Sween
@tomhammell.bsky.social
This is going to be for films, music, shows, my fav celebs, the occasional book and game, and rarely also leftist politics too. Please behave, even if you're a shitlib I know that's a tough ask but I believe you can try! Free Palestine. Fuck AI forever
Reflection in a Dead Diamond: Forzani+Cattet specialize in films made for me, and buddy, this might be their peak. Bare minimum it's their most coherent/thematically satisfying. On the surface an 80min experiment answering the question "what would a film that's just a Bond credits-intro look like?"
December 8, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Reflection in a Dead Diamond: Forzani+Cattet specialize in films made for me, and buddy, this might be their peak. Bare minimum it's their most coherent/thematically satisfying. On the surface an 80min experiment answering the question "what would a film that's just a Bond credits-intro look like?"
Man Finds Tape: I like when things take big swings regardless, so yeah when this got weird (and trust that it gets weird), even if I didn't always understand it I leaned more to liking than not. The route found footage should go!
December 5, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Man Finds Tape: I like when things take big swings regardless, so yeah when this got weird (and trust that it gets weird), even if I didn't always understand it I leaned more to liking than not. The route found footage should go!
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You: Sometimes the light at the end of the ceiling hole is just a train. Two minutes in you realize two things that will stay consistent throughout: Rose Byrne's performance is one of the best of the year, and this will wreck you. Loved it, never wanna see it again
November 22, 2025 at 2:19 PM
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You: Sometimes the light at the end of the ceiling hole is just a train. Two minutes in you realize two things that will stay consistent throughout: Rose Byrne's performance is one of the best of the year, and this will wreck you. Loved it, never wanna see it again
No Other Choice: Do I even have to say anything this time about a new release? Really? If Chan-wook isn't my fav living director, he's easily 2nd, that was by Thirst, and he just keeps running up the score. The Vengeance trilogy is GOATed, Decision to Leave is one of the most beautiful things ever.
November 20, 2025 at 9:11 PM
No Other Choice: Do I even have to say anything this time about a new release? Really? If Chan-wook isn't my fav living director, he's easily 2nd, that was by Thirst, and he just keeps running up the score. The Vengeance trilogy is GOATed, Decision to Leave is one of the most beautiful things ever.
It's Such a Beautiful Day: I had my 3rd ever panic attack two days ago and while not being my worst one yet, a) it's the only one I didn't/don't know the cause of, and b) I haven't been happy since it transpired. So obviously the sane response was to binge Don Hertzfeldt shorts. Cried a lot.
November 20, 2025 at 3:14 PM
It's Such a Beautiful Day: I had my 3rd ever panic attack two days ago and while not being my worst one yet, a) it's the only one I didn't/don't know the cause of, and b) I haven't been happy since it transpired. So obviously the sane response was to binge Don Hertzfeldt shorts. Cried a lot.
Predator: Badlands - If not the best Predator film in the franchise, certainly the most endearing. An infectious glow from the first moment Elle Fanning takes the screen, and it never lets up
November 16, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Predator: Badlands - If not the best Predator film in the franchise, certainly the most endearing. An infectious glow from the first moment Elle Fanning takes the screen, and it never lets up
The Running Man (2025): Overlong but better than it should have been, but worse than you'd expect from Edgar Wright? Powell delivers on the action star promise (already knew he'd deliver on the great performance part; watch Hit Man!). A crime hiding Lee Pace as long as they did. Cera steals the show
November 16, 2025 at 3:53 AM
The Running Man (2025): Overlong but better than it should have been, but worse than you'd expect from Edgar Wright? Powell delivers on the action star promise (already knew he'd deliver on the great performance part; watch Hit Man!). A crime hiding Lee Pace as long as they did. Cera steals the show
Keeper (2025): It’s never good when one of your fav directors during a period of time gives a clunker. It’s never ever good when the clunker is one of the worst things you’ve seen in a theater in years
November 16, 2025 at 3:50 AM
Keeper (2025): It’s never good when one of your fav directors during a period of time gives a clunker. It’s never ever good when the clunker is one of the worst things you’ve seen in a theater in years
Bugonia: Seeing this and Save the Green Planet! for the first time each in the same 24 hours has me oddly uncomfortably unable to decide a favorite, like they're each different enough in some seemingly-small yet surprisingly-effective ways they're kinda like two different films to me? Love both.
November 13, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Bugonia: Seeing this and Save the Green Planet! for the first time each in the same 24 hours has me oddly uncomfortably unable to decide a favorite, like they're each different enough in some seemingly-small yet surprisingly-effective ways they're kinda like two different films to me? Love both.
Christy (2025): As a Sydney Sweeney fan, hell yeah I’m biased, this rules. As a boxing fan, hell yeah I’m biased, this rules. As a queer person, hell yeah I’m biased, this rules
November 13, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Christy (2025): As a Sydney Sweeney fan, hell yeah I’m biased, this rules. As a boxing fan, hell yeah I’m biased, this rules. As a queer person, hell yeah I’m biased, this rules
Save The Green Planet!: I have the biggest and best theater weekend yet coming up (tomorrow: Christy and Bugonia, Saturday: Keeper, The Running Man 2025 and Predator: Badlands), so as a preview and prep for Bugonia I had to finally get this one taken care of. Long overdue, didn't disappoint at all.
November 13, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Save The Green Planet!: I have the biggest and best theater weekend yet coming up (tomorrow: Christy and Bugonia, Saturday: Keeper, The Running Man 2025 and Predator: Badlands), so as a preview and prep for Bugonia I had to finally get this one taken care of. Long overdue, didn't disappoint at all.
Good Boy (2025): A rarity where you shouldn't pay attention to the rating. Like, my thinking this is perfectly average as a story has no bearing on how impressive it feels to actually have a unique perspective on a ghost story or to be this compelling and emotional from a non-human POV for 70mins.
