Introduction

We reached the end of the month again which means another issue of Calebs Video Store. This is the series where I talk about anything film related whether it’s recent film news, something I got to experience, or something I just want to talk about. August was an interesting month as we had some really fascinating film releases in the month that I had been looking forward to and a lot of them delivered. We also have summer coming to an end and I think it’s been an amazing summer season for the movies. From Obsession taking the world by store, seeing The Odyssey in 70MM IMAX, Spider-Man making 2 billion dollars, and some fantastic indie films that have made it in my favorites of the year, this has been one of the best summer seasons for movies in recent years. In terms of my own life, it’s been watching movies in the theater, going to work, and working on this page so nothing too crazy. I also went to California for the weekend and had a fun time. Preparing to move back there in January next year and I’m very excited for that. But we’ll talk about that more in the future. In the meantime, we have some exciting topics to dive into this issue. Nothing too crazy, but some stuff I had on my mind. Without further ado, let’s enter the video store!

The Ultimate Home Theater Setup

I mentioned many times how much I love physical media and VHS tapes. Hell this whole thing is called the video store for a reason. So about a year ago. I was able to find my family’s old vcr and get an old crt tv from my grandma’s. With this combo, I set it up and everything worked properly. I was able to watch movies on VHS just like the good old days again. I loved it and it brought back tons of memories. I even did a couple reviews of movies watching it this way. A couple months later though, I ended up moving and the tv and vcr ended up in the garage. I knew it was in the garage, but with so much being in there, it was going to take some effort to find it. After finally looking in the garage recently, I found both the tv and vcr and was able to get it set up again. Not the most ideal look, but it works for now and when I move to California in January, I’m going to give it a proper set up. Take notes guys, this is what every home theater set up needs to look like in life

The Facebook Mom Minion Memes Were Somehow Making My Days Better

You know the old minion memes that Facebook moms would post in the mid 2010s. I was seeing meme pages on Instagram posting them and it would usually be ones that would act as “motivation” for the day. As I started seeing them, I started sending them to my friends. At first I was doing it ironically just because I thought it was funny I was getting them in my feed. But as I started posting them more, I started feeling kinda motivated by them. It felt like when I woke up, I had more energy than usual because I could look forward to seeing if any of those meme pages posted them for the day. I then posted them on my instagram stories for a week and even posted a couple on here in like a joking way but also something that I could unironically look forward to. I would have never expected that to happen to me with minions, but in 2026, it seems like anything is possible. The Facebook moms might have been actually cooking when making them in the 2010s. So if you need any motivation to start off the day, find some Facebook mom minion memes wherever you can find them. It somehow might make your day a little bit better. I wish I could travel to the mid 2010s and tell myself about this. I think my younger self would think I had lost it.

The Joy of Spirit Halloween Being Open Before Summer Ends

It feels like Spirit Halloween is opening earlier and earlier these days (or maybe it’s always opened this early I just never noticed lol). Seeing it opened in early August was surreal to see, but to be honest, I love seeing it. I’ve always loved Halloween and the season so the earlier we see Halloween things popping up, the more excited I get. It’s like in Gravity Falls with Summerween (itching to rewatch again soon). While in California, I went with my friends and we must have been there for an hour just looking around and trying different masks on. Love adulthood of a bunch of people in their 20s just having a good time at a Spirit Halloween. I’m always fascinated with what new movies will be made out of costumes during the year and they have some good ones this year. While there, it finally did make me decide on the Halloween costume I wanted to pursue. I’ve had the idea for a minute, but I think it will be fun to do. It’s an iconic movie character and I can’t wait to put it all together. I won’t reveal it now, but it will be a costume to remember. But yeah I love a good time at a Spirit Halloween and I can’t wait for it to open in July next year.

Having a Perfect Solo Movie Day

After a long day at work, I’m more than happy to hit the movie theater afterwards. So Saturday, that’s exactly what I did. I got my tickets for Tony and with a showtime a little after I got off, this was perfect. I get over to the theater and walk through a casino riddled with gambling and smoking (the life of watching a movie in Vegas). Once I get to the theater, I scan my ticket in the kiosk so I can have that sweet ticket to add to my collection. I then hand it over to the ticket taker and before you know it I’m in the theater. This is a theater where you order food at your seat so someone comes over to take my order. I wasn’t planning on ordering anything since I was going to get food after, but I’m hungry after work so I say why not. Gluttony takes over me because I order cheese bites and fried pickles. Definitely not good for my health, but it was good for my soul. The movie starts and life is good. A good movie day is when the movie that you watch is good and this was a fantastic movie that I really enjoyed. After the movie, I decide to get some dinner and that ends up being In N Out. A double double with whole grilled onions, animal style fries, and a pink lemonade sounds like it would hit the spot (just writing that made me hungry lol). I get my food, head home, eat, and then enjoy the rest of the night. I’ve had many solo movie days, but that’s one I would call a perfect one. Now excuse me, I’m getting In n Out again.

My Favorite Pieces of Media Consumed in August

So this is the segment where I talk about movies I watched during the month that I really enjoyed. However, going forward I wanted to change this up,.I didn’t watch that many movies during the month and rather than forcing myself to watch a bunch of movies, I wanted to change this segment where it’s any media that I consumed that I enjoyed. This could stem from movies, shows, music, books, video games and more. I just wanted to leave it open for other things I’ve consumed and leave it here So with that said, here’s my favorite pieces of media I consumed in the month!

Movies

Camp Miasma/Tony (2026): I have reviews for both those movies here that you can read. Both ended up in my favorite films of the year in different ways. What a time for the movies.

I Want Your Sex (2026): I have a review I wrote for the film here. Gregg Araki said let’s bring back horny cinema and I’m glad we get to live in a world where Gregg Araki makes movies.

Go (1999): The poster of this movie always intrigued me and I finally gave it a watch this month. Some movies scream that were made in that late 90s-early 2000s and this screams it in a complimentary way. Has the Gregg Araki movie vibes as well and I appreciated that about it. It’s a fun time.

9 to 5 (1980): With the passing of Dolly Parton, I decided to watch a film of hers I’ve never seen which was this one. This was extremely funny and I had a good time with it. The trio of Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton all rock here. Dolly Parton is very funny in this role and she’s full of energy every scene she’s in. Also the song 9 to 5 is a banger. Rest in Peace Dolly.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975): Don’t usually add rewatches on here, but I just had to honor the legendary Tim Curry. I recently got the 4k for it and it looks gorgeous. Of course Tim Curry is just unbeatable in this role and as soon as he’s on screen. He electrifies all that surrounds him. Truly an icon. Rest in Peace Tim.

TV Shows

South Park: I was putting this on for a couple of weeks before I went to bed, but it always manages to give me a good laugh. I think they really hit the sweet spot with it in the mid 2000s. So many iconic episodes from that era. Looking forward to the new season.

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations: This is my current series that I’ve been putting on before bed and I never get tired of it. Bourdain exploring different places, getting to eat a lot of good food and understand the culture resonates with me. Someday, I would love to travel the world like this.

Albums

Lost Weekend By Phoebe Bridgers: I knew this album was going to hit when people that listened to the album early said the people with a dead dad were not going to be well listening to this album (I might be part of that demographic). Incredible stuff here and I’m glad she released the sad album of the year (you will be hearing from my therapist Phoebe).

Oh Yeah? By Steve Lacy: Kinda late to the party with this one, but this has been on repeat for me ever since Spider-Man. I love an album that doesn’t have many songs, but the ones on there are bangers. I think “the feeling” is one of my favorite songs of the year and this album will definitely be remembered as one of the great albums of Summer 2026.

Conclusion

That’s all for this issue of the Video Store! Next month will be 2 years since I started this page and 1 year since I’ve started this series. Time really does fly by and I’ve had so much fun in the process. I will also be covering Fantastic Fest 2026 remotely which I am very excited for and I hope you join me as I do it. If you liked reading this issue, make sure to like, comment, share and if you haven’t yet, you should subscribe to the newsletter where you’ll get these at the end of the month as well as reviews and essays sprinkled throughout the month. Thank you again for stopping by the store and I’ll see you next time for another issue!

Introduction

Well here we are with another exciting double feature review. These are two films that I have been looking forward to and I was originally going to have separate reviews for them as I thought I would see Camp Miasma a week later. But showtimes popped up for it a week earlier than anticipated and I thought I would group them together because I’m honestly excited to talk about both films. So I hope you enjoy both reviews here as a nice little double feature and I also hope you check out both films in the theater. They are worth seeing on the big screen.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma Review

Jane Schoenbrun has been one of the most fascinating filmmakers to come into the spotlight these past couples years. I have loved their work With We’re All Going to the Worlds Fair and especially I Saw the TV Glow. They have a unique way of exploring themes and even when you’re not completely sure how to interpret things, there’s still this fascination of wanting to explore those sides of things. I also love the way Jane incorporates nostalgia into the stories they tell and it captures that feeling so well. So with their newest film, I was excited to see what story was going to be told here. After watching it, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is an exploration on many things and what it decides to talk about made me love it and it has some of the most exciting sequences I’ve seen from a film this year.

Filmmaker Kris is given the task of rebooting the popular horror franchise Camp Miasma and meets with one of the original actors from the first film. As they get to know each other, they learn about one another’s own desires for each other and what this film series truly means to them.

I think it’s exciting to watch a film where you have no idea where the story is going to be headed and get surprised with the direction that it decides to go in. Much like Jane Schoenbrun’s other work, this is where this film goes in the best way possible. The film is exploring themes of sex, sexuality, queerness, and our relationship to media that I found really fascinating with what it had to say about it. At first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about its meta take on making a film about an old franchise and at points, its probably my least favorite parts of the movie when it’s hamming that part of it, but the film really gets going when we get to the actual camp and see the characters of Kris and Billy connect with each other. It’s a story about love and despite all the craziness is somehow beautiful to see explored in it. It also explores the media that has played a big influence on us and how we consume it despite some of the problematic elements that it might have when we look at it in today’s times. It’s an interesting conversation to have here and I like the film diving into that. I really liked the story here and it was not what I was expecting at all that made me appreciate the direction that it decided to go.

I think the heart of the film lies between the relationship that Kris and Billy have and it’s thanks to fantastic script and performances given to these characters. I love Hannah Einbinder in this role. She does a great job playing the exciting filmmaker who has been heavily influenced by the franchise and I loved what she provided here. Gillian Anderson is also fantastic here. Her role as someone that acted in this movie and then didn’t really do anything after is captured perfectly here and she full of mystery that makes her character intriguing to watch. Together, they mesh so well with each other that it makes it exciting seeing how it all unfolds with them. The rest of the cast has small moments sprinkled in as well that offer great moments like with Jack Haven, Amanda Fix, Zach Cherry, Patrick Fischler, Dylan Baker, and so many others in this. But it’s really Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson who do so much in this film and I loved seeing how the relationship between progresses through the film.

I absolutely love the way that this film looks. From the cinematography, set design, costumes, score, the special effects, and so much more. This film shows so much passion from these departments that it makes you fall in love with the craft of it all. Alex G is back doing the score after I Saw the Tv Glow and We’re All Going to the Worlds Fair and it’s another score that has tracks that stick out to me. The special effects go crazy with it being extremely gory and fun with how it decides to incorporate the slasher themes of the film. The way they shoot Camp Miasma looks gorgeous and there’s a blend of beautiful cinematography and then using very creative set design to give it a unique look to it all. I love when a film gets to have different departments show off their talent and that is especially true with this film. So much to love and appreciate about it in that aspect. Not to mention there’s a Counting Crows needle drop that is going to be among my favorite moments of the year.

Watching the films from Jane Schoenbrun over the past couple years has proved how exciting it is to see a filmmaker like this come into the scene. Their exploration in films with media, gender, and sexuality has been fascinating to see explored in the films they have made. This film has so many influences that it wears on its sleeve and it proudly does. Whether it’s the slashers of the 80s like Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, or Nightmare on Elm Street, it’s happy to be influenced by them. Not to mention filmmakers like David Lynch are also influenced largely by the film and it’s able to still say something new that I loved. This is a film that I might not completely understand everything about it yet, but it makes it exciting that I will rewatch it many other times to figure that out and I’m happy to do so.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is a film that I found so much appreciation in that makes me excited to see what Jane Schoenbrun has in store in the future. A film that explores our connection to media and what it means to us felt like it was done right here and so much love and craft is at the forefront here that I loved seeing. I’m excited for more Jane Schoenbrun movies for the future.

Rating: 9/10

Tony Review

I’ve talked about many times at this point how much Anthony Bourdain’s work means to me. I never consumed any of Bourdain’s work while he was alive, but he has been a very influential figure in my life when it comes to writing and approaching life. Reading Kitchen Confidential 2 years ago was a factor in making me want to write and it’s one of the reasons why I’m writing this right now. I’ll never forget what this man has done for my life. So hearing that they were making a biopic about him made me extremely cautious. I went into that mindset if this is something that he would have even wanted. But seeing as it would focus on one point of Bourdain’s life in a point before he was even famous and director Matt Johnson helming the project who has proved himself to be quite the filmmaker with Blackberry and this year’s Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie. Something was saying that this could actually work. After watching it, Tony feels like a fresh breath of air when it comes to biopics and I walked out of this film with a big smile on my face with how much I loved it.

Taking place in 1975, a young Anthony Bourdain after failing to get a writing fellowship travels to Provincetown to follow a girl he loves only to find himself diving deep into a restaurant business where the experience working there would change the trajectory of his life forever.

A huge problem I have with biopics is with how a lot of them try to cover so much of the person’s life in one go and we don’t really get to learn about the person in hand. They feel like more of an idea rather than a real person. Some movies can make this work. But most of the time, it doesn’t work. What makes Tony work so well for me is it lets us just jump into a certain point of time and live that moment rather than skipping ahead through important parts of someone’s life. We get to spend a whole summer with Bourdain and I had a good time exploring this side of him like this. He’s not the same guy that we are all familiar with watching No Reservations and they really stick to the quote of what he says in Kitchen Confidential, but it makes it more of an interesting direction to show him like this. Obviously you can argue that a lot that happens in the film didn’t actually happen, but I think the film knows this and it’s just more focused on being able to tell a good story and have characters you care about and I think it manages to succeed in that quite well. Not everything might completely work and I think moments feel like they are included just to make some conflict happen to the characters, but I was still able to feel captivated in the story told here. This is not a film that’s doing anything revolutionary, but the journey that it provides does make for a good time at I felt deeply captivated by.

