The Killing Floor (1984)
Don't Look Now (1973)
This just didn't come together for me. Great shots, great sex scene, real grief... And I get the ending is saying that the grief you're chasing will kill you if you forget yourself but I think there's better ways to get there than The Killer... I just found it flat.
A Tribute to Alvin Ailey (1990)
This is my first time watching anything from Alvin Ailey. I didn't like For Bird With Love but really got into the other three. I'm excited to watch more!
The Hand (2020)
I went in expecting a moody slow burn where my attention sometimes wandered but I was extremely invested in these two from jump. Tight but with lots of room to breathe.
The People's Joker (2022)
I can't get over how impressive a feat it is to make a feature length movie out of this much chaos. Incredibly fun. Seeing it at the Music Box with Vera Drew in attendance is a treasured memory.
Crimes of Passion (1984)
I watched this with a friend and they pointed out that Crimes of Passion succeeds in a lot of the places Eyes Wide Shut fails. Incredibly grounded conversations between characters intercut with the absurd.
Salt of the Earth (1954)
Moving and meaningful, it's incredible this thing got made and released.
A History of Violence (2005)
Another Cronenberg flick! Really fantastic sex scenes and domestic drama. The son's performance didn't hold up to Viggo and Maria and the back third with Bill Hurt didn't do it for me but still one of my faves of his!
Last Hurrah for Chivalry (1979)
I think I'm on a director kick because this is another one I picked based on who directed it. I really enjoyed the betrayal and friendship plots! The sword fighting felt like it was a cool rhythm game. I don't know why swords sound like this in 1970s stuff but I'm glad we moved on from the tinniness.
Women in Love (1969)
A movie about a man's love of bisexuality. Everybody's dislikable in their own way. I enjoyed Oliver Reed naked wrestling in front of the fire. You've got me coming back for more Ken Russell.
Pickup on South Street (1953)
Great cast in a tragic espionage thriller. Heartfealt and well shot! I'm also curious about The Naked Kiss from Samuel Fuller now.
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970)
I didn't do my research beforehand and thought this was going to be a bunch of recorded speeches! While it was that it was more about giving context to those speeches, both in terms of what white people were saying about him and Black people. Chicago's Italians are the worst white people in the country my goodness.
Conan the Barbarian (1984)
Pretty good movie, tbh! Fun sword and sorcery sort of shit.
Love Lies Bleeding (2024)
Now that's a fucking movie! I'm thrilled that it exceeded expectations, tbh. Rose Glass has something special going on. It's a great movie even if you don't want to fuck K Stew and that was my hope!
Monkey Man (2024)
I think this is my first time in a theater this year? Definitely the first time seeing a new movie in a theater in 2024. The plot was a boilerplate revenge tale but the quality of the storytelling and visuals was spot-on. I really enjoyed it and look forward to more from Dev Patel! Nothing like writing a character for yourself so a bunch of women hoot and holler while they watch you train.
Starman (1984)
Carpenter made sure to get a clear shot of the weird-looking baby prop during the transformation sequence. It's a very good romantic roadtrip/grief metaphor. It could be saccharine or clunky in lots of places and it avoids both.
The Ascent (1977)
Nazi-occupied Russia feels like the coldest place that ever existed. Beautiful and bleak. If you want to live be sure to make choices you can live with.
Dead Ringers (1988)
Yet again I wish Cronenberg indulged his sexy weirdness more. I wanted more of the medical bondage kink from the beginning. Really this made me want to watch Crimes of the Future again. Which isn't to say I disliked it! I just always want a little more from Cronenberg and Crimes of the Future finally delivered.
Gorgio Moroder's Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1984)
I grew bored eventually but the best way to get me to watch a silent movie is to put some synth pop over it.
Benedetta (2021)
Nunsploitation that believes anything a woman does to another woman is sexy and anything a man does is not.
Possession (1981)
Terrifying, cool, freaky. I can easily believe being a part of this production sucked. I want to see it in a theater very badly.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) *
The ending gets me every time. I want somebody to look at me like this.
