Elio: this was not the most cohesive movie. But I appreciate its themes and there were a ton of Alien references, so…

this was not the most cohesive movie. But I appreciate its themes and there were a ton of Alien references, so...

Currently Reading

Currently reading: The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver 📚

Currently Watching

• The Bear, Season 4
• Poker Face, Season 2
• The Studio, Season 1
• Disclaimer
• Shrinking, Season 1

Currently In Queue

• Black Bag
• I’m Still Here
• Heretic
• Challengers
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Furiosa
• The First Omen
• Skinamarink

Currently Listening

Currently Planning

• Been too busy planning trips to blog about them!

Concurrently

• It’s been a tough couple of months and I’ve not really had the head space to write. Need to find a way to change that soon.
• It’s always an event when there’s a new Lorde album! It didn’t catch me like some of the others did, but she’s always been about depth over an initial grab.

Finished in June:

How To Train Your Dragon: I was dubious when this was announced, but it stuck close to the animated original when it should and diverted when it made sense. Also wow– those flying scenes! I’m so glad DeBlois gave them the space they needed to breathe

Your Friends and Neighbors, Season 1: Never doubt the roles that Jon Hamm picks. I knew this would be good, but I didn’t know how good it would be. Never met a symbol it couldn’t use…

28 Years Later: With the way it comments on immigration and treatment of others, I refuse to believe that this movie was written and filmed more than three months ago.

Previously, in Current Things…

June 2025
May 2025
April 2025
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022

With the way it comments on immigration and treatment of others, I refuse to believe that this movie was written and filmed more than three months ago.

Your Friends and Neighbors, Season 1: Never doubt the roles that Jon Hamm picks. I knew this would be good, but I didn’t know how good it would be. Never met a symbol it couldn’t use…

I was dubious when this was announced, but it stuck close to the animated original when it should and diverted when it made sense. Also wow-- those flying scenes! I'm so glad DeBlois gave them the space they needed to breathe

Currently Reading

Currently reading: The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver 📚

Currently Watching

• Poker Face, Season 2
• Your Friends and Neighbors, Season 1
• The Studio, Season 1
• Disclaimer
• Shrinking, Season 1

Currently In Queue

• Black Bag
• I’m Still Here
• Heretic
• Challengers
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Furiosa
• The First Omen
• Skinamarink

Currently Listening

Currently Planning

• Been too busy planning trips to blog about them!

Concurrently

• It’s been a tough couple of months and I’ve not really had the head space to write. Need to find a way to change that soon.

Finished in May:

Friendship: dudes! We’re our own worst enemy!!

(And we have each other’s backs)

The Last of Us, Season 2: Bold decisions do not equal bold outcomes

Andor, Season 2: there’s so much to get into with how our culture’s general knowledge of Star Wars is crucial for how this plays, but I’ll just say this show will stand along 1984 as a seminal text on the impact of facism

Sinners: a thematic and technical masterpiece. This is a messy movie because it’s dealing with a messy subject.

An absolutely perfect Righteous Gemstones finale. More to say later

Previously, in Current Things…

May 2025
April 2025
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022

Friendship: dudes! We’re our own worst enemy!!

(And we have each other’s backs)

dudes! We're our own worst enemy!!

(And we have each other's backs)

The Last of Us, Season 2: Bold decisions do not equal bold outcomes

Andor, Season 2: there’s so much to get into with how our culture’s general knowledge of Star Wars is crucial for how this plays, but I’ll just say this show will stand along 1984 as a seminal text on the impact of facism

Sinners: a thematic and technical masterpiece. This is a messy movie because it’s dealing with a messy subject.

A thematic and technical masterpiece. This is a messy movie because it's dealing with a messy subject.

An absolutely perfect Righteous Gemstones finale. More to say later

Currently Reading

Currently reading: The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver 📚

Currently Watching

• Andor, Season 2
• The Last of Us, Season 2
• Your Friends and Neighbors, Season 1
• The Righteous Gemstones, Season 4
• The Studio, Season 1
• Disclaimer
• Shrinking, Season 1

Currently In Queue

• I’m Still Here
• Heretic
• Challengers
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Furiosa
• The First Omen
• Skinamarink

Currently Listening

Currently Planning

• Been too busy planning trips to blog about them!

Concurrently

• It’s been a tough couple of months and I’ve not really had the head space to write. Need to find a way to change that soon.

Finished in April:

Yellowjackets, Season 3: What a messy season of television. The show is a shadow of its former self— except for when it’s not (like in the finale). One more season should be good enough to wrap this up.

The White Lotus, Season 3: “Death” this season as opposed to “Sex” last season. It lost a step from season 2, but there’s no way you’re going to put Parker Posey, Carrie Coon, and Walton Goggins in the same show and I won’t love it.

