My first-ever essay for Reactor Magazine is live! Ten years ago LIGHTS OUT introduced the YouTube Horror-to-Theatrical Blockbuster horror model that Hollywood thinks is brand-spanking new. I delve into went right… and then what went very, VERY wrong.

Reactor Magazine@reactorsff.bsky.social · 3h ago

From Backrooms to The Amazing Digital Circus, Hollywood is looking to the internet for the next big thing. @williambibbiani.bsky.social considers Lights Out, David F. Sandberg's 2016 horror movie built off his online short film, which discussed tragedy and mental illness before audiences were ready:

ICE CREAM MAN is the gross-out movie version of a dad joke. Eli Roth puts all his time and effort into a single, eye-rolling gag (in this case, the reflex). Then he repeats the same boring punchline over and over for nearly 90 minutes, just in case you didn't get it. My review, at @thewrap.com.

‘Ice Cream Man’ Review: Kids Slay the Darndest Things in Eli Roth’s Gory Horror Comedy

Eli Roth's "Children of the Cornetto" riff runs out of shock value almost immediately, and it has nothing else to sell.

thewrap.com

I wrote an epic rundown of EVERY SPIDER-MAN MOVIE SUPERVILLAIN (who has more than a few seconds of screen time). They’re ranked b/c that’s a convenient format. Over 40 entries examining their characters and functions in each film. This includes SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, so… you know, “spoilers.”

Every Spider-Man Movie Villain, Ranked From Worst to Best

Spider-Man has one of the best collections of villains in movies. As "Brand New Day" hits theaters, we rank the Marvel hero's nemeses.

thewrap.com

I'm going to take a social media break until the end of August, give or take. I'll post my reviews and articles on BlueSky and check my DMs whenever I do, but I won't be posting here much otherwise. And I'm ditching IG completely. Mental health, ahoy!

Good Luck, We're Counting On You

Alt: Leslie Nielsen in Airplane, saying "I just want to tell you all good luck. We're all counting on you."

static.klipy.com

This InfoWars caper is going a little too well. We need to staff up a bit. We're hiring a Social Media Lead, who will help make InfoWars the network of the future. We need someone who is extraordinarily online, has big ideas for how things break through in 2026, and can pull those ideas off quick.

Acton - the *dem* candidate for governor in Ohio - barred trans people from attending her "listening session" with LGBTQ people and refused to allow the leadership of the Progressive caucus into the zoom.

The Gaily Show@thegailyshow.org · 7d ago

Pretty shocking stuff here. According to @ari4ohio.bsky.social, Dr. Amy Acton's campaign refused to allow the leadership of the Ohio Dem Progressive Caucus to attend last night's listening session after Acton announced support for bans on trans athletes. They also wouldn't let Childrey in either.

katie tightpussy is fighting ken jennings!

Katie Tightpussy, Editor-In-Chief@katie.bzky.team · 6d ago

i'm rescinding transness from whichever delegate gave permission to ken for this without authorization. turn in your name and pronouns. i want your desk cleared out by 5pm today.

Marvel's most celebrated live-action TV series since WandaVision. The only Marvel Studios TV series with an above-the-line Primetime Emmy Awards nomination, besides WandaVision. Canceled. What a bunch of jackasses they got over there.

Empire Magazine@empiremagazine.bsky.social · 6d ago

Marvel's Wonder Man has been cancelled at Disney+ just four months after scoring a Season 2 renewal. Read more: www.empireonline.com/tv/new...

Good job, @criterionchannl.bsky.social. Can we get PARANOIA AGENT next...?

Daniel Suitor@danielsuitor.com · 6d ago

Evangelion coming to the Criterion Channel rules. Exactly the kind of monumental work that Criterion's reputation as a curator can break to new audiences. I would love to see Criterion do more with anime (although rights are brutal), but this is a great place to start! www.ign.com/articles/neo...

Ruin a book by adding a word: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Thatcher.

