Leah Schnelbach
@leahschnelbach.bsky.social
writer, mostly. intellectual junk drawer at reactor mag. they!
This essay by @maxinegkaplan.bsky.social was deeply fun to work on, and a joy to read.
Reactor Magazine@reactorsff.bsky.social · 2d ago"[Felicity] was also, looking back, such a rich text—a masterclass, really—on the purpose of speculative fiction." @maxinegkaplan.bsky.social on the startling joy of Felicity's genre shift, and how we can't be surprised by TV anymore:
I saw Pilgrimage in the theater years ago—I've thought about it surprisingly often since, and I'm excited the The Odyssey and the new Spider-Man gave me an excuse to write about it. ...and I'm embarrassingly pleased that I can now understand a tiny, tiny bit of the Irish spoken in the film.
Reactor Magazine@reactorsff.bsky.social · last wk.The Odyssey isn't the first time Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal have experienced an otherworldly past. @leahschnelbach.bsky.social revisits The Pilgrimage, a gritty road trip following a monk, his muscle, and a murder weapon:
It turns out that I have many thoughts and even more feelings about Christopher Nolan's take on The Odyssey! Join me in the Trojan Discourse, won't you? reactormag.com/the-odyssey-...
The Eyes of Athena and the Disenchanted World of The Odyssey - Reactor
Are you defying the gods, or betraying them?
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I agree with Elon, we should have an Odyssey where everyone is white. And they’re all Catholic. And it’s historically accurate, but maybe for a period with more documentation so we can be absolutely sure of the accuracy, like let’s say Ireland in 1904. And
We're 2 months into the Discourse around Obsession, but as people debate Bear's actions and film their own ironic One Wish Willow wishes, the thing that's haunted me is how Sarah and Nikki share an all-too-real fate. reactormag.com/the-thing-ab...
The Part of Obsession I Can't Stop Thinking About - Reactor
I want a 10-episode prestige Apple series of Nikki's Hansel and Gretel retelling.
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Evil Dead Burn was not at all what I expected, but I really enjoyed the gore, the callbacks to Evil Deads past, and the celebration of fountain pens.
Reactor Magazine@reactorsff.bsky.social · 4w agoEvil Dead Burn is a horrifying family drama before all the undead even get involved. @leahschnelbach.bsky.social reviews the latest addition to the iconic series, where no traumatic backstory can save you from an open dishwasher 🍴
loved loved LOVED Avalon Fast's Camp! It's a reminder of how special and weird indie films can be, and I encourage you to see it in theaters if you can.
Reactor Magazine@reactorsff.bsky.social · last mo."Avalon Fast has created a movie that feels like stumbling into a fairy ring." @leahschnelbach.bsky.social reviews Camp, a vibrant, witchy exploration of female friendship that diverges from the coming-of-age formula:
We're thrilled to present the shortlist for the 2026 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction:
Mayor Mamdani took the mayor's Inaugural Swim in east Harlem this morning to open the city's pool season. (Look out for sea hags, Zohran!) Naturally, he wore his swimsuit.
Listen, I get that we're all fans of Pope Leo now, but I need the movies to remember that there are spiritual options beyond Catholicism! reactormag.com/disclosure-d...
Disclosure Day Puts Religion and Aliens in a Blender, With Mixed Results - Reactor
Ah, the beautiful oblivion of Vague Movie Catholicism
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Dublin-born Cape Verde defender Pico Lopes was offered a slot in the national side over LinkedIn. Accepted the second time because the first invitation was in Portuguese „which i didn’t speak”
[turning on a world cup match] oh wow, cape verde, i wonder where that is [55 minutes later] if cape verde wins it will be the greatest day of my life
WHY WON'T YOU LET ME LOVE YOU, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (2026)? reactormag.com/masters-of-t...
Masters of the Universe Needs to Commit - Reactor
WHERE IS ORKO
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Backrooms is queasy and horrible (complimentary!) and flung me into a liminal nightmare in Midtown Manhattan and also made me homesick. reactormag.com/movie-review...
Backrooms Is the Best Nightmare You'll Ever Have - Reactor
Liminal spaces are excellent for horror, but it's even better when the liminal space IS the horror.
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It's fair to say I had a good time in the bookstores of Ireland.
My episode of the In Your Spare Time podcast is up today! I had the joy of reading Ursula K. Le Guin’s excellent piece about exorcism from November 2010. I must also note that @mollytempleton.com's intro made me CRY, a thing I do not (usually) do. inyoursparetime.libsyn.com/leah-schnelb...