November 8, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Good Boy (2025): A rarity where you shouldn't pay attention to the rating. Like, my thinking this is perfectly average as a story has no bearing on how impressive it feels to actually have a unique perspective on a ghost story or to be this compelling and emotional from a non-human POV for 70mins.
Mutilator 2: 4-decades-later meta comedy sequel (to an average slasher) with only one kill in the first 53mins and an utter slog to even get that far. The most I liked/closest I came to tolerating this was the extended credits where every cast member did a bow or wave to the audience, that was cute.
November 7, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Mutilator 2: 4-decades-later meta comedy sequel (to an average slasher) with only one kill in the first 53mins and an utter slog to even get that far. The most I liked/closest I came to tolerating this was the extended credits where every cast member did a bow or wave to the audience, that was cute.
What Happened to Dorothy Bell? - A slight improvement over my last watch is still an improvement over my last watch, and if this is how my Shocktober is to end, so be it. Mid found footage possession watch with not much in the way of gore, much in the way of jumpscares, and that's it.
October 31, 2025 at 2:10 PM
What Happened to Dorothy Bell? - A slight improvement over my last watch is still an improvement over my last watch, and if this is how my Shocktober is to end, so be it. Mid found footage possession watch with not much in the way of gore, much in the way of jumpscares, and that's it.
Hell House LLC: Lineage - Takes a lot to follow up your best installment with your worst, promote it as your last, and still end on a cliffhanger. As done with this franchise as with *that* franchise, is the one lesson of yesterday
October 31, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Hell House LLC: Lineage - Takes a lot to follow up your best installment with your worst, promote it as your last, and still end on a cliffhanger. As done with this franchise as with *that* franchise, is the one lesson of yesterday
Harvest Brood: Dropping a lo-fi SOV mutant-slasher mockumentary the week of Halloween for free, yeah okay this is just so cool I can't imagine hating it ever. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCNO...
October 30, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Harvest Brood: Dropping a lo-fi SOV mutant-slasher mockumentary the week of Halloween for free, yeah okay this is just so cool I can't imagine hating it ever. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCNO...
Frankenstein (2025): ...This of course isn't just any other weekend though. Guillermo del Toro doesn't just knock it out of the park yet again, he provides The definitive Frankenstein adaptation. So similar to the book and then pivoting in ways that seem downright essential, I'm floored.
October 26, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Frankenstein (2025): ...This of course isn't just any other weekend though. Guillermo del Toro doesn't just knock it out of the park yet again, he provides The definitive Frankenstein adaptation. So similar to the book and then pivoting in ways that seem downright essential, I'm floored.
Shelby Oaks: Chris Stuckmann's feature debut, on any other weekend, would be impressive enough to stand out on its own and carry the end of a quality month to its finish line. The first half is enough to know horror's future continues to be unique and limitless in the hands of talent
October 26, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Shelby Oaks: Chris Stuckmann's feature debut, on any other weekend, would be impressive enough to stand out on its own and carry the end of a quality month to its finish line. The first half is enough to know horror's future continues to be unique and limitless in the hands of talent
Bone Lake: Hot people ruining other hot people's lives for fun is an underappreciated subgenre to mine. This doesn't get really nutty with it until the last half hour, or delightfully bloody with it until the last ten minutes, two of a few shames (Florence Pugh in this would be film of the year).
October 24, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Bone Lake: Hot people ruining other hot people's lives for fun is an underappreciated subgenre to mine. This doesn't get really nutty with it until the last half hour, or delightfully bloody with it until the last ten minutes, two of a few shames (Florence Pugh in this would be film of the year).
Black Phone 2: Feels weird giving this the same score as the first one when I liked this more, but ultimately has the same problem even with a better premise and much better story/character progression: still pulls its punches and doesn't go far enough. Good problem to have if you have to have one!
October 23, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Black Phone 2: Feels weird giving this the same score as the first one when I liked this more, but ultimately has the same problem even with a better premise and much better story/character progression: still pulls its punches and doesn't go far enough. Good problem to have if you have to have one!
The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (2025): Confession: I haven't seen the original. Judging this purely by its own merits: it's gay but not enough, tense throughout but with what feels like the briefest release, saving its bloodiest-best for one scene.
October 23, 2025 at 9:03 AM
The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (2025): Confession: I haven't seen the original. Judging this purely by its own merits: it's gay but not enough, tense throughout but with what feels like the briefest release, saving its bloodiest-best for one scene.
Just bought tickets for Black Phone 2 tomorrow and Shelby Oaks + Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein Saturday night
October 22, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Just bought tickets for Black Phone 2 tomorrow and Shelby Oaks + Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein Saturday night
The Jester 2: Not beating the Art the Clown allegations with the "second feature film has character finally meeting match with introduction of strong final girl". Tamer kills but stronger story, by default better than the first one even if it's still among the softer 3 stars I've given all year.
October 18, 2025 at 11:43 AM
The Jester 2: Not beating the Art the Clown allegations with the "second feature film has character finally meeting match with introduction of strong final girl". Tamer kills but stronger story, by default better than the first one even if it's still among the softer 3 stars I've given all year.
The Jester: This sucked but I'm a completionist and a) I already saw the original short this month (it was barely good as a short, so of course it'd feel stretched thin even with a grief plot at an extra 80mins) and b) the sequel came out today, so here I am. Spoiler for my next watch I guess lol
October 18, 2025 at 1:10 AM
The Jester: This sucked but I'm a completionist and a) I already saw the original short this month (it was barely good as a short, so of course it'd feel stretched thin even with a grief plot at an extra 80mins) and b) the sequel came out today, so here I am. Spoiler for my next watch I guess lol