) – (Meet the Feebles) – (Braindead) – (Heavenly Creatures) – (Forgotten Silver) – (The Frighteners) – The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) – (King Kong (2005 film)) – (The Lovely Bones) – (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) – (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) – (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) – (They Shall Grow Old Together) – The Beatles: Get Back

© thevoid99 2026

Films That I Saw: December 2025

 

2025 sucks. There is no other way to say it. The year sucked and I am glad it is almost over as the past few months have been awful. Dealing with sycophantic, parasitic family friends who have no respect for boundaries and no respect for my mother really soured everything. Then in November there was a car accident as the anxiety of being sued when I did nothing wrong loomed over my head. Things after Thanksgiving started to get worse due to a long-standing cold that has not gotten any better as I am still coughing and barely went anywhere. Then for about a few days, I had no medication due to some insurance reasons as not being on my medication really fucked me up. I was able to finally get it on Christmas Eve but the stress of everything around me was too much to bear as I just cried during dinner and could not stop. After what had been a horrible few days with not being on my meds and now back on it. I am OK for now.

For years, I had always wondered why my sister had been so negative towards those longtime family friends and it finally dawned on me as she saw what happened back in October. While my mother still talks to them, my sister and I do not want to do anything with them anymore as I have always had issues with the presents, they give me and all the gifts they try to give me. A year ago, they gave me a t-shirt for WWE because I love pro wrestling, but I was offended by the gift. Given my many issues with the WWE that I still have now more than ever. That is a shirt that I just donated to Goodwill along with pajamas they gave me a few years that I really did not like because the pants had no pockets. This year, it was just another stupid piece of clothing from Costco of all places that I would never wear, and my mother is keeping it even though she hates the pajamas they just gave her.

All these things I have been dealing with mentally right now has thinking about what happened this month in relation to the horrible deaths of filmmaker/actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele in the hands of their son Nick. This is a tragedy and it all blew up at a party at Conan O’Brien’s house with other famous people as it would later end that night at the Reiner’s home in the most horrible way possible with their daughter Romy finding her father dead unaware that her mother was also killed. This whole thing has made me worried about my own mental state as I do get angry but not at this extreme. Just because someone has mental issues does not excuse that person for doing what they did as Nick Reiner should not receive any mental help. He should be in prison for killing the people who have helplessly tried to help him. Yes, their approach to help has been flawed but there is no excuse over what happened to them. I feel awful for Romy and Jake Reiner for losing their parents like that but also lose a sibling who they tried to help and is in a path to nowhere. I also feel awful for their friends who have been supportive. Of course, our human shithead of a dictator had to say something stupid, and you know you have fucked up when one of your loyal followers in James Wood going against you. Another admirer of Rob Reiner in wrestler Mick Foley also did something brave as he has announced that he is leaving WWE after June of 2026 when his WWE Legends contract will have expired.

Usually before the end of the year, I always announce some kind of plans for the New Year but given a lot of my own mental/emotional turmoil I had been through the past few days. I have decided that other than the films I will watch for the 2026 Blind Spot Series. There are no plans as my attempts to create new Auteur profiles have fallen apart as I have pushed all of them to 2027 as I would rather focus on updating a few past entries. I also had been trying to create a list of 250 films for the 4th of July as it would be the 250th birthday of the United States of America that is more of a reflection of the American Nightmare. So far, I only have 38 films listed as that will not come into fruition for next year. Instead, what I will do is… nothing. I am just going to take a step back and watch ever I am interested in watching as I have lost a lot of enthusiasm for a lot of things.

In the month of December 2025, I saw a total of 11 films in 7 first-timers and 4 re-watches and a year total of 180 films in 115 first-timers and 65 re-watches with 21 first-timers being films directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. In all honesty, it is terrible and I have no one to blame but myself for this as it just reflected a horrible year in general. The highlight of the month is my final Blind Spot film of the year in A Star is Born.