I think Dominica Sessa manages to capture the spirit of a young Bourdain so well here. As I’ve said, the quote that they go with to describe Bourdain in his younger years at full effect here and Sessa captures the energy perfectly. He has a great arc where you see him as this asshole and then get to see him grow by the end of it. It’s the start of his journey which I think makes it work so great. I think the performance that’s the heart of the movie though is with Antonio Banderas performance. He manages to show a lot in his character in quiet but meaningful performance. You can feel this character has already been through so much in life and the back and forth he has with Sessa works so well here. A lot of the other performances are great with Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall, and Stavros. It’s a movie with many great performances that I appreciated.

I really loved the vibe of the movie and what it was going for when it comes to the style of it all. The cinematography isn’t doing anything too crazy, but it does its job and the film does look nice overall. The film does do a great job with making it feel like we are put into 1975 and there’s great costuming and set design going on when it comes to this. One other thing is the score from Jay McCarrol sounds very nice. It does its job when it needs to and I liked that about it. I like a lot with what’s going on in this film. Not to mention all the food in this film looks bomb as hell.

A lot of discussion has been happening of whether Bourdain would have liked a biopic of himself being made into a film and it was something I wondered about myself as well. But there’s an article released from Bon Appetit from Bourdain’s assistant here that I think gives the perfect response to this. We don’t know how he would feel about it as he was a man that was unpredictable when it comes to this type of stuff. The grief of him not being here is the response of how we think he would feel about it. With me personally, I found myself engulfed by what this film decided to do and even if it’s not exactly how it may have gone, I was still inspired by the end watching it and it felt like it was in the spirit of something he would appreciate. Matt Johnson was the perfect person to make a biopic about Bourdain and he captured that spirit so well here. As I watched Bourdain’s life be changed during that summer, I was reminded of the summer where I read Kitchen Confidential for the first time and had my life changed as well. Just like Bourdain impacted so many peoples lives, I think this film as well is going to have that impact for many people trying to figure it out in life.

Tony is a fantastic biopic in a world where this genre wants to rush through people’s lives and not just let us enjoy a moment in time. This does let us get to live the moment and learn about these character. For that hour and 46 minutes, I was happy to be a part of it. It’s a film that I see myself coming back to every once in a while because of how it made me feel and I like when a film makes me have that feeling. In the words of Bourdain, “enjoy the ride”.

Rating: 9.5/10

Introduction

Gregg Araki has become one of my favorite directors over the past year. I watched a lot of his work a year ago and fell in love with his style of filmmaking, especially with the Teen Apocalypse Trilogy. There’s just something about it that makes it feel dreamy and unique that I personally love about it. When you watch a Gregg Araki film, you should expect gay and to have a good time. Hearing that he had a film releasing this year made me excited. This is his first film in over a decade and I was curious to see what he would do, especially with everything going on today. With how the cast looked and the trailer, I was only more intrigued to see what this would turn out like. After watching it, I Want Your Sex is a fun and entertaining time. It also brings back something that has been missing from movies for a bit: horny cinema.

Review

I Want Your Sex tells the story of a man named Elliot who ends up working for a big artist known as Erika Tracy. Elliot soon finds himself being in a complicated sexual relationship with Erika and while things seem great at first. Elliot’s world becomes chaotic and starts to unravel.

The story for I Want Your Sex I think works for what it’s trying to do. It’s not doing anything special or trying to be a life changing movie, but it is a film that knows what it is and I can appreciate that about it. It’s exploring sex and sexuality in today’s climate that can sometimes feel a bit messy in its exploration, but it still manages to wrap around and offer some entertainment to the chaos., It still does manage to land on what it is trying to convey. It can also be very funny at times although it’s not throwing jokes at you constantly but throws out subtle stuff at you in dialogue and small actions that can make it very funny at times. If you’re familiar with Araki’s other work like I am, you’ll most likely get a good time out of watching this story unfold. Also I like a movie that’s a nice 90 minutes and has a nice pace to it. I can appreciate when a film knows how long it needs to be and this is one of those films. I found myself enjoying the story of the film for what it was by the end.

The film has a fun list of characters which includes a stacked cast to go along with it. I’ve loved seeing Copper Hoffman getting spotlight these past couple years and he’s especially great here. You can feel him slowly losing his mind throughout the film. Olivia Wilde has been having a year with The Invite and now this and she’s very fun in this. Kinda funny this film and The Invite have some interesting similarities to each other lol. Shoutout Chase Sui Wonders and Mason Gooding as well who I think have some of the best line deliveries in the film. Others like Daveed Diggs, Charli XCX, Margaret Choi, and Johnny Knoxville are all fun to watch on screen as well. Again no one is doing anything crazy, but they understand the assignment where it’s a joy to watch them on screen. There’s also some fun cameos sprinkled in from other Araki films as well. One towards the end had me and the other 10 fans in the theaters thrilled with excitement when it happened lol. No one’s doing anything too crazy here, but they are still fun to watch.

The style of the film is really nice as well. For a film that is tackling a bit of the art culture, there’s some things to point out about how the film looks. For one the set design is very fun to look at. I think of Elliot’s apartment as being a highlight when it comes to this with how the style looks. It was reminding me a bit of Smiley Face as something about that apartment had the same vibe of that movie. I don’t know how to describe it, but I appreciated that. There’s a lot of fun costumes in here as well especially the many outfits Olvia Wilde is wearing. Of course the surrealist look of things makes it work in its favor. It reminded me of this year’s I Love Boosters in some ways. If there’s one thing that feels a bit lackluster, it’s how the cinematography looks. The shots themselves look fine, but there’s something about the digital look of the film that doesn’t make things look as appealing as they should. It makes me miss the film look that the the Teen Apocalypse Trilogy films had and it feels like this movie would’ve benefited from that. Even with that though, the film is doing some very fun things with design that still makes it work in its favor.

I really appreciate Gregg Araki making a film like this right now. Things do suck right now in the world and I think getting a film from him during these times is what we needed and I’m glad he was able to give us this. I’m glad I became a fan of his a year ago and I’m glad he’s still making films like this. I love Araki’s work and I hope he gets to continue making passion projects like this.

Final Thoughts

I Want Your Sex is a fun time and something I’m glad Gregg Araki was able to make during these times. If you’re a fan of his films, then I think you’ll really enjoy this one from him. Close enough, welcome back horny cinema.

Rating: 8/10

Introduction

I don’t even need to tell anyone who Spider-Man is because everyone knows him. He’s probably the most popular superhero out there and he’s my favorite one. I grew up with the Raimi films and 94 series and those pieces of media would change my life forever. The Tom Holland movies have gotten a mixed reaction over the years with how he has been incorporated into the MCU. Personally, I’ve enjoyed the Holland movies. However, I can’t deny that there is a problem with them in that this version of Spider-Man relies so much on those other films and even the other Spider-Man movies where it’s hard for it to have its own identity. With how No Way Home ended, it seemed like we would get a Spider-Man film that more resembled what we are used to. 5 years later, we are here with that film. Going into this one, I was excited but was a bit worried that it might be juggling so much just from what they showed in the trailers. Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had this exact problem so I was hoping it wasn’t going to be another victim of this. After watching it, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is easily the best film of the Tom Holland series and despite taking on so much, there’s a balance that really works for the film and makes it a great time.

Review

The story follows Peter Parker 4 years after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home as he is now taking most of his time being Spider-Man in the city. When the pressure starts to get to him, seeing familiar people in his life, and a new villain emerges. Peter must find a way to balance himself and be the hero the city needs before it takes over him in a drastic way.

The story of Spider-Man: Brand New Day is something I’ve wanted from this version of the hero. While I enjoy the other films of the series, those movies are so focused in being in the MCU that it doesn’t feel like it really gets to be a Spider-Man film on its own. Here there are other characters from the MCU in this story, but we actually get to see Peter fully shine in the moment and let it be his movie. This almost feels like a companion piece for Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 as it does focus on Peter trying to find balance between being the hero and being himself. I think it works well for this story especially after what the last film set up. There’s a lot going on in this film and it was a worry for me going into it, but luckily most of it works here. I think the only stuff that doesn’t feel fully fleshed out to me is the stuff with Damage Control as they feel like more of a villain of the week trope that superhero movies can usually have. But I was surprised with how it handled most of the material in hand. Another thing that I liked is the film’s tackling of grief. It also has similarities to Thunderbolts* as that film tackled grief as well. I think both films do a great job with them and the emotional beats of the film are handled incredibly well. Hell a couple of them almost got me. The story of this film was enjoyable and it was nice that we got this type of story in the series.

Again this is a movie handling so many characters where it could’ve easily gone wrong, but for the most part, they manage to handle a good chunk of it. Tom Holland is probably the best he has been as this character and there’s a balance between the comedy and emotional moments that he nails in this. Zendaya as well is incredible here she’s so good when it comes to the emotional beats of the film. Sadie Sink’s character could’ve easily not worked in this story, but with how she acts and is implemented into the story, I think they managed to make it work here. Jon Bernthal is incredibly fun and seeing the dynamic between him and Tom Holland might be my favorite parts of the film. Mark Ruffalo doesn’t do too much here, but when he gets his big moment, he steals the show. The only character I wish they gave more to is Trammel Tillman and the fact they kinda waste him in this movie feels like a crime. At least he still has the charisma so it isn’t all lost. But I was surprised to see that this movie managed to balance most of these characters the way they did. It worked most of the time for me.

Probably the biggest complaint that MCU Spider-Man films have gotten over the years is that they have no style to them. The swinging scenes compared to the Sam Raimi and the Marc Webb films just show that you don’t feel any real scale to most of it and they just feel bland. Luckily with Brand New Day, this changes and the movie does have style to it which I love. The swinging feels grand and New York feels like its own character in this movie. The fight scenes are very fun to watch and there’s notable parts that you can point at and look in awe at. Destin Daniel Cretton who directed this film and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings I think was an incredible choice for this. One other thing that I love that he does is he highlights his crew on Instagram and what they did on the film. I think it shows the type of guy he is and made me respect him that he does that. I would love for him to come back for another Spider-Man film. After seeing how the other MCU Spider-Man movies looked, it was a nice fresh breath of air to see how this film looked.

Watching this film had me with the biggest smile on my face. It’s definitely not a perfect film, but it reminds me why Spider-Man is a hero most people like myself and others love so much. He shows us that even when life throws so much at at him, he still gets back up and be the best version of himself. This film is the true representation of that and I think most people are going to be walking out happy with this representation of the character.

Conclusion

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the best film from the Tom Holland series and you can feel so much love from the film that makes it all come together so well. Spider-Man is my favorite hero, so it’s a great treat when we get something that represents the character in a way that people will share a deep connection with. It’s a film from the MCU that I’m excited to rewatch and I don’t know the last time I’ve been able to say that. What a time for Spider-Man fan.

Rating: 8/10

Introduction

Hey everyone and welcome back to another issue of Calebs Video Store. This is the series where I talk anything film related whether it’s recent film news, something I got to experience, or something I just want to talk about. July was a bit exciting as I got to watch more films this month as well as getting to experience some of the most hyped up films of the year. I would say July was a very fun month for the movies. This issue is going to be a little different as rather than talking about a few specific topics, I will be talking about multiple topics in the issue and will talk about my thoughts that I have on them. I’ve been trying to keep track of some of the things happening this month that I wanted to talk about so I hope you enjoy this format of things. We got a lot to get through so without further ado, let’s enter the video store!

PlayStation Being the Villain of Physical Media

So Playstation has become the villain of the physical media world as they announced they would be stopping disk support for their consoles in 2028. Not only that but they are also removing 500 movies from their store due to the license expiring for them. Even if you bought the movie on their service, you can no longer watch it. It’s a scary thing to see and I remembered this video they posted more than a decade ago and it’s crazy how much has changed in that time. Not only for movies, but for video games as well and when you own something digital, they could just take it at any time. It’s important to have this content of disks because at least you get to say that you own that content and they can’t take it away from you. A lot of playstation’s social media has been flooded with backlash with this decision and it makes me happy that so many people are against them doing this. However I don’t know if this will change their mind and it’s a strange time to live in.

A Sign to Give People Their Favorite Movies on Physical Media

While on the topic of physical media, I think it’s a great idea to give people that you care about in life their favorite movies on disk which is something I’ve been doing. Back a couple Video Store Issues, I mentioned that I asked my friends their Letterboxd top 4 and it gave me an idea and perspective of seeing peoples different movie taste. Using that, I’ve been giving my friends one of the movies from their list as a birthday gift. Without saying too much about them as I’m sure some friends are reading this right now, I’ve had a lot of fun giving people their favorite movies like this. I think they make great gifts as well just because a movie can mean a lot to someone and having a copy of it makes it feel more special. You can also throw in some little bonuses to add more to it. I’m excited to give more friends their favorite movies.

Alamo Drafthouse is Buying the Cinerama Dome

It was recently announced that the Alamo Drafthouse/Sony were buying the famous Cinerama theater in Hollywood. It has drawn a mixed reaction as while people are excited to see this theater open again, others are concerned with if they will implement the usual Alamo Drafthouse system with the ordering of food. Lately they’ve gotten a lot of flack due to them switching to a phone ordering system after being against the use of phones during the movie for years and it’s something that they definitely deserved to be criticized for. The opening happens in 2028 so it will be a good while before we see how everything turns out. I can only hope that they listen to the feedback and understand that people want to be able to watch movies in this iconic theater and to just enhance that experience for people instead of distractions. It’s a theater I’ve never been to, but if all goes well, I’m excited to visit the Cinerama when it reopens.

I Saw The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm and I Levitated Out of My Seat

So I got to experience seeing The Odyssey in IMAX 70mm. It was my first time ever seeing a film like this and it was glorious to watch. There’s something special about being able to watch something like this on the big screen and it was something I will not forget. The theater was on the smaller side, but you could still feel the impact of being in the room with that big of a screen. Also getting a preview of Dune Part 3 made it all the better. We actually had a delay for the movie because I think they were trying to get things right with the projector. The theater staff was nice about the situation and they even gave us free tickets for another movie of our choosing since we had to wait a good minute for the movie to start. However the people right next to me were being pretty rude about the situation and being impatient with it all. I will say please be nice to the theater staff if your screening runs into any problems because they’re doing a lot bringing this experience to us and technical problems are going to occur. Yes it might be an bit of an inconvenience, but just be patient and let them do their thing. The experience though was a very great time and I’m glad I got to see it this way. I’m hoping for more opportunities to see films like this in the near future.

