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I was interviewing for my job at The Hypocrites while I still lived in New York. They opened Our Town at Barrow Street and Sean invited me to opening night. I met David Cromer and Heather Gilbert amongst many others that night. I kept thinking how badly I wanted to work with these talented misfits. I knew Our Town very well but their production ruined me. There is this heartstopping moment in the final 15 minutes that lasts with most people that saw it that is hard to explain to others why it was so powerful. 

I got the job. Moved to Chicago. Befriended most everyone to a certain extent. Cromer got wildly famous and he continued to work with a lot of the same folks which I will always commend him for. Heather was his Lighting Designer for Good Night and Good Luck. I texted with her briefly after last night’s airing and was very pleased they changed minimal lighting for the telecast. “a couple of timings and a few + or - 5%s” is what was altered. It made sense because it definitely felt like Heather’s design. 

Like with so many of Cromer’s productions, there is a lot to love and a few misses but that projection at the end was jaw dropping. It provided more context to today that the movie did but I’m sure the movie holds up better under the test of time. In my world we would mash the two up.

I hope we see this more. Make theatre less elite and capitalistic. Such bizarre happenstance that they cut away from the interviews happening after on CNN to show the ICE protests and the National Guard unnecessary being deployed. We are in the midst of history repeating itself with different names. Largely, we haven’t learned or built community / context since McCarthyism. It’s going to get a lot worse.

It is like Once. You see the train coming but let it run you over anyway. Herb McGwyer is the least interesting character in the movie. Thankfully everyone knows it but still we have to spend the most time with the unremarkable one

A mascot for us weirdos looking for our tribes

Yvonne Orj and Jay Pharoah are pretty good as the Jada Pinkett and Omar Epps of this film. Fun when it leans into the smart silly commentary but a few times it teetered into Scary Movie franchise land

Watched on Sunday May 18, 2025.

This review may contain spoilers.

The fact that this entire high school wasn’t fawning all over Sam Morelos and her devastating beauty is evidence enough that high school should be disbanded and outlawed.

This was a lot of fun. So many funny moments and heartwarming updates to 80s tropes.

I fell asleep a little when I first saw this so I rewatched it to see if anything changed for me. It didn’t.

This review may contain spoilers.

Not even 10% the charm of Happy Death Day or Freaky but I did guffaw at the needle drop on David Gray while she wistfully hung up a blood soaked sweater.

Don’t you dare squander the Janney

There are so many ing cast underutilized it was a rough rewatch. That and ing that the first attempt of watching this, I was about to lose my mom.

I want to marry Bashir Salahuddin so hard.

One of my favorite things when I told my boyfriend that Bob was Bill Pullman’s son his first reaction was “Is his mother also Bill Pullman?”

It was decent entertainment but not very exciting or meaningful*

*Aside from the song over the end credits meaning a rewatch of Mannequin is on the horizon

That scene in the hotel room with Dickinson loving on that Doberman is pretty hot but nothing is hotter than the introductory scene in Philadelphia (the movie) where we got to see how hot Bandaras was / is for the first time.

Scoot MacAvoy has a nice ring to it. Just make out already, you two.

Not the Halt and Catch Fire reunion we wanted but perhaps the one we deserve

PSA of why you can never make new friends past 30 years of age

This review may contain spoilers.

Who else could he become other than Buddy Guy?

Thank you for Wunmi Mosaku’s endless beauty being captured properly here.

White people as vampires wanting to taste black culture without the talent or the lived experience is such a rich strong metaphor.

This review may contain spoilers.

Not sure I watched slowly enough to know that they were in the same woods where he was hunting as a kid. It was pretty cheap to realize that was his dad. 

I kind of assumed that the mushrooms were going to factor in again based on that hamfisted intro. 

Waste of some pretty fire actors

Jenny Slate basically playing me makes me love Jenny Slate more than I already do.

