5-25-77

This may not a perfect movie, but I think there’s something really sweet and relatable about this film at its core, something that every self-proclaimed “geek” can personally resonate with and relate to..
Emotionally ranting to your friends about an interest of yours, when they don’t give two fucks about what you are talking about.
The excitement of going to the theatre to finally see a movie that you’ve been waiting to watch since the trailers dropped.
The awkward conversation when you finally meet your heroes and can’t muster up anything to say and instead just stare at them speechless like a total idiot.
Making fan projects based on your favorite shit, whether it’s fan-films, fanfiction, fanart etc.
The passion of being such a die hard fan, it almost borders on obsession. 
And most importantly, the desperation that comes with wanting so badly to be apart of the world that made you fall in love with the stuff first place.

This may not a perfect movie, but I think there’s something really sweet and relatable about this film at its core, something that every self-proclaimed “geek” can personally resonate with and relate to..
Emotionally ranting to your friends about an interest of yours, when they don’t give two fucks about what you are talking about.
The excitement of going to the theatre to finally see a movie that you’ve been waiting to watch since the trailers dropped.
The awkward conversation when you finally meet your heroes and can’t muster up anything to say and instead just stare at them speechless like a total idiot.
Making fan projects based on your favorite shit, whether it’s fan-films, fanfiction, fanart etc.
The passion of being such a die hard fan, it almost borders on obsession. 
And most importantly, the desperation that comes with wanting so badly to be apart of the world that made you fall in love with the stuff first place.

I too feel like i was waiting my whole life to watch star wars. 

This guy gets me on a personal level holy.. 
his whole spiel on what movies are to him, oh yeah peak cinema this guy is so me.. Am i Patrick Read Johnson… or is Patrick Read Johnson me.. 🧐

I too feel like i was waiting my whole life to watch star wars. 

This guy gets me on a personal level holy.. 
his whole spiel on what movies are to him, oh yeah peak cinema this guy is so me.. Am i Patrick Read Johnson… or is Patrick Read Johnson me.. 🧐

i HATE film bros

i HATE film bros

The first movie of the year and I set the tone with some inspiration.

The first movie of the year and I set the tone with some inspiration.

I love Batman; I always have. My parents used to joke that my first word was Batman. My love for the character runs so deep that I know if I made a film it would be unwatchable I would focus too much on every single detail out of love. But as a film, as a narrative, that love would be misguided and bring down every other aspect of it.

I only share this because that’s how 5-25-77 felt. It's like a love letter to the director's youth, but one so stuffed to the brim with moments, some heartwarming, some excessive, but all contributing to an overlong runtime that has far too many ideas and far too many threads.

The effects are endearing, but at times they feel excessive and end up often feeling like tape trying to hold everything together. There are plenty of moments of schmaltz, but a lot of it works. There’s a maybe twenty-minute stretch of the movie with Austin Pendleton that I found genuinely great, and even though a lot of it feels like wish fulfillment and a revision of his life, it can often win you over with the sheer earnestness of the whole thing.

The lead in John Francis Daley fluctuates throughout, but by the end, he’s very good. Colleen Camp is fabulous in basically all her scenes, particularly one where she pleads the importance of Pat in his siblings' lives, and Emmi Chen stands out as well, bringing a softness and warmth to every scene. Austin Pendleton is the absolute standout.

It’s far from perfect, but at the end of the day, it’s an admirable attempt, and at the risk of sounding corny, it feels like the thing so many of us on this app wish they did.

I love Batman; I always have. My parents used to joke that my first word was Batman. My love for the character runs so deep that I know if I made a film it would be unwatchable I would focus too much on every single detail out of love. But as a film, as a narrative, that love would be misguided and bring down every other aspect of it.

I only share this because that’s how 5-25-77 felt. It's like a love letter to the director's youth, but one so stuffed to the brim with moments, some heartwarming, some excessive, but all contributing to an overlong runtime that has far too many ideas and far too many threads.

The effects are endearing, but at times they feel excessive and end up often feeling like tape trying to hold everything together. There are plenty of moments of schmaltz, but a lot of it works. There’s a maybe twenty-minute stretch of the movie with Austin Pendleton that I found genuinely great, and even though a lot of it feels like wish fulfillment and a revision of his life, it can often win you over with the sheer earnestness of the whole thing.

The lead in John Francis Daley fluctuates throughout, but by the end, he’s very good. Colleen Camp is fabulous in basically all her scenes, particularly one where she pleads the importance of Pat in his siblings' lives, and Emmi Chen stands out as well, bringing a softness and warmth to every scene. Austin Pendleton is the absolute standout.

It’s far from perfect, but at the end of the day, it’s an admirable attempt, and at the risk of sounding corny, it feels like the thing so many of us on this app wish they did.