Films That I Saw: April 2025

 

Well, this year has been a total fuck-fest. Let us see, American citizens here in America including children are getting deported to other countries. Spain and Portugal have no power (hope you are OK Ruth). Tariffs brought by the U.S. have gotten out of control. A has-been pop singer, Oprah’s BFF, Jeff Bezo’s dumbass girlfriend, and other women set women empowerment backwards through a stupid stunt where they went to outer space for 11 minutes. Yeah, this is great. U.S.A. Greatest country in the world. Right… Boy are we the most hated group of people out there. We are beefing with the Canadians. We are just at war with everyone, which is proof of why democracy does not work. This is what happens when you allow the common and uncommon imbecile as well as the ignorant the right to vote and now, they are fucked. Let us also not forget those who voted the other way. Well, they too are fucked because they are not rational either. Al Gore was right. Manbearpig does exist and he is sitting at the White House having a dick-measuring contest with his buddy Elon to see how big it is though we all know it is smaller than the Crock’s own dick which is smaller than a pebble.

With spring, I often complain about allergies, but this year really takes the cake in terms of how bad pollen is this year. Last month, I went to my local urgent care for a cold and then weeks earlier. I went again as I was getting pink eyes of the worst kind. My eyes are better, but I caught the cold again this past weekend and my sinus is bad. There has not been enough rain, and it would often come on days when you did not need it. For my mother, the pollen allergies has been bad as she loves to have a clean house outside as there was one rainy day where a tree branch on the other side of our backyard nearly broke our fence. We just got it repaired along with the fence next to the garage. Now we are just dealing with this unexpected cold as my mother is focusing on her citizenship test.

In the month of April, I saw a total of 12 films in six first-timers and six re-watches. Yes, I have been slacking as I had to deal with things at home when I made the decision to postpone my Auteurs piece on David Lean as I have been stuck on it for months as it has not gone where I want to. Instead, I am focusing on Ryan Coogler who will be the next Auteurs piece as I have already gotten started on him. One of the big highlights of the month has been my Blind Spot film in Love Streams. Here is the top 3 films that I saw for April 2025:

1. Sinners

2. Flow

3. Challengers

4. Locks

5. The Cancellation of Benny Hill

Monthly Mini-Reviews/What Else I Am Watching

The Cancellation of Benny Hill

Benny Hill is a comedian that I grew up watching as a kid as this documentary from the BBC about the British comedian is about his life and career. The film features interviews from various comedians and a small panel of young people reacting to Hill’s comedy where some things that he did has not dated well Yes, there are moments where Hill played characters in blackface or squinting his eyes to play an Asian though his intentions were not racist as a black British comedian defends Hill while it should be stated that there were not a lot of comedians of black, Asian, or South Asian at that time and they would not have been presented by the BBC at that time. Despite some of the controversies, Hill remains loved by many including African-Americans while accusations that Hill was sexist is also untrue considering that he is the butt of the jokes while he allowed women to direct for him on set whenever he is performing. It is a well-made documentary for anyone that wants to know about the genius Benny Hill.

Locks



Having started my Auteurs piece on Ryan Coogler, there are two of the three shorts that are available online. Unfortunately, one of them in Fig is only available on Kanopy, which I do not have access to because my local library does not use the service. Fortunately, there is another short that is available on YouTube in this six-minute student film short Coogler made when he was in USC about a man contemplating about his identity through his dreadlocks. It is a simple short film that does not have any dialogue but there is a beauty to the way Coogler presents the film as it is shot on location in Oakland as it also features a beautiful music score by one of his future collaborators in Ludwig Goransson. It is a short worth seeking out with Coogler already becoming a made man with the success he is getting from his newest film Sinners.

Andor (season 2, episodes 1-4)

The second season of the Star Wars series is intriguing for not just the setting of events of what is to come but also how the Rebellion is starting on different areas with Cassian Andor still doing things for the Rebellion. Yet not everything is going well with Mon Montha realizing the sacrifices she needs to make with Luthen Rael trying to get information with the Empire focusing on a planet whose resources they need for the construction of the Death Star. There are a lot of things happening so far in the first four episodes as the show is aiming for a slow burn of characters struggling with the roles they play on both sides as well as planting seeds for a deadly conflict.

Top 5 Re-Watches

1. When Blondie Came to Britain

2. Dumbo

3. Partysaurus Rex

4. The Big Bad Wolf

5. Fun and Fancy Free

Well, that is all for April. Next month, I will be attempting to do a marathon of films that played at previous editions of the Cannes Film Festival from the past 15 years to celebrate this year’s edition. Along with theatrical releases such as Thunderbolts* and The Phonecian Scheme and the Blind Spot for next month will be Limite. I will focus much of my time on the Auteurs piece on Ryan Coogler that will be followed by James Gunn in anticipation for the release of Superman. Other than a few personal things including getting tickets to see Nine Inch Nails this coming September. That will be all that I am planning for next month.



Before I bid adieu, I must acknowledge on those that have passed this month such Pope Francis who has been an immensely important figure this century as he brought hope to many including a lapsed-Catholic such as myself. He was a humble and giving man that really did a lot to bring people together no matter what they believed in as there will never be a Pope like him ever again. Other noted figures who passed away this month include Clem Burke of Blondie, Mike Peters of the Alarm, Chicago Bears legend/Four Horseman Steve “Mongo” McMichael, Priscilla Pointer, Pere Ubu vocalist David Thomas, Lar Park Lincoln, game show host Wink Martindale, Sophie Nyweide, Jean Marshall, basketball legend Stan Love, pro wrestlers Hisashi Shinma and Black Terry, novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, music producer Roy Thomas Baker, filmmaker Ted Kotcheff, Nicky Katt, Mel Novak, those who died at the Jet Set nightclub at the Dominican Republic including singer Rubby Perez, Jay North aka Dennis the Menace, and Val Kilmer. You will always be our Huckleberry and wingman Val. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 signing off…

© thevoid99 2025