There are some moments that the emotions really caught up in my throat and there was out loud cackling, often at the same time. Such a gift when that comes along.

Love the sex positivity and all its different forms. Love the love positivity and all those different forms. And acknowledging that wanting / having sex or wanting / having love is not always enough. 

There aren’t enough things exploring grief well. Thankful for this.

Venom the character is kinda worth the filler of everything else in this universe

Watched on Wednesday April 9, 2025.

Why isn’t Colman Domingo my dad and / or my best friend?

Excellent casting and energy having most everyone playing themselves. That made the real footage hit harder.

That shadow and skrim usage for Freddy was amazingly beautiful and hilarious at the same time.

The President’s middle name was Thunderbolt so I asked Kyle if there should be an asterisk and he said that was the nerdiest thing I had ever said. I assume I won nerd-dom forever more.

Carl Lumbly should be working a lot more than he is, Hollywood

Wasn’t as bad as I was expecting given word of mouth. It understood the dumb assignment and did its job.

Tim Heidecker and Alicia Silverstone as parents made for excellent casting

The one continuous shot worked surprisingly well. I appreciated it followed the formula loosely but with drastically different tones and energies. The acting was great and intense. Just didn’t always cohese fluidly but not sure it meant to.

This review may contain spoilers.

Why build this great cast and completely squander every single one of them? And not just the obvious ones but David Pasquesi, Sunita Mani, & Steve Park. Literally all of them just wasted.

It was pretty obvious from the trailer but sometimes you just need to know if they just didn’t know how to market it.

This review may contain spoilers.

Had some strong Okja flashbacks but with less snot crying. Naomi Ackie was fierce and compelling…something we don’t always get to see from her. 

Robert Pattinson just really goes for it in everything post Twilight and he really doesn’t need to so it is great to see. 

The villains were exhausting and not in an effective way. It just felt like the continuing news cycle but without the stakes that late stage capitalism mixed with fascism and no shame is doling out right now. It was super chilling to see Mark Ruffalo do a hand gesture early on that seemed to predict Musk’s Nazi salute.

Creepers > Humans

Oops, they followed the lesser of the Dunnes.

And imagine anyone wanting to be Daisy when Simone Jackson is an option.

Never forget that my boyfriend conflated Wyatt Russell with Jack Quaid and it largely led me to watching this. However I completely forgot I had seen Civil War so I should not throw any stones.

Kyle said there was a third Captain America movie so after we watched Falcon & Winter Soldier he suggested this since it is his favorite Marvel movie. I asked why and he said because he liked the fighting against friends and I said “then why don’t you love Civil War the most” and he enlighten me that this was Civil War. And I was pretty sure I had seen Civil War. I was correct but l still forgot a lot of the plot. 

I stand by my first review. As forgettable as a lot of it was for a casual viewer.

I wish I had first seen this closer to when it was made

I am not an Eggers man.

Women are always the ones inviting the evil in. Even in black and white, everyone is so white. 

The shadow play is the coolest thing in this. The movie looks pretty while being pretty soulless

Wow the measles bit hits harder in 2025. Liked it better than the first time I watched it.

I feel like there is some pressure for female comics to be “edgy” and feeding into the stereotypes of being crazy / slutty. I have no hang ups about any of these things but it also feels a bit hack and unoriginal when it is everything during the special.

Trauma born from bearing witness to another’s trauma.

I actually said “oh they are at the Bunny Hutch” out loud

The first time I’ve ever thought “I wish there was more Groucho”

I loved all the references to turkeys and briefcases. 

It felt like a Robert Altman and David Lynch mind meld.

First time at the Siskel in many moons. Felt like home even though I don’t really have a “home” here anymore.

Answer: America’s boyfriend 

Learned: Brian Thompson went to University of Iowa

What else I learned: absolutely nothing

I wanted a 128 minute mash up helmed by QuestLove. That was the strongest piece.

Lorne is not some mystical mastermind of taste and the orator of comedic and music brilliance. He’s a figurehead that is given too much credit for things.