My Top 5 Films of the Year So Far

As we have made it more than half way through the year (why is time passing by so fast lol), I figured this would be the right time to go over my top 5 favorite films of the year so far. Most of the films listed have reviews I’ve already made for them, so I’ll link them when they are mentioned. In total I’ve seen 36 new releases from the year and I expect that number to increase so much more. I would say it has been a pretty great year so far in the movies. It does feel like people are going to the movies more and supporting them and that makes me happy. But with that said, here are 5 of my favorite movies so far this year.

5. Obsession: Everyone knows how iconic this movie already is so there’s little that hasn’t been said. I think this is some of the best horror we’ve gotten in recent years and Inde Navarrette is a god damn star. You can read the review with my full thoughts here.

4. Blue Heron: Technically listed for releasing in 2025, but since it had its wide release this year, I’m counting it as a 2026 movie. This feels like a companion piece to Aftersun as it explores the themes of nostalgia and grief. It’s a very quiet film that manages to say so much because of the style that it decides to show off. A very sad, but beautiful film that makes it one of the best I’ve seen this year.

3. If I Go, Will They Miss Me?: This is a film I got to see at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It gets US release in September so I won’t say too much, but its take on parenthood is something that stood out to me and moved me in its performances and inspirations that are present. You can read more thoughts from the Sundance recap here.

2. The Odyssey: I’ve been gushing about this film ever since seeing it and I probably won’t stop talking about it for the rest of the year. It’s a movie that’s going to be looked upon as one of the big epics of our time. Not to mention seeing it in IMAX 70mm is something I’ll never forget. You can read the full review for this film here.

1. The Invite: A movie I wouldn’t have never guessed would be my favorite of the year so far. But it takes something that could easily be presented in the most boring way possible and brings it alive in a profound way. The four leads are all doing things that help enhance the film and bring life to it. Everyone that made the film feels like they’re locked in and giving us the best version of this film possible. I absolutely loved this movie. You can read the full review for the film here.

Those are my favorites of the year so far. Let me know films that are in your favorites of the year in the comments. So many more films to come out this year and I can’t wait to watch a lot of them.

July Recommendations

As always this is a segment where I talk about films that I watched during the month that stuck out to me and haven’t been mentioned yet in the issue. It felt like the first month this year where I managed to watch a lot more films I haven’t seen yet rather than rewatches. I narrowed it down to four films that I really liked so here are those films.

Lady Snowblood (1973): This falls into the category of having a character that is just so cool to watch. It’s funny to see also that Quentin Tarantino took so much influence from this film for Kill Bill. This movie has so much style that made me a fan of it. I will have to check out the sequel some time soon.

Belly (1998): This is a film that is much more of a style over substance film, but that’s not a bad thing here. It has a look to it that screams late 90s that I found really fascinating to watch. It has a music video vibe to it and with Hype Williams directing it, it makes sense that this is the case. I just really loved the look of the film. I hope one day I can find a copy on VHS because it feels like this is what the film was meant to be seen on.

The Prestige (2006): As I was working though watching all of Christopher Nolan’s films that I hadn’t seen yet, this is the one film of his that really stuck out to me. It feels like this is the film where Nolan is really figuring out his style as we see the out of order way of telling the story and more. It had me hooked from start to finish and became one of my favorites from Nolan

Nirvana the Band the Show The Movie (2025): This has been on my list for a minute and I finally got to watch it this month. It’s a comedy that I really loved and it has some of the funniest bits I’ve seen from a movie in a minute. It also does things that made me question how the hell they got away with a bunch that happens in this. Matt Johnson created something special with this and I need to watch the series soon.

Minions & Monsters (2026): I wrote a whole review of this film here, but I wanted to give it mention because I love it being a love letter to Hollywood and James is my favorite minion of all time. That’s my homie.

Conclusion

That’s all for this issue of the Video Store. I hope you guys like the slightly different style of things in this issue. If you liked reading it, make sure to give it a like, comment, share and if you haven’t yet, you should subscribe to the newsletter where you’ll get these at the end of every month and also reviews and essays throughout the month. Thank you again for stopping by the store and I’ll see you next time for another issue.

A couple weeks ago, I was looking through some old stuff and came across something that I didn’t realize I still had. It was a ticket stub for 2007’s Surfs Up dated back to June 9th 2007. It was funny seeing that I had it and I put it along with my other movie tickets that I had in a shoebox (I really need to have them laminated because some are starting to fade out lol). It had been a while since I had looked through my movie tickets so I decided to look at the ones that I’ve collected over the years. It felt nice seeing ones that I decided to keep after all these years and remembering the good times associated with them. I remember a time when I was really big on collecting my ticket stubs and I ended up making a decent size collection from it. It made me miss collecting movie tickets the way that I once did.

My collection of movie tickets starts back with 2004 as my parents kept the stub when I saw The Incredibles in November 12, 2004 for my 4th birthday. It was at the El Capitan theater in Hollywood and it’s one of my favorite tickets that I still have in my collection. Over the years, there would be tickets that I would find lying around from years ago that I would put in my collection. This includes Revenge of the Sith, The Simpsons Movie, Surfs Up, and a couple others. However I didn’t really start considering collecting movie tickets until 2017 when I got the idea to do it and thinking maybe one day it would be fun to look back at them. I would have tickets from this era of Logan, Get Out, Thor Ragnarok, and Coco. However this didn’t last very long and I didn’t collect too much after that. This was also during a time when digital tickets were really being pushed and it became more convenient to scan something from your phone. So I didn’t think too much of it. It wasn’t until 2021 and when I decided to start going to movies by myself more when I decided to get back into it. From 2022-2024, I tried collecting as many tickets as I could and it became a pretty big collection. I will say, at this time, they did start switching the paper material to the receipt type of paper and I do miss that feeling of old ticket stubs (theater chains if you are somehow reading this, please bring back to old types of ticket stubs because they used to feel so nice to have and the receipt papers don’t have the same feeling toward them ok thank you). But regardless, I was still happy to have so many tickets in my collection. I did slowly stop collecting tickets over time by 2024 as it wasn’t really a priority for me anymore. But seeing those tickets in my shoebox and seeing so many in there made me want to start collecting again.

One of the things that makes me like collecting movie ticket stubs is that I like having the physical ticket in my hand. In the digital age where we have everything on our phones and all that we need to access things. I just like having the ticket on its own. It makes it feel special in that way and I like being able to hold something and say “yeah this is from the time when I got to see this movie”. This applies for other events as well like concerts where I like being able to have that ticket to myself. It’s just a feeling that hits different for me.

Another thing that I like about collecting physical tickets is it brings back memories of when I got to see the movie that I saw. As I was looking through the shoebox of tickets that I had. I could remember each theater trip I had when I got to see each movie ticket stub and it brings back a lot of good memories from the time whether I went to see it alone or I got to experience it with someone I care about. Even if the movie wasn’t that great, I still like just having that ticket in my collection because it makes remember all the movies I saw. It does shape out to be a nice little memory holder and I think it’s a reason to keep them so you could look back at those times.

With how nice it felt to have those movie tickets. It did make me want to get back into collecting them. When I went to see The Odyssey, I went to the kiosk they had set up and printed my ticket there. I decided to keep the new tickets that I grab in a little notebook that I have where I write my movie notes in when I watch a movie at the theater or at home. It felt nice to do that again and now when I look back at The Odyssey ticket, it’s going to bring back good memories of being able to see it. After doing it, I realized how much I missed that feeling of collecting them and I’m excited to start a new collection of movie tickets again for the future.

In the digital age it’s much easier to have your ticket scanned and not have to think too much about it. But there’s something special about having that little ticket stub in your hand and being able to put it somewhere safe so that one day you can look back at it and be like “I’m glad I decided to keep this ticket”. As I start my collection again, I’m excited for what movies are going to fill up the notebook and what awaits for it. Now if theater chains decided to bring back the old paper they used for the stubs, I would be very happy with that decision. Please Regal, AMC, Cinemark, and other chains, make that happen.

Introduction

I think if I were to choose a director that truly feels like the event director, it would have to be Christopher Nolan. Even if you don’t find his films that appealing, you can’t deny that when he releases a film, it does feel like a special occasion. Even people that watch 5 movies a year in the theater would most likely have a Nolan movie be part of that 5 if he’s releasing that year. His movies are always technically impressive to look at and you know that you’re going to get quite the experience when watching them. When it was announced that Nolan was going to adapt The Odyssey, I was very excited to see how this was going to turn out. Based on the tale from Homer and perhaps being one of the oldest pieces of literature out there, I think a lot of people weren’t sure if Nolan would be able to tackle this and were a bit worried. But for me, Nolan seemed like the perfect choice for this. One of the biggest directors tackling one of the most famous tales of all time seemed like a perfect match. I think though many like me wondered how he would tackle this and after all the hype surrounding the film, would it even live up to it? After watching it, The Odyssey may perhaps be the most important film in Nolan’s career right behind Oppenheimer and I believe is going to be looked back on as one of the great films of our time.

Review

The story of The Odyssey feels grand and the almost 3 hours we indulge in is engaging from start to finish. We see two sides of the story as we see the side of Telemachus as he’s dealing with the conflict of suitors wanting to take the throne from the King Odysseus as he’s been gone for many years, but Telemachus and the queen Penelope defend it. We also follow Odysseus as he is recounting his time after the Trojan War and trying to remember his memories

The film is told in a familiar Nolan style as we are a bit lost as the story starts and then fed information through the rest of the film. While I haven’t read the story of The Odyssey, I can tell that Nolan did a great job at recontextualizing this story for modern audiences and doing enough that makes it feel fresh and unique. The first half of the film is on a much slower side of letting us get to know this world and characters and then the second half locks in so hard and makes for a thrilling experience. I especially liked the themes that he tackles in the story as it deals with war, power, and regret. It takes the story of The Odyssey and explores another layer to it all that works for this story. It feels like the perfect companion piece to Oppenheimer after what he took on in that film and having similar themes prevalent here. There’s so many memorable sequences of the film that I’m still thinking about that makes for an unforgettable experience. Not only that, but it takes on different genres in some sequences as well like with horror. There’s a couple sequences that have horror elements to them that I was not expecting, but very happy to see how they were implemented into the story. I was also surprised with how emotional the story could be as there’s moments that carry a lot of weight to them. The story here had me hooked and even being almost 3 hours, it felt like that time was flying by and I think they did a great job telling the story the way they did.

The cast of The Odyssey is very much an all star cast as there are so many familiar names attached in this film. I think it would be easy for some of the casting decisions to feel a bit distracting with how many familiar faces are in the film, but I think just about everyone does a fantastic job here and do what they need to do in the film. I think Matt Damon is fantastic as Odysseus and I think the conflict that he has with himself as he recollects his past is shown immensely well. Tom Holland while not doing anything too crazy as Telemachus does what he needs to do in the role and is exceptional here. Anne Hathaway is once again acting her ass off and proving how great of an actress she is as Penelope. The same can be said for Robert Pattinson as Antinous being a wonderful villain. I think John Leguizamo as well does a phenomenal job as Eumaecus and provides an emotional core to it all. Also shoutout Himesh Patel as Eurylochus who I wasn’t expecting to have that big of a part in the story, but was happy he did. Then we have characters in the film that while having a small part I think provide so much to the film and give it their all when it’s their time to shine. This goes for Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Elliot Page (who has one of the best scenes of the movie), Samantha Morton (same thing), Jon Bernthal, Corey Hawkins, and so many other names I’m sure I’m missing. This cast is absolutely stacked and it’s great that so many of them do a lot to provide something for the film.

One clear standout of the film in the technical aspect is the cinematography. It’s an achievement seeing a film being entirely shot on IMAX 70mm and just from what they show here, you can see they went all out in showing the scope of this world to the max. There’s a lot of shots of the film that I’m still thinking about as I write this. Even though I didn't see this in IMAX 70mm (I got tickets for Saturday though lol), I still think you’re getting so much of the imagery that’s impressive to see on screen and there’s a beauty to it all. It’s just insane seeing what they were able to capture for this film especially doing it all with the IMAX cameras. It’s a visually impressive film that deserves to be seen if you can on the biggest screen possible.

Another clear standout of the film is Ludwig Görranson’s score. Ludwig has been proving himself as being one of this generation’s defining composers and the score that he provides for this film only proves this sentiment. Every time I hear a Ludwig score, it always sounds different and unique and that’s what it feels like here. I would say it’s not as loud as what Oppenheimer was doing, but it still manages to elevate scenes in the film. I’ve been thinking about the tracks Penelope and Odysseus ever since I left the theater. Ludwig’s scores are amazing and I can’t wait to hear more from him in the incoming future.

I think you can basically say that everything that this film is doing is just an achievement on all fronts. I found the set design remarkable and made me feel immersed into this world. The costumes are really well made and look great. The practical effects are very unique to look at and I love seeing that craft shown on screen. The VFX artists do so much work that they deserve props for. There’s some great uses of sound in the film that I love. I think especially where it stands out is during the Cyclops scene and the sirens scene. They do a phenomenal job with it and I especially can’t wait to have that experience of watching those scenes be enhanced when I see it in IMAX. Maybe the one thing that doesn’t always work is the sound mixing which has always been a problem in Nolan movies. Sometimes you can’t hear characters talk in a scene because of everything happening around and it does become a bit distracting. But besides that, I think all the other aspects that this film is doing is absolutely amazing.

As I describe The Odyssey I think it’s going to be a film that is remembered as one of the big epics of our time based on the scale and way that it was made. I see it on that level that we look at films from the past like The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia, and so many other films based on how these films look and the scale they were made on. I think it makes so much sense that Nolan followed up this film after Oppenheimer as these two seem like companion pieces to each other dealing with the themes of war and regret. I think even if the film isn’t perfect and you can nitpick quite a bit, it’s doing so much where you can’t deny that this film is doing things that other films aren’t. I could talk so much more about how much I love this film, but I think you need to see it for yourself to get the full picture. Out of any director, I’m glad it was Nolan that took on this task of adapting this story for the silver screen.

Final Thoughts

The Odyssey is going to be a film remembered through time. It’s an achievement in filmmaking from the way it was made to the scale of it all. I was floored with what I saw on screen and I can’t wait to catch it a couple more times on the big screen which I don’t usually do, but this is a film that feels like it deserves it.

