Are you a true cinephile if you don’t like home movies?

Personally, I love a good low-budget motion picture. Whether it’s homemade or starring D-list celebrities, I’m most definitely going to watch it. I remember days of riding in the back seat leaving the Blockbuster on Merrick Blvd. with a handful of rented DVDs to watch that weekend. Or better yet, browsing Netflix’s library for movies uploaded by aspiring film directors obtaining their BFA. Those were the times! When it was acceptable to enjoy poorly made movies. Now, it feels like everything has to be done perfectly or “the right way. What happened to creating just for the fun of it?

Luckily, there are still individuals who share the same sentiments! It’s interesting how people continue to hold such high regards, or standards, for art when it is all ultimately subjective. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten into heated debates over M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender when it first came out. Sometimes you just have to agree to disagree. Yes! I thought that film was dope. And yes, I know there was a lot of whitewashing and it was just a bad adaptation of the series. But the effects, guys! Anyways, here are a couple of “home movies” from 2025 I really enjoyed.

Back to 2005 (The Movie)

Released: 2023
Directed by: Ronald “Heybertflex” Mayo
Starring: Michael Reasor Jr., Envy Jazzo, Vig Norris, David Flynt, Patrice West, Vince Parelli, Paul Runevitch
Description: A time traveler accidentally stuck in the modern era needs help returning to the year 2005 to save the world from weapons of mass destruction.

I found out about Back to 2005 on accident, scrolling on Instagram. There was a popular video from Michael Reasor Jr.’s account (@/ThaCrowdPleazer) showing him totally displaced and confused about what year he’s in. Shits changed! Prices went up, dudes are rocking skinny jeans, and the Orlando Magic venue name ain’t the TD Waterhouse Centre no more. When I say that this man’s videos had be rolling in my tears, I mean that literally. I spent an entire afternoon watching all the reels on his Instagram account. Come to find out, he got a fully produced feature film readily available on YouTube and Tubi. Back to 2005 is an ode to what times used to be like, especially for the millennial group. Before music and video streaming really changed the way how we all consumed media. This low budget independent science-fiction film is witty, slapstick, and the type of blaxploitation I really enjoy. It was a reminder that not everything that produced has to be picturesque. I believe this film and others like it will eventually become cult classics, much like the Scary Movie franchise. Please give this movie a watch as well as Land of the Skinny Jeans, I promise it won’t disappoint.

Club Action: Nu Genesis – Club VS. Techno

Released: 2025
Produced by: Analog Psychedelia and Virtua94 Records
Starring: Dario Matteo, Victor Salerno, Drew Poulos, Josh Vennell
Description: The year is 2023 A.D. and Philly is facing non-stop TECHNOlogical attacks from deadly insectoid aliens and liquid-skinned robots from far into the future. Our only hope is a CLUB of a resistant freedom fighters! Do you have what it takes to join the corp and survive the night? Hop in the analog psychedelic time displacement device and press play! FIGHT IN THE PAST AND SAVE THE FUTURE!

I have a biased opinion when it comes to the short film, Club Action: Nu Genesis – Club VS. Techno. For starters, my friends and musical peers (Coolaidhippy, Phreakwency, DJ SEGA, Hideyoshi.V94, Traps N Trees) living in Philadelphia created this masterpiece. These are not your typical aspiring actors, but artists nonetheless. What I loved most was the use of various mediums to bring this film to life. And everyone had a major role to play, whether they knew it or not. Some of the talent had lines, and others had none. If the goal was to find a way to include your friends in a fun project, mission accomplished! The story line was not at all hard to follow, but it was a sensory overload. If you’re prone to seizures or diagnosed with epilepsy, this is not for you!

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