2025 is the best movie year in a long time.

We are back with new content on Monday!

Today’s vibe:

The Portland Critics Association announces it year-end awards!! portlandcritics.com/awards/2025-2/ @portlandcritics.bsky.social

Sums up 2025

Today’s vibe:

Happy New Years to those who celebrate.

A lady in her eighties who lives in my building asked me if she should see Marty Supreme, or as she put it, "the one about the pisher who thinks he's a big shot," and I don't think this movie has anything to teach her that she doesn't already know.

Paring down collection a bit! Ditch or keep!?

THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE is everything that HAMNET could/should have been.

50+ tickets sold to our Boston gig. Crazy to think about it given how many of our early shows had no one there and/or had people calling me and @petridisch.bsky.social clueless idiots.

Listening to THE '59 SOUND by the Gaslight Anthem is like playing spot-the-influence. Barely a moment goes by without a reference to Springsteen, Waits, even Counting Crows. Who else is in there?

Today’s vibe:

Wake Up Dead Man feels like a 2.5 hour episode of Scooby Doo.

Portland Critics nominations are up! Voting this weekend! portlandcritics.com/awards/2025-2/

Today’s vibe:

We have openings for writers to review music, film and/or books. Send us a DM for more info!

My @themountaingoats.bsky.social Xmas continues….

How many other households the same thing? Will help make it through 2026. Thanks @themountaingoats.bsky.social

Nothing better late on Christmas Eve

Today’s vibe:

A Trick of the Light is one of our Top 20 Albums of 2025! @thebookofeliw.bsky.social Read below!

Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE is one of our Top 20 Albums of 2025 @boniverwi.bsky.social

Like or not, our TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2025 list has landed. Let's hear it. Just how right or wrong are we?

Today’s vibe:

Dropping our tasty Favorite Films of 2025 list. Enjoy! (and watch these....seriously!!!)

10 more followers until we hit the Big 2-k! Help us get there! Tell your followers how awesome we are lol.

“Bird on a Swing” is one of our Top 25 Songs of 2025! List below! @coryhanson.bsky.social

“What Do I Know?” is one of our Top 25 Songs of 2025! @thisisdeepseadiver.bsky.social

Today’s vibe:

I went long in @spectrumculture.bsky.social this week on one of the greatest albums of all time: spectrumculture.com/2025/12/15/t...

The influential techno label Cocoon is still spinning. spectrumculture.com/2025/12/15/v...

The good folks at @spectrumculture.bsky.social today have a list of the year's best movie performances. I wrote about Amanda Seyfried in The Testament of Ann Lee, who moved me in a way that Jessie Buckley never quite did.

For the @spectrumculture.bsky.social roundup of the year’s best film performances, I wrote about Diane Kruger’s triple-role in THE SHROUDS, which embodies a lifelong fixation with the horrors of this mortal coil spectrumculture.com/2025/12/15/b...

40 Years of Turpitude spectrumculture.com/2025/12/15/t...

Atropia, the winner of this year's Grand Jury Drama prize at the Sundance Film Festival, is truly awful: meandering, unfocused, a satire without urgency or a real POV. Everyone involved should be glad this toothless dark comedy will soon be forgotten. My @spectrumculture.bsky.social review.

Today’s vibe:

These are the best books we read in 2025!

WE RECOMMEND: Resurrection "Bi Gan’s dream-logic vignettes trace China’s path through the 20th century."

Gotta love a year-end list that won’t look like anyone else’s. I wrote about Helen Garner’s diaries for @spectrumculture.bsky.social ‘s book list. spectrumculture.com/2025/12/14/o...

To sleep theater, perchance to Dream Theater ... spectrumculture.com/2025/12/14/d...

Wherein I review a Mountain Goats concert and try to make a metaphor about the four elements. Maybe successfully. @themountaingoats.bsky.social

The Beatles Anthology is TWELVE LPs long. We help you by picking the essentials. Read below.

Is it time to give AROUND THE SUN another spin?

The happiness in Cave's work doesn't last, but the joy does, and the difference between the two makes an essential understanding of his thought.

Technically, it's a Christmas movie! My review of Happy Holidays for @spectrumculture.bsky.social.

Miller out of time : Bargain Bin Babylon looks at a forgotten hair-metal also-ran. spectrumculture.com/2025/12/09/b...

Dove Ellis’ debut is remarkably assured, showcasing a new talent with strong potential.