Monthly Mini-Reviews/What Else I Am Watching

WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko



The 2023 short film that won the Oscar for Best Animated Short earlier this year by Dave Mullins and co-produced by Sean Ono Lennon is a short with good intentions. Unfortunately, I understand why people are not fond of it as it is just overly-sentimental and uninspired. It is set in World War I where a carrier pigeon is carrying a message between 2 soldiers from opposite sides of the battlefield in a game of chess. Then battle must come in as the animation is not bad. It is just mediocre at best while the message of the film with the song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in Happy Xmas (War is Over) being the centerpiece. It just feels shoehorned and never really does much to inspire while who the hell wants to watch a short film about a rat with wings?

Crack Glass Eulogy



One of two short films by Stan Brakhage that I saw this month, as this one from 1991 is a six-minute short made in collaboration with the avant-garde musician Rick Corrigan, is among one of Brakhage’s finest shorts. It plays into a dizzying world of images that plays into what the world has become through entrancing visuals in the way Brakhage captures footage from the sky at night. It also play into a world that is broken as it is a short film anyone interested in Brakhage should see.

The Lost Chapter: Yuki’s Revenge



Made as an extra to coincide with the limited theatrical release of Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair is this short film Quentin Tarantino made in collaboration with the creators of the video game Fortnite. With contributions from Uma Thurman, Zoe Bell, Miyu Ishidate Roberts, and Chiaki Kuriyama doing voice work and motion-capture, the short revolves around Gogo’s sister Yuki traveling to America to hunt the Bride over what happened in Tokyo as it is a fine little animated short film. It will not get me to play Fortnite while I see this as a stop-gap release for whatever new film Tarantino will do next.

The Wonder Ring



The 2nd of two short films by Stan Brakhage that I saw this month is another 6-minute short film made in the 1950s where it takes place on a city train. There is something intoxicating to see things from the viewpoint of a passenger riding on a train in New York City. The imagery is wondrous where something ordinary in riding a subway train in a city that is vibrant and entering a new phase shows a lot of who Brakhage is.

Life



Made in 2021 for the anthology film The Year of the Everlasting Storm is a short segment that is preceded by a short interview conversation between its director Jafar Panahi and Martin Scorsese about the former’s short film. It is this incredible segment shot during the 2020 pandemic in which Panahi’s mother makes a visit to his home where she is annoyed by the presence of his pet iguana Iggy who is fascinated by two eggs laid by a pigeon. The short is lively in its setting and an ending that is touching in how something good can happen in the darkest of times.

The Beatles-Free As a Bird: A Song Reborn



This five-minute short film that is an extra bit from The Beatles Anthology is about the making of Free As a Bird through some rare footage and interviews with the then-surviving Beatles as they made the song from a cassette demo from John Lennon made in the late 1970s. It shows how Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr were able to turn this demo into a full-fledge song with help from producer Jeff Lynne while the 2025 remix of the song does not stray from what made the original 1995 mix so brilliant.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians (season 2, episodes 1-5)

The second season of Rick Riordan’s young adult novel series is based on the second book in The Sea of Monsters which had been adapted into a shit film back in 2013 that Riordan was not involved in. Fortunately, he participates in the series as the second season revolves around Camp Half-Blood’s barrier dying as Percy and Annabeth go on a quest to search for the Golden Fleece to save the camp and the tree where Zeus’ daughter Thalia is buried under. The new addition in Percy’s half-brother cyclops in Tyson, played by Daniel Diemer, brings a new complexity to the story as a growing development between the two sons of Poseidon while Annabeth also deals with her own past relationships with Thalia and Luke as the latter has aligned himself with Kronos. The season also serves as a break-out season for Dior Goodjohn as Percy’s rival Clarisse who is given more to do in this season where she is trying to prove herself as she has been chosen to find the Golden Fleece. The show has some other new additions such as Timothy Simon as the new camp director that Percy does not like as he is an imbecile. The most recent episode featured guest appearances from Rosemarie DeWitt and Andra Day with the latter being Annabeth’s mother Athena. The season has a lot of adventures and humor as well as an inspired usage of Mariah Carey’s Emotions in a scene where a flight of birds wreaked havoc on camp. Remember folks when you need something loud that will annoy freakish birds. Go to Mariah Carey. I do not fuck with Mariah Carey. Anyone who saw Popstar knows what will happen when someone tries to fuck with her.



