lol www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8UvLHp5/

“Death of cinema” arguments seem as old as the medium itself. Things do seem different now post-pandemic & amidst unchecked monopolization; Godfrey Cheshire’s words way back in 1999 for NY Press appear prophetic/doom-y, yet they are also a reminder of cinema’s fluidity & *exciting* instability

Lol realized as soon as I made this and posted it that the industry is actively advocating for this very thing, so it should probably actually read:

The new Planet Hollywood isn’t looking so hot!

Last nite’s viewing at the @thecoolidge.bsky.social (a rare chance to get out to the cinema with an infant at home, I’m glad it was for this nearly 5-hour experience, which looked amazing in 70mm) boxd.it/bXQwNx

A CDC Advisory Committee is now trying to rollback decades-long recommendations that have protected newborns and children from diseases and saved lives. We believe in scientific evidence, and families with any concerns hepatitis B should discuss them with their health care provider. (1/2)

I’m excited to announce that in early 2026 I’ll be partnering once more w/ @thecoolidge.bsky.social & Coolidge Education to teach a class on cinematic dystopias at the historic art house theatre in Brookline, MA! Link below for more info & tickets: coolidge.org/events/proje...

Handing back student work that’s been written by ChatGPT with a 0 followed by the comment “This essay will never stand in authentic wonder before the Beauty of God’s creation.”

RIP Udo Kier youtu.be/ujEph5vFwmc

Had a little fun for my old employer at the expense of the BU snotrag who called in ICE on a Boston car wash.

Leaving Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts / Harvard Film Archive - just attended an excellent talk by Neta Alexander (Yale) on multimodal AI, labor, and disability (to put it far too simply); walking away with spinning thoughts and a big reading list…

Wake up ghouls and goblins. It's Halloween! 🎃 Check out our horror film takeover on Kanopy. Watch something spooky tonight, like Werner Herzog’s NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE (1979) for free and without ads or subscriptions through participating libraries and universities at https://bit.ly/4hr36cN.

I love this city

Did my PhD at IU and had a wonderful experience with my professors, mentors, and colleagues in CMCL (which transformed into the Media School); deeply disappointed in IU, and proud of students for standing up for themselves and what is right.

MIT President Sally Kornbluth just issued a statement to the campus community saying NO to Trump’s authoritarian compact “And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”

Watched late last night - can’t say I was a fan! (and I overall very much enjoy the series and actually think the last few entries have been highlights) boxd.it/bh0aGH

I can see how it’s tempting to sign an agreement to preserve an institution of higher ed, if you’re the one in charge. The problem is, once you sign that agreement, it’s no longer meaningfully a university. It’s a shell: a wood-paneled carapace protecting a rotten core.

feels like we're living through some kind of cultural gas leak

War zone indeed; who can forget the battle to retake control of Marg Tower? youtu.be/WodT4i3uobA?...

Currently rewatching Terminator 2 for the millionth time (never a bad time to do so) after reading @brofromanother.bsky.social sharp, insightful review of One Battle After Another.

Sounds for Saturday research and data entry www.nts.live/shows/team-s...

Yesterday’s cinema experience; seen in glorious VistaVision at @thecoolidge.bsky.social (one of only 4 locations selected to screen the film this way!) - the print/projection looked stunning, and the film was one I immediately wanted to revisit.

Perfect viewing for the season

Thread

Boston! We’ll be in town Friday, September 19 – Sunday, September 22 for the Boston Film Festival. #Emerson students and faculty — swing by the library on Friday, 12–4 PM for live screen printing and a free shirt. Come hang out, say hi, and catch us at the screenings. See you soon!

With his new movie upon us, it's a great time to remind you that Paul Thomas Anderson's production company is named for Ghoulardi, a horror host portrayed by PTA's own father, Ernie Anderson. Ghoulardi's Shock Theater was a staple of Cleveland television and a foundational creature feature program.

Fascinated by this new series and excited to read this

Everyone is hungry to hear his take on the male loneliness discourse in-between AI-generated ads for hallucinated meal kits and email services

Dreaming of a world where none of the (involuntary retch) content I consume requires any human creative input at all!

Macon Blair’s THE TOXIC AVENGER is set to mop up at least $5 million in crushing medical costs thanks to an inspiring new partnership between Cineverse and national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt.

Site that seduces you into the Druid cult supposedly responsible for The Shape’s drive to kill on the night of Samhain? You mean Thornhub.

Resonance (UC Press) is looking for humanities research across the following topics: Sound in Political Crisis, Sound and Social Justice, Experiments in Sound, Sound Archives and Preservation, and we're convening a permanent series that'll examine "Film and Cinema Sound" in 2026. Please circulate!

Last week, Boston received a letter from AG Bondi threatening to prosecute officials and withhold funds unless we cooperate with carrying out mass deportations. The US Attorney General asked for a response by today, so here it is: stop attacking our cities to hide your administration’s failures.

18 August is TEXAS CHAIN SAW day! Please act accordingly. And if you haven't seen Alexandre O Philippe's doc Chain Reactions yet, watch this trailer to the end for a sneak peek of your girl right here in full fangirl flight!

Seen driving around Allston; surely this has to be a trap…🔪

saturday morning sounds youtu.be/ga9R-F32XN8?...

sunday morning sounds youtu.be/MS6M80aY2KE?...

Barbara Klinger’s excellent 2022 book IMMORTAL FILMS is a great resource for thinking about this re-working of Wizard of Oz (as garish, foolish, or even “dangerous” as we might critique it for being”. Read the intro here: content.ucpress.edu/title/978052...

Seeing the discourse around this, & I think we can (and should!) critique it aesthetically/show concern or even disdain for the AI hype train, tech-bro logic behind it, while also not rehashing tired, panicked “death of cinema” claims or seeing this single experimental spectacle as totally aberrant

Coincidentally, "Poop Cruise" is the phrase that best describes the experience of scrolling through the selection on Netflix.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy July Fourth!   Today is a great day to remember that the chaos and confusion coming out of this White House is not normal, and dissent is patriotic.   I'll keep using the tools of my office to fight back to protect our rights, democracy, and Constitution.

Apple Music’s 10th Anniversary content lets you know

Very happy that I’m researching this movie for an upcoming piece right now… youtu.be/UsxfY23Hdhs?...

In the early 00s, John Turturro (w/ his young son) asked me where the bathroom was while I was waiting in line at Brooklyn Academy of Music for a double feature of Evil Dead II & Army of Darkness (w/ Bruce Campbell in attendance…who I met in a more anticipated, official capacity after!)

Friday morning sounds. youtu.be/EoEt7AwJpBs?...