The Celluloid Diary: A Letterboxd Guide to Film

By Brandon X

I can talk all day about film. To write about it, and to share what films inspire me, frighten me, and entice me is an honor. Film is my favorite form of literature. I've seen more movies than I can remember. 'Letterboxd' gave me an outlet to express my love for cinema. I'm so happy and proud to be able to express and publish my thoughts on some of the many movies I've seen and love.

This is 'The Celluloid Diary: A 'Letterboxd' Guide to Film'.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Nov 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781698713496

Brandon X

Brandon S. Todd (X) is a scriptwriter from North Carolina. Formerly, he was a journalist for 9 years, having published over 80 essays between various newspaper outlets. Brandon X has published 3 scripts thus far: 'Organized Chaos' I, II, and III. His love for film stems from him being in the theater classes at 'Hunter Huss High School' and 'Belmont Abbey College', where he also took a class in Film Criticism. On the 'Letterboxd' website Brandon writes about all types of films in his free-time. This publication is simply an ode to cinema, Hollywood, and the theater itself.

Book preview

Copyright 2022 Brandon X.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

isbn: 978-1-6987-1350-2 (sc)

isbn: 978-1-6987-1349-6 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Trafford rev. 11/11/2022

33164.png www.trafford.com

North America & international

toll-free: 844-688-6899 (USA & Canada)

fax: [phone]

Preamble

Movies…what power they hold.

Films have taught me so much. I have seen more

of them than I can count or remember.

Yet, the imagery, the pictures in motion, they

are still fresh as daisies in my mind.

The Celluloid imprinted on my very DNA, soothing

my soul, uplifting my imagination to new heights.

We, as humans, search for the unknown.

We search for ourselves in others.

There’s no better way to find out more about

yourself than to watch a great movie.

Even a bad movie can give you further insights

into your psyche, your fears, your dreams.

We see despair in characters, conflict beyond words.

Those characters show us how tough WE are.

Humanity’s need to tell stories just grows more as the time passes.

We once only had campfire tales. Folktales passed on

by word of mouth. Scriptures and Mythologies.

Now, we have IMAX cameras that frame a picture in 70 MM,

capable of filming the depths of outer space with ease.

My, ole’ my, how far we have come.

So many people have worked in the film industry,

fed their entire families by doing so.

Generations upon generations of crewmembers,

writers, and filmmakers inspiring all of us.

They stay up late nights, get up early mornings…

all to keep the cameras rolling.

We need movies more than ever right now.

Celluloid, motion-pictures, must be made immortal. We cannot

allow shooting on film to become an extinct practice. Also,

98 percent of theaters are projecting films digitally---they

abandoned film projectors almost entirely. I hope theaters,

studios, and filmmakers can reverse the mass usage of digital

projectors and digital cameras, and reimplement film cameras,

film prints, film reels, and film projectors. Film must be

preserved, in all original forms, and the stories must go on…

The campfires cannot grow cold. The minds

of the youths need adventures.

The elderly can find their past with just a frame from a film.

When their minds fail, perhaps when a young relative

puts on a movie, they’ll remember once more.

So many moments captured, so many experiences shared

across the globe all from the motion-pictures we know and

love. Movies now, if they ever fade from society or physical

form, are embedded in our physiology. We have expanded our

myths into portraits that artists of the past would faint at.

Alas…We Mustn’t Let Movies Themselves Become Myth.

The function of this book is to serve as a movie-guide for film-buffs, movie-goers, and casual fans. All the writings herein are already published on the ‘Letterboxd’ website. I started this book in 2020 right when COVID hit. I’ve logged into ‘Letterboxd’ regularly and divulged my thoughts on various projects, 65 total so far. ‘The Celluloid Diary: A ‘Letterboxd’ Guide to Film’ is a love letter to Hollywood and the Global Cinematic Industry. It’s quite random, subjective, simple and opinionated, but that is the very nature of cinema.

This project was a labor of love. I just love movies; they are my favorite thing in the world, honestly. Growing up, I had my go-to movies at home, on VHS, such as ‘Major Payne’ and ‘The Mask’, as well as the ‘Austin Powers’ trilogy years later. Prior to those, however, the first movie I can recall ever seeing, also on VHS, was Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’ from 1989. I have also been to the theater countless times, and never had a bad time. I remember going to the cinema for the first time, seeing ‘The Lion King’ in 1994 as a kid with my mother, purely amazed. The first time I went to a drive-in theater was with my grandparents and uncle in 1997—we saw ‘Spawn’ and ‘Air Force One’. Blew my mind!

