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My Summer Viewing Plan for 2025

For those of you who have patiently suffered through my recent reading posts, here’s one on movies. (Finally!) Summer reading is important, but so is Summer Movie Watching, which is particularly crucial if you have a backlog of movies you’ve been meaning to watch. (I currently have 746 films on my Letterboxd watchlist.) Or maybe you have stacks of unwatched DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K discs. Since my summer reading list is quite ambitious, I’ve decided to select a dozen or so films from my Letterboxd watchlist and a similar number from my physical media collection.

First, my Letterboxd list:

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I’m not kidding, I have 746 movies there. If the average length of those movies is 90 minutes (and I’m sure it’s more), it would take 46.5 days to watch them all, nonstop, 24/7. So I’m choosing 12 that seem the most intriguing. You’ll notice that most of these are crime or horror films. (Hey, it’s summer!)

A Taste of Cherry (1997) – I’m always ready to see any film from director Abbas Kiarostami, and this one has been recommended many times.

Cloak and Dagger (1984) – I know Brian Saur is a big fan of this kid-espionage thriller starring Henry Thomas, and I might be as well.

The Lost One (1951) – Some consider this one of Peter Lorre’s greatest performances as a scientist who murders his wife when he discovers she’s been selling his wartime secrets. But after killing her, he doesn’t want to stop his murderous ways.

Coin Locker Girl (2015) – I’ve enjoyed so many Korean films lately, and this one looks messed-up, so I must see it.

One Cut of the Dead (2017) – This zombie movie was all the rage when it first came out, and I purposefully haven’t read anything about it, so no spoilers, please!

My Cousin Rachel (1952) – For years I thought this was a stuffy period drama, but recently a friend of mine told me, “No, dude, it’s a revenge movie!” Sold.

Crime Without Passion (1934) – Apparently, this is a noirish pre-Code drama starring Claude Rains. Again, sold.

A Fugitive from the Past (1965) – This Japanese heist film features three criminals who make a clean escape with the loot, but one of them kills the other two. Those guys might be gone, but the evidence of their murders remains. It’s hard to imagine this premise justifying a 3-hour running time, but I’m intrigued.

No One Will Save You (2023) – A home invasion story with extraterrestrials.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) – Another Korean film, this one suggested by a coworker.

Payroll (1961) – Another heist gone wrong, this time from the Brits.

Symphony for a Massacre (1963) – Yes, another heist film, moving from England to France.

If you see anything else from my watchlist I should view instead, let me know!

The photo above shows a small sampling of DVDs and Blu-rays I own but have never watched. (As you can see, some are still in their shrink wrap.) I hope to get to them all. The stack on the right gets priority, but I’ll watch the pile on the left if I have time:

I’ve only watched one of the films in the Greta Garbo collection (which someone gave me years ago), so I have several to keep me busy.

I’ve also decided to add at least one season of a TV show I’ve owned for years, but never watched. I own several, but I’ve chosen True Detective: Season One (but the second season is ready in case I get super ambitious).

Wish me luck, and tell me your movie and TV-watching plans. Thanks for reading.