RIP to the greatest documentary filmmaker of them all. Here’s a photo I took of Frederick Wiseman on stage at Cannes in 2016. The GOAT.

Journalist and TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz joins All About Al: The Pacino Podcast to discuss the 1996 film CITY HALL. Ben talks about the politics of the film and how they align with the politics of today: buff.ly/RyeUC1V

Substack is awash with people pretending to be writers and using ChatGPT for their copy. What is going on? Also it’s basically turned into social media, and it’s annoying. Is there another platform to use?

I wrote about the 1915 film The Italian, for my silent film Substack. It’s a great film with an important message. picturesthatmove.substack.com/p/homage-to-...

Magnificent documentary by writer (and one time New York taxi driver) Michael Goldfarb, about Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, 70s New York and the transformed city of today www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

#BOTD in 1894: Director JOHN FORD #filmsky

Sunday is a perfect day to curl up with a good podcast and listen to Sir Christopher Frayling talking about Hollywood’s version of art open.spotify.com/episode/3Nas...

I wrote about the 1915 film The Italian, for my silent film Substack. It’s a great film with an important message. picturesthatmove.substack.com/p/homage-to-...

Another thing I’ll say on Catherine O’Hara and Schitt’s Creek. Binging that show during the pandemic brought some light to a bleak time.

Catherine O’Hara, award-winning actor of big and small screen, dies aged 71

RIP Catherine O’Hara. Moira Rose will go down as one of the best TV characters of all time.

Mubi is doing this great £1 a month offer again! I have resubscribed and was just checking their films, they currently have VIET AND NAM which I highly recommend, one of my favourite arthouse films of the decade.

Ryan Murphy reading about the Beckham feud

A new Substack essay on DW Griffith’s PSA on audience behaviour at the movies. It was a problem way back in 1909 open.substack.com/pub/pictures...

A new Substack essay on DW Griffith’s PSA on audience behaviour at the movies. It was a problem way back in 1909 open.substack.com/pub/pictures...

Shiiiit www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSRs...

Brigitte Bardot, 1934-2025

what's a matter babe you hardly touched your clud sandwich

writing a horror movie about a jewish exorcist whose catchphrase is “dybbuk stops here”

it's nice to keep the old traditions alive, so I've written about my 2025 in cinema (and beyond) this Xmas Eve, including fav new films, best discoveries + some stuff about music + novels + other miscellany — have a wonderful festive season! 💫💫💫 thistheaterishaunted.blogspot.com/2025/12/2025...

I am introducing a 35mm screening of WAY DOWN EAST (DW Griffith, 1920) with live music by Stephen Horne at the BFI on Tuesday. Wrap up warm! whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/defau...

15 films I watched for the first time in 2025 and highly recommend letterboxd.com/martynconter...

The Kenny Dalglish documentary by @asifkapadia.bsky.social is currently on Prime. It's a magnificent film about a great footballer, a great human being and two great British cities. A difficult and angering watch at times, for obvious reasons, but pretty much an essential one. #DontBuyTheSun

Wrapped up my work for the year. Got some very cool projects on the docket for 2026! But I think this was my favourite in 2025. I got to do two commentaries for this John Huston boxset. Wise Blood and The Dead. It’s rare I get to marry my two passions, literature and cinema, so it was aces.

This is a great piece from John Harris www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A genius. An artist. A revolutionary. RIP

A million voices just cried out “Han shot first”

Start again: I took part in NME’s films of the year. I wrote a wee capsule on Osgood Perkins’ horror comedy, The Monkey www.nme.com/lists/end-of...

Spotify Wrapped Day is the time of the festive season that has something for everyone. Those who celebrate can show how impeccably curated their tastes are, those who don't celebrate can luxuriate in the self-righteousness of boycotting Spotify. It's a beautiful, inclusive thing.

QT, a guy who can’t act for shite

The cover up & miscarriage of justice continues. Margaret Aspinall: “I cannot accept or understand how 97 people can be unlawfully killed, the police can lie, and nobody is held accountable.” Please see the KENNY DALGLISH film if you don’t know the story www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Wrote about seeing the coven of Carrington, Horna and Varo in Osgood Perkins’ Keeper: sabinastent.substack.com/p/keeper

I was on my partner’s Patreon again, this time discussing Ozploitation flick Next of Kin (1982), and Italy’s Pensione paura (1978). It’s cheap to subscribe! www.patreon.com/posts/austra...

ALL ABOUT AL: THE PACINO PODCAST Episode 58: Two Bits with Scott Weinberg Film Critic Scott Weinberg joins the podcast to discuss the little-seen Al Pacino film Two Bits that was filmed in his home city Spotify: buff.ly/kmWtJdm Apple Podcast: buff.ly/CEujXWh

I joined Kat Ellinger’s Patreon again this week, and we had a good natter about The Exorcist and why it’s the scariest film of all time. She also has a Black Friday discount for anybody who wants to subscribe. You should sign up. The power of Christ compels you! www.patreon.com/posts/video-...

He's always watching you.

Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you’ve attended: John Cale Lou Reed Bob Dylan Kraftwerk Goldfrapp

The great Kathryn Bigelow turns 74. I thought I’d share again my BFI guide to her work www.bfi.org.uk/features/whe...

#RIP Udo Kier (1944 - 2025) Known for his piercing blue eyes and striking screen presence, the prolific and versatile German actor has left an indelible mark on cinema. See Udo on Kino Film Collection in BACURAU, THE FORBIDDEN ROOM, and HITLER’S HOLLYWOOD (narrated by).

Remember NFTs?

It's that time of year

A shout out for my darlst’s Patreon. I joined her this week for a deep dive on Oz Perkins horror, Longlegs. Great content for less than the price of a coffee from an evil empire business. www.patreon.com/c/confession...

Just realised this is referring to a church in North Carolina and not the Welsh singer

#letterboxdfriday it’s that time of the week again @letterboxd.social

Death by Lightning is the most unexpectedly brilliant show of the year.

Is anybody else getting an internal error message on @letterboxd.social

A shout out for my darlst’s Patreon. I joined her this week for a deep dive on Oz Perkins horror, Longlegs. Great content for less than the price of a coffee from an evil empire business. www.patreon.com/c/confession...

Architectural Digest videos but it’s the homes of people with ADHD. “Come in … here’s the half finished flooring in the living room, here’s the bedroom we didn’t decorate, here’s the garden that hasn’t been mowed in 4 years because we pretend it doesn’t exist, all because overwhelm.”

Spending the day watching Fred Wiseman’s near six hour doco Near Death.