Orpheus and Eurydice (2008)
She choreographed this in 1975, the same year as The Rites of Spring, which is wild. Not to say biography is destiny but what kind of doomed tragic relationship was she on in 1975?! Beautiful and human. My favorite thing about Bausch is how she makes group movements look cohesive without aiming for synchronicity. I'll be thinking about the staging of the singers for Orpheus and Eurydice during their death scene for a while.
Cruising (1980)
Fisting in real leather clubs! I loved how much colors popped against the icy blue the city at night.
His Motorbike, Her Island (1986)
I loved how the transitions between color and black and white were used. Kiwako Harada caressing the Kawasaki through its cover and then getting into a fight with her boyfriend about riding it!
Broadcast News (1987)
The intro scenes of the characters as kids won me over immediately. Holly Hunter is magnetic. I loved every moment with her. William Hurt is a great himbo and Albert Brooks is a great asshole.
The Dark Crystal (1982) *
Everything looks incredible. I love the pacing and the puppetry and the designs. What a delight.
Top Gun (1986)
I'm glad to have a million pop cultural references click into place upon watching this. I kept imagining Cruise's character from Legend in here. I've never seen a man more destined to die than Goose.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
I needed this to have some kind of real sexual exploration for Kidman's character and not simply her imagined infidelity in Cruise's head. It had some good parts but meh. Too much time watching Tom Cruise look sad and confused.
Exotica (1994)
Despite flashing back to a scene she's in, they didn't give the dead Black wife and kid a line. I liked the women and the egg smuggler. Everybody Knows as the background to an avant-garde striptease is inspired. Why does Hal Hartley's sad man schtick work on me where this doesn't?
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
Odder than I expected and not in a good way. Jane Russell as an all-time slut is the highlight for me and even then she's just kind of walking through choreography in her bits Ain't There Anyone Here For Love is great.
Alma's Rainbow (1994)
What a special little movie. Wonderful, lush characters and settings.
Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
Stationary cameras that linger in scenes after she leaves. The constant turning on and off of lights. The oppressive ever present Foley. The reflective surfaces! Slice of life sickos we are feasting.
Taxi Driver (1976)
Scorsese laid out that bloodbath of a mise en scene and he's going to make sure you appreciate it. (I did thanks Marty). Double feature this with Shaft.
Ring (1996)
Sad story with a beautiful cast and some really striking visuals. A classic for good reason.
Strange Days (1995)
Massive cop-out of an ending and message but the first two hours are great if slightly repetitive. We skipped the extensive first-person rape scene and I'm confident in that decision. I'm really impressed by how legible all the first-person camerawork was as a viewer.
Come Drink With Me (1966)
An action movie where the action is the least interesting part. I wish I had a better print of it to watch because I think the visuals could have shined a lot more.
24 City (2008)
It turns out converting infrastructure into luxury apartments is a worldwide habit.
Shin Ultraman (2022)
Everything I could have wanted and a giant woman. Great stuff!
Shaft (1971)
Richard Roundtree's pretty fucking cool and 70s New York looks incredible.
Labyrinth (1986) *
Still great! I love Ludo very much.
Cat People (1982)
The ending sucked but Schrader sure can frame a pair of tits. I'm glad it had some enjoyably schlocky gore.
Gender Troublemakers (1993)
Something about the captured joy of a rare post-HRT boner from 30 ago really got me.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Peter O'Toole Day continued and he and Omar Sharif have so much chemistry in this extremely long movie. There are so many beautiful shots. I'm glad Alec Guiness face wasn't around for much of it.
The Lion in Winter (1968)
Katharine Hepburn is incredible oh my goodness. The moment she enters the picture I'm sold. Everybody else is great too but she is special. Great script!
In the Realm of the Senses (1976)
The movie turns on the moments we see them outside of their hotel room during the day. It's so easy to get drawn into the small world of their hotel room. It's shocking to have them interacting with anybody outside of it.
Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
Apparently I missed this one over here! Jet Li is very charming. Fun fights!
Trust (1990)
It's time to reminisce about watching Hal Hartley films with an old friend in college. There is something about the direction of the actors and delivery of the script that still works magic for me. I'm honestly a little surprised by how much I still vibed with Hartley's whole situation.
Querelle (1982)
It's easy to win me over with highly-stylized and theatrical production.
