Spectrum Culture
@spectrumculture.bsky.social
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📥 957
📝 2377
Film, music and book reviews. Proudly based in Portland, OR! www.spectrumculture.com
reposted by
Spectrum Culture
Alan Zilberman
about 2 hours ago
Jinsei, the new animated film from Japan, is so deadpan it becomes tedious. Stilted movement and repeated camera shots - usually with one central figure staring lifelessly in center frame - do not help things, either. My
@spectrumculture.bsky.social
review.
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Jinsei - Spectrum Culture
The distinctive look and story of this new Japanese animated film are not enough to hide the basic tedium of its approach.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/08/jinsei-review/
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Philadelphia’s Been Good to Me fits neatly and easily into Kurt Vile’s catalog, another comfortable guitar rock record played loose and breezy.
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Kurt Vile: Philadelphia’s Been Good to Me - Spectrum Culture
Philadelphia’s Been Good to Me fits neatly and easily into Kurt Vile’s catalog, another comfortable guitar rock record played loose and breezy.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/07/kurt-vile-philadelphias-been-good-to-me-review/
about 14 hours ago
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We break down Kings of Convenience: Riot on an Empty Street track by track
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Anatomy of a Tracklist: Kings of Convenience: Riot on an Empty Street - Spectrum Culture
We take a look the inner workings of Norwegian duo Kings of Convenience and their sophomore record, Riot on an Empty Street, and what makes their memorable and mellow love letter to songwriting and ti...
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/07/anatomy-of-a-tracklist-kings-of-convenience-riot-on-an-empty-street/
about 19 hours ago
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Today’s vibe:
about 20 hours ago
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Which would you rather hear - the new Bleachers or the new Strokes? You can only pick one.
about 21 hours ago
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Another contender for Worst Movie of the Year....
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Chum - Spectrum Culture
Fed the same ingredients from so many others before it, Chum suffers a bad case of indigestion and vomits out a dull, market-based product that is rendered inedible.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/07/chum-review/
about 22 hours ago
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reposted by
Spectrum Culture
Charles Johnston
1 day ago
A trippy, eccentric sci-fi film, more thought-provoking than entertaining, that eschews easy tropes to deliver upon its urgent message as clearly as possible. My review of Signal One for
@spectrumculture.bsky.social
.
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Signal One - Spectrum Culture
A trippy, eccentric sci-fi film, more thought-provoking than entertaining, that eschews easy tropes to deliver upon its urgent message as clearly as possible.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/07/signal-one-review/
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Today’s vibe:
2 days ago
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Today’s vibe:
4 days ago
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Our weekly Sonic Youth series continues! For the Sonic Youth fans who never wanted a hit, who always preferred the band at both their bleakest and most experimental, Bad Moon Rising might be their best.
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Discography: Sonic Youth: Bad Moon Rising - Spectrum Culture
For the Sonic Youth fans who never wanted a hit, who always preferred the band at both their bleakest and most experimental, Bad Moon Rising might be their best.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/04/discography-sonic-youth-bad-moon-rising/
4 days ago
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WE RECOMMEND: Ed O’Brien: Blue Morpho The spiritual beacon of Radiohead is the latest in a long line of songwriters to use their art to face the void.
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Ed O’Brien: Blue Morpho - Spectrum Culture
The spiritual beacon of Radiohead is the latest in a long line of songwriters to use their art to face the void.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/04/ed-obrien-blue-morpho-review/
4 days ago
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WE RECOMMEND: Boards of Canada: Inferno
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Boards of Canada: Inferno - Spectrum Culture
Here in Inferno, all phantoms are welcome — and if their existences can be elevated with a haunting beat, all the better.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/04/boards-of-canada-inferno-review/
4 days ago
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WE RECOMMEND: Marisa Anderson: The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music: Vol. 1
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Marisa Anderson: The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music: Vol. 1 - Spectrum Culture
Marisa Anderson’s care and skill make The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music feel like a loving tribute, rather than a funeral for far-flung tradition.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/03/marisa-anderson-the-anthology-of-unamerican-folk-music-vol-1-review/
5 days ago
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WE RECOMMEND: Iceage: For Love of Grace & the Hereafter
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Iceage: For Love of Grace & the Hereafter - Spectrum Culture
On their sixth album, Danish five-piece Iceage are no longer blasting off into the future — they’ve landed and are digging up interestingly shaped bits of the past to combine with their own songwritin...
