Dear Mr. Dokoupil (cc: CBS News), Instead of hectoring us to get along, how about looking into DHS’s account of Renee Good’s shooting to tell us if it was indeed justified? How about some actual reporting? And if you don’t know, it’s ok to keep your mouth shut until you do. #cbs

From the ICE training module on how to deal with motorists who are in your way… #ICE

Caught Stealing is Darren Aronofsky’s After Hours—a lean, effective New York crime noir that nevertheless feels nostalgic for the halcyon days of pre-gentrification Lower East Side and the dreamers, schemers, and bleeders who lived there. #Filmsky #caughtstealing

It is always good news when a dictator falls. However, when it is another dictator or wannabe who brings about the fall, after the dust settles, you still have a dictator or wannabe to deal with. But I guess that is a problem for another day. #venezuela

Did James Cameron know? #venezuela

Marty Supreme is a showcase for Timothée Chalamet's phenomenal talents. Beyond that, your appreciation of Josh Safdie’s athlete saga will depend on your tolerance for the director’s hyperkinetic style and the trope of the driven genius who alienates everyone around them. #Filmsky #martysupreme

For more content from Victor Clemente on culture, faith, and the stories that run through them, subscribe to StoryCurrents on Substack.

If there was any doubt, the satisfying series finale of Stranger Things made it clear that the show was never about fastidiously crafted lore but sharply drawn characters. Giving each member of its vast ensemble a satisfying emotional coda was the episode’s singular achievement. #strangerthings

Watching my town’s new #mayor take the oath of office yesterday gave me hope that Americans are not forever destined to elect politicians who mistake cruelty for strength and ignorance for virtue. Way to go, New York!

Ari Aster’s #Eddington is THE horror film for our times. The man behind Hereditary and Midsommar trains his eye for the ominous on the long, hot summer of 2020 and effectively captures the moment American society cracked and something dark was summoned through the fissure. #FilmSky

#Sinners #Christianity

President Trump’s message to constituents this Christmas…

The problem in a nutshell: “…the fact will remain that she was chosen in order to make CBS News “fairer” to an authoritarian demagogue and the feral postliberal movement he leads.” —Nick Catoggio, The Dispatch #CBS tinyurl.com/55xxw6f6

Bari Weiss is giving Three Days of the Condor vibes. #CBS

Pluribus’ 1st season proved to be a wild, provocative ride of the highest caliber. Vince Gilligan does the impossible by making the shopworn alien-invasion-by-assimilation premise feel fresh. It's conformity vs. individuality, with an enticing argument made for the former. #TVsky #Pluribus

In One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson delivers a thrilling chase film featuring standout performances. However, I found its oft-cited political relevance overrated, as the film does not so much engage with politics as merely use it as a backdrop for the action. #Filmsky

With Wake Up Dead Man, Rian Johnson takes his penchant for beautifully shot, exquisitely cast, zeitgeisty whodunits to church, and the results are divine. Come for the mystery, stay for the carefully observed character study of people wrestling with belief in ultimate things. #Filmsky

Begun, the Bari Weiss era has. #CBS

“Music can bring people together, as in a juke joint on the outskirts of town, or tear them apart like Sammie and his father—a familiar dynamic for those who grew up in religious fundamentalist settings.” An ex-fundamentalist reflects on #Sinners: tinyurl.com/2rdmkry2

“From Capitol riots to the attempted murder of a presidential candidate, from mass shootings to the burning of police cars and Tesla trucks, the 2020s are shaping up to be a roaring decade of rage.” Confessions of an Angry Christian…. tinyurl.com/mrn232dw

“By seeing her without judgment, Waits renders one particular prostitute in Minneapolis visible again at Christmastime. And in doing so, he restores her humanity…” Below are more reflections on this saddest of sad Christmas songs via @christandpopculture.com. #Christmas tinyurl.com/2x9eh8rh

I have not heard much chatter about The Long Walk, and that's a shame. Francis Lawrence’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel about young men on a state-sponsored death march is surprisingly moving, even as it maintains the gritty tone the dystopian premise demands. #thelongwalk #filmsky

The cleverly designed mayhem in Edgar Wright’s The Running Man does justice to the 1987 action classic, even as the new film represents a darker take on the source material—particularly its depiction of a gleefully cruel USA where empathy is discouraged and propaganda rules. #Filmsky

Setting aside my mixed feelings about the unnecessary transformation of such an excellent antagonist as the #Predator into a hero, #Badlands is, on its own, a fantastic action picture whose loud, explosive sequences are, ironically, reminiscent of the 80s original in the best way. #Filmsky