Well, that is all for December and 2025. I have no idea what I will do to begin the new year other than make an unofficial list of the best films of 2025. Other than reviews of films, I have prepared in the past few months of films I had been wanting to watch. I have no plans for the new year.



Before I bid adieu, I want to express my condolences towards those who passed away this month with Rob and Michele Reiner being notable in how tragic their deaths have been as they will be missed. Also having passed this month include actor Isiah Whitlock Jr., Brigitte Bardot, Tatiana Schlossberg, Perry Bamonte of the Cure, music executive Howie Klein, filmmaker Bahram Beyzai, actress Melanie Watson Bernhardt, filmmaker Amos Poe, filmmaker Mohammed Bakri, Imani Dia Smith, Pat Finn, Chris Rea, video game developer Vince Zampella, James Ransone, Helen Siff, journalist Peter Arnett, Gil Gerard aka Buck Rogers, Anthony Geary aka Luke of General Hospital, pro wrestler Solomon Grundy, Peter Greene, casting director Susie Figgis, May Britt, novelist Sophie Kinsella, voice actor Jim Ward, Raul Malo of the Mavericks, music producer Jerry Kasenetz, music manager Michael Lippmann, Frank Gehry, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa aka Shang Tsung, and Steve Cropper of Booker T. & the M.G.s. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 saying… fuck you 2025.



© thevoid99 2025

2025 Blind Spot Series: A Star is Born (1954 film)

 

Based on the 1937 film written by Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker, and Alan Campbell from a story by Carson and its director William A. Wellman, A Star is Born is the story of a film star who meets and discovers a young singer/actress whom he would marry and make her famous only for his career to go downwards. Directed by George Cukor and screenplay by Moss Hart, the film is the 2nd version of the story from 1937 as it explores a woman who falls in love with an actor as her career goes on the rise while she struggles to watch her husband spiral into descent. Starring Judy Garland, James Mason, Jack Carson, Tommy Noonan, and Charles Bickford. A Star is Born is a majestically rich and intoxicating film by George Cukor.

The film is the story of a fading film star who meets a singer at an event as he is amazed by her talent as he helps make her into a film star where she would succeed beyond his expectations with his own career going on decline. It is a story that is a rise-and-fall story of sorts, yet the rise is towards this young woman trying to get a break to become a singer and the fall is towards the man who would fall in love with her with his own career going into decline. Moss Hart’s screenplay opens and ends with a ceremony that celebrates the film stars as the opening scene revolves around the fading film star Norman Maine (James Mason) who arrives late at the event, intoxicated on alcohol. Also, at the show there is a singer in Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland) who is also part of a band as she sings on the stage where she saves Maine from embarrassing himself. Realizing what she did for him, Maine would find her singing at a nightclub with the band as he is amazed by her singing talents as he would get the attention of a film studio head and longtime friend in Oliver Niles (Charles Bickford) to sign her as she would be known as Vicki Lester.

The script does have a traditional narrative structure where Hart show the signs of Maine’s decline as he would act in films that were successful for a time, but his alcoholism has made him a liability. The film’s second act is about Blodgett’s sudden rise and Maine becoming unemployed though Blodgett does want a simple life for herself and Maine without the demands of Hollywood. Even as Maine starts to lose his identity as a star with Blodgett rising as Lester to the point that she would eclipse him. The third act is about Blodgett rising further with Maine descending further as Niles offers to help him but one of Maine’s faults as a person is his pride as it is one of the reasons for his own self-destruction.