Charlotte Tracey@ctraceywrites.bsky.social · 7d ago

Ruin a book by adding a word: Pet Rock Cemetery

After several days of this discourse I’m ready to call the sexism red card. It is perfectly fine to think her argument is bad or she should have written a different genre, but way too many people are treating a translator with a PhD like she’s not smart enough to analyze a movie.

grace@gracemachine.bsky.social · 6d ago

one of the threads about the Wilson-course that has especially rankled me in the suggestion that she should be grateful for how Nolan raised her profile.

A. I remember these books and cannot for the life of me remember what they were named or who wrote them. B. King Kong is King Kong’s friend?

cayce@cayce.zone · 6d ago

Ruin a book by adding a word: Winnie-the-Republican-Pooh

Dr Kate Le Fou 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿@katelaity.eurosky.social · 7d ago

Ruin a book by adding a word: The Dirty Old Man and The Sea

I don’t want to be too sensationalist about this but also I’m the least violent person in the world and I think if someone said this to my face I’d hit them

Dr. Jeroen W.P. Wijnendaele@drdragases.bsky.social · last wk.

No longer content with pillaging intellectual work and dismembering our environment (already critically weakened), AI companies are now hellbent on destroying books galore including rare editions. Shut down these nefarious enterprises already.

If I won the lottery I would hire an interior designer and just say “Columbo murderer” while waving my hand around my home office.

I liked Nolan‘s Odyssey and found aspects problematic. I liked Emily Wilson’s takedown and found aspects problemaric. I liked Joyce Carole Oates’ takedown of Emily Wilson’s takedown of Nolan’s Odyssey and found aspects problematic. I liked (wake me when the next dagger is dropped thru the ceiling)

Film you’re watched more than six times with a gif.

Carolyn Petit@carolynmichelle.bsky.social · 7d ago

Film you've watched more than six times with a gif.

It was never going to stop at trans people.

All the video game studios that refuse to use generative AI aftermath.site/video-games-no...

Matt Johnson's follow-up to NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE is an Anthony Bourdain origin story, starring Dominic Sessa in cocky HOLDOVERS mode. TONY embraces Bourdain's own belief that he was a worthless 19-year-old asshole, and that's why it (mostly) works. My review is at @thewrap.com!

‘Tony’ Review: Almost-Great Anthony Bourdain Biopic Roasts the Celebrity Chef, but Good

'The Holdovers' star Dominic Sessa plays a jerk who learns he’s not the center of the universe (again), in Matt Johnson’s appropriately judgmental drama.

thewrap.com

Quick math question: If you were bitten by a radioactive superhero, and it gave you the proportionate strength of a superhero, would that mean you'd be as strong as a radioactive superhero, stronger than the radioactive superhero, or just as strong as you normally are?

“Could you cut my sandwich into rectangles?” ~ Nobody. Ever.

I 100% have not changed a single goddamn thing about how I write here in the age of "AI." I write how I write. If the "AI" writes anything like how I write, it's because it stole from me. I'm gonna use any punctuation I like, and if it looks "AI"ish to you, you can go fuck yourself.

Manisha Krishnan@manishakrishnan.bsky.social · last wk.

Authors and journalists are doing more first-person (hello 2010s blogging) and embracing "mistakes" in writing to prove they're not chatbots. There's even an “anti-Grammarly" app that leaves in typos and signs off "sent from my iPhone" to create more authenticity: www.wired.com/story/more-t...

"You could always watch it in theaters agai—" I WANT ODYSSEUS

Isaiah D. Colbert@shineyezehuhh.bsky.social · last wk.

I need The Odyssey to be on Blu-ray right now.

There’s an even more sinister angle to Johnny Depp’s ongoing “comeback” tour as the new Scrooge—it’s a Paramount production and part of a slate of Ellison-backed conservative cultural takeover attempts. It’s angled around MeToo rejection and the manosphere. spitfirenews.com/p/johnny-dep...

Johnny Depp's 'comeback' is billionaire manosphere marketing

Plus, why smart glasses can't escape the 'pervert' label.

spitfirenews.com

Just a reminder that no review of any Homer adaptation will ever top Roger Ebert killing Troy in two sentences