In Your Spare Time: From the Blog of Ursula K. Le Guin: Leah Schnelbach reads "Exorcists"
This week, Leah Schnelbach reads Post 5, "Exorcists," which Ursula posted in November of 2010. The original post can be read at
inyoursparetime.libsyn.com
I didn't walk into The Sheep Detectives expecting SHEEP THEOLOGY and SHEEP GRIEF but that's what I got, and I'm super happy about it. But don't worry, the movie's also really funny, and the mystery works! 🐑 reactormag.com/the-sheep-de...
The Sheep Detectives: A Fun, Funny Mystery of Unexpected Depth - Reactor
Look, I'm as surprised as you.
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After a season that left me yelling "WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT???" at both the characters on my TV and, in a larger sense, the writers' room, Daredevil: Born Again mostly pulled it together for a season finale that made me remember why I love this guilt-ridden freak.
Reactor Magazine@reactorsff.bsky.social · 3mo agoFor all the chaos it took to get here, Daredevil: Born Again's season finale neatly ties its story together, with some intriguing leads for season three...plus plenty of courtroom banter and corpse hallways. @leahschnelbach.bsky.social reviews "The Southern Cross"! #DaredevilBornAgain
Really love @thenerdypriest.bsky.social digging into Project Hail Mary, and how deepening the humanity of Rocky and Eva Stratt ends up making Ryland Grace more human, too.
Reactor Magazine@reactorsff.bsky.social · 3mo ago"No matter the existential stakes we may face, what is worth preserving in our humanity if we cannot find a moment to sing Harry Styles’ 'Sign of the Times' with friends at karaoke?" @thenerdypriest.bsky.social identifies the messy, earnest human nature at the heart of Project Hail Mary:
As much as I love all the Wilson Fisk parodies I see on my various feeds, I'm extremely proud that we got to publish @gonebabygone.bsky.social's excellent, serious look at how Daredevil: Born Again depicts mob rule and fascism.
Widow's Bay DSA@gonebabygone.bsky.social · 3mo agoWrote about how Daredevil: Born Again shows how fascism is gangsterism with state backing for @reactorsff.bsky.social, marking what I think may be the first article to mention both Matthew Lillard and "The Act of Killing"
I loved Hokum. I loved it I loved it I loved it. I tried to express that with slightly more elegance in my review. But come on—getting this beautiful folk horror and a new Kneecap album on the same day??? In this cultural economy??? reactormag.com/movie-review...
Hokum Is Much More Than a Haunted Hotel Movie - Reactor
And yes, there are creepy bunnies.
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Look I will always root for Matt Murdock. But between Jessica's arc, Daniel's arc, and the Karen Page/Heather Glenn slapfight, I'm hoping St. Jude steps in sooner rather than later. ...ok, I kinda liked the slapfight.
Reactor Magazine@reactorsff.bsky.social · 3mo agoBRING ME THE JESSICA JONES WE WERE PROMISED!! Can you tell we have mixed feelings about this season of Daredevil: Born Again? Regardless, @leahschnelbach.bsky.social is here to review s2e7, especially its creative character choices:
ridiculously excited that this is going to be out in the world, and way way way beyond honored that I got to be part of it. 💖
Reactor Magazine@reactorsff.bsky.social · 4mo agoThe new podcast In Your Spare Time: From the Blog of Ursula K. Le Guin pairs Le Guin's blog posts with commentary from authors, librarians, critics, and more, including David Mitchell, Emily Wilson, Rick Riordan, Robin Hobb, and Vajra Chandrasekera.
Pros: This week's pair of Daredevil episodes made me think about Steve McQueen's 2008 film Hunger. Cons: I kind of wish I'd just re-watched Steve McQueen's 2008 film Hunger rather than either of these episodes.
Reactor Magazine@reactorsff.bsky.social · 4mo agoDaredevil: Born Again brings two more episodes and an Unhinged Red Thread Conspiracy Wall. It's a mixed bag, but let's discuss "Shoot the Moon" and "The Scales & the Sword"! #DaredevilBornAgain
everything can be improved by the addition of Ominous Matthew Lillard
Reactor Magazine@reactorsff.bsky.social · 4mo agoWe are back to PUNCHING as an art form. And CARAMEL POPCORN. And dunking BURNER PHONES into WHISKEY. @leahschnelbach.bsky.social reviews the return of Daredevil: Born Again! #Daredevil #Daredevilbornagain
Turns out I have a lot of feelings about Project Hail Mary and its relationship to existential panic! reactormag.com/project-hail...
How Project Hail Mary Makes the Impossible Possible - Reactor
This movie walks a thin tightrope over a bottomless void, and I love it
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Absolutely loved Project Hail Mary, did my best not to spoil anything, will have a lot more to say once it's been in theaters a few days. Amaze amaze amaze. reactormag.com/movie-review...
Project Hail Mary Is a Delightful, Optimistic Sci-Fi Adventure - Reactor
This is a stellar adaptation of Andy Weir's novel.
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