The Absence of Death
How the portrayal of death in The Secret Agent evokes the actual feeling of loss in the real world.
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The Big Questions
A Good Ones Oscars preview spectacular featuring One Battle After Another, Sinners, The Secret Agent, and of course, Jay Kelly
Working for the Knife
Examining creativity through the lens of Mitski and taking what you need while leaving the rest.
Getting Over COVID, Getting Over Yourself
How my greatest success as a writer can feel like my greatest failure.
The Myopia of Political Films
Looking at the message of One Battle After Another by examining Parasite, Civil War, and Eddington through Jean-Luc Godard's political film theory.
Bad Reader
Thoughts about Alien: Earth and bad reading skills.
The "Shit Happens" Cinematic Universe
Breaking down the difference between "premise" and "narrative" in Civil War and more.
The Near Destruction of the Family Unit
Why Fargo isn't necessarily about what most people think it's about.
Built for Eating
Identifying a preexisting condition
The Ubiquitous Pocket Snitch
Re-examining the surveillance state with Decision to Leave
I'm Going Down
Why "Eastbound and Down" is more relevant than ever
Let's Communicate
A return to form with thoughts on "The Phoenician Scheme"
Accidental Food Writer
A year-end reflection on a career I wasn't expecting
I Was a Teenage Punk
Redefining an ethos & J.R.C.G.'s "Grim Iconic... Sadistic Mantra"
A Time and A Place
Schrödinger's experiential art
Who Is All Of This For?
TV cooking shows and self-reflection
Now Twist & Shout
Embracing hyperfixation as a bit
The Right Is Getting Better At Drama
...And lefties are by and large just ignoring it.
The Buddy System Theory Of Media Consumption
also: Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired
Side One Track One Of Can't Buy A Thrill
aka the Curse of "Do It Again"
Masculinity Is A County Jail Cell, At Best
When all your favorite movies are about Serious Men contending with Serious Problems.
Claiming My Title As Elden Lord
or, How Quickly Can 40 Hours Pass
Writing About Swords
In which a steady freelance gig swallows up my newsletter time.
Going Local
Finding ways to stay connected to your community in a work-from-home era.