Has anyone thought of Ashlee Simpson in decades? We do not need rehashing of that debacle with nothing new to add to the conversation.

Kenan saying Kayne’s hat was loud enough is very astute. Instead of hanging your cast out to dry while he rambles forever while you have already cut to the news isn’t exactly the flex you think it is given that’s basically how you decide to end things.

Didn’t dream that these would be on Letterboxd. This winter vortex in Chicago I have been gobbling up Peacock content. Let me know when The Traitors Season 3 finds it way on here because I have notes since I lost my best friend because he thinks I’m too outspoken about genocide. 

This is a fair bit of navel gazing. The framing needed a lot of work. That Twilight Zone riff was stupid.

It is wild to think that there was a time before SNL existing. Never my favorite show but it was important to me because it was something I watched a lot of with my mom.

The Culps covering Kendrick Lamar slapped.

The Fugees partial reunion was very meaningful to me especially when 911 started. Even loved Kenan’s intro calling out that the lack of albums.

No one could have predicted that I was going to tear up during Eddie Vedder’s set. Largely indifferent to his music (his politics seems honorable as far as have reached me) but I wasn’t prepared for his dead scroll names shout out.

I really thought the Backstreet Boys singing off key was a bit. But I also mised that Justin Timberlake was in that group so don’t listen to me. Lady Gaga was an upgrade regardless.

Kind of loved David Byrne dres as Robyn.

Not sure why we got Miley Cyrus twice over both nights. Or why Paul McCartney didn’t close the show. Deduction for the Jimmy Fallon opening too

My mom had a huge crush on Kevin Costner and loved Cher. So him reacting so hard to her performance really affected me thinking about my mom’s reaction.

Bill Murray’s Top 10 list killed.

I truly thought Meryl Streep was Jane Curtin which would make a lot of sense given the night but I guess since she’s fucking Martin Short this was the direction? The Devil Wears Nada plays either way. Can we talk about that couple sitting next to Any Schumer?? Just cancel that Zionist fraudster already. Gross. She belongs sitting next to Louis CK plagiarizing their collective few good ideas in a dungeon somewhere in international waters.

Eddie Murphy as Tracy Morgan next to Tracy Morgan playing a throwaway character was inspired. 

I’m always here for John Mulaney’s musical sketches.

This was so long but easily the best episode of SNL in a long time.

Watched on Friday February 21, 2025.

This review may contain spoilers.

That airport scene shot will haunt me for years

Watched on Wednesday February 19, 2025.

Here for the hummus content

Accidentally a Joe Tippett weekend…

I liked that it was more a musical than a biopic. Not sure the folk nazis are a worthy enemy.

I seeing Joan Baez at Hancher as a kid and was mesmerized by how her voice filled the entire auditorium effortlessly. 

Scoot really is an unsung hero of this film.

I don’t really care what events Bob Dylan attended. He’s soooooo anti-establishment because he’s never grateful. Who cares?

I’d rather just watch his series. This felt like a flimsy draft of Season One but with some accents that were uncomfortable especially while watching it with a black woman

This review may contain spoilers.

Anya Taylor Joy and chess again? Stop typecasting a bitch for once.

The first 30 minutes reminded me of this pretty great musical, Hostage Song, that I would love to see be made into a film.

What if The Gorge takes place in the Cabin in the Woods universe? I always want a Sigourney appearance to mean more than it does

Some of these pies sound suspect af

Great cast. Very queer and restrained. Very Brooklyn. I’m not quite sure that they fully captured the quarantine feel which wouldn’t have been a big deal if there wasn’t constant references to it. You tell me Early is in something then you know I’m going to watch it.

Meant to watch this much sooner but one of my best friends who never sees movies before I do texted me mentioning the Iowa City stuff. I knew that Harper was from my hometown based on interviews I had seen with her and Will. I felt shamed John had seen it first so I watched it the next day.