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/03/iceage-for-love-of-grace-the-hereafter-review/
5 days ago
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reposted by
Spectrum Culture
Pat Padua
5 days ago
You've heard of the Amish coming-of-age period known as Rumspringa, but how do you feel about Rom-comspringa? I wrote about PLUS ONE AT AN AMISH WEDDING
@spectrumculture.bsky.social
spectrumculture.com/2026/06/03/f...
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From the Vaults of Streaming Hell: Plus One at an Amish Wedding - Spectrum Culture
It may sound more like a high-concept pitch than a finished product, but this 90-minute entertainment, however predictable, is an amiable Amish hell indeed.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/03/from-the-vaults-of-streaming-hell-plus-one-at-an-amish-wedding/
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Today’s vibe:
6 days ago
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We invite you to rediscover this very strange band that wants to "fuck with your dreams."
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Rediscover: Part Chimp: IV - Spectrum Culture
Part Chimp are here: lumpen, horrible, weirdly funny and apparently here to “fuck with your dreams”. This is stoner-rock with a grinning smile full of wonky, bloodied teeth.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/01/rediscover-part-chimp-iv/
6 days ago
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As with many of the great Palestinian films of the last few years, With Hasan in Gaza is able to capture the frustration and hopelessness that many have felt in the region for decades, if not their entire lives.
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With Hasan in Gaza - Spectrum Culture
As with many of the great Palestinian films of the last few years, With Hasan in Gaza is able to capture the frustration and hopelessness that many have felt in the region for decades, if not their en...
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/02/with-hasan-in-gaza-review/
6 days ago
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reposted by
Spectrum Culture
Thomas Britt
6 days ago
I reviewed the Bladee album at
@spectrumculture.bsky.social
. 'If a common observation about Bladee is that he transcends genres, Sulfur Surfer supports that argument with its fantastical, metaphysical yearning that cannot be bound to conventional hip-hop or rap.'
spectrumculture.com/2026/06/02/b...
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Bladee: Sulfur Surfer - Spectrum Culture
Bladee continues his lyrical focus on martyrdom and spiritual battles, while Whitearmor soundtracks the drama of a soul at stake.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/02/bladee-sulfur-surfer-review/
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Today’s vibe:
7 days ago
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Good album! But worst cover of the year?
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The Bug Club: Every Single Muscle - Spectrum Culture
Though you might not click with every one of the 18 tracks on The Bug Club’s latest LP, you’d be hard-pressed not to enjoy most of them.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/01/the-bug-club-every-single-muscle-review/
7 days ago
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Hey baby goths. Do you know His Name is Alive? If not, check out these reissues.
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His Name Is Alive: Livonia/Home Is in Your Head/Mouth by Mouth - Spectrum Culture
By putting this trilogy of records - Livonia, Home Is in Your Head and Mouth by Mouth - out under one banner, His Name Is Alive showcases a youthful act keen to deliver everything they have within the...
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/01/his-name-is-alive-livonia-home-is-in-your-head-mouth-by-mouth-review/
7 days ago
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reposted by
Spectrum Culture
Alan Zilberman
7 days ago
In the latest of my ongoing series where I have a pulse on the discourse, I wrote about David Lean's The Passionate Friends. It is more modern/innovative than you might expect, and you can watch it on Criterion Channel as part of its "Yearning" collection. My
@spectrumculture.bsky.social
essay.
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Rediscover: The Passionate Friends - Spectrum Culture
By blurring the line between memory and fantasy, The Passionate Friends deeply understands how the mind works when it comes to matters of the heart.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/06/01/rediscover-the-passionate-friends/
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reposted by
Spectrum Culture
Realm of Dusk
8 days ago
#nowspinning
#dreampop
#musicsky
#vinyl
His Name is Alive — ‘Mouth by Mouth’ I love the first two albums, but this is where Warren Defever really came into his own.
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One wishes there was something a touch more substantial in Milagros Mumenthaler’s latest film, but seeing something as bold as The Currents can be a rare pleasure.
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The Currents - Spectrum Culture
One wishes there was something a touch more substantial in Milagros Mumenthaler’s latest film, but seeing something as bold as The Currents can be a rare pleasure.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/31/the-currents-review/
8 days ago
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I Built You a Tower is one of the most personally exposed records Death Cab have made, but its impact will depend on the listener’s patience for sadness that no longer feels young.