Rating: 9.5/10

Introduction

Every once in a while, we get a film where it just feels like everyone was locked in while making it. It feels like everyone that is part of the production is on the same wavelength and they create something that’s unforgettable. After the controversial Don’t Worry Darling, I think many were wondering what Olivia Wilde would do next. Would she end up in directors jail or find a way to make something else? We would get that result with this film. Unlike Don’t Worry Darling, this is a much lower budget film and with all the great buzz it was getting, I was curious to see how this would turn out. After watching it, The Invite has taken the top spot as my favorite film of the year so far with how impressive everything is about it.

Review

The story of The Invite is simple. It’s about a couple that invite their neighbors over for a dinner party and things unravel over those next couple hours. While the set up is simple, the execution of this story really surprised me with the directions it decides to go and how engaging it was. While we are in one place for basically the whole duration, the film does so much to make sure you’re engaged with it the entire time. I like that it commits to it and doesn’t try to move away from this setting. It’s also a very funny movie and while tensions are brewing and things are getting cringy, you can’t help but laugh with what’s going on at times. It also manages to be serious when it needs to and it creates sequences that surprised me with how beautifully executed it was. It kinda feels like watching a play with how the story is framed, but it does a lot that brings so much more to it than you would think this type of story would do. The story is great to watch unfold and I loved it.

With a film only having 4 characters, it’s important that each of the characters get their spotlight and likely that is very much the case here. All the characters in this film are fantastic to watch on display. I think it’s honestly a career best or at least some of the best performances I’ve seen from each of these actors. Seth Rogen does his usual thing, but it feels like he’s more focused on delivering some very clever and funny line deliveries here that make this performance work so well. Olivia Wilde is anxious and chaotic through the whole thing that makes for some of the funniest scenes of the movie. Penélope Cruz has this mystique to her character that brings a sense of tension to everything else surrounding the characters that I loved seeing from her. Finally we have Edward Norton who probably does the least amount when it comes to the characters, but the subtle stuff that surrounds his character as well as the unexpected nature of him is what makes him work in this. This film also has some very clever writing and dialogue that is the cherry on top for it all. While it has a small cast, all the performances in this are fun to watch and everyone brought something to the table that makes the film work in its favor.

What’s really impressive about the film is how technically impressive it is for only using one location. The score elevates scenes and brings tension into it. When things calm down, something happens and the score kicks in to make it more intense. It brings a lot to the film. The set design is also really amazing. The apartment was filmed on a soundstage and I just find it impressive how much they were able to do with this small setting. There’s a lot of detail in the apartment that gives it personality and makes the apartment a character of its own. The cinematography choices as well make some smart choices in telling this story. Even the costume design works for the film and the clothes and colors that the characters wear tell you so much about the characters as well. There’s a lot that the film was doing that I found a deep appreciation for and the more I think about it, the more I love that those choices were made.

The Invite on the surface is a simple concept and something that if any of the pieces were moved away from one another, I don’t think this film works as well as it does. But because of the way it’s framed, it makes everything fall in line so well and it makes for an experience that is unforgettable. The audience I watched it with was locked in and it seemed like everyone I was watching with it understood the assignment which is rare. I’m so glad that Olivia Wilde was able to make this and I look forward to seeing what she decides to take on next. This film is a special one.

Final Thoughts

The Invite is one of the best films of the year and it takes something that could easily been told in a boring way and decides to add so many layers to it that makes it more worthwhile as a result. Everyone that worked on it deserves their flowers for creating an unforgettable experience. When we look back at this year in films, this is one people will be talking about.

Rating: 10/10

Introduction

I’ll be honest. For a long time, I did not like the minions. While I liked the first and second Despicable Me movies, The minions were something that were appearing everywhere and it just got to a point where I got sick of them. For a long time, I did not like these little guys. However over this past year something changed. Maybe it’s because my group of friends bring references to them all the time, but I finally came around to liking these guys. I watched the first two minions movies the last couple weeks and while definitely far from perfect, I enjoyed them much more than I ever thought I would. Maybe it’s because of age, but hey these little guys are actually cool in my book now. So when this new minion movie was announced, I remained skeptical, but intrigued since it would be paying homage to old Hollywood. After watching it, Minions & Monsters is easily the best minion movie and honestly a really nice tribute to old Hollywood which I can’t believe I’m saying for a minion movie.

Review

I really loved the story much more than I thought I would in Minions & Monsters. This feels the most focused of the minion movies in presenting a coherent story. We see how the minions make their way in Hollywood and how they become stars in the process. As the film goes on it delves into two plot lines which involves the trio of James, Henry, and Ed making a movie together and the other is the rest of the minions trying to help a robot Dort in his conquest to take over Earth until he falls in love with a woman named Debbie. I really loved the plot with the trio. It feels the most focused and the trio we follow is likable. I wasn’t sure how to feel about the other side plot, but towards the end, I felt like I was won over with how it decides to conclude. The story of the movie really surprised me with how much I enjoyed it.

I was slightly disappointed when I heard the trio of Kevin, Bob, and Stuart weren’t going to be in this film. They essentially become the faces of the series and I wondered how they would carry on without them. Luckily the new trio of James, Henry, and Ed are really fun to watch on screen. I think James might be my new favorite minion because he just like me fr fr (I also like making da movies). In all seriousness though, he has an interesting arc in this movie of someone wanting to create art which I found heartwarming. Then you have Henry who wants James to succeed which I found sweet. Then there’s Ed who communicates in sign language and I would honestly fight anyone to protect Ed because he rocks. It’s funny for a character design that’s pretty simple, they do a great job distinguishing minions from one another and they stand out on their own.. You have other characters in the film as well that are fun to watch. I found Goomi especially fun considering he’s voiced by Trey Parker of South Park. The film overall has a lot of fun characters that I enjoyed watching.

In terms of animation, this is some of the best that an Illumination film has looked. The minions have always had a very simple design to them, but they do look really good here. Everything around them looks amazing and these films have come a long way compared to what the first Despicable Me looked like. The action set pieces in the film are fun and you can tell the animators have fun making these set pieces. There’s a lot going on in them that maybe some stuff doesn’t work all the time, but it is entertaining to watch.

I think what I really loved from this movie though is its tribute to old Hollywood and filmmaking. Right as this movie begins, it starts off with references of the Lumiere brothers and Georges Melies and I knew at that point it was going to be a good time. Sure there’s a lot of references that are really on the nose, but you can tell Pierre Coffin has a passion for this era of filmmaking and using the minions as a way to tell it is kinda heartwarming. Seeing references of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd in out of all things a Minions movie is wild. I think it’s even funny as it gets to talk about the commentary of moving from the silent era to the talkies which I found amusing. Not only that, but using a kids movie as a way to educate people on this era of Hollywood is smart and maybe paves the way for kids to be find out more of this era. We’re so used to this happening in more adult films that it’s nice to see in a kids movie. I don’t know guys. This movie definitely isn’t a masterpiece, but I really loved a lot that this film was doing. It just feels like it has a lot of heart that sometimes feels missing from these movies. Rather than just being mindless, it’s mindless at times, but also educational in old Hollywood. Just give me more minions movies that can educational in the topics they cover. I think that would be fascinating.

Final Thoughts

Minions & Monsters is the best minions movie and a really fun homage to old Hollywood. It surprised me in a way that I didn’t think would happen in an Illumination movie. It’s no masterpiece or anything, but it does a lot right that made me appreciate it that much more. Congratulations Minions, you won me over.

Rating: Papoi/10

Introduction

Hey everyone and welcome back to another issue of Calebs Video Store. This is the series where I talk about anything film related whether its recent news, something I got to experience, or something I just want to talk about. We have finally made it to the double digits and I think that is very exciting. I’ve been doing this series for almost a year now and it’s been a fun time being able to have an outlet to talk about different film topics like this with you guys. I’m looking at how to reinvent some of the stuff that we’ve been doing here and I’m hoping to have those changes coming in the months that follow. I hope that you continue to read it all. With that said, we have a fun issue this month as we talk about Gen Z’s impact at the theaters, my dream movies I want in the criterion collection, some recommendations for the criterion sale at Barnes & Noble, and taking a look at my dads Letterboxd top 4. Without further ado, let’s enter the video store.

Is Gen Z Really Saving the Movie Theaters?

Over the past couple video store issues, I’ve talked about the rise of video game movies and YouTube filmmakers coming into the scene. One of the things that I think has led to the success of both these elements is the Gen Z audience. There have been stats going around that have talked about how Gen Z is the leading force of going to the movies more than anyone right now. As someone that is part of Gen Z (born in 2000), this makes a lot of sense as I’ve noticed many reasons why this is the case. I wanted to explore the different elements that I believe are leading this wave.

The biggest reason why I think Gen Z is showing up for the movies is because of well the movies themselves. Just last month, we got some of the biggest horror releases in recent years with Obsession and Backrooms. I think it’s fair to say that a majority of the audience that did go watch it is part of Gen Z and it makes sense since both filmmakers are from that generation as well. I think as long as there is intrigue in the story and having new filmmakers come up in the industry, people are going to want to show up for that. Bringing it back to the video game movies as well, movies like Five Nights at Freddys and A Minecraft Movie were all big with that demographic as well. People like to see properties that they are familiar with and they will show up if the intrigue is there as well as adapting the material in a way that will drive people in. Also it feels like recently where people are excited more than ever to watch movies in different formats like IMAX and on film. Ever since Sinners, it feels like people are willing to see the films in the formats that they are meant to be seen in and it seems like theaters know this as well. It was a big deal to see movies like One Battle After Another, Project Hail Mary, and next with The Odyssey in the best format possible. I think we are seeing that audiences want that experience in a theater that they wouldn’t get from home. Plus anytime I go to a film that gets re released in theaters now, it feels like a decent amount of people show up as well. It’s letting people be able to watch their favorite movies on the big screen. You get something out of seeing a movie you love on the big screen.

Not only that, but we have things like Letterboxd and movie theater subscriptions that have only intrigued people more into watching more movies. With Letterboxd, it brings a whole community in watching movies and people will go out and see the new releases so they can talk about them. It’s a nice way to bring conversation in the mix as well. Then we have theater subscriptions like Regal Unlimited and AMC A-list that lets people go to the theaters multiple times at a set price, so they don’t have to worry about paying each time which in turn, also makes it an inexpensive activity. I think theater subscriptions especially have made it so people like me and others can go watch more movies. It makes it accessible for people and I think Gen Z especially gets a kick being able to go to the theater multiple times in a week.

So is Gen Z saving the movie theaters? I think that yes this is the case. Like yes, it’s always been the younger generations that go to the movies more than anyone else. But it still seems to be Gen Z leading that theater revolution and from the reasons listed above, it’s easy to see why this would be the case. Hopefully as long as those elements are still working, I expect Gen Z to continue being the audience that shows up to the movies for the years to come.

My Dream Movies I Want in the Criterion Collection

So the criterion sale at Barnes & Noble is currently happening right now. This is always an exciting time of the year because we get to see many people’s hauls of what they get. I’m always fascinated to see what people get and sometimes, I’ll even get one of those movies of my own when I do my own haul. With this going on though, it got me thinking of movies that I would love to see added to the collection in the future and how likely the possibility of my picks would happen. I named 4 movies that I thought about that would make a perfect additions to it and my reason for wanting them added. Here are those movies:

Blood in Blood Out (1993): I always remember seeing the vhs and dvd lying around for this movie growing up as my dad loved it, but I hadn’t seen it until a couple years ago and I fell in love with it. Yes it’s quite cheesy, but a Chicano epic crime drama is just amazing to watch all the way through. For a while, you couldn’t stream it anywhere, but about a year ago, it finally appeared on streaming platforms so maybe there’s a chance of a physical media release in the future. I would love to see the film get a 4K release and I think it would be perfect for the collection.

Jackass (2002): I think out of every film on this list, this is probably the film I want the most on here and maybe even a box set of all of them. Jackass was a huge part of my life growing up (I was 3 when I watched the first movie lol) and I think it was definitely culturally relevant during that time the show and movies were coming out. It has appeared in the criterion channel so I think maybe there is a bit of hope here we could see a release of it. Whenever that day is, it will be a good day when it happens.

The Cat in the Hat (2003): Ok the possibility of this is basically zero. But someone made a criterion cover for it and it’s something you can set on Letterboxd. So Criterion if you’re listening to this, this would be your greatest achievement putting this film in your library.

Ratatouille (2007): A couple of issue’s ago, I did talk about a bunch of animated films that should be added, but I forgot that Ratatouille which I think would be perfect for it. They already have a Pixar film with WALL-E in the mix so I think this one would be the one that makes the most sense to add next. It’s Pixar at its peak and just so good. I hope one day it happens because I know the bonus content would go insane.

Let me know any films that you would want added into the criterion collection. I’m always curious about different films that might have the chance to be there one day. Now fr Criterion, make The Cat in the Hat thing happen.

Quick Tangent: Criterion Recommendations for the Barnes & Noble Sale

Speaking of the Barnes & Noble sale, I want to give some recommendations of films you should get during it. I think the experience of looking at the films can be a bit overwhelming because there are so many films in the criterion collection to choose from and sometimes, you might not know what to get. So I wanted to recommend films that you should get if you feel a bit lost on what to look for. Here’s a couple here:

House (1977)

La Bamba (1987)

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Paris is Burning (1990)

Close-Up (1990)

Chungking Express (1994)

The Watermelon Woman (1996)

Mulholland Drive (2001)

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Gregg Araki’s Teen Apocalypse Trilogy

Exploring My Dad’s Letterboxd Top 4

So for those who might not know, my dad was one of the leading figures that got me interested in watching films. I have a ton of memories watching so many movies with him and I got introduced to so many amazing films this way. My dad passed away a couple years ago and I’ve seen so many films since then that I wish I could show and talk to him about. Before he passed, I helped him make a Letterboxd because I wanted to see the films he had watched and the ratings he would give them. He gave an extensive list of films that he rated that I like to look back at his profile now seeing many of the films he watched. He also made his own Letterboxd top 4 which had two films that I had already seen and two films I had never seen. This month, I decided to finally watch those two films that I hadn’t seen and wanted to talk about each film that did appear in the top 4. Here are those films:

Goodfellas (1990): One of the most iconic mafia films of all time. My dad loved a ton of the mafia stuff with The Sopranos and movies like this. I had watched this film with him and loved it so much. It’s something that keeps you engaged from start to finish and doesn’t stop moving. . Probably my favorite Scorsese film even and there’s a reason it has the status that it does.