A bit contrived at points. It had some cheapness of reality tv like the basketball game that didn’t feel honest to the journey.

I felt profound sadness for Harper to still feel out of place and tortured while living her truth finally. But I felt tinges of joy for her bravery.

I really appreciated Will vocalizing his shortcomings and feeling shame for not doing better for his friend. It was earnestly selfish but not in a gross way. Just a constant attempt to do better.

The first time a Tiffany box felt profound and sweet. The moment reminded me of Dale Cooper talking in Twin Peaks about every day giving yourself a gift.

There are a lot of scumbags out there. It is another film that hits harder at the start of Trump 2.0. It all existed but it feels amplified in an extra disgusting way.

This review may contain spoilers.

You have a pretty stacked deck for some comedic acting and you barely scratch the surface. This hits a little harder with the removal of a lot of DEI initiatives and emboldened unremarkable white men.

Had fun. Wanted to have more fun.

Jack Quaid listening to Iris waiting for his fuckbot was a tasty treat to further drive home what a basic bitch he was. The soundtrack was pretty good all around

• One Battle After Another
• Blossoms Shanghai
• Sinners
• Highest 2 Lowest
• Untitled Trey Parker / Matt Stone / Kendrick Lamar Comedy
• Hamnet
• The History of Sound
• Personalien
• Becoming Led Zeppelin
• Hedda

...plus 120 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• The Curse
• Sinners
• Sing Sing
• Universal Language
• A Different Man
• Dying for Sex
• Adolescence
• Roy Wood Jr.: Lonely Flowers
• Roy Wood Jr.: Father Figure
• Hasan Minhaj: Off with His Head

...plus 64 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
• Poor Things
• All of Us Strangers
• Killers of the Flower Moon
• Barbie
• The Boy and the Heron
• Past Lives
• Origin
• John Wick: Chapter 4
• The Zone of Interest

...plus 61 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Ragtime
• The Red Shoes
• Happy Together
• Yi Yi
• Chungking Express
• Sunset Boulevard
• She's Gotta Have It
• Eraserhead
• Antiporno
• A Brighter Summer Day

...plus 222 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Nickel Boys
• Drive-Away Dolls
• Kinds of Kindness
• I Saw the TV Glow
• Limonov: The Ballad
• Rebel Ridge
• Cuckoo
• Love Lies Bleeding
• Hard Truths
• Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

...plus 56 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Everything Everywhere All at Once
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• Stars at Noon
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• Nope
• Both Sides of the Blade
• Showing Up
• Men
• EO
• Aftersun

...plus 62 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Watchmen
• My Favorite Shapes by Julio Torres
• His Three Daughters
• Jenny Slate: Seasoned Professional
• Gremlins 2: The New Batch
• Poor Things
• All of Us Strangers
• Problemista
• Anora
• Janet Planet

...plus 84 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

What I watched in 2023.

If it is at the end with no rating, I haven’t finished it.

• America to Me
• Aftersun
• Joe Pera: Slow & Steady
• Civil War (Or, Who Do We Think We Are)
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
• Jo Firestone: Comedy Central Stand-up Presents
• Of an Age
• They Cloned Tyrone
• Joe Mande's Award-Winning Comedy Special
• Fleishman Is in Trouble

...plus 99 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

What I saw this year

If it is at the end with no rating, I haven’t finished it.

• Drive My Car
• Station Eleven
• Everything Everywhere All at Once
• Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel
• I May Destroy You
• Little Shop of Horrors
• ing Strange
• Landscapers
• The Underground Railroad
• Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men

...plus 217 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

It’s 2021, bitches

1. Moonlight
2. Euphoria: Trouble Don't Last Always
3. Judas and the Black Messiah
4. Love Is the Message, the Message Is Death
5. Before Sunset
6. Beginners
7. It's a Sin
8. Normal People
9. The Harder They Fall
10. Before Sunrise

...plus 202 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.