Powwow Highway (1989)
Really fun movie! Gary Farmer is so charismatic! Highly recommended for a great 90 minute movie.
The Time That Remains (2009)
Incredibly special. The narrative came together better for me than with Divine Intervention. Heartbreaking and scary and funny and sweet. Beautiful throughout. The library has Chronicle of a Disappearance and I already put it on hold.
Cat People (1948)
Sadder and more on point with the literal metaphor than I expected.
Working Girls (1986)
Breakroom gossip about an awful boss and a steady stream of men of varying degrees of annoying. The pace is exhausting like a busy shift. The camera hardly ever leaving the confines of the workplace and never getting a moment of stillness works so well.
The Sticky Fingers of Time (1997)
I wanted to like this but the extensive exposition combined with the stilted acting almost had me stop watching.
Yi Yi (2000)
Full of long (time) and long (distance) shots through windows of varying levels of opacity. It's beautiful and touching.
Bride of Chucky (1998)
What if we removed the subtlety of the chest burster from Alien as a metaphor for the horror of pregnancy. I'm so glad Jennifer Tilly's still playing this role. Somehow this thing works incredibly well.
Saint Maud (2019)
Religious horror can be pretty hit or miss but this worked for me based on the strength of the camerawork, lighting, and sound. Jennifer Ehle is lovely.
Basic Instinct (1992)
"Well, she got that magna cum laude pussy on her that done fried up your brain!" Justice for Roxy!
Personal Problems (1980)
I'm just in love with the way Gunn films people.
M (1931)
Always here for Peter Lorre playing a messed up freak.
Harakiri (1962)
Samauri fights are very cool.
Late Bloomers (1996)
MIDDLE AGED WOMEN FALL IN LOVE GAZING INTO EACH OTHERS EYES DURING BASKETBALL DEFENSIVE DRILLS. I love when a 7/10 movie is made for me.
Barbie (2023)
For a movie about women they sure gave all the character development to men! The climax of the movie is a 5 minute long song and dance about how guys are doing it for themselves. It's legit a great song and it's nice to see big budgets knock some huge aesthetic swings out of the park but like... what are we doing here?
The Devils (1971)
I thought it was too wacky to be as distressing as I think it wanted to be but Oliver Reed is absolutely incredible.
Peeping Tom (1960)
A much better developed movie than I'd expected from the synopsis. Just an incredibly solid performance from everybody involved.
Ganja & Hess (1973) *
Watching this again and it's just such a victory of immaculate set dressing, beautiful framing, and dreamy vibes.
Shakedown (2018)
Great documentary. I'm so grateful all this footage exists.
Oppenheimer (2023)
I wish it was more interested in its own place in the story rather than simply asking the audience "Is anyone ever going to tell the truth about what's happening here?" It's still a real monument of a biopic but not one particularly interested in grappling with moral uncertainty. (Update: I've thought about this movie too much and I think I hate it.)
Losing Ground (1982)
Movies are good! I need so much more of this in my life.
Child's Play (1988)
Chicago Mentioned!
Himiko (1974)
Incredible colors, sets, costumes, and staging. Locations locations locations!
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Practical effects and and all-time banger of an ending
The Mirror (1997)
Extremely charming and great audio work. I loved the pitter-patter of her little feet running off in a new direction.
Moonlight (2016)
Everybody acted their ass off in here. The faces! A whole movie of incredible expressions.
The Quick and the Dead (1995)
Sharon Stone and Sam Raimi should team up again.
Killing Time (1979)
Extremely charming short about a girl deciding what to wear to her suicide.
Rat (1998)
The dramatic re-enactments are terrific but the vibes are blown by one of the main characters' racism.
Dry Ground Burning (2022)
Political art-house. Long scenes of incredible faces. Long scenes of everything else, also. I'm going to dig into interviews now.
Cane Toads: An Unnatural History (1988)
Incredible documentary film making. Engaging and funny and educational! I loved it.
Barbarian (2022)
The tension of the front half seriously deflates in the back half, unfortunately. Ah well. It's got some great jokes!
What's Love Got to Do With It (1993)
Tina Turner's voice gives me goosebumps and Angela Bassett is magnetic. As a screenplay it definitely asks how much do you make a biopic about the vibes of what happened instead of the actualities.
