Big thanks to all who continue to click on thefilmagazine.com. It has been around 18 months since we closed our (figurative) doors @thefilmagazine.bsky.social, but our visitor numbers in 2026 have already surpassed the total we accumulated over the entirety of our final year, 2024. Big love ❤️

I'm reading about how those in television in the late 1950s and early 1960s would frequently philosophise on its purpose and the artistic/social merit/direction of it. When was the last time we heard any such discussion on "drama" in this country? I don't think I've seen such debate in my lifetime.

"Hollywood could say IMAX isn't practical, screenplays shouldn't challenge the audience, and computers are cheaper than a 747, but the people we call "artists" are inspired by dreams. Like a 7-year-old with a Super 8." www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2hk...

Between developing a DVD/BR collection, getting into photography (not professionally or anything), and doing lots of reading about the early years of cinema and the films of some of the UK's greats, I can honestly say that I am so close to being back.

I've watched 60 films so far in 2026. By no means is that "a lot", but it took me until the 2nd of June to reach that number in 2025. Among my favourite first-time watches are 'Up the Junction', 'Project Hail Mary', 'Schindler's List' and 'Lawrence of Arabia'. My Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/JoeTFM/

2000 layoffs at the BBC. 10% of its workforce. Shameful. Shameless. Rotten.

Disney ate the competition, they swallowed whole sub-sectors of their own industry, and they tried to right wrongs with AI investment. This week's mass layoffs are not an everyday occurrence in an industry with meaningful competitors; these layoffs are evil, money-funnelling manoeuvres by Devil Corp

The Film Magazine hit another milestone today (some 15 months post-closure). There have been more visitors to thefilmagazine.com in 2026 so far than there were visitors in the entirety of 2020 (which was at the time our most successful year ever in terms of readership). I am a proud human.

I just want to say thanks to those of you I follow for keeping my "following" tab sane and reasonable and even fun. The world is a shit show and it's almost impossible not to be affected by it. But coming here and escaping into movie talk, into a community of like-minded folk, is very nice. Thanks

The #Oscars red carpet interviewers for ITV have just encouraged the kid from 'Hamnet' to start hustling for roles in Leonardo DiCaprio movies. Absolutely wild shit. The kid hasn't even taken his SATS and he's already hooked into the productivity grind culture.

The publication myself and a lot of other people put a lot of time into, @thefilmagazine.bsky.social - www.thefilmagazine.com - has had a brilliant year for readership thus far. Despite shutting our doors on the last day of 2024, more than 200,000 people have visited our work in 2026. Big love!

Of all of 2026's #Oscars Best Picture nominees, it has been #Bugonia that I have left 'til last. Not out of anticipation, but out of fear I wouldn't like it. I didn't like #KindsofKindness as much as others, so it tracks. I was stupid. 'Bugonia' is first-class, twisty magnificence. Brilliant.

Sometimes the world makes you happy

As is tradition, time for a re-post - www.thefilmagazine.com/friday-the-1...

I'm begging publications to ban the phrase "tour de force". I've seen it in several different film adverts recently and can this many performances be that? It's giving "wish I went to private school". Nobody wants that.

LOL don't sell on #RedBubble kids... (My mark-up is 20%, so the site has charged customers around £33.85 plus postage fees for items I have earned £1.60 from.)

LMAO this is so embarrassingly bad that if I worked for ILM I would be embarrassed to charge anyone for it 😂

It has been more than a year since @thefilmagazine.bsky.social closed, and yet more than 100,000 people have visited the site - thefilmagazine.com - this month. That's amazing. If you are one of those people, thank you. The writers deserve to have their writing read.

Lmao it looks so shit. Also, "short narrative stories" don't tend to do well commercially (ask anyone who ever made them), so why do this at all? AI is a big fat pyramid scheme built on dodgy foundations. Fear not art lovers, this isn't even close to being "cinema". Even the unwashed will notice.

Given the current projection of VPN usage soon needing age verification, it's almost as if this was never an Access to Porn issue and was always a long-term Copyright Protection issue.

I'm not saying I'm back, but I am back on Letterboxd (so there's that) Feel free to follow me: letterboxd.com/JoeTFM/

I love Alan Menken and will forever be grateful for his wondrous contributions to the form of cinema I hold so dearly. www.youtube.com/watch?v=S24F...

