New on ye olde blog: "Still Time." With TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA coming soon to a theater near you, I dive deep into how director Jane Schoenbrun uses THE PINK OPAQUE in their last film I SAW THE TV GLOW, one of my favorites of the decade. prodigalcinephile.com/2026/08/01/s...

Still Time

“It was raining last night and I couldn’t sleep, so I started my favorite TV show again, The Pink Opaque.” So says Justice Smith’s Owen in voiceover in the first scene which…

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New on ye olde blog: "Ithaca Film Journal: 7/30/26." SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY + I WANT YOUR SEX open, THE ODYSSEY is still going strong, and you've got one day left before ROSE OF NEVADA closes. This week's home video recommendation = MY FATHER'S SHADOW. prodigalcinephile.com/2026/07/30/i...

Ithaca Film Journal: 7/30/26

In Theaters: My Loving Wife and I spent a pretty big chunk of last year catching up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and consequently Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the movie we’re planning t…

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After YEARS of making one tiny adjustment at a time, we've finally settled on a formula for a house Manhattan! 1 1/4 oz. each Buffalo Trace bourbon + Rittenhouse rye, 1 oz. Carpano Antica, 1/4 oz. Grand Marnier, 3 1/2 dashes Angostura, Luxardo cherry.

Karma defined in sports fan terms: Aaron Rodgers signing with the Steelers last year is why the Knicks won a championship this year, is why the Mets are now a trainwreck, is why Everton supporters now control 28% of the G7, is why Pitt is still Pitt?

New on ye olde blog: "Ithaca Film Journal: 7/23/26." Everyone's talking about THE ODYSSEY, but don't miss ROSE OF NEVADA during its one-week run at Cinemapolis! Now is also a great time for my three favorite FINAL DESTINATION films: one, two, and five. prodigalcinephile.com/2026/07/23/i...

Ithaca Film Journal: 7/23/26

In Theaters: I was lucky enough to catch Rose of Nevada on 35mm at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre last month, and it blew me away. Here’s what I said on Letterboxd after that screening: Ro…

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Love the Cisse maneuver. It hurt to lose Mitch, but this is easily the smartest front office I’ve ever had the pleasure of rooting for in any sport! They remind me of me as a fantasy football owner.

New on ye olde blog: "Ithaca Film Journal: 7/16/26." The theatrical highlight is THE ODYSSEY + this week's home video rec = BY THE BLUEST OF SEAS, which features my favorite cinematic Penelope. But don't sleep on GAIL DAUGHTRY AND THE CELEBRITY SEX PASS! prodigalcinephile.com/2026/07/16/i...

Ithaca Film Journal: 7/16/26

In Theaters: My Loving Wife and I are driving more than 90 minutes to the Cinemark Tinseltown Rochester and IMAX to see The Odyssey on the biggest screen possible, so yes: that’s this week&#8…

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New on ye olde blog: "What Makes a Man To (Not) Wander?" In which I argue that there's more to the homage to THE SEARCHERS at the end of THE EQUALIZER 2 than meets the eye. prodigalcinephile.com/2026/07/14/w...

What Makes a Man To (Not) Wander?

The Equalizer 2 ends with an homage to one of the most iconic moments in American cinema, the final shot of my November, 2024 Drink & a Movie selection The Searchers: Writing for the New York T…

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Jordan Pickford “doesn’t play for a high-profile club”? C’mon, man!

Engaging in perhaps my most annoying annual tradition, blasting Christmas music into an 80-degree Ithaca night because it’s July.

New on ye olde blog: "Ithaca Film Journal: 7/9/26." This week's local theatrical highlights include GAIL DAUGHTRY AND THE CELEBRITY SEX PASS + THE INVITE opening at Cinemapolis + the Regal, and my latest home video recommendation = THE LOVE THAT REMAINS. prodigalcinephile.com/2026/07/09/i...

Ithaca Film Journal: 7/9/26

In Theaters: I drove seven hours to see Wet Hot American Summer during its original theatrical run with a car full of friends who also cut their sketch comedy teeth on The State, so director David …

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New on ye olde blog: "Ithaca Film Journal: 7/2/26." It isn't the most exciting week for new releases if you aren't into Minions, but do make time for my latest home video recommendation UNDISPUTED amidst your World Cup and Wimbledon watching! prodigalcinephile.com/2026/07/02/i...

Ithaca Film Journal: 7/2/26

In Theaters: We aren’t a Minions household for whatever reason, and the girls are in Canada for the summer anyway, so this is a “meh” week for us for new releases. I didn’t …

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I'll be feeling a maelstrom of emotions when the Knicks employ the "Hack-a-Mitch" strategy in the second round of next year's playoffs.

It seems like a weird cutoff, but tracking my 15 most anticipated Cannes films is usually the highest number where I'm truly eager to see everything. An impressive 80% of last year's list eventually played Ithaca. Here's hoping we do even better in 2026! letterboxd.com/prdglcinephi...

Cannes 2026 Films That I Am Most Eager to See

A list of 15 films compiled on Letterboxd, including The Dreamed Adventure (2026), Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026), Clarissa (2026), A Man of His Time (2026) and All of a Sudden (2026).