George Cukor’s direction is wondrous in its grand setting as it is shot on various locations in California including studio lots at Warner Brothers. The film opens and ends at the Shrine Auditorium where it will be 2 pivotal events for Blodgett. The opening sequence has Cukor using some wide and medium shots through the Cinemascope format where he captures the spectacle of this event. Even as he shoots a shot from Blodgett’s perspective where Maine is on the side of the stage about to make a fool of himself where the compositions and movements of the cameras have Cukor show a sense of suspense and drama in an otherwise lively and musical moment. Cukor also maintains simplicity in some of the musical numbers as well as the dramatic scenes with the usage of medium shots and close-ups. There are also these extravagant musical numbers where shots would linger for a while through dolly-tracking shots in some scenes. Aiding in the musical numbers is choreographer Richard Barstow where there is a lot that happens in the dance numbers.

Notably the scenes where Blodgett is doing dance numbers that are being filmed where there is a lot of detail into the overall presentation of the dancing and where Cukor would move the camera from one part of the location to another. Cukor’s approach to melodrama is also riveting in a scene late in the film where both Blodgett and Niles lament over Maine’s state as well as what to do. It adds poignancy to the conflict that is in Maine over his own pride and what he wants for Blodgett. The version of the film that is available widely to the public is a restored 178-minute cut (including a 2-minute intermission) in 1983 from the original 1954 182-minute premiere version of the film. A lot of footage was cut from its premiere version much to the dismay of Cukor but the 1983 restoration that includes a lot of still pictures and audio from lost scenes from much of the film’s first act does play into Blodgett’s own fears about making and what Maine wants to do for her. The small moments that got cut for the version many saw in the theaters in 1954 with a 154-minute running time does lose a lot of the weight into the drama that would loom for the second and third act. Overall, Cukor crafts a heart-wrenching yet exhilarating film about a fading film star sacrificing his own career for a talented singer/actress whom she would eclipse his own fame.

Cinematographer Sam Leavitt does brilliant work with the film’s colorful cinematography through the Cinemascope format as there is a vibrancy into many of the film’s interior shots for some scenes at night along with some subtle touches of naturalism for some of the daytime exterior scenes at the studio lots. Editor Folmar Blangsted, with additional work by Craig Holt for the 1983 restoration version, does excellent work with the editing in some rhythmic cuts to play to some of the musical numbers as well as in some of the dramatic moments in the film. Production designer Gene Allen, with set decorator George James Hopkins and art director Malcolm C. Bert, does amazing work with the look of the Maine house where he and Blodgett would live as well as the sets created for some of the musical numbers. Costume designers Jean Louis and Mary Ann Nyberg do fantastic work with the costumes with the clothes and gowns that Blodgett would wear being the major standout.

Makeup artists Del Armstrong and Gordon Bau, along with hair stylists Helen Young and Sydney Guilaroff, do terrific work with the look of Blodgett in some of the musical numbers she does for the films she is acting in plus one key scene in the first act where she is given one of the worst Hollywood makeovers ever. Special effects supervisor Hans F. Koenekamp, along with the work of Lisze Bechtold, Eric Durst, Kevin Kutchaver, and Ken Rudolph in the 1983 restoration version, does nice work with some of the visual effects for a few dance numbers and rear projection for some of the driving scenes while the pictures used for the restoration allow the film to bring more weight into what Cukor wanted originally in the film before it got re-cut. The sound work of Charles David Forrest and Charles Lang is superb for the sound work in how sound is presented on set as well as how sound appears from another room and in that room for some of the dramatic moments.

The film’s music by Ray Heindorf is wonderful for its soaring orchestral score that plays into the excitement of Blodgett’s rise as well as themes that play into Maine’s decline. The songs by Ira Gershwin and Harold Arlen are incredible for the musical numbers that Blodgett performs in that include some of the songs she sings for the movies she is in as well as a song she sings at home and the ballad at a nightclub where Maine visits.

The film’s marvelous ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from an un-credited Strother Martin as a deliveryman, Hazel Shermet as Libby’s secretary, Irving Bacon as a singer in the film’s opening number Graves, Amanda Blake as the radio host Susan Etting, and Lucy Marlow as a young starlet in Lola Lavery who works for Niles. Tommy Noonan is fantastic as Blodgett’s bandmate, who is unsure about Maine’s claims into making her a star though he would be supportive of her as well as giving a great monologue towards the end of the film about everything that had happened. Jack Carson is excellent as the studio publicist Matt Libby who does what he can to clean up Maine’s mess and such until late in the film where he proves to be unsympathetic towards Maine’s own issues. Charles Bickford is brilliant as the studio head Oliver Niles as a man who is Maine’s best friend as he does what he can to make sure Maine gets work, but he also must run a studio where he later converses with Blodgett about how to help Maine.

