Hey, I’m Gannon. I’ve logged and rated over 1,500 movies, and I’ve been a Netflix customer since the red-envelope DVD days.
Every Thursday, you’ll get a handful of picks from me and, soon, from you. Each issue rotates through a few sections.
For issue #1, I’m also going first in Member Rewind, our member spotlight. So you’ll get to know me a little further down.
🎬 My pick
The End of Oak Street (2026)
Directed by David Robert Mitchell
Sci-fi · Adventure · 1h 39m
Starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor
My rating: ★★★★ | Where to watch
I caught this one in a theater back in August. It’s still one of my favorite movies of the year.
I went with my dad and had a great time. It took some unexpected turns that made it more interesting than the trailer led on. I really enjoyed following the family and tried to put myself in their shoes as the world around them turned to chaos.
If you’re not familiar with this one, here’s the gist:
A family’s whole street gets yanked out of 1982 and dropped into the age of dinosaurs. It nails that suburban ‘80s feel. The dinosaurs turn the neighborhood into one long game of hide-and-seek.
Two things to watch for:
Split diopter shots. The foreground and background are both in focus at once, like two pictures stacked in one frame. I counted at least half a dozen. What is a split diopter?
The one shot. A chase on foot down the street in one continuous take, with no cuts.
There’s a scene towards the end where the entire core family is in peril and there’s seemingly no way out of it. I remember feeling physically uncomfortable in my seat.
That feeling is one of the many reasons why I love movies so much!
⏪ The rewind
Jurassic Park (1993) · Steven Spielberg · Sci-fi · Adventure · 2h 7m · Sam Neill, Laura Dern
My rating: ★★★★★ | Where to watch
If Oak Street leaves you wanting more dinosaurs, go back to the one that started it all.
Jurassic Park is one of the all-time greatest films. The mix of practical effects, visual effects, creature design, and animatronics still looks incredible today! And that score will always be burned into my brain.
Behind the scenes: Remember that rippling cup of water before the T. rex shows up?
It all started in Spielberg’s car when he was listening to Earth, Wind, & Fire and noticed his mirror shaking to the music. He wanted to recreate that same feeling on screen for the movie. He put his effects team up to the task and they finally nailed it by running a guitar string through the bottom of the cup and plucking it for every footstep.
Brilliant!
📼 Member Rewind #1: Gannon N.
Virginia · Rewind Movie Club on Substack
Where I watch
Most nights, I unwind with a movie in my basement home theater. I’ve got a nice 4K OLED TV and 5.1 surround sound. I usually watch alone. My family’s taste and mine don’t overlap much, and that’s OK.
My comfort movie
Superbad (2007). It’s my guilty pleasure. It’s dumb, crude, offensive, and incredibly quotable, and I still laugh my face off every time I see it.
A scene I’d rewind forever
It’s in the beginning of the movie. Evan and Seth are on the phone with each other. Evan walks out of his house and climbs into Seth’s car, and they keep talking on the phone the whole time. It’s quirky, awkward, and kind of charming. Their conversation beautifully sets the stage for the rest of the movie.
My hidden gem
Barbarian (2022) · Zach Cregger · Horror · 1h 42m · Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård
This one scared the bajeesus out of me. The first 45 minutes are super intense!
Then there’s a much-needed 15-minute break from the suspense in the middle, and it sets up the second act beautifully. The pacing gave me exactly what I needed: intense stretches, then calmer stretches of plot and character—and time to catch my breath.
The cinematography, score, and casting are terrific. It has several holy s**t moments, and I was physically uncomfortable in the dark for days after.
My top 5 of all time
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Jaws (1975)
Die Hard (1988)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
The Dark Knight (2008)
My movie collection
For purists, this may be blasphemy, but I’m a digital media guy 😵. I used to own hundreds of DVDs and Blu-rays. Then I ran out of shelf space and went all-in on digital.
I buy everything from Apple, so it all lands in my Apple TV library. I can stream it on my Apple TV box and my other Apple devices.
Back in 2017, Apple upgraded a bunch of my purchased movies to 4K for free. That was a nice surprise.
Right now, I’m at 1,455 movies.
Want to be featured in Member Rewind? Get featured →
🗳️ Club picks
Starting next Thursday, this section is yours.
So here’s my first question for the club:
What’s one movie you think everyone should see?
Hit reply with the title and one sentence on why, or send it through here. You can also drop it in the Club chat, where I’ve started a thread. The best picks land in next week’s issue.
Until next Thursday, be kind, rewind.
— Gannon