Back to the Future (1985): One of my favorite films from my childhood and even still now one of my favorite films. This was one of the films that my dad introduced me to as a kid and I’ve loved it ever since. Even now, I get so excited watching the climax of the film and it’s something that will always be a big part of me. It makes sense that it has a place here.

Casino (1995): Two Scorsese films making it in and this was one that my dad talked about a decent amount of times. After watching it I can see why. Similar to Goodfellas, The pacing of this movie flies by. It feels like something is always happening and it keeps you engaged from start to finish. I love the production design of it all as well. Something about the way that Vegas looked during this time is fascinating and the movie does a great job at taking you to that time. So many great sequences in this and a great movie overall.

Giant (1956): Out of all the movies on this list this was one that my dad talked about the least. I do remember him watching it late at night multiple times, but I never asked too many details about it. He had a fair share of long movies that he liked to watch late at night and this was one of them. I was surprised with how much I loved this though. Even though it’s 3 and a half hours, the runtime of this film goes by quickly and the main 3 leads are fantastic especially James Dean. I was also surprised how progressive this film was for its time talking about topics like racism and interracial marriage and I found it a fascinating watch. I would love to watch it again in the future and grab a 4k of it because this film does look gorgeous.

Those were the movies on his list. I look at this list of movies and it basically represents most of his movie tastes that I remember from him. You have the mafia movies, the 80s representation, and an epic drama from the 50s that I would probably catch him watching in the middle of the night. I miss being able to watch movies with my dad, but I’m grateful for getting to experience so many movies with him and those are memories that I will always hold deep inside me. Also just so we don’t end things on a complete downer, I present my dad’s one Letterboxd review that he left.

June Recommendations

As always this is a segment where I recommend the media that I watched throughout the month. I wanted to do something a bit different this month though for the recommendations. As we approach the end of pride month I wanted to leave a thread that I’ve been updating throughout the month of my favorites of queer cinema. Queer representation in film is important and I have seen so many films with amazing queer stories and I think it deserves that spotlight as we approach the end of pride month. So this is for the media that you should watch not just during pride month, but throughout the year because these are important stories to tell. You can click the thread below to see all the films I put in the list.

Conclusion

That’s all for this issue of the video store. I’m glad that we have made it to ten issues and before you know it, we'll be at the triple digits, but that’ll be a while from now so I hope you stay with me for that journey. If you liked reading this issue, make sure to give it a like, comment, share, and if you haven’t yet, you should go and subscribe to the newsletter as you’ll get a new issue of this at the end of each month as well as other reviews and essays throughout the month. Thank you again for stopping by the store and I will see you next time for another issue.

Introduction

The Toy Story franchise is something that has always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I watched the first two a ton as a kid and forever love those films. I remember seeing the third one in theaters and feeling the emotions of finality that came with it and it was nice to appreciate this as an amazing trilogy. This would shortly last as then we would get a fourth one which while not as strong as the first three, I still found appreciation for it especially Woody’s arc in the film. It seemed like with that film, it was a nice little epilogue to the series and that we could now put the series to rest. Now 7 years later, we are back in the same position as before with Toy Story 5. Going into this one, I did see promise here as it was talking about technology which is something I was convinced they would tackle in the fourth movie which they didn’t but now it’s here. Not to mention it seemed like it was going to focus on Jesse which I looked forward to seeing as she got pushed to the side in the last one. My thoughts were if they could make a story work for the fourth one, then I’m sure they could make a story work for a fifth one. After watching it, while I think it is the weakest of the series, Toy Story 5 is still an enjoyable time and does a whole lot right.

Review

The story for Toy Story 5 is good for the most part. It takes on topics that I think work for this story and it at least has something to say. It tackles the themes of technology and the role it plays in our lives. They also showed how it can be harmful with something like bullying but also provide ways that it would be useful like connecting people. It’s middle ground stuff, but hey it worked for the story. I will say however they explore the themes of purpose as a toy again which is something they have been doing since Toy Story 2 and at this point, it does get redundant exploring something like this once again. It is luckily saved with how they approach Jesse’s story in this and the direction they go, but I did have this feeling of “oh so we’re doing this thing again” and it gets to a point where you wonder how much longer are we going to go this direction in the films? It’s not exactly the worst thing they could’ve done, but it is noticeable. I still did find appreciation in the story and most of it did work for me.

As Jesse was pushed to the side in the last one, she is given the main focus of this movie and I’m glad that they go this direction. Even though they are doing the “what is my purpose as a toy” angle again, I think they end up approaching it with care and it does enough to make the story and her character work. It is a clear highlight of the story. Also I found the Buzz Lightyear side plot to be really funny. I don’t know, something about a bunch of Buzz Lightyear toys moving like a unit was really funny to me and it has some of the most exciting set pieces of the film when they are involved. The new toys also are a nice addition to the story especially Smarty Pants voiced by Conan O’Brien who is very funny in this. I will say, while it’s nice to see Woody again, he doesn’t do a whole lot in this story where it felt like they needed to bring him back. He did have a nice conclusion to his arc in 4 and I think it would have been fine to maybe just have one scene with him and that’s it. He barely does anything to justify him in this story. I also miss seeing the other toys in the mix like Mr and Mrs Potato Head, Rex, Hamm, and Slinky having a role in the story. It was fun seeing all these toys interact in the other movies and they are mostly pushed to the side in this story. At least the characters they do focus on are fun and engaging for the most part and still make the film work.

If there’s anything to give Pixar so much credit for, it’s how amazing the animation looks now. The animation has come a long way ever since the first movie and this is easily the best that it has ever looked. The team of animators deserve so much credit for bringing this world to life with how everything looks. From the designs of toys to how the environments look, I’m always impressed to see how much effort goes into these movies and this is especially true here. There’s a lot of fun sequences in this film and it’s thanks to how the animation looks. It’s always a high point for me when watching Pixar movies.

I am wondering how long they will keep up with this as with Toy Story 3 and even 4, it seemed like they were officially done with the series, Now with Toy Story 5, you can feel they are leaving room to tell another story for the future and it doesn’t have that same feeling of finality the previous two did. I mean hey as long as they make big money, I’m sure they will keep at them, but I think this is the one where it really showed it doesn’t have all the same charm that it once did. It’s a fun adventure, but at some point, you can only do so much with these characters and it feels like we are getting to a point where it seems like they are pushing what they are able to do with these characters. Only time will tell at the end of the day. Regardless though, I do think it is still a fun time and I think there’s a lot of great stuff to appreciate about it. For 5 films in a series, there still hasn’t been a bad film in the series (minus Lightyear) and that’s pretty impressive.

Final Thoughts

Toy Story 5 might be the weakest of the series and it does feel like it’s starting to repeat itself in some of the themes it presents, but luckily it still does enough to make you appreciate what it does right and it’s still a good time. Just don’t be surprised now if a Toy Story 6 is announced because they make big money.

Rating: 7/10

Introduction

Steven Spielberg is a director that needs no introduction. He’s created some of the most iconic films of all time and is my personal favorite director. He’s one of the directors that made me interested in film as an art form and it’s something I’ll never forget. So when I heard a new Spielberg movie was being made, I’ll knew instantly I was going to be there. Going into this film, I tried staying away from most of the marketing and just had the idea that this would be an alien type of movie which Spielberg has tapped into before. After watching it though, while I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite Spielberg film and there’s problems I have with it. Disclosure Day does some of the riskiest things I’ve seen from Spielberg in a while and I fell into the side of liking what most of the film decides to do.

Review

I found myself to really enjoy the story and themes that the film decides to delve into. Now at times it does get pretty messy and that could be because the script went through so many rewrites and it feels like ideas are present from each of those drafts the make it a bit of a mess. This is the most apparent during the first two acts as there’s so much going on in the movie. While I still liked what the film was trying to do during that time, I can’t deny I do have have problems with what it decides to focus on and not everything comes together completely. However by the time it does get to the third act, I felt myself fully immersed in this story and was fully on board with what it decided to do. Especially the last 15 minutes, I was just enthralled with everything happening at that moment. While the movie does have the aliens part of it, I really like the way the movie incorporates its themes which have to do with empathy and trauma and having this one thing bring us all together. I found it to really work for me with its execution. Maybe not everything fully works in the story, but I still found myself compelled with it by the end.

While the acting is good across the board, there’s two performances here that I would say are just on a whole other level compared to everyone else. One of those performances is with Emily Blunt. I think this is the strongest performance I’ve seen from her. She is giving it her all here and I found myself fully interested when she was given the focus of the story. She has a complexity to her where she’s doing these crazy things that make her so compelling to follow. She is amazing in this and deserves her flowers. The other performance that is fantastic is technically in the last 10 minutes and is a spoiler. But they give a super effective performance that blew my mind with how good it was. It works especially for the emotional climax and they make a scene that could’ve easily not worked work so damn well here. Everyone else is good, but I do wish they were given a bit more to play around with. The performances from Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, and Eve Hewson are all good, but it at times feels like they aren’t given as much to work with and I wish they had a little more to work with. Luckily the performance and character from Emily Blunt Is almost more than enough to satisfy me and it does work for the most part with her as a lead and when the story focuses on her.

If there’s anything that this movie is going to remind you of, it’s that Spielberg is a hell of a director and even when things aren’t completely working, there’s moments to take away from the film where you can appreciate the art and craft going into everything. I really liked a lot of the sequences that this movie has. Even though the movie has a lot of talking in it and exposition, it seems like the film is always moving in a pace and is engaging to watch. For the most part, the technical aspects are all great across the front here. The cinematography, set design, score and more are all things I like and loved seeing the work that went into them. This is especially true for John Williams score in this which I really loved. I’ll admit the past couple scores that he has done haven’t been the most memorable, but the score for this film really surprised me with how much I loved it and it definitely does a great job at elevating certain scenes in this. It’s something that has felt missing for a while from his scores and I’m glad it worked for this movie. This is the type of blockbuster that I love to see and when those aspects are working, it makes things feel that much grander in scale.

I can understand why this is getting such a mixed reaction and why it’s doesn’t work for everyone. At times it even doesn’t work for me, but for the first time for what has felt like a while, it’s nice to watch a Spielberg film where it does feel like it’s trying new things that Spielberg hasn’t attempted in his work. When the film works, it really works for me and does outweigh the weaker stuff of the film. Walking out of the theater, I could feel this mixed reaction the theater was having toward the film and sometimes it's so much more interesting to see a film get a reaction like that. As for me, I stand on the side of liking most of what it did.

Conclusion

Disclosure Day is a film that doesn’t work all the time and I can understand the mixed reaction that its been getting, but for the most part, I really enjoyed my time with it and I think it’s a film that I will grow to like the more I think about it. I’m just grateful that I get to watch new movie from a director I deeply admire and whatever he decides to do next, I’ll be there.

Rating: 7/10

Introduction

So this month we got probably the two biggest horror movie releases in a long time with Obsession and Backrooms. Backrooms was predicated to already be a huge movie, but I don’t think anyone knew how huge Obsession would turn out to be. Originally I wasn’t going to review Obsession as I had a lot going on in the month. However since these are two huge horror movies and they’ve been the talk of the town. I figured I would review them together in the first ever Quick Review Double Feature. Everyone should really go see them while they are in theaters! Now here’s a review for both movies in one!

Obsession Review

Obsession is something that has been on my radar ever since SXSW as many people I follow came out of it claiming it was already the best horror movie of the year. Now when I hear this sentiment, I tend to keep my expectations at a lower level. So many other movies have had this claim in the past and I would tend to end up disappointed by them. However I was still very interested in the film. I hadn’t heard of Curry Barker and the work he had done on Youtube before, but I went into the movie wondering what he would come up with. After watching it though, Obsession is not only the scariest movie of the year, but it’s one of the scariest movies I have seen in a long time and I’m so happy I can say that.

I would have never expected the story of this film to be as scary as it was, but man it caught me off guard with how scary it could get. The film takes concepts like taking advantage of someone and creating this horrifying nightmare around it. Then you look at character decisions and see how much of a mess unravels because of it. The more you think about the decisions made in the film, the more you realize how screwed this situation actually is. There’s so much in here that you can analyze and take away from the film. It also manages a great blend of horrifying nightmare fuel and then being really funny at some points. It does a great job balancing those emotions and they don’t get in the way with each other. It’s also just so damn mean, but in a way that doesn’t ruin the film and instead adds to it. The story is so damn good and really pulled me in with what it decides to do.

The acting all across the board in Obsession in phenomenal. The performances from Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, and Megan Lawless are all great and they deserve their flowers for what they give to this movie. I think each of them do have scenes where they get to shine and the chemistry between them is very strong. You can believe that they have all been friends for a while. But of course, the performance from Inde Navarrette is on an another level. Her performance has so many layers to it and she’s tapping into all sorts of emotions that just elevates the whole film. She’s giving an extremely scary but also devastating performance throughout the whole film. She’s already up there for me as one of the most iconic horror performances of the 21st century and it’s just so good. All the performances in the film are all great and everyone has something to offer to the film.

Another thing that elevates the movie is how impressive everything is from a technical aspect. The score from Rock Burwell is incredible well made. It has this eerie nostalgic sound to it where its sound peaceful, but also where something seems off about it. I think it’s great especially from this film. The cinematography from Taylor Clemons is creepy and there’s some very clever shots in this. The scene where Nikki is in the corner of the room has lived rent free in my head ever since watching it. The practical effects are incredible and props to the art direction and makeup team for making some incredible practical effects as well The craft that went into making this film is amazing to watch and everyone deserves some love for what they were able to offer.

I’m so happy to see a movie like this do amazing as it is at the box office. As I write this, it was up on its third weekend at the box office which is something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. It beat out The Mandalorian and Grogu in its second week which is absolutely insane. But I love to see it. There’s just so much to appreciate about this film and Curry Barker and his team deserve so much appreciation for the love and craft that went into making this film work as well as it does.

Obsession is a generational horror film that is going to be talked about for many years to come. I absolutely loved this film and if you can watch this in a theater, you should take that chance because it’s perfect for that setting. I’m excited to see what Curry Barker will make in the future.

Rating: 9/10

Backrooms Review

Ever since I heard the concept of liminal spaces, it’s something that has always fascinated me. Showing locations that look familiar and empty is something that feels nostalgic but so eerie when you look at the different images surrounding it. I’ve seen the whole concept of the Backrooms blow up and while I’m not too familiar with the series that Kane Parsons made, I can say that at such a young age, its impressive he was able to make this series in Blender and surround so much lore around it. So when I heard a movie surrounding the idea, I was intrigued and hoped that they could deliver on its concept. After watching it, Backrooms manages to do this and it’s another horror movie to add to the great ones that we’ve gotten this year.

