Frezno's Criterion Challenge: July 2023 Trip Report

A very happy welcome to the second half of my Criterion Challenge Trip Reports! It's hard to believe that we have gone through half a year of cinematic wonder. It's also hard to believe that I've dragged my feet a little on some of these. I shall have to try and make September a big one, because August has me doing a lot of writing and we know what kind of madhouse October will be on the blog. Regardless, here we go. Some more movies to try and expand my cinematic horizons and make me better at something or other, and we start with...

The Warring States Of Love And Hate (Inuyasha)

Right, then. Let's get back on the same page, shall we? So, to recap: I found this improbability in late February while cleaning out the basement:

The rediscovery of my long-lost off-air recording of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me was a terrifying enough bit of synchronicity, which I talked about last May. I briefly mentioned also watching the last bit of that tape, the spare 90 minutes for taping. What was on there filled me with a pure sense of nostalgia, a longing for a long ago time. Now that Twin Peaks is done and dusted, I can go back and tell you exactly what those 90 minutes were. They were three episodes of anime that I recorded on VHS in the year 2005, specifically off of Bionix, the Canadian youth channel YTV's weekend programming block for older youth and teens. (The astute among you may recall that a chance encounter with YTV two years prior to this taping, in 2003, was my reintroduction to Sailor Moon.) 

Frezno's Criterion Challenge: June 2023 Trip Report

Welcome back, my friends, to the broadening cinematic horizons which never end! It's once again time for a Criterion Challenge Trip Report, and can you believe that after this one we're halfway done with the year and the challenge? How time flies. This month's challenge also took place during Pride Month, so I slotted in some films with queer themes. If I'd thought of this beforehand I would have saved The Times Of Harvey Milk for this month instead. Nothing stopping you from watching it yourself for Pride Month, except for the fact that by the time you read this Pride Month will probably be done. Well, still watch that movie anyway. And probably a few other movies on this list that I watched in June 2023, if they're good. Let's find out together if they were or not, starting with...