Flasz On Film

I have shared my top movies of the year, biggest surprises of the year and even movies I failed to see for one reason or another. But why stop there? It might be a good time to begin reflecting on my own output as a writer and I think it might be instructive to share with you a list of five articles I wrote in 2023 that ended up being the most clicked-on and read.

5. Cats of Malta (2022)

To tell you the truth, I have no idea why this review of a little documentary about – well – Maltese cats ended up being one of the most popular pieces I wrote this year. Maybe it was shared and re-shared by the filmmakers. Maybe it’s the fact I slapped it with four stars while “real” critics didn’t give it the time of day. Maybe it’s the fact I really had no idea how to review it, so I turned it into a bit of a joke… Maybe it’s the combination of all the above. Point is, I had a lot of fun writing this little piece and perhaps I inadvertently imbued it with enough positive energy for people to connect with it. You tell me. (Full article here)

4. BARBIE Is a Film Every Man Should See

A lot has been written about Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, its unexpected success, and its marketing feud with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (aka Barbenheimer). In fact, I think there’s also a good handful of essays touching on the need for men to go out and see Barbie for themselves, so I’m not necessarily original here, even though I didn’t research the subject first. That’s not how I operate when it comes to opinion pieces – I germinate an idea, think about it for a second and vomit it all on the page. However, I did check out some of those other pieces only to find out that most of them focused on the need for men to support the feminist cause or attempted to dispel the myth the movie is somehow an anathema to masculinity. Meanwhile, I found genuine ways a man could find this movie enriching to his unique experience, as reflected in Ken’s arc. Or maybe it’s because the title accidentally looks a bit click-baity. (Full article here)

3. THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE – Sasha Grey Is Cinema

I won’t lie, the reason why this article connected more than most of my other work likely has something to do with the provocative nature of its title and the fact the name “Sasha Grey” is what Google will pick up on. I wonder how many horny men clicked on this hoping to find stuff you need an incognito mode for, only to end up sorely disappointed. Or maybe they stayed on and ended up enriching their life experience by finding out that someone (that would be me) was dumb enough to read so far into a seemingly forgotten movie Steven Soderbergh directed nearly fifteen years ago that he found a weird metaphorical interpretation within it. Nevertheless, I was particularly happy with this piece (and I ended up discussing these ideas on my podcast as well) about how a film about the American Dream and prostitution is also a film about the act of filmmaking. (Full article here)

2. Remembering Brandon Lee (1965-1993)

Over the course of the month of March I devoted a considerable chunk of my focus to the cinema of Brandon Lee, as we were covering all of his films (Legacy of Rage, Laser Mission, Showdown in Little Tokyo, Rapid Fire and The Crow) on the Uncut Gems Podcast, all to coincide with the 30th anniversary of his tragic and untimely demise. Therefore, to mark the occasion I penned a little eulogy of my own where I encapsulated a few thoughts and rounded off the entire month of discussing his impact on the world of filmmaking. In fact, I’m not completely done with it either as I think I have at least one or two more ideas for more essays about Brandon Lee and his career, but more on that in 2024. In the meantime, I was extremely happy to see this little article receive as much attention as it did. (Full article here)

1. Letterboxd and the Gamification of Movie-Watching

It turns out the most popular piece I wrote last year is the one I penned almost exactly twelve months ago. It may have something to do with the fact a few people used it as a source in their own writing, but still. I was quite happy with this piece as I continue in my perpetual bafflement at how Letterboxd started as a fun little social medium for movie-lovers and developed into a vessel for competitive movie-watching and an outlet for low-rent meme criticism. (Full article here)

To conclude, the five pieces I wrote that ended up attracting the most attention will most likely fuel my own reflections on the entire year of writing on Flasz on Film, so look out for that in the coming days. Toodeloo.