The story of Backrooms pulled me in with its great introduction. Right away you can feel the tension of being in there and that’s continues throughout the film. The concept of being in a familiar place but then getting completely lost in all of it is terrifying and I think they nail that feeling here. There’s also themes of loneliness that are prevalent in the story that manage to add another layer to everything surrounding the Backrooms. The movie does a fine job as well creating suspense and I’m glad it’s not to focused on regular jump scares but instead leaving you in these empty spaces never knowing when something could appear. The story for the most part does work for me. I do think however think once it gets to the last third of the film, it does lose a bit of steam. It starts to fall a bit into some common horror tropes like having a chase scene where the character isn’t making the greatest decisions. I do like what most of the story is doing however and it makes me want to check out the other stuff set up in Kane Parsons web series.

While the writing can be on the weaker side at some points. It is luckily saved for the most part by two fantastic performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reisve. They really bring a lot to this film and I could see it suffering a bit more if they weren’t in this. They add a lot to it and you can see them giving it their all as well. Also shoutout to Finn Bennett and Lukita Maxwell as well who are great together and I love when we see them exploring the backrooms as well. Mark Duplass despite a small part has some time to shine in there as well. While the cast is small, it works out perfect for the film and helps with the vibe of what the backrooms are going for.

Easily my favorite part of the film is the production design. From the first scene, you are captivated seeing these locations and you feel a sense of tension as they are getting explored throughout the movie. There’s so much empty space in them where it feels uncanny showing these familiar locations be stripped down and look so unnerving. Then when it moves into the vhs segments, you are awaiting something to pop out right behind the characters. But most of the time, that doesn’t happen and there’s a sense of dread pulling you in as they go in further. This works so well with the incredible production design. I think some will be upset that their aren’t more locations that the backrooms are recognized for, but it’s still incredible and shoutout production designer Danny Vermette and the crew for making these locations comes= to life and making it terrifying in the process.

I can see why people wouldn’t like the direction that the film goes on, but I really loved what this film decided to be. It was unnerving and a treat to watch everything unravel. I was intrigued by it all and I’m glad Kane got this opportunity to tell this story for the big screen. I’m excited to see what he is going to make in the future.

Backrooms is another horror movie in the books this year that delivers in being a suspenseful and frightening time. It was a great way to adapt this concept on the big screen and I think they did it justice. There’s no doubt in my mind that we will be seeing more of it in the future and I’m excited to see where it will go. What a great time for horror movies.

Rating: 8/10

Introduction

Hello and welcome back to another issue of Calebs Video Store. This is a series where I talk about anything film related whether it’s recent news, something I got to experience, or something I just want to talk about. It’s been a crazy month for me. I recently graduated college and that means I have more time to watch da movies. What I’m really excited for now is I get to put more time into this blog and this series and I’m very excited for that. More content and some new changes will be coming soon on here so make sure to look out for that. For now we have some topics to get into with the rise of youtube filmmakers in the film industry, a quick tangent on taking graduation pictures at my childhood theater, and movies that I’m looking forward to during the summer season. Without further ado, let’s enter the video store.

The Rise of YouTube Filmmakers in the Film Industry

So last issue I was talking about the rise of video game movies and while writing it, I was thinking of something else that we have been seeing the rise of in the industry as well which is a lot of filmmakers that got their start from Youtube are making a big splash into the film scene. The Backrooms movie is coming out this week and Kane Parsons the director got his start from making these Backroom shorts on Youtube. Then we have Curry Barker who just released Obsession which has become one of the most talked about films of the year. He got his start from Youtube and it’s interesting to see these creators get this opportunity to make films like this. Hell we even got Markiplier who released Iron Lung this year and it did numbers at the box office on a relatively low budget. It made me think of how far things have come when it comes to YouTuber filmmakers and movies.

Now movies made by YouTubers aren’t necessarily a new thing. In fact we got a decent amount of YouTuber films in the early 2010s like with Fred The Movie, Smosh The Movie, Not Cool, etc.. However most of these were poorly received and these types of films failed to capture audiences. Then we started getting a steady pace of people that had a background from YouTube getting a chance to make feature length films. People like David F. Sandberg and Dan Tratchenberg are examples of this. Now more than ever, it feels like this is fully being realized. Last year we had the Philippu brothers (RackaRacka) debut their second film Bring Her Back and Chris Stuckman released Shelby Oaks as well. Not to mention David F, Sandberg released Until Dawn and Dan Tratchenberg released Predator Badlands as well. I think it’s working out now because rather than basing these movies off the gimmick that these YouTubers were doing at the time like with Fred and Smosh, we are instead getting actual stories away from those gimmicks that doomed those films in the first place. It feels like for the past year, we have gotten more movies than ever from people that got there start from YouTube and it’s exciting to see.

I think we have a lot to look forward to in the future. We got exciting filmmakers from the likes of Kane Parsons, Curry Barker, the Philippou brothers and so many others that I’m sure I’m missing. I think it’s exciting to see this talent that started off from YouTube being given these opportunities to create for the big screen and I think we are going to see this type of thing continue. It’s important that these creators get a chance to do this because we need new faces in film and some of the most exciting content is coming from YouTube and there’s a lot of unique talent there. We have been eating well in terms of the horror side of things, but I hope that we will see great films from other genres as well. It’s important we continue to support these films and filmmakers and I’m excited about what these current and future filmmakers will make.

Quick Tangent: I Took Graduation Pictures at my Childhood Theater

So as I was preparing for the graduation season. I wanted to take some graduation pictures to celebrate the moment. I was trying to figure out how I wanted them done and I was originally going to go to famous film locations in LA and have pictures taken at different spots. However, I couldn’t really figure out an idea of how I wanted them done and ultimately didn’t go through with this idea. I wanted to do something that felt personal and really celebrated the moment and then I thought of something. Earlier in the year, I found out my childhood theater had closed down. It was sad to see because I saw so many great films there and it made me love films the way I do today. However, the building was still standing and they hadn’t taken anything down. I figured I could do graduation pictures there as a tribute to the theater that I got to experience so much joy at. I did end up writing about this theater a month ago which you can read here. But we ended up taking pictures there and I really loved the way they came out. I’m glad to have the memories I did at that theater and it felt like the best way to commemorate the moment. Shoutout Krikorian Metroplex 18 for giving me some of my favorite theater memories.

The Summer Season is Here So Here’s Some Summer Movies I’m Looking Forward To

So we are now entering the summer film season which means we are getting some of the bigger films of the year coming out. This is a time for the big blockbusters to come out and bring everyone out to the theater. Looking at the schedule for the next couple months, there’s a decent amount of films to be excited about so I wanted to talk about some of the ones that I’m excited for and you should look out for. Let’s take a look at some of these films.

Backrooms: At the time of writing this, Backrooms will be coming out this week and I’ve been looking forward to this one ever since its announcement. The backroom stuff has always intrigued me and I can’t wait to see what we get out of it. The fact that Kane Parsons is 20 and directing this is still insane to me.

Disclosure Day: A new Steven Spielberg alien film sounds like a dream and I’m glad I live in a world where this is a reality. Been trying to stay away from the promotional stuff going around because I want to watch this as blind as possible. But this is probably the film I’m excited for the most during the summer and I’m excited to watch it in the next couple weeks.

Evil Dead Burn: I really like the idea of giving different filmmakers to helm an Evil Dead movie and I’m excited for this one. I love the Evil Dead films and as long as they can find new ways to keep me intrigued with the series, I’ll show up to an Evil Dead film anytime.

The Odyssey: This is going to be the big movie of the summer since it is a Nolan movie, but that is for a good reason. An adaptation of The Odyssey story is a big deal and I’m really hoping that Nolan can do it justice for his adaptation. I just know I will be seated on day 1 for this.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day: Listen I’m a Spider-Man fan so no matter what, I was always going to be pulling up to this one. With how No Way Home ended, I am intrigued to see where they’re going to take this story and how everything will play out. Might have to pull out the spider-man costume for this as well (jk lol…unless).

The End of Oak Street: Just from the teaser for this movie, I’m on board with it. It seems like it’s always hard to get dinosaur stuff in movies right seeing as even the Jurassic Park series has trouble with this. But this one is showing a lot of promise and I can only hope that it delivers on what it is teasing. Also Anne Hathaway casually being in 6 films this year including this one is iconic and I love that for her.

That’s the movies I am looking forward to the most during the summer. Honestly there’s a lot to be excited for and I think this summer is going to be a great time for the movies. Now if someone can get me a ticket to a IMAX 70 mm screening of The Odyssey opening weekend, I will give you a really nice high five in the process (please).

May Recommendations

As always this is a segment where I talk about some of my favorite films that I watched during the month that were new watches. I’ll be honest, I barely watched anything new this month. This month was filled with rewatches as I rewatched a decent amount of movies while trying to get through finals, but I did get to watch a couple noteworthy films during the month that I wanted to give a mention. Here are my recommendations for the month of May!

Chef (2014): There’s a new Jon Favreau movie out in theaters right now, but honestly this is the Favreau movie you should just watch instead. What I love about Chef is how much passion you can tell Jon has for food and cooking and it’s just a nice little tale of someone finding their passion in what they love to do again. It’s a nice little film that I can see myself coming back to every so often. Also it has one of the greatest grilled cheeses I’ve ever seen on screen.

Obsession (2026): People were calling this one of the scariest movies of the year and usually when I hear that phrase, I remain very neutral because I don’t want to be disappointed by how the film turns out. However this is not only the scariest movie of the year, It’s one of the scariest I’ve seen in a while. This is a horror movie that is going to be about one of the greats of this decade. The way Curry Barker frames scenes in this is just amazing and I was on the edge of my seat for at least half of the film. Of course Inde Navarrette is a god damn star and she takes control in every scene she’s in. I absolutely loved this movie and I’m so glad it’s doing amazing in theaters right now.

I Love Boosters (2026): I wrote a full review for Boosters that you can read here. But I wanted to give it another shout out here because I love it so much. I’ve already said it so many times and I’ll say it again, but we should let Boots Riley make whatever the hell he wants if it’s films like this. I think this will be in my top 10 films of the year once we get to the end of the year and I’ll be happy with that.

Conclusion

Thank you all for reading another issue of Calebs Video Store. A bit of a shorter issue, but that’s because of everything that happened this month and you can expect longer issues returning in the next month. I’m really excited to now have more time that I can put into this series and I’m excited to have more time to watch films as well! If you liked reading this issue, make sure to give it a like, comment, share, and if you haven’t yet, subscribe to the newsletter so you can keep up to date with this series and other future articles. Thank you again for stopping by the store and I will see you next time for another issue.

Introduction

When I think of some of my favorite films of the 2010s, one of those films on that list is Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You. It’s a very creative movie that goes in all sorts of different directions and it has so many amazing elements that contribute to its success like the cast, the writing, the camera work, etc.. It’s something I’ll go back to every couple years just so I can revisit this film I love so much. So I have been waiting for a new Boots Riley film and we got exactly that with I Love Boosters. Going into the film, I expected it to be a critique of capitalism, be full of surprises, and just have a good time with the film and after watching it, I Love Boosters is exactly that.

Review

I really enjoyed the story of I Love Boosters. Boots Riley doesn’t shy away from making his films political and being a critique of capitalism and this film is the one where he pushes the message to the fullest. From the booster culture to the fashion industry and then the working climate. All of that worked really well for me in this. Not to the mention this film is absolutely chaotic in the process. Much like Sorry to Bother You, there’s many moments in this film that will catch you off guard and it’s full of surprises, but it’s very fun to watch a ton of these sequences play out. The plot of the film does a great job at handling most of the material it has in hand and I like the directions that’s it decide to go.

This movie has a unique slate of characters and this is because of the fantastic performances and cast in this film. Keke Palmer nails taking control of this movie and being a great lead. She’s honestly perfect for this role. Naomi Ackie and Taylour Paige are great as well and are especially fun when the three of them are on screen together. This only gets better when Poppy Liu joins the dynamic as well and the scenes between are just really fun to watch. Some of my favorites though have to be when LaKeith Stanfield takes control of the movie and just like how he was in Sorry to Bother You, he’s a joy to watch. Eiza Gonzalez as well has some really funny moments splashed in there. There’s so many other great performances in this movie from Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore that are just so amazing as well. Everyone in this film is giving there all here and there’s not a a weak link in this amazing cast.

One of my favorite things about the movie though is the costumes and set designs that this movie provides. In a time where movies can look grey and dull, we get a movie like this that just blows those types of films out of the water. There’s so many fun costume choices that the film decides to work with and it gives the movie a unique identity to it. It makes it stand out among the crowd because of how unique it is. You then have the set design which has some creative choices attached to it as well. It’s full of surrealism that compliments the film very well. Honestly this film does so much that I love and I love when a film comes out like this that is able to be this creative in all the aspects of its filmmaking. From the editing, cinematography, practical effects and more. It’s all here. It’s a movie similar to what I felt about Sorry to Bother You in that I can’t wait to revisit for years to come.

Honestly my only real complaint with the movie is that towards the third act, it does have a sequence that while fun, it does seem to drag on a bit too long and it probably could have been cut a bit shorter. Beside that though, I absolutely love (no pun intended) I Love Boosters and this will probably stay within one of my favorite films of the year.

Final Thoughts

I Love Boosters is another creatively fun and engaging Boots Riley film that pushes what filmmaking should do in todays climate and it’s an amazing time. This is helped as well with the engaging story, all star cast, technical aspects, and so much more. Let Boots Riley make whatever the h*ll he wants if it’s films like this.

Rating: 9/10

It’s June 22 of 2013. I had just finished the 6th grade a week prior and would be in middle school the next school year. For now, I was enjoying the long summer I had ahead of me. The new Monsters University film had just come out and I really wanted to see it. I had basically grown up with Monsters Inc my whole life and was excited to see the prequel to it all. My mom would take me to see the movie and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t think too deep into things and just enjoyed my time watching it. What I didn’t know at the time though is 13 years later as I graduate college, I would be writing about how this little film would make me realize that it was ok that I was having an existential crisis during my time at university.

For those who don’t know, my name is Caleb and I just graduated college with a film degree which are honestly words I didn’t think for a good while I would be hearing from myself. Throughout my life, I remember seeing movies and tv shows showing that college is an exciting time where you get to live some of the best years of your life and make unforgettable memories. But for me, this point of my life was the hardest that I had to deal with and in some cases, I went through the worst moments in my life in that process. At times I wanted to give up and the love that I had for filmmaking went away in this process. While all might have seemed bad, I did find appreciation for life and realize that it’s ok not to achieve everything you want to during college.