It's the first day of 2026, so let's recap 2025, with ten picks for some of the finest films of last year. #filmsky #moviesky #filmreview #moviereview #cinema #filmcritic #moviecritic

I am delighted to announce that The Film Magazine's website thefilmagazine.com reached an audience of over 1,000,000 (1 million) people in 2025. The writing on the site always deserved audiences this big, and I am beyond delighted that we have reached this milestone even after closing down 💖

A tech company loading debts onto an established owner of more than 100 years of art should be incredibly concerning to every single person. We live in a hellscape. Fuck Netflix. Fuck that devil spawn David Zaslav. Fuck it all.

My local cinema - a subsidiary of a major chain promoted on the diversity of its showings and inevitably catalogued to counter programme big sister - is showing only 2 films today. Two. One is everywhere. The other is on Netflix in 2 weeks. Make it make sense!

I'm sad to hear of the loss of Udo Kier today. He was another of our actors lost in 2025 who had an outstanding face for cinema. Harsh edges, memorable features, piercing eyes.

I highly recommend following @secondcutpod.bsky.social and checking out their recent podcast episode on war films. I always learn something new from them, and always appreciate their insight. Subscribe: www.youtube.com/live/KYUTJr6... They're also on Substack with reviews and more 📽

Almost forgot about #GodzillaDay www.thefilmagazine.com/showa-era-go...

Of course Nick Offerman picked 'Kes'. Always knew that guy was decent... youtu.be/Ti-nujcoKnk?...

That special Barry Sonenfeld brand of 90s family movie needs to be captured in today's age.

I've just finished 'Film Club' on BBC iPlayer. It's 3:33am and I am bawling. Utter magic from Aimee Lou Wood. A soft, inclusive, feelings-first love letter to the power of movies and self-realisation. A beautiful, beautiful show. I highly recommend.

Sadako crawling out of your tv, turning motion smoothing off, then crawling back in

I'm dedicated to the preservation of film, and @snipsmovies.bsky.social do some excellent work. As a result, I've become a big fan of the daily TikToks & weekly YouTube videos. This latest is insightful and enjoyable, and I can't recommend it enough. Enjoy film friends! youtu.be/1rd_Uy8iVsE?...

David Zaslav went in to WB, took dozens of millions of dollars in salary and hundreds of millions in stock, sold off every arm and cancelled lots of work, only to sell the thing on the cheap several years later. Criminal.

I just uploaded a video to my Instagram explaining why The Film Magazine can't come back. Same username as here if you're interested.

As of this past week or so, @thefilmagazine.bsky.social 's website has been visited more times in 2025 than in any other year in the history of the site. With most of October and all of November and December left to go! This is wild. All credit to the great minds involved 💗

There is no such thing as "me time" anymore. Neo-liberal capitalism has ballooned into such an uncontrollable state that the only "room for growth" is now in the places capitalism has already forced us to inhabit (apps, programmes, etc. via AI) or in our sleep. We're waking up to the former.

This is tonight. My favourite podcast :) Subscribe so you don't miss it. youtube.com/@secondcutpo...

Removing myself from the pressures of the current release schedule has proven to be the healthiest thing possible for my relationship to cinema. I have seen some of the best and most important work of all time in 2025. Most importantly to me, I have watched films that make me feel seen.

Another great movie face lost. RIP Graham Greene

Dear Cinemas, Introducing tiered seating prices shatters the illusion that your experience is "the best experience possible", and forces potential visitors to think more than once about acquiring a ticket, thus giving them reason to do something else instead. Do better. Sincerely, A Fan

Critics, please explain your turns of phrase. Explaining something as "silly" means nothing. Explain how it's silly, or in what way it is silly, and use a comparison ("it is silly like Liar Liar" or "it is as silly as How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days without going full Naked Gun").

The Film Magazine has had more visitors in 2025 so far than it had in the entirety of 2024. Not bad. Especially considering we haven't published a single thing since 31st December 2024. Thank you for clicking. Thank you for caring. I'm glad the writers can have their work seen and appreciated.

Terrence Stamp had one of the most cinematic faces in history. All angles and character.

I still watch the credits to all movies. So should you.

The culture of social media is broken. I used to gain joy seeing what people I knew were up to, now everything is aggravation, opposition. It's horrible. I took a short break and returned to endless confrontation and violence and putting people down. I'm tired.

Real Real Real 💖

The final legacy of TFM is here, the one and only print magazine. Thanks to @joetfm.bsky.social, all hail TFM #moviesky #filmsky #filmcritic #moviecritic #cinema

Batman Begins turned 20 this month. My anniversary review is now online - secondcutpod.substack.com/p/batman-beg...