Legend (1985) *
So much glitter, fake snow, and flowers it's a wonder anybody on set could breathe.
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
What if Coppola made a mass-market sexploitation horror flick? I wish it had committed a little more TBH!
Sisters With Transistors (2020)
I wish this was a completely different documentary. It was cool to see the bits of archival footage though. I'll stay annoyed about this for a while.
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011)
This has been on my radar for a long time because of the Stokely Carmichael bits. I liked the way it was put together for the most part and I'm glad they found all that footage!
Aloners (2021)
I liked the front half more than the back half... still good but I liked the physical comedy of Jina reacting to her environment, even if the plot required something else.
Freaks (1932)
I'm so glad I finally watched this classic.
Thirteen Women (1932)
Pre-code movie racism is a unique blend! I'm glad Ursula took down as many white women as she did before she died.
The Last Seduction (1994)
Local man gay panics himself into a murder charge but not like that. Also thank goodness she is never redeemed.
The Bitter Stems (1956)
I wasn't immediately sold but it won me over with the wild dream sequence. Such a big aesthetic swing paid off for the rest of the unsettlingly stylized movie. Great plotting and story too!
The Departed (2006)
It had some good over the top laughs but just watch Infernal Affairs. Those sad bloody men are so much nicer to spend time with.
Collateral (2004)
Foxx, Cruise, and Pinkett Smith are are terrific. A surprisingly feel-good movie!
The Insider (1999) *
I've been watching a lot of Michael Mann because of a podcast series. This one I remember watching with my mom back in 1999 but only have vague recollections. I've enjoyed all of them except for Heat! The Insider is yet another good movie about a guy and another guy bonding over the precarity of capitalism and doing the right thing. Michael Mann says no female interiority allowed!
Deep Cover (1992)
It's such a uniquely stylized neo-noir. The direction, production, and acting is all slightly too much in a good way.
The Watermelon Woman (1996)
I clearly imprinted on 90s gay vibes as a teenager. CW: Camille Paglia Jump Scare.
Lady Snowblood (1973)
I didn't expect the diegetic illustrated story or the jazz and it's so much better for those surprises.
Fresh Kill (1994)
I can't get this movie out of my head. 100% my jam from beginning to end.
Battle Royale (2000)
I liked the general tone of it, surprisingly! I think I was expecting more brutality?
Dishonored (1931)
These babes keep dying for love! Marlene Deitrich is wonderful of course.
Daughter of the Dragon (1931)
Whiteness prevails. Anna May Wong is wonderful of course.
Le Chant de Styrène (1958)
How's It Made but make it 1950s French
Eve's Bayou (1997)
I've never been so disappointed in Samuel L Jackson. What a cast!
Black Girl (1966)
Post-colonial psychological horror
Infernal Affairs (2002)
Extremely fun. What an Incredible script!
Johnny Guitar (1954)
Joan Crawford and Sterling Hayden are really great together. The robbery crew stuff is paint by numbers but Joan and Mercedes McCambridge make this something special.
Nightmare Alley (1947)
The Rogers Park Beach Club gets a shout out! Stan's a good antihero. Slimy but charming enough to be believable.
Royal Warriors (1986)
Michelle Yeoh is cool and charming and beautiful and deadly.
Rouge (1987)
Lovely, dreamy colors. Touching ghost story. She's a depressive pixie dream girl.
Black Sunday (1960)
The dub was bad. I loved the high contrast black and white. Really well used.
How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2023)
Good little heist film about a thing that matters.
Divine Intervention (2002)
I think the slice of life stuff holds up better than the effects but what an odd, interesting, meaningful movie!
Death Becomes Her (1992)
Other than the obnoxious fat jokes it holds up great. Good actors doing genre always works.
Little Richard: I Am Everything (2023)
He's such an incredible artist and has a great and tragic life story. I liked this despite it being obnoxiously over-produced-- Lots of visual glitter that it didn't need. He's got you covered there.
eXistenZ (1999)
I liked it more than videodrome, from which several parts are lifted-- now it's just about video games instead of TV. Very silly. Stupid ending
Def by Temptation (1990)
I loved this! The brother is very charming and the set work is great. We love a succubus.