James Mason is great as Norman Maine as a fading film star who laments over his decline as he discovers Blodgett and helps her becoming a big film/music star where he later copes with his alcoholism, wounded pride, and a career that is going nowhere. Mason does have moments where he is upbeat and full of energy as it highlights the man at his best, but it becomes fleeting where he is often faced with uncertainty in his life. Finally, there is Judy Garland in a spectacular performance as Esther Blodgett/Vicki Lester as a singer who wows Maine where she would gain a career only to unknowingly eclipse the man she loves. It is a performance where Garland displays a lot of charisma and energy as well as a vulnerability that plays into a woman that wants to help the man she loves to the point that she is willing to sacrifice her own career as it is one of her iconic performances.

A Star is Born is an outstanding film by George Cukor that features tremendous leading performances from Judy Garland and James Mason. Along with its supporting cast, a riveting screenplay by Moss Hart, a gorgeous presentation, and a dazzling music soundtrack with musical performances that are insatiable to watch. It is a film that is not just this compelling musical drama but also a film about ambition and love. In the end, A Star is Born is a magnificent film by George Cukor.

Related: A Star is Born (1937 film) - (A Star is Born (1976 film)) – A Star is Born (2018 film)

© thevoid99 2025

The Beatles Anthology (2025 Expanded/Restored Edition)

 

Directed by Bob Smeaton, Geoff Wonfor, and Oliver Murray and written by Bob Smeaton and Oliver Murray, The Beatles Anthology is a multi-part TV documentary series about the life and career of the Beatles featuring archival footage, rare audio, and interviews with the then-surviving members of the Beatles in the mid-1990s. The film breaks down events in the individual lives of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr along with perspectives from personnel who were around the band at the time. Even as the surviving members would create new music with demos from John Lennon during the making of the documentary. Expanded in 2025 based on VHS/DVD expanded releases from the late 1990s/early 2000s with a new episode directed by Bob Smeaton, the newly remastered and expanded edition of the documentary series showcases missing gaps from the story of the Beatles as well as showcase rare footage from the mid-1990s of McCartney, Harrison, and Starr creating new music to Lennon’s demos. The result is a tremendously rich and intoxicating documentary series about one of the greatest music acts of the 20th century as they tell their own story.

From their formation in 1960 to their dissolution in 1970, the Beatles were four lads from Liverpool who changed the world with their music as they became a cultural phenomenon. For years, the story of the Beatles had been told by many following their break-up and John Lennon’s death in 1980. However, the story has often been told by outsiders who had seen their ascent from afar but not from the band themselves where in 1991 following years legal and personal strife. The then-surviving members in Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr decided to do a documentary series where they would tell the story of the Beatles from their words and perspective as well as archival footage from Lennon before his passing. Along with interviews from associates close to the Beatles including music producer George Martin, longtime assistant/road manager Neil Aspinall, and press officer Derek Taylor. The project that would become The Beatles Anthology would be a multi-media project featuring a TV documentary series, a book, and a trilogy of double-albums featuring rare and unreleased material including two new songs in Free as a Bird and Real Love based on cassette demos Lennon made back in the late 1970s.

Through archival footage, newsreels, clips from various TV performances, music videos, films, and other material including some rare footage, the original broadcast of the TV documentary series was shown in three episodes each with a 2-hour running time although it did not tell the whole story. Then in 1996 through VHS cassette tapes and Laserdisc, the documentary series was expanded into eight episodes as it would later be released on the DVD format in 2003. The documentary series has McCartney, Harrison, Starr, Martin, Aspinall, and Taylor talking about the Beatles and their ascent into mega-stardom as well as the difficulties of success and chaos of Beatlemania during the mid-1960s. The narrative does tell a lot into the many periods of the Beatles though it ends in August of 1969 where the band did a final photoshoot where it would be the last time all four men were in a room or a location together. The series does not dwell too much into the break-up and the official announcement of their dissolution in 1970 as it was a subject that the surviving members of the Beatles were uncomfortable talking about at length.