Ever since I was a little kid, I loved making short films with whatever I could use to make out of it. Whether it was lego stop motion or using a video game and making skits out of them, it was something I loved doing. I knew ever since I was a kid that I wanted to make movies in my life. So it was an easy choice to decide what I wanted to major in college. As I graduated high school, I was excited to be going to college for film. From what people have said, college is supposed to be the best years of your life and you’re going to meet so many people and it’s going to be amazing, However, before I started something in my life would happen. My dad would be diagnosed with a neurological disease called Multiple System Atrophy and I didn’t know it yet, but my life would be changed forever from this. Despite this, I had a lot of positive energy going into college and I was excited for what was to come.

I started off college by doing a couple years in community college. At first, things seemed fine, but then it took a rocky turn. During my second semester, I would find out my family wanted to move to a different state due to it being so expensive where we were at. With my dad starting to get a bit sicker, I would move with them so I could help take care of him. Then a month before I would move, I would lose my childhood best friend in a car accident. It changed my life dramatically and I will forever miss him. After we moved, it felt so lonely being in a new place where I didn’t know anyone and I missed the people that I knew back at home. As I got accepted to a university near me though, I hoped that maybe I could turn it around for myself.

My start at university started strong. I was able to meet friends, I was getting out more, I had fair paying job, and I was actually getting to chase the filmmaking dream I always had. Then things started to slowly fall apart and the end of 2022 was extremely rough to get through. I was hoping to turn things around during 2023, but it only got so much worse. I would lose my childhood dog earlier in the year. I struggled with depression and anxiety a lot during this time and it was so hard not to think of myself in a negative light. I found out in the middle of the year that my dad would be in hospice care which didn’t hit me at first until later and when it did, I felt lost. I tried to do what I could, but it was hard not to think about everything. Then September came around when it felt like more and more of my life was crumbling all around me. At times, I just wanted to lay down in bed and stay there.

Then my life would change forever on October 13th, 2023 when my dad passed away. My dad was a main inspiration for the way that I love movies today and no matter what, he always supported what I wanted to do. I have memories of him showing me Star Wars and Indiana Jones and it’s something I will never forget. I would show him things I worked on and he would always smile and be proud of what I was able to create. Everything changed for me the day that I lost him. Not only the way I looked at life, but with what I wanted to do.

For months, I tried to distract myself and continue my filmmaking passion. I was creating hoping I could continue that drive in me and make him proud. But deep down, I knew that I wasn’t the same person that I was previously. At a point I realized I had lost passion for what I once loved. It was hard to come to terms with it but once I did. I didn’t know what I was going to do in life. This was the only thing I ever wanted to do in life and now that I had lost any drive for it. I questioned what the point of anything was. I honestly felt like a failure that I couldn’t find the motivation that I wanted to and I was just ready to drop out. It didn’t matter to me. Everything felt useless. Then a film that I saw 13 years ago came back to my life and made me see things in a different light.

Monsters University is a prequel to the 2001 film Monsters, Inc.. The film follows a young Mike Wazowski who’s always dreamed of being the greatest scarer ever and gets his chance to shine when he gets accepted to Monsters University. He meets a young and cocky Sully who says no one will take him seriously and they become rivals in this process. After accidentally destroying the dean of the program’s prized possession, they get kicked out of the scare program. By being forced to work together, they try to get themselves back into it by competing in the scare games where they join up with another group Oozma Kaapa and prove that they have what it takes to be scarers.

Now how these types of films usually go is that the main characters win and prove everyone wrong in the process . However, that’s not exactly the case with this film. It’s revealed that after the final game where Oozma Kaapa won and they are going to be let back into the scare program, Sully had rigged the machine for Mike so he would be able to get easy points. Mike is furious that him and others don’t find him scary and he goes into the human world to finally prove everyone wrong. When he goes into the human world however, the truth finally hits him and he realizes that he’s not what he thought he was. He had worked his whole life to get to this point only to find out that it felt like everything he did was for nothing. After Sully powers a door to get out of the human world with Mike’s help and him proving that he can surprise people, Mike and Sully get expelled from Monsters University. As they are about to go their own ways, Sully tells Mike that he’s way better than he thinks he is and he really has a gift. Eventually, they work their way up from the mailroom at Monsters Inc to the Scare floor where Mike finally gets to work where he’s always wanted to just in a different position than he expected. Mike doesn’t become a scarer at the end, but he still finds a way to keep his dream alive and use a skill that he always had which is being a leader and his incredible knowledge. It made me realize while I didn’t have the same passion I did for filmmaking anymore, I still loved films and wanted something from it.

I spent the summer of 2024 trying to figure out what I really wanted to do. I realized that even though I didn’t want to make films, the passion for wanting to talk about films was still there, so it would lead me out of all films to talk about The Cat in the Hat in a video essay and I really liked doing that. Then I would read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential and not only did it give me a new appreciation for the world, but it made me want to write and it seemed like film should be the thing I could write about. This would lead me starting my film blog and I found something that I really loved doing. It made me happy being able to write and I continue to be happy writing about something I’ve always been passionate about. I found joy again being able to do it and it made me realize I still wanted to finish college so I did. It wasn’t easy and I even failed some classes in the process trying to get back that motivation, but I managed to do it and I’m proud to have been able to.

I feel like I relate to Mike as while I am graduating in the major I wanted to, I didn’t get to achieve what I wanted to during my time at university. I thought I was going to prove myself as a filmmaker and walk out with being this guy that everyone knew how good he was at filmmaking, but this didn’t happen. I think their’s a thing with college about how we have to achieve so much during our time there and in reality, a lot of us are going through a lot and don’t have it figured out. A lot happened during my time in university where it felt like my world was crumbling. However even through it all, I found something that I love doing and will continue to do so. Mike may have not been able to become a scarer, but he still found a way to use the skills he always had and make something out of himself because of it. I feel I was able to make something out of myself with writing and I hope to continue this passion for many years to come.

I write this piece today because I am proud of what I have been able to do despite what life has thrown at me. At many times, I was ready to drop out and give up on everything. But because of the people in my corner and finding what I really wanted from life, I continued and I’m proud of myself for doing it. I wish I could tell that little boy that has so much passion for film that sometimes you’re going to fail and that’s ok. I wish I could tell the ones that aren’t here what I’ve been able to do, but I know they would be proud of me. As Mike walked towards the scare floor of Monsters Inc at the end of Monsters University ready to begin the next chapter of his life, I’m ready to walk toward the next chapter of my life.

Introduction

Hello and welcome back to another issue of Caleb’s Video Store. This is a series where I talk about anything that is film related whether it’s news, something I got to experience, or simply something I just want to talk about. This month has been an interesting one as I was quite busy preparing for graduation stuff, so I didn’t really watch that many films during the month. This issue is gonna be a shorter one this month since I was busy, but we still have some interesting topics to talk about like the future of video game adaptations, a quick tangent of dressing up like SpongeBob at a costume party, and what I would put in my dream video store. Without further ado, let’s get into the topics.

The Future of Video Game Adaptations

So I watched The Super Mario Galaxy Movie earlier in the month. I can say that I personally wasn’t a huge fan of it. However the box office receipts are showing this to be a huge success just like the first one was. It is crazy to see something like this since at one point, video game movies were a gamble and usually didn’t end up paying off. In 1993, we got the first major video game movie with Super Mario Bros and that would end up being a huge critical and financial flop. Now we have these movies that may not be critical hits, but they are doing crazy good at the box office. It seems that we’re are at a point now where everyone is trying to make adaptations of video games to put on the big screen and small screen and it doesn’t seem like this is stopping anytime soon.

It’s crazy to see this kinda thing with video game movies because it wasn’t that long ago when they were considered cursed. It felt like they could never nail down a formula when it came to them. Aside from a few that became hits like Mortal Kombat Resident Evil, and Tomb Raider, most of them couldn’t get it right and even the sequels for these mentioned movies would fall apart as well. Now we are still at a point where video adaptations are not always successes and can be quite bad, but it seems like for the most part, they know what the people want to see, The Super Mario movies have references thrown all over them which makes fans love it. The Sonic the Hedgehog movies have references that make fans love it. A Minecraft Movie has references that make fans love it. Five Nights at Freddys has references that make fans love it. I think when it comes to the stories of these movies, I wish more work was put into them so I can care for what’s going on, but they do know what people want to see out of them and I think that’s what they’re going to continue doing.

Of course we have to talk about the TV side of things as well when it comes to video game adaptations because honestly, I think this is where they have shined the most. Probably my favorite video game adaption is Arcane which is based off the League of Legends game. I’ve never been a fan or played League of Legends, but what they did with Arcane is amazing and it’s a perfect example of making a great adaptation from this property. Not only with that but Fallout, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, The Last of Us Season 1 (not a fan go season 2), Castlevania, and other series have really proved that you make something great from a series. Of course not all of them are hits (looking at you Halo), but I think lots of these shows have really worked out with this format and I feel this is where video game adaptations have shined the most. Taking that time to flesh out these characters and worlds are beneficial and I’m curious to see for the future what it will hold for other adaptions. I think shows is where they are going to shine the most.

So what is the future of video game adaptations? Well it’s seems like we’re going to get a lot of them whether we want it or not. Just from movies this year alone, we have already gotten The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Iron Lung, and Exit 8 at the start of this year and we still have Mortal Kombat 2, Street Fighter, and Resident Evil coming out. Not to mention in 2027 we have Sonic the Hedgehog 4, The Legend of Zelda, A Minecraft Movie 2, and Helldivers all coming out. You can’t forget shows as well with Fallout Season 3, God of War, Tomb Raider, and many more in the works. Even a company like A24 is dipping in with Elden Ring and Death Stranding projects in the works. The point is, we are now living in a time where video game adaptations are coming everywhere from different studios and I can only hope that we can get mostly good stuff out of it. It’s crazy to think that we are at a point of time where a Super Smash Bros movie could become a reality and I think we will possibly see that in the next decade. Now just give me an Earthbound movie not made by Illumination and I’ll be set.

Quick Tangent: I Dressed up As SpongeBob at a Cartoon Costume Party and Had Lots of Triple Gooberberry Sunrises in the Process

So I was in California this month to visit some friends and while I was there, we all got together to do a cartoon themed costume party. I dressed up as Spongebob and I was really happy with how the costume ended up coming together. He’s a character I’ve always wanted to dress up as and I’m glad to have finally done it. I always like costume parties as I just like being able to dress up as different characters and getting creative with it. I also like seeing what everyone else decides to dress up as and I like the ideas that people come up with. It was a fun time and I’m hoping for more opportunities in the future to dress up as iconic character. Now I can put this costume in my hall of fame costume’s along with the Nicole Kidman and The Cat in the Hat ones I’ve done in the past.

My Dream Video Store

So with this series being a video store theme, I had the thought of if I did own a video store, what would I want it to have in it. Of course, there’s not that many video stores out there anymore and I do miss those times of renting a movie or video game on a Friday night, getting frozen yogurt, and then going home to engage with whatever I got. I was thinking of if I did have my own, I would want people to feel at home and bring back those memories. I had a couple ideas of how I would want this video store to turn out so here are 5 things that I would want to put in it.

1. The 90s-2000s Theater Aesthetic to the Design: I recently wrote about the aesthetic of theaters in the 90s and 2000s and I think it would be the look that I would want the video store to have. It would be like entering another world with neon lights, neon signs, colorful carpet, and movie posters all over the place. Always will have appreciation for that theater look and I would want it in place at the video store.

2. Different Formats to Choose From: Of course with a video store, you gotta have a great selection of movies to choose from. I would want to have different formats that you could pick from and not be limited to anything. 4K, Blu-ray, DVD, VHS, and even LaserDisc would be fun to have all in one place. If there’s a film someone really wants to watch, I would want this to be the place where someone could find it. Long live physical media.

3. A Crazy Amount of Different Snacks and Drinks: It would be sick to have an area of the store dedicated to snacks and drinks. I always remember seeing limited snack options at the video store and I think it would be cool to put all sorts of different snacks and drinks in this area. Popcorn, candies, soda, and even some alcohol. Basically anything you would want to enjoy a movie with. Also give me one of those coke freestyle machines to put in there and I would be set.

4. Merch Section: I always love seeing the different types of merch that other places like independent theaters have and I think it would be fun to have that merch in a place like this as well. Make it affordable and have some cool designs that support local and independent artists and I think it could be a pretty cool thing to have.

5. F*ck it Put In a Movie Theater as Well: Ok now this idea might be where we’re really stretching things out, but I love the idea of having a theater component to it all where people could watch all sorts of different movies that play there. It would have movies playing on film, Q&As happening with filmmakers, and even have movies premiere there. I mean hey if Vidiots in LA can do it, maybe another place can do it as well. I think it would be an awesome bonus to it all.

That’s what I would want in my video store. Their would be more to add but those are just some of the ideas that I would love to put in my dream video store. Don’t know if it would ever happen, but hey you never know and maybe one day it comes true. Also the idea of a coke freestyle machine in a video store sounds amazing. Someone fund this.

April Film Recommendations

As always this is a segment where I recommend things that I watched during the month. I think this might be the least amount of films I’ve watched in a month in a long time. Regardless, I did watch some memorable stuff so heres the recommendations for April.

Labyrinth (1986): I have a soft spot for The Muppets and whatever Jim Henson does. I finally watched Labyrinth for the the first time though and I really enjoyed my time with it. What’s always great about Jim Henson stuff is you know the production is going to be crazy and this is no exception. The production is insane and you feel like everything and everyone in this world feels real. The story isn’t anything special, but it’s still a nice time that I really enjoyed. Also just David Bowie.

The Lego Movie (2014): I had seen this movie when it came out in theaters and loved it. However I hadn’t watched it in years until recently and it brought me back to that appreciation that I had for it. What really makes me love this movie is how much you can tell the people involved had a clear love for the property. It could’ve been easy to make a generic film out of this, but they went all the way with it. As someone that grew up watching Lego stop motions on Youtube, this feels like love letter to everyone that grew up with it and it deserves so much love. Still can’t believe it didn’t even get a best animated feature nomination at the Oscars.

