Introducing: Cinema Tyler
Welcome to Cinema Tyler, a new project to share my love of movies with the people I love.
Here's the pitch
Cinema Tyler is part traditional newsletter, part no-commitment film club/micro-cinema.
The newsletter part is self-explanatory. Every week or so I'll use this platform to share recommendations of things I've watched recently, or just stray movie-related thoughts. If you can stand just one more item in your inbox from time to time, I'd love for you to follow along.
What about the cinema? Okay, here's the idea:
- I share out a schedule of movies I'll be watching at home in the coming weeks, with dates and screening times.
- If one interests you, show up at my house at showtime and watch it with me.
You don't have to commit in advance! You don't have to RSVP! You can think of it as a tiny movie theater I'm running out of my living room where tickets are free.
As an attendee you'll be treated to homemade popcorn and I'll give a brief introduction about the film and its context before showtime. You can stick around after to discuss the film, or leave while the credits are still rolling. Either is fine!
Just remember: screenings start promptly at the posted times and unlike your average theater I won't waste your time with 30 minutes of ads and trailers.
What will I be showing? Lots of different stuff!
I'm hoping to make these screenings a reflection of my broad love of film as a medium. There will be classics and award-winning films, sure, but also underappreciated rom-coms, hidden gems you might have missed, fun genre films, weird directorial misfires, and more!
Check out the showtimes for the next few weeks here, or subscribe to this Google Calendar to get the latest showtimes there!
I also want to watch what you like! If you have a request—maybe a favorite or something you've been meaning to get around to—let me know! We'll get it on the calendar and make sure the showtime works for you.
What if you can't make any of the showtimes? If there are days/times that work better for you, let me know!
I plan to vary the day/times of screenings in the hope that some align with peoples' schedules. If I'm habitually picking times that don't work but you want to come, I'd be thrilled to find times that will.
What if no one comes? That's okay!
This is a fun experiment and these are movies I plan to watch anyway. If time, distance, or inclination don't work out don't worry about it.
Why am I doing this?
I believe cinema is one of the most accessible and time-efficient forms of art to consume. Commercialized though it may be, we're lucky to have a medium of popular art that delivers novel creative works, realized by teams of artists in front of and behind the camera, able to be experienced in a few hours or less either within the comfort of our own homes or a short distance away. It's a miracle, really.
A couple years ago, still feeling a broad malaise and post-COVID societal detachment, I decided to immerse myself in the world of film. One thing led to another and I managed to watch over 230 movies in 2024. That's roughly one movie every two days.
In 2025 I took it a little easier and will probably end the year with about ~180 films logged. Roughly ⅕ of those were new releases.
It's been a tremendously rewarding experience. I've learned so much about the technical and dramatic craft of filmmaking. I've found myself becoming more fluent in the medium, able to unlock subtext and themes hidden in the visuals and narrative. But I've also mostly experienced it as a solo activity.
The best film viewing experiences I've had have been with friends: watching Weapons with Ethan as the entire theater lost its collective mind at the ending; going to a "mystery movie" night with Ally where we didn't know the film until it started (it was Eternity, a wonderful date night film); watching a 35mm screening of the Endless Summer with my parents at the Balboa Theater and hearing my dad share his memories of Southern California surf culture when he was growing up.
I want to foster more moments like these. I want to find new ways to spend time with friends in a world when we're all increasingly over-scheduled and missing the spontaneity we lost somewhere along the way.
I also want to help break us out of the algorithmic bubble that streaming services push on us. I want us to watch things because they're meaningful to the people around us, not because a model calculated they'll hold our attention just enough so we don't cancel our subscription. I want to build a community.
So, with all that said, I hope you'll join me at the movies.