With the aid of cinematographer Eugene O’Connor, directors Bob Smeaton, Geoff Wonfor, and Oliver Murray would have the surviving Beatles talk in certain places whether it is McCartney on a tugboat or in the woods, Starr in Los Angeles, and Harrison in his home in London. The interviews that are conducted by Smeaton and musician Jools Holland are fascinating as it highlights the three members in casual moments including scenes at Harrison’s home where all three members would talk casually including some bits where they would play a bit of music. There are also these inserts with audio from the band’s BBC interviews with deejay Brian Matthews that are shown in a typical bedroom in Britain during the heyday of Beatlemania. Editor/sound supervisor Andy Matthews, along with sound editor Danny Longhurst would gather a lot of the footage and audio tapes used from the past including archival interviews Lennon made during the 1970s to get things from his perspective.

The ninth episode of the series from Bob Smeaton is about the making of the project with interviews from McCartney, Harrison, Starr, Martin, Aspinall, and Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra who would produce the new songs the Beatles made through Lennon’s demo tapes. The episode also highlight the band creating new songs through the demos yet their attempt for Now and Then was hampered by the technology they had at the time in which Harrison was the one who stopped the recording. The series is overall restored by the people at Wingnut which is the same company from Peter Jackson who worked and restored footage for the 2021 documentary film Get Back. While there are bits from the original broadcast cut out, a lot of it is minor as it does not do much to change the story the band is telling. The music is also restored thanks to the work of music supervisor Giles Martin through the MAL audio-learning device.

The Beatles Anthology is a magnificent documentary series from Bob Smeaton, Geoff Wonfor, and Oliver Murray. It is a series that fans of the Beatles should see as it is a documentary series that allows the Beatles to tell their story. Even as they go into depth over stories of moments in their lives of the Beatles even though it is an incomplete story due to their reluctance in talking about the things that led to their break-up. Still, the documentary series does allow audiences to hear the story of the Fab Four along with a few who were around the cultural zeitgeist that were the Beatles. In the end, The Beatles Anthology is an outstanding documentary series about the Beatles.

The Beatles: The Albums: Please Please Me - With the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles for Sale - Help! - Rubber Soul - Revolver - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Magical Mystery Tour - The White Album - Yellow Submarine OST - Abbey Road - Let It Be

Compilations: (1962-1966) - (1967-1970) - Past Masters - (Live at the BBC) - (Anthology 1) - (Anthology 2) - (Anthology 3) - (1) - (Let It Be… Naked) - (Love) - (Anthology 4)

The Beatles Films: (A Hard Day’s Night) – (Help!) – Magical Mystery Tour - (Yellow Submarine) – Let It Be - The Beatles: Get Back

Related: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Across the Universe - Nowhere Boy - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Good Ol' Freda - (Eight Days a Week-The Touring Years) – (Beatles ’64) – (The Beatles: John) – (The Beatles: Paul) – (The Beatles: George) – (The Beatles: Ringo)

© thevoid99 2025

2026 Blind Spot Series Announcement

 

2025 is coming to end with George Cukor's version of A Star is Born from 1954 starring Judy Garland being the final Blind Spot for the year. With that film set to be watched this month. The time has come to look ahead for the next Blind Spot Series as making the selection for the 2026 edition was not easy. I was hoping to do films that I have heard about for years but some of them are not available for streaming while wanting to purchase the films in a physical form is also too expensive or too hard to find. Instead, my selection is based on films that are available to watch digitally and physically as including films I currently own on Blu-Ray including a few I hope to get in 2026. My selection once again is largely films that have been released from the 2nd half of the 20th Century with one film being released in the 21st Century. 2 of these films are films by women as I felt that women are underrepresented as I chose 2 different filmmakers for this Blind Spot Series as they are from different continents yet are films from the 1990s. Another reason for the selection with this list is to choose films from different countries and continent including by revered filmmakers whose films I had seen before. Here are the 12 films in chronological order that I will watch for the 2026 Blind Spot Series:

Cairo Station by Youseff Chahine

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World by Stanley Kramer

The Gospel According to St. Matthew by Pier Paolo Passolini

7 Women by John Ford

Network by Sidney Lumet

That Obscure Object of Desire by Luis Bunuel

Altered States by Ken Russell

A Confucian Confusion by Edward Yang

One Hundred and One Nights by Agnes Varda

The Watermelon Woman by Cheryl Dunne

The Wind Will Carry Us by Abbas Kiarostami

Lilya 4-ever by Lukas Moodyson

© thevoid99 2025

Films That I Saw: November 2025

 

The year is one month away to ending and this has been a bad year for everyone. The government shut down did end but the costs are great as Americans are living in a dictatorship. This month was not as bad as the previous but considering the rising costs and all the shit that is happening. 2025 is not going to end well despite the election results turning towards left though will it really mean anything? New York City just elected a socialist mayor in Zohran Mamdani who plans to change things that will upset the wealthy which will be a good thing. Still, I am uncertain if these changes will do any good as there is just so much chaos around as I am just over it.

It is not just things in America that is bad as the rest of the world is also going through problems as Ukraine is now likely to lose their conflict with Russia and it is a reminder that the bad guys have won again. There was a massive fire at a Hong Kong building and all sorts of things. Here at home, things are OK despite there being a minor car accident earlier this month though my mother, my niece, and I did not have any injuries though my van only had exterior damage. I am more worried about how much the ticket I will have to pay in January. The newest problem we have at home is that our big smart TV in the TV room has died as this is upsetting for a lot of reasons as I watch things on that TV as it is connected to the Blu-Ray player I bought a few years ago. My mother is really upset as she likes to watch YouTube and all sorts of things on that TV as well as play music loud. Fortunately, we will get a new one next month as both a birthday and Xmas present for her. Other than that, everything is just OK despite how bad things are now.

In the month of November 2025, I saw a total of 9 films in 7 first-timers and 2 re-watches with 2 first-timers being films directed or co-directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. An improvement from the previous month as the highlight of the month is my Blind Spot film in Notorious. The other highlight of the month has been Die My Love as I will not post a best first-timers nor a re-watch list due to the small amount of films I saw this month.

Monthly Mini-Reviews/What Else I Am Watching

Heroic Doses



The things I do for Jena Malone, as this short film that she and Rachel Leigh Cook appear in as dinner guests at a dinner party, is among the stupidest things I have ever seen. Directed, co-written, and starring Dugan Gundelfinger, it is a short film about a dinner party where Gundelfinger talks about some things where he is tripping on things as it goes into some weird things. At first, it was interesting due to style of filmmaking that include puppetry and such but then it gets really dumb. Especially the climax as it involves everyone in the film doing something you do not want to do at a dinner table. If I was asked to piss myself in front of everyone. I would be walking out as I refuse to embarrass myself with shit.

Everything in This Dream



A six-minute short film consisting of deleted footage from Inherent Vice by Paul Thomas Anderson. The material that did not make it into the final film is still fascinating as it features some amazing montages with Joanna Newsom’s narration appearing throughout. The short also reveal some great work from Katharine Waterston and Josh Brolin that highlighted how great they were in the film as it is upsetting that Brolin did not get an Oscar nomination for his performance in the film. This is something fans of PTA should go seek out.

Lush: A Far from Home Movie



Among one of the key bands of the shoegaze genre of the early 90s, Lush were unique for their dream yet noisy sound that also carried a melodic sensibility and the gorgeous vocal harmonies of vocalists/guitarists Miki Berenyi and Emma Anderson. This short film from the band’s bassist Phil King features footage from the band touring around the world in the 1990s as it was shot on a Sankyo Super 8 camera. The footage displays the band getting lots of attention in Europe and Japan along with some success in America though their attempt to break into that market in 1996 would prove to be futile as having a band like that tour with the Goo Goo Dolls is just stupid. The songs in the film are from the band’s 1994 sophomore album Split with the last song When I Die being its most appropriate closer as it also serves as a tribute to the band’s late drummer Chris Acland who died via suicide in October of 1996. This is a short that fans of Lush should see.