Previously, in Current Things…

April 2025
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022

Yellowjackets, Season 3: What a messy season of television. The show is a shadow of its former self— except for when it’s not (like in the finale). One more season should be good enough to wrap this up.

The White Lotus, Season 3: “Death” this season as opposed to “Sex” last season. It lost a step from season 2, but there’s no way you’re going to put Parker Posey, Carrie Coon, and Walton Goggins in the same show and I won’t love it.

It’s all fun† and games‡ until the Switch 2 preorders get delayed

†It’s not fun
‡Nor a game

Mr. Henry’s. 📍

Testing micro.social’s location feature

Currently Reading

Currently reading: The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver 📚

Currently Watching

• The Righteous Gemstones, Season 4
• The Studio, Season 1
• The White Lotus, Season 3
• Yellowjackets, Season 3
• Severance, Season 2
• Dune: Prophecy, Season 1
• Disclaimer
• Shrinking, Season 1

Currently In Queue

• I’m Still Here
• Heretic
• Challengers
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Furiosa
• The First Omen
• Skinamarink

Currently Listening

Currently Planning

• Been too busy planning trips to blog about them!

Concurrently

• Second year in a row that my personal favorite movie of the year won the Oscar. Gotta pick something super weird next year

Time for my 100% correct ranking✝ of this year’s Oscar Best Picture Nominees:

1. Anora
2. The Brutalist
3. Dune Part Two
4. Nickel Boys
5. Conclave
6. A Complete Unknown
7. Wicked
8. Emilia Perez
9. The Substance

✝Give or take an I’m Still Here

Finished in March:

Severance, Season 2: this show continues to walk the tightrope between nonsense and profundity better than any I’ve seen since Fringe– maybe even LOST– because it realizes that sometimes life is profound because it’s nonsensical.

Previously, in Current Things…

March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022

Severance, Season 2: this show continues to walk the tightrope between nonsense and profundity better than any I’ve seen since Fringe– maybe even LOST– because it realizes that sometimes life is profound because it’s nonsensical.

This will forever be a Sean Baker stan account and we welcome all the new members

Time for my 100% correct ranking✝ of this year’s Oscar Best Picture Nominees:

1. Anora
2. The Brutalist
3. Dune Part Two
4. Nickel Boys
5. Conclave
6. A Complete Unknown
7. Wicked
8. Emilia Perez
9. The Substance

✝Give or take an I’m Still Here

Currently Reading

Currently reading: The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver 📚

Currently Watching

• Yellowjackets, Season 3
• Mythic Quest, Season 4
• Severance, Season 2
• Dune: Prophecy, Season 1
• Disclaimer
• Shrinking, Season 1

Currently In Queue

• I’m Still Here
• Challengers
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Furiosa
• The First Omen
• Skinamarink

Currently Listening

Currently Planning

• Been too busy planning trips to blog about them!

Concurrently

• Got through my week of watching all the best picture nominees– save I’m Still Here, which isn’t streaming or on VOD yet. Would love to have supported this one by going to the theater, but couldn’t make it work this week.
• Here’s my ranking of the Best Picture nominees:

Time for my 100% correct ranking✝ of this year’s Oscar Best Picture Nominees:

1. Anora
2. The Brutalist
3. Dune Part Two
4. Nickel Boys
5. Conclave
6. A Complete Unknown
7. Wicked
8. Emilia Perez
9. The Substance

✝Give or take an ‘I’m Still Here’

Finished in February:

Nickel Boys: mundane horror is still horror

Conclave: I could have used about a half click more pulp, but can’t complain too much with these performances, cinematography, and score. It’s not the main focus of the movie by any stretch, but it’s a nice warning about process getting in the way of humanity.

A Complete Unknown: interesting twist on the biopic where instead of learning more about the subject, you walk away almost feeling like you know less. It does a good job of illustrating Dylan’s talent, but doesn’t shy away from the possibility that he doesn’t stand for anything but contrarianism

The Brutalist: I’m a sucker for these types of movies that attempt to comment on an America as reflected in an individual’s experience. I’m a bit more hopeful about our chances than The Brutalist, so keep me on Team Anora for the moment.

The Substance: The idea is fine, but this movie needed someone who could realize it better than it was. It’s a textbook case of a solid first act with zero clue of where to go from there. (See also American Fiction from last year)

Emilia Pérez: This felt like a high school production of Emilia Pérez. I don’t mean that entirely derogatory

Dog Man: Nailed the spirit, but didn’t quite capture the energy of the comics. Still, even attempting to bring this to the screen was a big endeavor and I’m impressed how much they were able to fit in mostly organically

(Oh yeah, kids loved it. Guess that’s what’s important…)

Previously, in Current Things…

February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022

Nickel Boys: mundane horror is still horror