Every summer I repost this article on how to spot drowning. Please read it and pass on. In the last few years I’ve had SIX messages from people who saved a kid’s life after clicking on the link from my feed. slate.com/technology/2...

Big missed opportunity for Disney not to do a Rotta the Hutt/creatine tie-in.

Sounds like the updates to Rock 'n' Rollercoaster at Disney World prove The Muppets are finally getting some respect -- but if that's the case, why haven't they greenlit the new "Muppet Show" yet? chrisicisms.substack.com/p/disney-mup...

Saw Mandalorian and Grogu as a Saturday matinee with the family, which is the best way to experience it. It's slight but fun. More space ditty than space opera, but I had a good time with it.

24 hours after the Late Show ended, looks like Colbert has returned to his old job doing public access cable in Monroe, Michigan. youtu.be/acJgA0XofLc?...

Heyyy uhhh if you like a site or words published by a particular writer of whatever now would be a great time to actually click on their links and read their pieces

COBRA would be a great satire of '80s action flicks if Stallone were in on the joke. chrisicisms.substack.com/p/summer-of-...

Saw POWER BALLAD last night, which I enjoyed (review next week). But with each Carney film, I leave thinking about how much of a miracle ONCE was, particularly "Falling Slowly." And then I think about how this is the greatest version of "Falling Slowly" ever recorded. youtu.be/ymm0IGMaSYE?...

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY... is still about as good as rom-coms get. chrisicisms.substack.com/p/when-harry...

imagine you don’t know anything about skeletor and just happen to glance out your window.

Jason Segel has the correct “I cannot believe my life” look on his face.

I GET LOGGED OUT. BUT I LOG IN AGAIN

Once more for the evening crowd

Disney is not screening Mandalorian in our small town (Detroit). But I'm seeing the new Carney this week! Fingers crossed no one hides Spielberg from us.

Great conversation here.

I love walking into @skeuomorphpress.org & finding amazing things that our students & patrons made!

As time goes on, I appreciate Bill Paxton more. FRAILTY and A SIMPLE PLAN are all-timers. His performance in NEAR DARK is one of the most terrifying I've seen. He was a great presence. I loved reading this because it also sounds like he was just a good dude.

This all sounds promising, but again I must remind you that only God is the master of the universe.

I had the pleasure of talking with @overstreet.bsky.social about his new book, "Lost and Found in the Cathedral of Cinema," as well as film, faith and beauty. And, of course, we slip in some Jim Henson talk. chrisicisms.substack.com/p/chrisicism...

Wrote about AI, extinction, and joy for an open mic night at our church. I think it turned out pretty well, so I thought I'd share. chrisicisms.substack.com/p/the-joy-of...

“There’s just enough semblance of emotion to make you think you’ve felt something” Well said, @chrisicisms.bsky.social! 😄

Happy 40th anniversary to TOP GUN, a movie that is some of the tastiest empty calories you'll consume. chrisicisms.substack.com/p/review-top...

🎶🎶I'm watching MISERY That Annie Wilkes girl, oh she scares me (oh yeah) Why won't you set Paul free? Taking a sledgehammer to his feet (oh yeah) 🎶🎶

This is an unfortunate reminder to journalists who write for the web: turn your work into PDFs before it's too late.

"Lose the 'all.' It's cleaner.'

Not every movie is a masterpiece, but most movies are miracles, and we used to know how to sit in awe of miracles. I miss awe. Bring back awe.

one of the great cosmic jokes of Peak Youth Group Era was that christian subculture finally got their desperately desired smash crossover hit, and it was a song about making out. would be like if the national treasury put a statue of karl marx in the front lobby made by unpaid workers.

Rewatching 30 Rock and I think this is still possibly one of the best constructed jokes in anything, ever.

For seven years, I've had the pleasure of co-hosting the WE'RE WATCHING HERE podcast with @perrylovesfilm.bsky.social. This week, we hit 100 episodes -- which feels like a good moment to stop and celebrate! chrisicisms.substack.com/p/were-watch...

Hell yeah.

This should be the statement that wins the midterms for the Democrats and yet they'll find some way to screw it up.

This is a fun piece, and I agree with most of it. And it strikes a nice balance: it's a brisk read, but I feel exhausted on @decentfilms.bsky.social's behalf because I imagine writing all those footnotes and getting that pace just right was not easy.

this graduation speech moment is notable, and her amazed shock at having failed to read the room feels instructive. when you're inside the bubble, you think everybody else is. but everybody isn't.

Recently sat next to two finance guys who claimed this tax was too mean — “he just can’t do that.” They also said watching their kids play sports “isn’t that fun” if they’re not a “top-five” athlete, and they’re “blown away” by the “affection” of self-driving cars (b/c they take them home drunk).

Shame.

coughscumbagcough

Saturday Coffee is the weekly edition of my newsletter in which I write about whatever is on my mind. For less than a cup of coffee each month, you get extra stuff! This week: AI, Stephen Colbert and catching up with two movies that recently got sequels. chrisicisms.substack.com/p/ai-colbert...

i want a dumb phone version of the internet where it’s just AIM, blogs, a homepage with only the good websites, and a useful search engine. is that too much to ask

The Sheep Detectives is real, and it’s spectacular.

But they're not all idiots, there are highly skilled and educated people who just go along with using this "tool" even though it pollutes their work with nonsense. I think it's important to shame all uses of A.I. because it's already damaging absolutely everything and it's only going to get worse.

It drives me crazy thinking about that the people paid many multiples of what I'll ever have in my life are the only ones stupid enough to use this garbage technology that's destroying their work, their brains, their lives, and our planet. So much Emperor's New Clothes shit in our era.

THE SHEEP DETECTIVES: a cute, cozy mystery that just might make you cry. My review www.wyomingnews.com/features/mov...

Sitting through a free screening of this was one of the most excruciating experiences I've had as a critic. I don't like writing negative reviews, but unleashing on this one was cathartic, maybe second only to how I felt with JOKER.

THE SHEEP DETECTIVES surprised the heck out of me. A solid mystery, a gentle comedy, and some moments of insight. The best family movie in ages. chrisicisms.substack.com/p/sheep-dete...

The next film in my Rob Reiner retrospective is THE PRINCESS BRIDE. And hot take: It's pretty enjoyable! chrisicisms.substack.com/p/the-prince...

Bert and Ernie should have their own show. I don't want to have to watch Sesame Street to see what they're up to. I'm not 5

He's right. It uses anthropomorphized animals to get at human truth. It's funny and touching, with a solid mystery at its core. And it's a family movie that has things to say about religion, vegetarianism, community and mortality. I went in with arms crossed, but it's a gem.

If it’s “Bowser” with an S Then he’s Mario’s nemesis If it’s “Bowzer” with a Z Then from Sha Na Na he be

Same.

"It's not a pizza but a circle. A circle is a cycle. A perpetual struggle to have a perfect delivery, but there's always risk that it's too cold, or maybe the cheese sticks to the top of the lid. I want to name that risk and eliminate it. End the cycle, break the wheel. Gentlemen, meet The Noid."