Videodrome (1983)
This never really came together for me. Lots of interesting bits and truly incredible effects. I love the phrase Cathode Ray Mission and "long live the new flesh". It could be that it's 40 years old and our relationship to television has changed so much it's hard to place it in a context where I can appreciate the critique. It doesn't have much of anything to say about BDSM either. Ah well.
Belly (1998)
Great lighting and some great sets and shots. Nas is such a herb. The acting was not good.
The Net (1995) *
We used to be so afraid of digitized records and I think we should go back to that.
The Brood (1979)
I liked hearing the behind the scenes about this. It made me like it more.
Crimes of the Future (2022)
I loved this! I'm the exact right person to put up with some of the more tedious parts but god what a good sexy surgery movie
Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995)
Great movie. Fun as hell. Jada Pinkett rules. Billy Zane is great.
Malcolm X (1992)
Long but good! I'm very interested in how time works in it! There seems to be more bleeding between time frames in the beginning than the second half.
Ghost in the Shell (1995) *
Beautiful movie. Just enough plot.
Party Girl (1995) *
The good parts are great. I'm not sure how successful the commentary on white cultural tourism is 30 years later but what a cast and Parker Posey is a delight.
Johnny Mnemonic in Black & White (1995, 2022) *
It's better in black and white. The noir hits more cleanly and the textures look much better.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
A triumph of spectacle achieved through horrible working conditions. It's a love letter to animation not animators.
Daughters of Darkness (1971)
Sometimes goofy in a way that doesn't work. A lot of it doesn't work. What does work is the exploration of domestic abuse.
Showgirls (1995)
The hold this movie had on tweens at the time. Finally seeing it and it's not very good! The dancing should be better! Moral of the story is stay away from white women.
The Killers (1946)
I did not like this. Fraught opening leads to boring uninteresting characters and no sex appeal.
Jagged Edge (1985)
Fuck 'em. He was trash.
Boat People (1982)
I can see why this movie was politically fraught on release. Technically very good and engaging!
The Blue Caftan (2022)
I love every moment the married couple interacts. The young man serves his purpose and is very sweet but he is a very weak link in an otherwise stunning chain.
Our Time Will Come (2017)
Boring at points. Charming leads. Some great shots. A 7/10 that made me want to watch more of Ann Hui's movies.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) *
Still great on rewatch.
Blade (1998) *
Wesley Snipes eats this role up. Surprisingly sad mom vampire incest situation.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Tom Cruise should play more cowardly weasels. Emily Blunt looks great.
The Dark Corner (1946)
Unlikeable male lead. Everybody else was great.
Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Practical effects, baby!
In The Mouth of Madness (1994)
Alan Wake meets John Carpenter. Great movie.
Rebecca (1940)
I put it on for background watching and was immediately engaged.
Thelma & Louise (1991)
Incredible performances from Sarandon and Davis
Heat (1995)
Too long; not great.
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) *
Just as good the second time around.
Ganja & Hess (1973)
Wow! Unlike anything I've seen and a great genre film.
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Very cute slice of life situation.
Body Heat (1981)
Steamy, sweaty and fun.
Last of the Mohicans (1992)
Where are they taking Chingachgook's white son?
Seven Samauri (1954)
Oh, so that's why it's a classic.
Floating Weeds (1959)
Beautiful colors.
Polite Society (2023
Vibes on point; funny and cool.
Nostalghia (1983)
I need more plot than this, it turns out.
The Fog (1980)
Lots of women and I love the way Carpenter composes shots.
Set It Off (1996)
Queen Latifah, my queen.
Manhunter (1986)
I like Will Graham's short shorts.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
Beautiful, dramatic people. Months later I still hear Liz Taylor saying Big Daddy.
Banshees of Inishirin (2022)
Funny! Tragic! Sad! Unhinged! Goofy! Irish Civil War!
Escape from New York (1981)
Not great but not too bad!
Tár (2022)
I didn't like the psych horror bits but otherwise an enjoyable portrait of a terrible lesbian.
Thief (1981)
Wow! So impressed. Great acting, music, editing, shots. I loved it.
