Film

A collection of 72 posts

Television

They Found More Doctor Who

On the night the BBC released their news, the only thing I could thing about was how an organization called Film Is Fabulous finding two episodes of Doctor Who. Sounds like a silly thing to get excited about, but without the proper context it's difficult to convey just

Television

April 2026 Check-In

And a very happy anniversary to me! It's the beginning of April, which means I've been writing this culture conversation for a full year now. There's been more than 120 posts (and a couple of podcast episodes for fun), which is a lot. Looking

Television

Harry Potter and the Rotting Decay of J.K. Rowling

As an icebreaker during a zoom call today, the host encouraged attendees to pick a nerdy field of interest and discuss it with a small group. The choices were several, including Lord of the Rings, anime, Star Wars, Marvel/DC/comics, Pokemon... and Harry Potter. In western civilization, Harry Potter

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Film

Slash Fiction - Scream 7

The following contains spoilers for the Scream movies, the trailer to Abigail, and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3. This is your warning. The marketing for Scream 7 leans heavily on the phrase "Burn it all down". It's a key line in the trailers, and every

Oscars

Gothic But Modern - Frankenstein & Wuthering Heights

Two films, two directors, two different attempts to adapt 19th century literature for a modern audience...

Criterion Challenge

Feb 2026 Check-in

Happy Valentine's Day from our inherently satirical existence

Game of Thrones

George R.R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson, and the Art of Creative Control

Options, deals, adaptations, and live action... Every authors' dream is not far off from becoming their nightmare

Monthly Check-in

Jan 2026 Check-in

Mrs. Landingham... what's next?

Martin Scorsese

A Very Personal List of Top 250 Films - Part 5: #50-1

A list in which there aren't any films that are better than these...

Steven Spielberg

A Very Personal List of Top 250 Films - Part 4: #100-51

Three of Satoshi Kon's four films, a couple of Best Picture winners, and a heaping dose of DiCaprio...

Rian Johnson

A Very Personal List of Top 250 Films - Part 3: #150-101

A bunch of black and whites, a few with the word "sun", and a previous #1...

Martin Scorsese

A Very Personal List of Top 250 Films - Part 2: #200-151

Featuring a couple Wachowskis, a couple Paul Thomas Andersons, and a couple of mashups

Martin Scorsese

A Very Personal List of Top 250 Films - Part 1: #250-201

Spoilers: gotta get the MCU out of the way...

The Top 250 Films

A Very Personal List of Top 250 Movies - Intro: Honorable Mentions

The Overture to the Substack Event of the Season™ is here!

2025 Films

Because I Saw You - Avatar: Fire & Ash

It's more Avatar: The Way of Water 2...

Alfred Hitchcock

The Highest Heights - Vertigo

Alfred Hitchcock's undeniable masterpiece owes its success to many different sources...

Criterion Challenge

Selections for the Letterboxd 2026 Criterion Challenge

Now with commentary!

Building the Top 250

In the Shadow of Greatness - To Kill A Mockingbird

A cinematic translation of the 20th Century's most-read book

Broadway

We Haven't Got Time - Merrily We Roll Along

The new pro-shot of the recent Broadway revival unlocks the full potential of Sondheim's hidden gem masterpiece

Building the Top 250

Harnessing the Metatext - Unforgiven

Clint Eastwood deconstructs westerns, tests his audience's patience, and delivers a masterpiece

Monthly Check-in

December 2025 Check In

Somehow the year is over? Yeesh.

Wes Anderson

A Sense of Belonging - Moonrise Kingdom

When society fails, fall out of it and build your own

Rian Johnson

Paying For Your Sins - Wake Up Dead Man

In which Benoit Blanc goes to church

Wicked

When All Your Dreams Come True - Wicked

Part One, For Good, and all the challenges of adaptation

Before Midnight

Myth Meets Reality - Before Midnight

It's one of the great cinematic love stories and unlike the others, this one isn't exactly a feel good...