Pic of the Day: “You think she’s got enough toys?” “Speaking of toys, remember those mugs and t-shoits and lunchboxes with our pictures on ’em?” “Yeah.” “You ever see any money from all that stuff?” “Hah, not a cent!” “Hmm… me neither.” “It’s a crying shame. We gotta get new agents, we’re gettin’ screwed!” (30th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “One can’t live with hate, I know that. Dan, we have to forget, if we are to go on living.” (65th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “You remember that thing we had about 30 years ago called the Korean conflict? And how we failed to achieve victory? How come we didn’t cross the 38th parallel and push those rice-eaters back to the Great Wall of China, then take the fucking wall apart, brick by brick and nuke them back into the fucking stone age forever? Tell me why! How come? Say it! Say it!” “All right. I’ll say it. ‘Cause Truman was too much of a pussy wimp to let MacArthur go in there and blow out those Commie bastards!” “Good answer. Good answer. I like the way you think. I’m gonna be watching you.” “Good teacher. He really seems to care. About what I have no idea.” (40th Anniversary)
Mike’s Top Ten of 2025
2025 feels like a year of isolation. I feel like everything that came out happened in its own little bubble and there’s no overarching trend for the year. Movies came out, some made money, some were noteworthy. This year, more than any other year from the past decade, I found a significant decrease in quality of the mainstream American studio output (that is to say, large scale studio releases). Which has been a growing trend in recent years.
I remember 10, 15 years ago, the summer had something coming out every weekend. And even if it was a weekend where you weren’t interested in the ‘big’ movie that weekend, there was a counter-programmed movie that weekend that was worth seeing. It’s to the point where people once again showed how starved they are for big budget, original filmmaking by making Sinners one of the extremely few films not based on any existing IP to be a top-ten grossing film for its year.
Outside of that, however, it feels like the majority of the great films from this year (outside of the usual films from established directors who routinely make great films) came from other countries or independent productions (or films that got no releases at all, which now means it’ll take years for anyone to even realize they exist, let alone grow a following). Which is great in one sense, but also feels like it’s part of the ‘content’-ification of movies and the slow decline of the theatrical experience, especially with a major historical studio about to be bought out by another.
It’ll be interesting to look back on this time and see what it means for the history of motion pictures. (more…)
Pic of the Day: “The only thing to do here is to drive just as fast as you know how and hope your car doesn’t break.” (60th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “Racing is life. Everything that happens before or after is just waiting.” (55th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “Jesus, you were gonna kill that guy.” “Of course; I’m a Terminator.” (35th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “Any fool with a dick can make a baby, but only a real man can raise his children.” (35th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “You look down, they know you’re lying and up, they know you don’t know the truth. Don’t use seven words when four will do. Don’t shift your weight, look always at your mark but don’t stare, be specific but not memorable, be funny but don’t make him laugh. He’s got to like you then forget you the moment you’ve left his side. And for God’s sake, whatever you do, don’t, under any circumstances…” “Rus?” “Yeah?” “Come look at this?” “Sure.” (25th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “The world’s already begun rebuilding its arsenals.” “It’s human nature, Charles.” “I still have hope.” “Oh, yes. Hope.” “I was right about Raven. I was even right about you.” “What about the rest of the world? Doesn’t it ever wake you up in the middle of the night? The feeling that one day they’ll come for you, and your children?” “It does indeed.” “What do you do when you wake up to that?” “I feel a great swell of pity for the poor soul that comes to my school looking for trouble.” (10th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “Listen to me very carefully, my friend: killing Shaw will not bring you peace.” “Peace was never an option.” (15th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “Charles Xavier did more for mutants than you will ever know. My single greatest regret is that he had to die for our dream to live.” (20th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “That was no lady. That was your wife.” “Where are they going?” “I don’t know. Where would you take your best friends wife?” “You’re a real sweet kid.” “Now, be nice to me brother. One morning, we’ll wake up and be all alone together.” (70th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “The secret impresses no one. The trick you use it for is everything.” (20th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “Not a hard man to track. Leaves dead men wherever he goes.” (50th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “I cant take them calling me a hero, all I did was try not to get shot. Some of the things I saw Doug, the things I did… they weren’t things to be proud of, you know.” (20th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “For our homeland. Until the very last man. Our duty is to stop the enemy right here. Do not expect to return home alive.” (20th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “Callahan… I don’t want any more trouble like you had last year in the Fillmore district. You understand? That’s my policy.” “Yeah, well, when an adult male is chasing a female with intent to commit rape, I shoot the bastard – that’s my policy.” (55th Anniversary)
Pic of the Day: “I say we do it my way. That’s an order!” “Yessir. But if you’re wrong don’t ever give me another.” (70th Anniversary)
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