Then, it was ‘Blade’ in 1998, which was the first film I saw with my dad in the theater. Saw ‘Doctor Dolittle’ in 1998 with my mom, and I remember it clear as day. That specific theater I saw it in is no longer there. Sam Raimi’s ‘Spiderman’ was one I saw five or so times in another local theater-house back in 2002. Ang Lee’s ‘Hulk’ I saw at least twice there the following year. Also, ‘Jeepers Creepers 2’ from 2003 and Zack Snyder’s ‘Dawn of the Dead’ remake from ’04 were great times moviegoing as a youngster as well. Still fresh in my mind were solo theater trips to ‘Ghost Rider’ in 2007, and ‘Beowulf’ the same year—then even Rob Zombie’s ‘Halloween II’ in 2009. Even got to see ‘Iron-Man 3’, ‘Godzilla’, and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in ‘IMAX-3D’ with family while I lived in the Great State of Florida. Very thrilling experiences, indeed! I’d say I’ve been to the theater over 300 times, give or take.

My most recent trips to the theater were for ‘The Batman’, ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, and ‘NOPE’; I hadn’t been to a theater in 2 years since ‘The Rise of Skywalker’, mainly due to COVID, so it was awesome to get back in there with the smell of popcorn, the huge screen, and the fellow-viewers to soak up those post-pandemic theatrical screenings. I cherish every theatrical experience, even more so now that we were deprived of theaters during the worst of the pandemic. I could write all day about movies...

There is no specific order to the film reviews within this book, apart from the most recent releases appearing at the beginning in a non-particular order. I have made a stringent effort to not be negative throughout the reviews; I have shared, primarily, only positive opinions and thoughts, give or take some gripes with a few pictures. I hope you do not take this book too seriously. It is merely a compilation of ramblings. This is my Celluloid Diary—discussing films and their creators, as well as the industry itself. I am not trying to reinvent the wheel here. Just having some fun and sharing material I have jotted down on the movies that I love so dearly.

Thank You,

Brandon S. Todd

Dedicated To

Mom and Dad,

Thank You Both for Taking Me to The Theater So

Many Times Growin’ Up and Getting Me into Movies!

Mom, Thank You for Always Being There for me!

Uncle Rusty,

Thank You, Man, For Showing me What ‘IMDB’ is Back

in the Day and For Taking Me with You to that Thursday

Midnight Screening of ‘The Dark Knight’ in 2008

Momaw and Popaw,

Thank You Both for Letting 4-year-old me Watch Tim Burton’s

‘Batman’ one million times and Thank You for Taking Me by

‘Movie-Mania’ Every Weekend Back in the 90s to Rent Horror-

Movies! Thank You Both for Always Having my Back!

Omar and Mitisha,

Thank You for Sharing Your Comic-Book Knowledge and

Letting me Read Your Comics. Thank You also for Talking Shop

with me on Movies, and for Your Hospitality and Friendship!

Also, Thank You Guys for the Awesome Birthday Gifts!

cel·lu·loid

[ˈselyəˌloid]

NOUN

a transparent flammable plastic made in sheets from camphor and nitrocellulose, formerly used for cinematographic film.

motion pictures as a genre:

having made the leap from theater to celluloid, she can now make more money

Reviews

Halloween Ends 2022

The Black Phone 2022

Blonde 2022

Hellraiser 2022

Werewolf by Night 2022

Beast 2022

Moon Knight 2022

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 2022

Nope 2022

Prey 2022

The Batman 2022

Halloween Kills 2021

Candyman (2021)

The Matrix Revolutions 2003

Yes, God, Yes 2019

Mortal Kombat 2021

The Little Things 2021

The Suicide Squad 2021

Swallow 2019

The Nightingale 2018

The Holcroft Covenant 1985

The Circle 2017

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 2011

A Quiet Place Part II 2020

WandaVision 2021

Zack Snyder’s Justice League 2021

Tenet 2020

Avengers: Infinity War 2018

Avengers: Age of Ultron 2015

Hell or High Water 2016

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)

Taxi Driver 1976

Dark Phoenix 2019

Halloween (1978)

The Man from Nowhere 2010

Candyman (1992)

Inception 2010

The Dark Knight Rises 2012

Sicario 2015

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker 2019

Black Panther 2018

Spider-Man: Far From Home 2019

Halloween (2018)

Bone Tomahawk 2015

Us 2019

The Incredible Hulk 2008

Glass 2019

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 2016

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood 2019

Joker 2019

Get Out 2017

Halloween II 1981

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) 2020

Predator 2 1990

Se7en 1995

Mojave 2015

Blade Runner 1982

Brightburn 2019

Uncut Gems 2019

Christine 1983

Loki 2021

Dredd 2012

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier 2021

43341.png

Halloween Ends 2022

43355.png

Rewatched Oct 13, 2022

Brandon X’s review published on Letterboxd:

This review may contain spoilers.

43447.png Only One Will Survive. 43449.png

D avid Gordon Green has delivered on his promises of reviving the once dead ‘Halloween’ franchise. I am filled with excitement while writing this review. I have been a fan of this Requel series since its inception.