Guillermo del Toro’s lush adaptation of #Frankenstein brims with, well, life. From the vibrant primary color palette to the impassioned performances, strong emotions reign in this retelling of the classic tale as a story about the folly of trying to live through your children. #Filmsky

From “These United States” by Victor Clemente #immigration

In The Lowdown, Sterlin Harjo brings the winning hangout vibe of Reservation Dogs to a beautifully realized rambling murder mystery anchored by another fantastic performance from Ethan Hawke as Tulsa "truthstorian" Lee Raybon. #TVsky

In Richard Linklater’s fascinating Blue Moon, Lorenz Hart, as portrayed by a never-better Ethan Hawke, is the picture of charming self-delusion in a film that finds the famed lyricist in a frantic battle against professional jealousy over one illuminating evening. #bluemoon #Filmsky

“The conclusion I reached instinctively as a teenager and understood later as an adult is that God, in his wisdom, did not limit the gift of music, or art more broadly, to those who worship him.” Head over to Comment for my reflections on #Sinners. tinyurl.com/2rdmkry2

“…in their blunt fashion, the #FinalDestination films tap into the gospel truth we try to avoid with protein shakes, exercise routines, and Cadillac healthcare plans…” See my latest at @christandpopculture.com tinyurl.com/3bykz55r

Reading about all these federal troop deployments and ICE actions in DC, Chicago, and Portland reminded me of a movie I once saw… #portland

I hear the situation in Portland is deteriorating rapidly. #Portland

Reposting for no reason whatsoever.

So, to be clear, the Trump administration is honoring the memory and legacy of “true champion of free speech” Charlie Kirk by restricting speech. Are Republicans OK with this? When did they give up on upholding the Constitution? #jimmykimmel

Here’s hoping we all rediscover the virtue of tolerance before it’s too late.

Welcome to the new Roaring 20s. From Capitol riots to the attempted murder of a presidential candidate, from mass shootings to the burning of police cars and Tesla trucks, the 2020s are shaping up to be a roaring decade of rage. May God have mercy on us all. #charliekirk

Never thought I’d see the day when an American president calls for war on an American city. I assume the deafening silence from the Republican party and their evangelical enablers means they are OK with this. Please direct all complaints to them. #Chicago

Noah Hawley’s pilot for Alien: Earth is one of the strongest I have seen in a long time. It quickly and effectively establishes its own compelling narrative while building on a solid IP foundation without succumbing to empty or mercenary fan service. #AlienEarth #TVsky

And now witness the horrific spectacle of influencer ghouls rising from their electronic tombs to feast on the bodies of the recently deceased in order to satiate their eternal craving for eyeballs and relevance.

Dear Mr. President: 1. Slavery was bad. 2. Quit stalling and release the Epstein files #slavery

“Half of America put the hat on and took the mask off and that was that, and that’s where we’re at now.” —Lauren Banks, from The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig, 2025 #Booksky

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is an enjoyable introduction to Marvel’s First Family. And yet, despite the clever Mad Men-inspired production design and solid performances, the whole thing felt less like a movie event and more like an undercooked pilot for a Disney+ TV show. #fantastic4 #Filmsky

“This is not a war any more than there's a war between men and maggots... This is an extermination.” —Ogilvy (Tim Robbins) waking up to the truth of the situation, War of the Worlds (2005) #Filmsky

Reposted for no reason whatsoever… #ICE

James Gunn brings his trademark folksy humanity to Superman. The film finds Supes battling not only Lex Luthor but his insecurities as an outsider. Gunn brings the Man of Steel down to earth, a development that may offend purists but is not entirely unwelcome. #Filmsky #Superman

Broadway’s Death Becomes Her supercharges the farcical elements of Robert Zemeckis’ 1992 dark comedy as only musical theater can. The result is a hilariously raucous tale about the vanity, immortality, and decaying bodies of two frenemies who truly deserve each other. #Theatersky

Jamie Lloyd’s revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard captures the beating heart of Billy Wilder’s film noir masterpiece in an electrifying stage production that strips Norma Desmond’s world down to light and shadow. Catch it on Broadway before it leaves on July 20th. #Theatersky

Twenty years ago, Steven Spielberg channeled H. G. Wells and reminded all empires that there is always someone out there with a bigger stick. #Filmsky #waroftheworlds

Trump is having his Juan Peron moment… #ice