The Hobbit (1977) *
The Rankin/Bass production. I watched it a lot as a kid and those songs induce quite a lot of nostalgia! I also love that gollum.
The Favourite (2018) *
Great movie. Super hot and also distressing.
The Menu (2022)
A fun little horror flick. I liked Anya Taylor-Joy in it a lot. I can't remember any complaints.
M3GAN (2022)
Super boilerplate story. Robot created for good turns bad. It's a great rendition of it.
Magic Mike's Last Dance (2023)
Not a good movie. I did watch it all and I'm not mad about it but really not a good movie. Channing Tatum cannot lead this series on his own.
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
Evil Dead Rise is fun as hell! An incredible amount of gore and I left saying "you know what, it was never too much." Great comedy -- extremely Evil Dead while still being its own thing. I'm pretty sure a teenager ran out of the theater at one point.
All That Heaven Allows (1955)
First time I've watched Rock Hudson in anything and I get it! I liked that she was actually older than him. The story was familiar but wonderfully told. I know I can count on Angelica Jade Bastien's taste in classic Hollywood.
Nope (2022)
I liked it! I agree Daniel Kaluuya's role could have had a bit more character but really stunning visually and narratively. I loved the use of practical effects for the monster's uh... guts.
The 39 Steps (1935)
Beautiful movie! I really liked it and was surprised by how fresh a movie from 1935 felt! A real testament to the benefits of shooting on location. I'm writing this several months later and I had to look up the entirety of the plot but I did remember how lovely the landscapes were.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
Moon and I saw this at The Music Box and it ruled. The misogyny is definitely present but totally bareable and I do say A MAN! a lot. Otherwise everything about this movie is a stone cold classic. Whimsical, serious, funny, scary! A triumph!
Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Moon and I saw this at The New 400 with a live organist. We were bored! Turns out I need a little more going on.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Loved it! Way too long!
Infinity Pool (2023)
Weird, bad movie. Had some neat things but awful flashing lights and not enough meat. The coward James Foster is not a good character.
They Live (1988)
This is a bad movie. A couple great bits of earnest unsubtle satire and a series of truly awful fight scenes. Bad movie. Keith David's always hot though!
Christine (1983)
I wanted to watch this after hearing Just King Things talk so highly and I agree, this movie rules! It's technically incredible, both camerawork and practical effects. The characterization is more interesting than I expected. Really great stuff. I'm a Carpenter Head! Watch the Show Me scene.
The Thing (1982)
This movie rules. I saw it on DVD from the library and then I got to see it on a big screen. The goofiness sticks out more big big, especially the comedic timing on some of the edits and wilfred brimley all the time. The practical effects are great and they'll always look great. It's a classic story and they deliver it home!
Children of the Corn (1984)
This movie loomed large in my mind for some reason! I thought it was so culturally relevant. It's so cheesey and out there. Evil children of the alien corn presence.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
I'm writing this a year later and remember nothing.
Love & Basketball (2000)
Fun! PLACEHOLDER TEXT
The Hunger Games (2012) & The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) *
Great supporting cast.
Prey (2022)
Great action/thriller. Loved the lead actress and the aciton sequences. We watched the commanche dub and recomend it.
Halloween (1978)
I'd never seen it before so I got a Shudder trial and gave it a watch with Moon. Really great main theme song. I've seen so much of it through references in later stuff. What if there was a slow perv without feelings who wanted to kill you to recreate the psychosexual fears of his childhood? And what if Jaimie Lee Curtis? What if indeed. She's great! I've gotta watch more of her from the 80s. I liked it! I'll probably watch more.
Titane (2021)
What a weird fucking movie. Different than I expected. Weirder! And better? Anyway I don't know if I recommend it but I'm not mad about watching it.
Columbo (1971)
I heard some references to Columbo on the A More Civilized Age podcast that made me realized I didn't understand what the character was at all and then I saw some screenshots that reinforced that. It's syndicated on TV so I was able to set Youtube TV to record it. They're movies! Like full 90 minute made for tv movies. Peter Falk is great. The first episode was directed by Steven Spielberg and it was the best one. The rest have been hit or miss but still engaging. I only stopped watching one of them. I'm excited to keep watching more whenever I want what I guess I'll describe as a Cozy Mystery.