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Death Cab for Cutie: I Built You a Tower - Spectrum Culture
I Built You a Tower is one of the most personally exposed records Death Cab have made, but its impact will depend on the listener’s patience for sadness that no longer feels young.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/31/death-cab-for-cutie-i-built-you-a-tower-review/
8 days ago
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Today’s vibe: I still maintain this album is rad. Their last great one.
8 days ago
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reposted by
Spectrum Culture
Pat Padua
8 days ago
What do the Beatles, IKEA, and generational trauma have in common? The latest provocation from Anders Thomas Jensen is hilarious, and incredibly bleak. My
@spectrumculture.bsky.social
review of THE LAST VIKING
spectrumculture.com/2026/05/31/t...
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The Last Viking - Spectrum Culture
The Danish director’s latest black comedy addresses the delusionary state of modern man, with results that are both hilarious and incredibly bleak.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/31/the-last-viking-review/
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Keep or ditch?
9 days ago
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Today’s vibe:
10 days ago
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Both Alex Murdaugh and this book are out now....
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The Family Man: by James Lasdun - Spectrum Culture
Writer James Lasdun expands on his research into the Murdaugh affair and struggles with the tension between a manipulative villain and a person who just maybe really can’t comprehend that he did what ...
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/28/the-family-man-by-james-lasdun-review/
11 days ago
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WE RECOMMEND: Isaiah Rashad: IT’S BEEN AWFUL IT’S BEEN AWFUL stands as a courageous, deeply human act of survival—proof that even when the armor is completely stripped away, Isaiah Rashad remains one of the most compelling and necessary voices in modern hip-hop.
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Isaiah Rashad: IT’S BEEN AWFUL - Spectrum Culture
IT’S BEEN AWFUL stands as a courageous, deeply human act of survival—proof that even when the armor is completely stripped away, Isaiah Rashad remains one of the most compelling and necessary voices i...
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/28/isaiah-rashad-its-been-awful-review/
11 days ago
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With a mixture of humor and poignancy, The Boys of Dungeon Lane works as a series of sketches, of half-remembered incidents elaborated on with the help of either unlocked memories or imagination, whichever works better in the moment.
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Paul McCartney: The Boys of Dungeon Lane - Spectrum Culture
With a mixture of humor and poignancy, The Boys of Dungeon Lane works as a series of sketches, of half-remembered incidents elaborated on with the help of either unlocked memories or imagination, whic...
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/28/paul-mccartney-the-boys-of-dungeon-lane-review/
11 days ago
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Is Maya Hawke a better actor or musician?
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Maya Hawke: Maitreya Corso - Spectrum Culture
On her fourth album, Maitreya Corso, Hawke sorts through the who, why, and where questions of life, making for a revealing and engaging step forward in her musical career.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/27/maya-hawke-maitreya-corso-review/
12 days ago
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We have openings for writers to review music, film and/or books. Sadly, not paid. Still awesome. DM us for more info.
12 days ago
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Early contender for worst movie of the year:
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Sick Puppy - Spectrum Culture
With each narrative thread competing for how unconvincing they are, Sick Puppy is pedestrian in its filmmaking and fatally dumb.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/27/sick-puppy-review/
12 days ago
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reposted by
Spectrum Culture
Alan Zilberman
12 days ago
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer turns 20 this year. I wrote about its legacy, and how it's a macabre entry in the "separate art from artist" debate. After all this time, I still find it astonishing it was made in the first place. My
@spectrumculture.bsky.social
essay.
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Holy Hell! Perfume: The Story of a Murderer Turns 20 - Spectrum Culture
It’s amazing that a major studio took a chance on Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, and 20 years later, its mere existence is all the more extraordinary.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/27/holy-hel-perfume-the-story-of-a-murderer-turns-20/
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13 days ago
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WE RECOMMEND: Stay Alive: by Ian Buruma
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Stay Alive: by Ian Buruma - Spectrum Culture
Stay Alive is a fascinating, moving and sometimes shocking account of life on the home front in Germany’s capital city during WWII, exploring the compromised morality that can be the cost of stoicism.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/25/stay-alive-by-ian-buruma-review/
13 days ago
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On 1985’s Hell Awaits, Slayer transcended their influences to become the most ferocious of thrash metal’s big four. For its 40th birthday it’s been smartened up and paired with a superb contemporary live performance, reopening once again the debate of which is the greatest thrash album of the ‘80s.
