And Arnold Ziffle Rules Them All – – One Battle After Another (2025, US, Color, 161 min) – – 27 September 2025

Strongly recommended. Arriving at this stage of the movie year, it seems likely that Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood) grim comedy One Battle After Another will be one of the films nominated for a Best Picture Oscar^©.  The augury is based upon its director’s beloved yet un-so-awarded talent, a stellar cast, adoration of the novels of Thomas Pynchon (Inherent Vice), and the fact that it’s a damn fun movie. I happen to think Phantom Thread is PTA’s best effort, but this might be a close second. Based on Pynchon’s Vineland, Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood) plays Bob, a classic Pynchon-esque stoner-revolutionary, a totally terrifying guy using dynamite. Sean Penn is sidesplitting as a Javert-ian pursuer of Bob and Chase Inifiniti, delightful, as Bob’s daughter. All three are potential Best Actor nominees, but don’t overlook Benicio Del Toro (Traffic) or Teyana Taylor (Straw) in memorable parts