Oasis



I had this in my YouTube watch later playlist as I thought it was the short film by Gints Zilalobis of Flow fame. Well, it turned out to be something else though the animation is good. It is a short film about an alien who lands in a desert where he finds a seed and meets a giant sand creature who would take the alien to this oasis. It is a good short worth watching.

Fragments for Venus



The 30th short film that is part of Miu Miu’s Women’s Tale short film series from Alice Diop is among the best short films from that series. It is a short film that is about the idea of Venus and what it means to be black. It is shown in two different segments with the first being a woman at a museum looking at paintings where the idea of Venus is white where there are blacks in the background. Then the film moves to Brooklyn where there are many examples of Black women walking around where Venus is alive in well as Black women. It is a great short film by Diop who reminds everyone that Black is Beautiful.

The Beatles Anthology (episodes 1-4)

Now, I am rewatching this series that I saw back in 1995 though this is an expanded version from the 1996 home video releases with some new edits in this remastered edition. I will have a full review of the series though there have been a few things I have noticed based on memory of what they did cut out. Yet, it is just minor cuts as I am glad to revisit this as I grew up on the Beatles while I have yet to hear some of the material in the new fourth disc of the release though I am not a fan of the new mix of Real Love as I think John Lennon’s vocals sound like shit in the new mix among other small bits in the mix that does not work. I am glad though the original 1995/1996 mix is still around.

Well, that is all for November. The first thing I will post in December will be the official announcement of the 2026 Blind Spot Series as the rest of the month will be devoted to some new releases that are available along with stuff related to a few new releases including films I have rented such as Caught Stealing and my final Blind Spot for the year in A Star is Born by George Cukor. As far as theatrical viewings, the only film I want to watch is Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair as I want to watch it in the way Quentin Tarantino intended to as I do not have any interest in anything new that is coming out. I could not keep up with what is coming out as I would rather stay home and wait for the new smart TV that will be a Xmas/birthday present for my mother who wants it more than I do. Once I finish my Blind Spots for the year, I will make an official announcement for plans for 2026 that will include plans on the Auteurs series as I prefer to focus on updating a few past entries in relation to some films I had seen in recent months.



Before I bid adieu, this month has seen many notable figures pass away this month but for me. No one is bigger than Gary “Mani” Mounfield of the Stone Roses and Primal Scream where if you were to ask me some of the all-time best bass guitar players of all-time. Mani would be in my top 5 as the bass lines he provided in the songs by the Roses were just melodic and added that extra element of swagger that made the Roses so beloved. When the band broke up in 1996, Mani would join the Scottish indie band Primal Scream where he would play with them for 15 years as he saved the band from nearly breaking up as he helped raise their game. His passing leaves a major hole in popular music as he was a true original when it came to the bass as he will be missed. The tributes posted all over the world, including members from both bands he played in show how beloved he is. Thank you, Mani. We will miss you.



Other notable figures who have passed away this month include writer Tom Stoppard, Jimmy Cliff, Italian footballer Lorenzo Buffon, Bollywood legend Dharmendra, Jellybean Johnson of the Time, Italian singer Ornella Vanoni, video game designer/programmer Rebecca Heineman, TV writer Dan McGrath from The Simpsons, Todd Snider, journalist Jim Avila, Cleto Escobedo III from Jimmy Kimmel’s TV show, Sally Kirkland, basketball legend Michael Ray Richardson, Lenny Wilkens, the legendary Tatsuya Nakadai, filmmaker Lee Tamahori, molecular biologist James Watson, Pauline Collins, Donna Jean Godchaux of the Grateful Dead, and Diane Ladd. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 signing off…



© thevoid99 2025