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Slayer: Hell Awaits (40th Anniversary Edition) - Spectrum Culture
On 1985’s Hell Awaits, Slayer transcended their influences to become the most ferocious of thrash metal’s big four. For its 40th birthday it’s been smartened up and paired with a superb contemporary l...
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/26/slayer-hell-awaits-40th-anniversary-edition-review/
13 days ago
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WE RECOMMEND: Jeff Parker/ETA IVtet: Happy Today
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Jeff Parker/ETA IVtet: Happy Today - Spectrum Culture
The latest live album from the jazz guitarist and his longtime group captures the sound of a different room, but the telepathic energy of the music remains in intact.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/26/jeff-parker-eta-ivtet-happy-today-review/
13 days ago
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It's pronounced Kroog.
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Spencer Krug: Same Fangs - Spectrum Culture
Rather than make any gestures toward commercial sensibilities or widening his audience, Krug’s first solo record in five years is an indirect statement that he’s perfectly happy with the audience he’s...
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/25/spencer-krug-same-fangs-review/
14 days ago
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reposted by
Spectrum Culture
Thomas Britt
14 days ago
I reviewed the three recent Drake albums at
@spectrumculture.bsky.social
. ‘Three albums fail to capitalize on the attention aimed Drake's way after Kendrick Lamar bested him, creating the impression that the Drake character is content to live on streams alone.’
spectrumculture.com/2026/05/25/d...
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Drake: Iceman/Maid of Honour/Habibti - Spectrum Culture
Three new albums fail to capitalize on the attention aimed Drake's way after Kendrick Lamar bested him, creating the impression that the Drake character is content to live on streams alone.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/25/drake-iceman-maid-of-honour-habibti-review/
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What's better? A handful of Drake albums or a handful of crap?
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Drake: Iceman/Maid of Honour/Habibti - Spectrum Culture
Three new albums fail to capitalize on the attention aimed Drake's way after Kendrick Lamar bested him, creating the impression that the Drake character is content to live on streams alone.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/25/drake-iceman-maid-of-honour-habibti-review/
14 days ago
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Look Who's Talking Mao! Our trip through Michelangelo Antonioni's oeuvre hits a weird one.
spectrumculture.com/2026/05/21/o...
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Oeuvre: Antonioni: Chung Kuo, Cina - Spectrum Culture
By portraying reality simply as he saw it, Antonioni may in fact have made a more radical work than he thought with Chung Kuo, Cina.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/21/oeuvre-antonioni-chung-kuo-cina/
18 days ago
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Will you love I Love Boosters?
spectrumculture.com/2026/05/21/i...
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I Love Boosters - Spectrum Culture
I Love Boosters is the product of an artist less concerned with whether people like his work than if they understand it.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/21/i-love-boosters-review/
18 days ago
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We'll take alla that ya got!
spectrumculture.com/2026/05/21/f...
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Future Islands: From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth - Spectrum Culture
Rarities compilations like these are often a dumping ground for an artist’s scraps, but Future Islands have such a consistent sound that even their scrappiest recordings on From a Hole in the Floor to...
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/21/future-islands-from-a-hole-in-the-floor-to-a-fountain-of-youth-review/
18 days ago
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We have openings for writers to review music, film and/or music. Sadly, not paid. Still awesome. DM for more info.
18 days ago
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reposted by
Spectrum Culture
Stephen LN
18 days ago
"By seeing the worst that can happen, perhaps we can be inspired to help prevent it," Eloquent and engaged review of Post-Catastrophe Film in
@spectrumculture.bsky.social
by
@mightylyng.bsky.social
📽️📚💙
#FilmSky
#BookSky
@intellectbooks.bsky.social
spectrumculture.com/2026/05/21/p...
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Post-Catastrophe Film: by Stephen Lee Naish - Spectrum Culture
In a survey of movie versions of worldwide disaster, Stephen Lee Naish finds there's much we can learn from staged apocalypse.
https://spectrumculture.com/2026/05/21/post-catastrophe-film-by-stephen-lee-naish-review/
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Today’s vibe:
18 days ago
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