I didn’t think I’d get what I just witnessed on my big screen, and it shocked me, had me on the edge of my recliner, almost pulling my eyebrows out! Watched ‘Halloween Ends’ on ‘Peacock’, and I plan to see it in the theater soon...

This ‘Halloween’ Quadrilogy, including the OG ’78 film, is now my most loved out of all the timelines—this new saga really is now some of my favorite horror material, in general. I have read over and over that this new installment would be more intimate, and it surely was indeed that. We get more of a detailed story that takes place over a longer period as compared to the 2018 take and ‘Kills’—we get more character development for Laurie Strode, Allyson, and the new player Corey Cunningham.

The story does not miss a beat, and it gives you reason to see it. Jamie Lee Curtis, God bless her, she brings her A-game for the final-time. I can say with full confidence, THIS IS THE FINAL JAMIE LEE CURTIS ‘HALLOWEEN’.

I loved Laurie Strode here, so much so that I was saddened and moved by her ending—I had a melancholic mood about me once I knew I had seen the last ‘Halloween’ movie. Laurie Strode is given plenty of story, not being confined to a hospital bed the whole runtime as she was in ‘Halloween Kills’. David Gordon Green’s direction is nearly flawless with ‘Halloween Ends’—he lets the script breathe on the celluloid, gives it some color, some lightheartedness to a degree, which really plays in the movie’s favor.

There are various odes to previous Halloween films as in the last installments, but this feels much more contained, original, and inventive. COVID delayed ‘Ends’, and that has provided the story more quality, I think—they were kind of rushing the production of the trilogy. They had to slow their roll and adapt to the pandemic. We finally have gotten ‘The Finale’.

The script is solid by Paul Brad Logan, Danny McBride, David Green, and Chris Bernier—a lot of writers, but it feels like one piece, not so scattered. The cinematography by Michael Simmonds once again is very well done—I felt Haddonfield, like I could breathe its air. Photography-wise, the film looks naturalistic while retaining that spookiness of the Halloween filmography. Production-design was consistent with the last movies; however, we get some new sights of Haddonfield, more expansion.

John Carpenter’s back onboard doing the score. I always enjoy a Carpenter soundtrack! The musical composition creates that intimate atmospheric tone they were going for. John Carpenter is the man, the myth, the legend. Without him, there is no ‘Halloween’ franchise.

Opening on Halloween 2019, we’re introduced to Corey Cunningham, played by Rohan Campbell, who arrives to a residence to baby-sit a young boy while the parents attend a local party. Some rules are established by the mother, such as no TV, and no more candy. The child was affected by the headlines of Michael Myers and the events of 2018, making him afraid of the dark and he’s also wetting the bed. We immediately cut to the boy and his sitter watching John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’. Mind you, no young boy should be watching such a film, and a rule has been broken.

Creepily, things take a turn for the worse when Corey loses track of the young child in the house. He searches and seeks for him, unable to locate him. This causes panic in the 21-year-old man. Ultimately, he hears the boy calling out for help, and Corey finds himself locked in the attic of all places.

The boy has played a prank, locking Cunningham in the attic himself. Corey begins freaking out even more, trying to break free, the unthinkable happens—Corey Cunningham ACCIDENTALLY kills the young child by breaking down the door, with the force making the child fall over the stair-railing down a few stories onto the hardwood floor. The parents arrive right as the boy falls, witnessing the brutal act; accident or no, it’s quite disturbing to view.

We cut to present day—Corey is a pariah amongst Haddonfield; talked down by most, talked about by all. He keeps to himself, still free from incarceration, even after the death of the boy he baby-sat. Local high-school bullies take notice of Cunningham, requesting that he buy them alcohol. Corey refuses, causing a confrontation that Laurie Strode witnesses. Strode comes to the aid of Cunningham, warding off the bullies, and helping him get to the hospital for a cut on his hand he sustained during the altercation.

This gets the ball rolling, plot-wise, as Corey meets Laurie’s granddaughter, Allyson; they hit it off immediately and start falling for one another. Allyson feels pity for Corey, and she doesn’t believe he intentionally killed the child he was watching in 2019. He sees a listener in her, some normalcy as well.

An island from all the hatred he receives from the residents of Haddonfield. Rohan Campbell, though I’ve not seen any of his other work, is a tremendously talented actor. His character Corey Cunningham is the focus of the movie, the foundation. That’s all I’ll say about his character. David Gordon Green said he was inspired by ‘Christine’, and, boy, he wasn’t lying. I felt a lot of ‘Christine’ in the script as it unfolded.

Onward.

Laurie and Allyson live together. They’ve built a bond now that Allyson’s mother and father were killed by Michael Myers. We see some cool moments between them just living life, getting over the trauma of Myers’ 2018 murder-spree. Michael Myers is said to have vanished that night, hasn’t been seen, some believe he died that night after the mob-attack. Laurie has moved on, almost happy. Haddonfield, not so much. We witness a couple of guilt trip attacks by a couple of characters upon Laurie, as if