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Notes, page 9

  3. Mission: Impossible - Fallout ★★★★★

    2018 film

    Watched 4 August 2018

    There is a shot in this film that, for a split second, managed to trick my brain into believing Tom Cruise was about to die. I didn’t smile and think “that’s cool.” Folks, I audibly gasped in a movie theater.

    (I’m talking about the helicopter scene)

  4. Mission: Impossible ★★★★☆

    1996 film

    Rewatched 3 August 2018

    It’s clear why kid me thought this was the coolest thing ever. I was pleasantly surprised to find that all the iconic moments I remembered still hold up. What I wasn’t expecting was for the rest to be so… messy? The more expository scenes feel very half-assed, to the point of being a bit silly.

  5. The Witness ★★★★★

    2016 video game

    Played 22 July 2018 on Mac

    I played it in fits and starts, but I was charmed every time, and always envious of the brilliant ideas on display. The design is just so economic and straightforward, yet presents so many possibilities for variation. Deserves to be in some design museum’s permanent collection.

  6. Akira ★★★★★

    1988 film

    Rewatched 16 July 2018

    Kaneda uncovers his iconic red bike.

    I will never not be amazed that this movie exists. There is a very rare quality to the animation work here — you never forget it’s hand drawn, yet it’s always alive.

  7. Hot Fuzz ★★★★★

    2007 film

    Rewatched 30 June 2018

    The first big shootout’s action feels a bit imprecise in a post-John Wick world, but that’s about all I can criticize. This is still a masterpiece in my book.

  11. Black Panther ★★★★☆

    2018 film

    Watched 4 May 2018

    Fun to watch, extremely cool, wholly original. And not a single “crossover event” to be seen. The Marvel movie I’d been waiting for since Iron Man.

  15. Pacific Rim: Uprising ★★★☆☆

    2018 film

    Watched 8 April 2018

    A far cry from the original’s simplicity and earnestness, but these giant robots still tickle my fancy. I had a blast watching it.

    The amount of distinct stuff happening in this movie is bonkers — it felt like an entire mecha anime series crammed into a couple of hours. I really wish it could have been made as a 10-hour TV show that actually took the time to linger and explore all those ideas.