Whenever I encounter a piece of media, I try to tackle it as its own work.
The Christmas Toy (1986)

Whenever I encounter a piece of media, I try to tackle it as its own work.
F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu is among the earliest horror films to be universally canonized, and it’s not hard to see why
The consensus among my peers in recent years is that To Kill a Mockingbird is Baby’s First Anti-Racism Story with a heavy dollop of white saviorism.
That Thing You Do!, Tom Hanks’ first director-writer-star effort, is one of my favorite movies ever made. It’s a film overflowing with generosity and joy, a script and universe that Hanks clearly worked on in his spare time for years.
If you are like me, you see “Jim Henson” on the poster, and you expect something at least a little manic and silly and postmodern. Something Muppetsy.
I’d never argue it’s one of the best, but Ocean’s Eleven is undoubtedly one of the coolest movies I’ve ever seen:
I’m pretty fond of mumblecore movies, and I think Joe Swanberg is the best to ever make them.
There are few movies with which I have a more mixed reaction than Return of the Jedi.
This is the rare childhood favorite that just gets better and better as I get older.
It’s great for all the reasons you remember: Seuss’s verses are wonderful and whimsical; Jones’ animation is colorful and playful (the faces!); Karloff is perfect as the narrator and Grinch; Ravenscroft’s baritone insults are a hoot; and the warm holiday ending is a great payoff on a fun reverse-Santa story.
I’ll probably be watching this every winter for the rest of my life.