Hey, Let’s Talk Movies on This Friday’s Open Thread

I'm taking a break from finishing a review of Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon to post this week's open thread, so naturally it occurred to me that we should talk movies today.

As we close in on the end of the year, what upcoming films are you looking forward to? What have been your favorites so far? What older flicks have you caught, either in rep theaters or at home? What streaming services do you rely on?

I guess it's only fair that I start by answering those questions. I've been lukewarm on Sofia Coppola's most recent movies but Priscilla seems right up her agoraphobic alley. I'm super-pumped for Hayao Miyazaki's return with The Boy and the Heron. And Andrew Haigh, who's three-for-three as a director (the final scene of 45 Years is just a crusher) is back with All of Us Strangers. Plus a whole bunch of others I'm forgetting, I'm sure.

I'm not ready to crunch out a top 10 or 20 (or 40?) for the year, and I've already talked about some of my faves from 2023 here, but one that sticks in my head is the nasty, sexy Passages, and I feel like the action comedy Polite Society should have gotten a little more attention.

As far as old stuff, I've seen a lot but I really can't stop thinking about the rerelease of Stop Making Sense. Just an essential in-theater experience. Oh, and thanks to a new Criterion Channel series I can confirm that Hal Hartley's movies still annoy me.

I have an annual subscription to Criterion, which I am just a total mark for, but for other channels I commit to no more than a month at a time. (I just can't stomach giving Netflix money if I'm not watching it.) And then there are the ad-supported free channels. I'm a Tubi man myself; I know Jay is more partial to Pluto. P.S.: If you don't know about Just Watch, this might change your life.

And, as always, feel free to ignore this prompt and talk about whatever's on your mind. This is your space, after all.