BlackBerry (2023): There’s a lot of biopics that are generic, but it’s something that I wouldn’t say for BlackBerry. I think what makes this movie work so well is showing three different points of time with BlackBerry’s success and ultimately their fall. It’s not focused on showing the full history but important parts that are dissected. Matt Johnsons directing is really great here and the film makes you feel like you’re in the room with all these people. It’s one of those biopics that really worked for me and stands out from others in the same vein.

The Drama (2026): I already have a review for this that you can read here. But in short, A24 made another anxiety riddled film that I really enjoyed and you should make sure to go see this one in the theater with a crowd of people.

Conclusion

That concludes another issue of Calebs Video Store. I hope you enjoyed reading! If you enjoyed reading it, make sure to leave a like, comment, or share it around. I’ll be back next month for another issue so look forward to it. Thank you for stopping by the store and I’ll see you next time for another issue!

Back in January, I learned that the movie theater I used to go to as a kid closed their doors. I honestly couldn’t believe this news as it was such an important theater to me growing up. The website said for a bit that it was only temporally closed and that they was just looking for a new owner. However a couple weeks later, it was confirmed that the theater would be closing its doors for good. While I hadn’t been to the theater in years at this point, it was really heartbreaking to hear because this was such an important movie theater to me growing up and I never thought that I would see its doors closed down. That’s why I wanted to talk about here and be able to say goodbye to the Krikorian Metroplex 18.

I think we all have a movie theater that we went to growing up that has a special place in our heart. For me I did move a decent amount of times growing up, so I have a couple of them that I look back at with fondness. Especially those dollar theaters which always came in clutch with how cheap they were. However, out of all the theaters that I went to as a kid, there’s one that always stood out to me and carried a special feeling toward it and that was the Krikorian Metroplex 18 for me. It felt like every time I was at this theater, it was going to be a special time. Even if the movie wasn’t going to be good which of course there was multiple times when this was the case. Just being able to go to this theater still made it worth it at the end of the day.

The Krikorian Metroplex 18 opened in 2003 at the Buena Park Mall near Knotts Berry Farm. The mall area unfortunately fell into the demise with many other malls fell into where they started to lose popularity during the 2010s and before you know it, most stores would close there minus a few flagship stores. It basically looked like a liminal space in the process. However, if you were to go to the back of the mall, you would see a lot of people back there as this theater was still standing strong. It basically became the main reason why anyone would be going to this mall in the first place. Luckily it was damn good theater to go to as well.

What always fascinated me about the theater is how it looked. Outside of the theater on the side, they would have these fake movie posters that made it feel like this theater was dropped here from another universe. I think younger me must have thought some of these movies would eventually come out as well. It was something I didn’t see at other theaters which I really liked. The outside itself looked grand as you walked around it and really made itself standout among the crowd. Then you go inside and while it wasn’t doing anything too crazy like the neon light stuff that many theaters had at this time, it felt like entering a palace except you see different movie posters and decor out on the side. It worked well with this theme. Then they had two gorgeous murals to top everything off. Walking through there with smell of buttery popcorn will forever live in me.

The most iconic thing I will forever remember this theater for though is the intro that would play before the movie. Of course you have the ones that Regal and AMC play and while cool, nothing matches though with how cool the Krikorian one was. Movie clips would play throughout the intro as this kick ass music would be playing that made everyone get hyped for whatever movie you were about to watch. You get those early 2000s computer graphics of snacks you can get at the front as well as keeping your phone on silent. Then after it says “enjoy the show” it would play the last bit of movie clips to get you more hyped before the movie started. This was an intro that would really get you hyped with what you were about to watch. I’m leaving a link to this intro here so you can get an understanding of what it was like. Anyone that went to a Krikorian theater growing knows how much this intro rocks and what it felt like seeing it before the film started. Now it makes me want to play it before watching movies at home just to feel something again.

Of course what makes this theater special is the movies that I got to see there. I remember when I was younger there would be random movies that I would see there like Rise of the Silver Surfer. But of course this theater had many memories of where I would see movies that were special to me. I would see every Avengers movie beside Infinity War here. I would see Spider-Man on the big screen for the first time there with The Amazing Spider-Man. 10 year old me would have his mind blown with how good a sequel could be with Kung Fu Panda 2. I would get to see the re release of Titanic at 12 which changed my life seeing it. Of course though, one of my favorite memories was watching Creed and having this shared experience with my dad as he grew up watching the Rocky movies and then him showing me the movies as well. There’s many more movies that I could name here, but this was a theater that I felt like I saw so many movies that mean a lot to me.

The last movie I would end up seeing at this theater was Avengers Endgame which was almost 7 years ago. Covid would kick in a year later and then I would move a year after that. When I heard it closed I thought of the movies that I saw there and the memories made. One thing that stuck out to me was whenever I saw a movie there, it was always with my dad. My dad passed away in 2023 and he’s one of the reasons why I love film the way I do today. Him showing me films that he grew up with is something I always cherish. It feels weird when a place that you got to experience with someone that isn’t here anymore also isn’t there as well. Even after we moved further away from there, this theater would always be one that we would hit up. Maybe not for every movie, but when the timing was good, this was the theater we would go to. I’ll always be forever grateful that I got to make those memories there with him and it’s the biggest reason I’m going to miss this theater.

To give this theater a proper goodbye, I visited it while I was in town and also did something else for it. I’m approaching graduation for college and I did want to do a graduation photoshoot. I thought of ideas for it, but I couldn’t land on one that felt right for the occasion. Then I thought of doing it at this theater. It felt like it made sense to do a graduation shoot for a theater that would be a big reason for why I love movies the way I do today. I didn't know how it would turn out with it being a location that usually wouldn’t be used for this type of thing, but the shots look beautiful and I can’t till everyone sees the rest (also shoutout my homie for taking amazing pictures in the process).

As I returned to this theater, It felt weird seeing this area that was filled with life before as a kid barely have anyone in it now. You could look through the windows of the theater and things are still standing there as if it was just abandoned. One of the last things that this theater will have on display is for Chris Pratt’s Mercy and that feels like a crime seeing that. In all seriousness though, as I was walking around, I thought of all the memories that were made here and I’m always going to be glad that I get to have those. I’m happy that my dad let this be one of the theaters I grew up with and it will forever hold a special place in my heart.

I wanted to give a proper goodbye to a theater that I will forever cherish. This theater that I went to growing up needed some appreciation for how much it meant to me. If there’s a small chance that comes by and someone ends up buying the theater, I would really love that and I hope it opens the door for others to grow up with this theater the same way I did. I’m thankful for the memories made here and I will forever miss it.

Going to the movie theater is one of favorite things to do. I’ve mentioned it many times at this point, but usually it will be a time for myself and I love having that time. I always try to go once a week to catch whatever is playing. This works especially with having a regal unlimited subscription and being able to go when I want. As I go to the theater quite often, I’ve seen the local Regal I go to go through a huge renovation like adding recliners and going for the new look that most regals have been aiming for. I do feel quite mixed about these new designs they have been going for. While the inside of the theaters can look quite nice, the outside of the theaters do look bland and nothing feels special about it. It just feels like it blends into everything else which is not how I remembered seeing theaters like this as a kid. If there’s something I’m always going to have a soft spot for, it’s with the way that theaters looked in the 90s and 2000s.

I’m currently writing something about my childhood theater that I used to go to which is something you’ll see in the next week, but as I was writing about it, something that came to mind is how special the look of theaters felt back then. The theater I’m writing about was built in the early 2000s so it was a time when theaters had this special look to them that brings a sense of nostalgia thinking about it now. It was this that made me think of other theaters that I went to in my childhood and how they all looked as well. In general, l think there’s something about the look of things from the 90s and 2000s that felt special and really felt like creativity was at an all time high. Nowadays, everything feels so soulless and corporate. Everything feels like it blends right in with each other. But back then, it felt like this wasn’t a concern at all and theaters were doing this exact thing.

Neon lights, neon signs, colorful carpet, murals, movie theater times at the front of the theater, and arcade machines basically describes what these theaters would look like back then. Thinking about it right now brings me back to being a kid and walking into a theater. It felt like entering a space ship with the smell of buttery popcorn filling up the place. It’s interesting to think about now because I do wonder what was the reason for going for this type of design for the theaters. Maybe it was just to put as much color and lights into the design as possible to attract people in, but whatever it was, it worked like a charm. If you went to any multiplex during this time, it was a guarantee that it was going to have this type of design toward it. Even the cheaper theaters like the dollar theater (something that deserves its own write up in the future) always had a coziness to it despite being on the cheaper side. As I look up pictures of these theaters, it transports me back to this time. Maybe the movie itself wouldn’t be that great, but no matter what, it always felt magical entering the theater and I think credit is due to the designs of them.

It wasn’t just the inside of theater that had a fun design, the exterior look of the theaters would make their presence feel seen from all around the area. The childhood theater I would go to had these fake movie posters surrounding the building that made it feel like this theater was plopped from a different dimension which I think made it stand out. It felt like whoever was designing theaters did not care about the look in rest of the area and did whatever the hell they wanted which I love. Honestly a lot of buildings were doing this similar thing It’s something that does feel missing nowadays when a theater gets a new renovation. It just blends in with everything else and doesn’t standout among the crowd. But at that time, it felt like any multiplex stood out among the crowd.

I think what made these theater designs so special is how full of life they felt. I’ve talked about when I watch a movie in a theater, it does feel like getting transported to a different world for those couple hours, but back then, when I stepped foot into a theater, it felt like I entered a new world the moment I did enter the theater. Of course being a kid at this time, these type of things are always going to have nostalgic lenses attached to them, but I do look at pictures from these theaters at the time and you can see the color and spectacle that were filled with them. Now when you go to a theater that’s been renovated, while it looks nice and all, it is lacking the charm it once had and it’s just something that has become victim of the minimalism world we live in. I looked back at some of theaters I used to visit and most of them have had this identity stripped away. Even though most of these designs are gone now, it’s always going to be the first thing that pops into mind when I think of theaters.

Theater designs were just in a different ball game in the 90s and 2000s. The childhood theater that I’m currently writing about recently closed and it took me back to this time when theaters had a unique aesthetic attached to it. I really wish more theaters nowadays would be willing to be a little wacky with their designs. It’s not like all theaters have completely rubbed off this design though. There’s still a decent amount of theaters you can go to that still have remnants of those times. Plus if you go to an independent theater, they most certainly have a unique design to them. But as theater chains like Regal and AMC are renovating their theaters, this look is fading away. I can only hope that those theaters still standing from that time get to keep their unique designs for as long as possible. It brings back a time when theaters brought out a little creativity and I think in the times that we do live in, it’s something we need right now. Doesn’t matter how much time passes. This aesthetic for theaters will forever have a special place in my heart.

Introduction

It’s interesting when you see two actors that you watched as a child be in a film like this. I remember as most people did seeing Robert Pattinson in the Twilight films and he has since then proved to be a phenomenal actor. Zendaya as well getting her start from Disney Channel with Shake it Up is also someone that’s proved to be a really strong actress as well. So seeing the two of them in a film together had me on board from the start. This was along side with the marketing this movie went for as it seemed like A24 was confident with this one. Not as crazy as Marty Supreme, but they definitely had a good marketing budget for it all. So with all those pieces in, I was curious to see what this film had to offer. After watching it, The Drama is an anxiety inducing time that really worked for me.

Review

The Drama follows an engaged couple Emma and Charlie who are happily about to get married. However when the bride Emma reveals one of her darkest secrets, it takes what was supposed to be the happiest time of their lives into a a test of their relationship and how it could change everything for them.

The story of The Drama is fascinating to watch all play out. I won’t talk too much in what goes on in the actual story because it is a huge spoiler and they have been marketing it as this crazy secret that you have to see to watch unravel, but I like how things are handled in this story. There’s themes of love and how much we know about a person that plays a huge part in the movie that I think is handled in a way that felt realistic and caring toward the subject. The movie talks about some controversial topics that has already started a discussion on how it’s handled in the film, but I think they do a good job addressing it and it made sense with the approach that it goes for. As for everything else in the story, it feels like watching a panic attack unfold for an hour and 45 minutes. This film had me put my hands on my head giving me secondhand embarrassment with what it decides to do so many times, but that’s what it’s trying to do and it did make me love it. So much chaos is happening in the story and especially the third act is when this film fully comes together and it’s fully chaotic. I see a lot of films struggle with it’s third act, but this film is not one of them and everything falls into place in a way that made everything else work. The story of this movie really worked for me.

The characters as well are complex and people will definitely be starting a discussion around them. I don’t want to talk about them too much as it gets into spoiler territory, but I think it’s all fascinating to watch play out. With that said, Robert Pattinson and Zendaya are phenomenal in this movie. They both have come so far and I think this film really proves that sentiment. Seeing the dynamic between them really worked for me and as the story progresses, you could feel the tension around them played out incredibly well. They just bring out a lot in the material that I found exciting to watch. Also shout out to the supporting cast with Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie and Hailey Benton Gates as they have some great material to work with here as well. One other shout out to Jordyn Curet who really nails the material she has as well. Basically the small cast here is great and I think they all do a fantastic job.

One of the strongest qualities that I think the film has going for it though is the editing. The editing is kinda all over the place in this film, but in a good way. Scenes are chaotic and cut in crazy ways, but with the way that this story unfolds, it makes sense to show the story in that direction. We see characters thoughts play out and what characters are thinking they want to do at a certain moment and I think the way everything cuts together works wonders for the film. I think telling the story in any other way probably wouldn’t have been as effective and definitely would have given a different vibe to it all, so I’m glad it goes in the direction that it does. The editing of this film puts everything in perspective and gives it the necessary tone that it needs.

Honestly one thing that I wish the film explored more of is the other characters worst thing they did and one of the characters that’s introduced, but nothing is ever done with them. Emma’s worst thing is obviously the main focus of the film, but I think it would have interesting to explore the other characters worst thing that they’ve done because they do say some interesting things during the big scene. Especially Charlie who I thought his was going to come back later in the story, but it never does so I wish it did more of a exploration with that. Another thing is one of the characters that’s related to Alana Haims character feels like she’s going to play a bigger role in the story, but it never feels like it gets the proper exploration that it could’ve and I wish it did. Besides that, I think what the film does do is still great and I did enjoy overall everything else about it.

Conclusion

The Drama is a hilarious and stressful time. It’s a dark comedy that will make you have secondhand embarrassment, but it’s also part of what makes it so great. Make sure to check it out in the theater because when the big moments hit in this film, its fun to experience with a crowd.

Rating: 8.5/10