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New on ye olde blog: "Ithaca Film Journal: 6/25/26." I talk about what I'm seeing on my upcoming trip to Chicago + two @criterionchannl.bsky.social titles that capture the "how it started/how it's going" of my religious views, THE TOMB + THE AGE OF THE MEDICI. prodigalcinephile.com/2026/06/25/i...

Ithaca Film Journal: 6/25/26

In Theaters: I will be in Chicago for the American Library Association Annual Conference until Tuesday, but I’m hoping to see Bouchra at the Siskel Film Center and make it to a 35mm screening…

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Happy to report that months of averting my eyes from green patches on the ground does not appear to have robbed me of my four-leaf clover finding mojo! And to have scientifically confirmed that seeing one in a movie does not impact your luck: letterboxd.com/prdglcinephi...

New on ye olde blog: "Deliver Us From Putin." In which I consider what the deal is with all the Harry Potter references in MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW and MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN. prodigalcinephile.com/2026/06/19/d...

Deliver Us From Putin

Religion stopped working for me sometime between the age of ten and eleven. Born and raised in a part of Pennsylvania that my father used to refer to derogatorily as “fundy country,” it…

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Just for the record James Dolan’s “honeymoon period” with ME didn’t even last until the end of his first sentence during the trophy presentation.

New on ye olde blog: "Ithaca Film Journal: 6/18/26." Local theatrical highlights include a free "Family Classics Picture Show" screening of BACK TO THE FUTURE at Cinemapolis on Sunday + my latest home video rec = the last 15 minutes of the NBA Finals. prodigalcinephile.com/2026/06/18/i...

Ithaca Film Journal: 6/18/26

In Theaters: The headliner in our household is definitely the free “Family Classics Picture Show” screening of Back to the Future at Cinemapolis on Sunday! This film has quickly become …

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Is it because I was inspired by Jalen Brunson that I ran about 15 minutes longer and 15% harder than I set out to this morning despite staying up past 1am basking in the afterglow of his game for the ages last night? I believe it was!

Not to wish my life away, but what is the point of the next nine hours?

If you click on the "Quotes" section of the IMDb page for DISCLOSURE DAY right now, this is what you'll see:

New on ye olde blog: "Ithaca Film Journal: 6/11/26." Before you rush off to DISCLOSURE DAY, consider catching CAROLINA CAROLINE at the Regal before it closes today + POWER BALLAD there or at Cinemapolis! This week's home video rec = THE CLOUD-CAPPED STAR. prodigalcinephile.com/2026/06/11/i...

Ithaca Film Journal: 6/11/26

In Theaters: A new Steven Spielberg movie is always an event, and people seem even more excited for Disclosure Day (which opens at the Regal Ithaca Mall today and Cinemapolis tomorrow) than the las…

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Considering the first five were nitrate prints, one featuring live piano accompaniment by Philip C. Carli + another vintage gramophone recordings, yesterday might have been the nuttiest movie day of my life! Fitting for the 98th anniversary of UN CHIEN ANDALOU's premiere, yeah?

I enjoyed both Nitrate Picture Show screenings I attended earlier today + it was great to catch up with people, but let's face it, this is the real reason I drove all the way to Rochester and back:

I was convinced this would be the year the Nitrate Picture Show finally showed a Frank Borzage film since I'm opting for Capitolfest 2026 instead. Selfishly glad it isn't! Think I will try my luck w/ the rush lines for CAMILLE + the avant-garde program on Sat if you'll be there!

New on ye olde blog: "Ithaca Film Journal: 6/4/26." I weigh in more fully on the BACKROOMS/OBSESSION phenomenon and recommend making time for NEWS FROM HOME in between new releases and watching the Knicks sweep the Spurs (he said hopefully) in the Finals. prodigalcinephile.com/2026/06/04/i...

Ithaca Film Journal: 6/4/26

In Theaters: I don’t talk much about box office performance on this blog because what’s a hit and what’s flopping isn’t terribly relevant to my particular brand of cinephili…

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New on ye olde blog: an annotated track listing for my 2026: The Mixtape, Vol. 1 Spotify playlist. Enjoy! prodigalcinephile.com/2026/05/31/2...

2026: The Mixtape, Vol. 1

This is a full month ahead of schedule, but I’ve already heard 80 minutes worth of new music this year worthy of being immortalized in a mix. Without further ado, therefore, here’s an a…

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Fellow Knicks fans: rooting for either the Spurs or the Thunder tomorrow is choosing the form of our destructor! As Dr. Peter Venkman said in GHOSTBUSTERS: "Empty your heads! Don't think of anything!" youtu.be/2zhDfUAQSbs?...

Stay Puft Marshmallow Man | Film Clip | GHOSTBUSTERS | With Captions

YouTube video by Ghostbusters

youtu.be

New on ye olde blog: "Ithaca Film Journal: 5/28/26." Local theatrical highlights include a bumper crop of new releases with single word titles (BACKROOMS, TUNER, and PRESSURE) and this week's home video recommendation is THE GLEANERS & I. prodigalcinephile.com/2026/05/28/i...

Ithaca Film Journal: 5/28/26

In Theaters: No movie can compete with the thrill of watching the New York Knickerbockers return to the NBA Finals for the first time since I was in high school. They don’t start until Wednes…

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