Nick

When I’m in a “be so far up my own ass but have literally nothing to say” competition and my opponent is Godard. Listen, I’ve tried, and now I’ve accepted that he’s not for me, but god damn how many times can you make a movie about how everyone sucks at making movies and doing things except for you, and also you are the pinnacle of philosophy and higher thinking. Every time I think about Godard I think about the story Fiona Apple told that spending a night with Tarantino was the reason she got off cocaine. I feel like a similar thing would happen if I ever had the opportunity to be in the same room as Godard. Maybe it would make me *start* doing cocaine.

The *Wild Horse Nine* premiere and good reviews at Venice has gotten me pumped up (if I could get any more excited) about the film releasing that I just had to experience some Malkovich tonight. Obviously this was the right choice. This is true, unadulterated, freak show shit. It feels so grimy, not in the physical sense, but like this film *truly* feels weird. There’s a lot of weird films out there, but there’s always that veil hanging over them letting you know it’s simply just a movie. It feels like there’s no veil with this one. Like this was crafted specifically by a different creature (with the help of John Malkovich of course). It feels like nobody on planet Earth was supposed to watch this thing. How this even exists is beyond me but it gets so many bonus points from me from truly being just so goddamn bizarre. Also shout out to Cameron Diaz what a performance, man.

[**2026 Ranked**](https://boxd.it/RB4ey) The chaos surrounding this has far surpassed the general interest this film has conjured up in its infant stages, and that’s the best thing possible. How sweet it is to be able to see this on the biggest screen possible, in a room with like minded people, all contributing to the act of keeping art alive all while giving one big middle finger to the devil that is Warner Brothers. I was initially very scared for one reason: The film has had such a massive spotlight on it, what happens if I don’t enjoy it? I’ll be honest I thought 2024’s *The Day the Earth Blew Up *was painfully average so I was biting my nails at the potential this was going to deliver a similar result. I say this with nothing but pride, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Literally the FIRST frame of this is absolutely hysterical. A funny image on its own for sure, but after years of waiting for *Coyote vs Acme* to finally release, the first thing everyone sees is the company logos, followed by that still image. Undeniably hilarious and easily sets the tone for the rest of this chaotic adventure. I was never the biggest fan of Looney Tunes but this has easily won me over. I feel like everyone knows the basics, the characters, and the conventions, and this film really nails the tone of all of that with ease. So many great gags, cartoonish acts leaking into the real world, hilarious bits that go on for just the right amount. It’s a perfect concoction of live action cartoon and pure chaotic comedy. The animation combined with the real world was absolutely seamless. It *truly* felt like these characters were a part of the world, and that’s not always an easy thing to do. Objects used held actual weight, characters looked very nice up against real backdrops. It just all worked so perfectly it’s hard to believe some of this is cartoon. Theres like (to quote Will Arnett in the incredible trailer for *Behemoth!) *a mystic level of irony here, that WB decided to try and shelve THIS. You literally cannot write a more perfect script than that. Shame on them for literally trying to remove a piece of art that felt the touch of thousands of creative hands, but really shame on them for essentially gaslighting the public into thinking this is something they would not be interested in. I’m so glad this was able to see the light of day and that not only is it a middle finger to the corporations if you see it, but it’s a genuinely *great* film as well.