Nineteen Eighty-Four (1954, dir. Rudolph Cartier) is an impressively unpleasant, challenging BBC version of the novel. In an authoritarian future two people fall in love and dream of a different world. But grim reality awaits. Peter Cushing and Yvonne Mitchell are excellent, André Morell terrifying.

A Land Grant Trophy matchup in which Penn State and Michigan State are a combined 0-12 in the Big Ten is quite something.

Relevant to the Phillies: Who took a more sustainable step forward at the plate in 2025? Harrison Bader or Jake Meyers?

-- Phillies want to re-sign Schwarber quickly; Schwarber sees no rush, though market may be light -- Teams are interested in Phillies' 3 lefty relievers and team may trade one to boost farm -- Jake Meyers trade could be fall-back if Bader signs elsewhere -- Phillies don't plan talks with Ranger

Massive walk today, 14 kilometers at the Flemingsberg Forest Nature Reserve. First time there, and we need to get back during late spring or in the summer.

Reversal of Fortune, in which Alan Dershowitz is presented as an idealistic absolutist and the only major character with principles, sure does play differently now

-- Phillies want to re-sign Schwarber quickly; Schwarber sees no rush, though market may be light -- Teams are interested in Phillies' 3 lefty relievers and team may trade one to boost farm -- Jake Meyers trade could be fall-back if Bader signs elsewhere -- Phillies don't plan talks with Ranger

Reupping this (which may just be coincidence, not intent) now that One Battle After Another is streaming ....

Now that One Battle After Another is out on video on demand I took the opportunity to take some screenshots of cool little details. Like the Star of David, Eye of Ra, Black Panthers homage, Latin American flags, Sacred Heart, and cool multicolored beads on Willa’s necklace. #OneBattleAfterAnother

In 1980 and 1981, Toei Animation released unlikely anime adaptations (very) loosely drawn from Marvel's Tomb of Dracula and Monster of Frankenstein comic series. I saw the Frankenstein one a few years ago, and tonight I finally got to watch the much more bizarre Dracula one. It was kind of amazing.

If you haven’t seen Secret Honor, it’s Philip Baker Hall as Richard Nixon directed by Robert Altman and it’s some of the greatest/most unhinged acting of all time. Big recommend.

I need the @criterionchannl.bsky.social to add a section every month of “Films Leaving Your Library.” The email doesn’t arrive until about two weeks into the month & I’m left scrambling. I’ve already watched two Robert Altman movies today.

The 1967 billboard for Love's Forever Changes album in West Hollywood. The original album art was by Bob Pepper.

See Shawn's great post at "The Everyday Cinephile" blog - Dante's Inferno (1911): The First Feature-Length Horror Film theeverydaycinephile.com/articles/dan...

While I'm ranting: It takes time, nurturing, strategy, and deep knowledge of release patterns and regional idiosyncrasies to nurture a film from, say, October deep into awards season. That's how smaller movies used to make money. And I'm not seeing a lot of distributors eager to put in that effort.

I took the liberty of adding a few more of these back to the shop because everyone has someone on their gift list they'd like to lightly poison with an omelet 🍄 www.brianna-ashby.com/new-products...

Palestine-1 is out! If you’re a fan of speculative fiction from the margins pick up this anthology of stories shot the Nakba. commapress.co.uk/books/palest...

The Devil Bear Blu-ray is up for pre-order! This silent Canadian film from 1929 has never been released and features a guy in a gorilla suit. What more do you need? Buy your copy now: goldninjavideo.com

Phil & Phillis

Just watched Paperhouse (1988), a dark little children's horror fantasy movie. As beautiful as it is melancholic, really enjoyed the dreamy imagery and dense atmosphere.

This is sick

After finally watching the Knives Out 3 trailer, I kind of want a mash-up where Benoit Blanc goes to Crockett Island to investigate the new priest who has taken over mass for Monsignor Pruitt

Local man wants TV station to stop airing commercials.

Handwriting makes me more aware of every word I use. That is getting lost

If this weekend, in your living room, will be your first viewing of One Battle After Another, may I suggest: -- lights out -- volume up -- phone off You won't even feel the time fly by.

Flair Patterned Plexiglas by Rohm & Haas (1965)

1946 Massachusetts State College Interscholastic Fruit Judging contest winners.

Safe to say nobody has any clue what Phillies are thinking this winter. Bader + Marsh + Crawford + their love affair with Kemp (platoon with Marsh??) fills up the outfield spots really fast. Where do they add RH thump? And don't say Bregman.

Rojas situation is a bit trickier than some think Sure, they'll listen to offers, but they can't just give him away. If he's part of a package that gets them something needed, fine. But his glove has value, even to the Phillies. If they enter 2026 with Crawford as the CF, Rojas is nice insurance

Book Cover of the Day:

I am the only person staying in a closed-for-the-winter field centre, next to a graveyard, in the darkest village in Britain. And this is the book I have chosen for my evening entertainment. How delightfully gothic.

Doing some sorting out of things upstairs… just found this postcard that Prunella Scales wrote to me when I was working for a theatre company in the early 2000s. I never met her but it was such a lovely gesture, and it made the day of the lowly admin monkey I was. RIP Prunella S.

Thinking a lot about how poorly our brains recognize long term subtle changes, like climate change or biodiversity loss. We've lost something like 1 out of every 4 individual birds in the US since 1970, more for some species. There should be at least 25% more birds around you right now.

This ridiculousness seems to imply that they think "Moonraker" in its entirety is also canon for whatever Bond next takes the screen.

This is correct from everything I've heard too, across the country. They need cash, and they have the best deals to spend it.

Yikes. I did not know this.

Rewatching "Children of Men" for the 1st time in almost 20 years and OMG, the opening lines. "Day 1,000 of the Siege of Seattle. The Muslim community demands an end to the Army's occupation of mosques...the deportation of illegal immigrants will continue." The movie takes place in 2027.

"The Phillies should do X" is so dependent on what are teams doing this offseason. Really with the exception of the Padres SP and Japanese FAs the top FAs are from competitive teams who should in theory want to retain or acquire a replacement for those FAs. But are they actually all trying?

Images from films starring one of the towering figures of Japanese cinema, Tatsuya Nakadai - RIP Yojimbo (1961) High and Low (1963) The Face of Another (1966) Kill! (1968)

In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write to a famous author & ask for advice. KURT VONNEGUT - born 103yrs ago today - was the only one to respond. His reply was a doozy.

David Lynch. Robert Redford. Diane Keaton. Gene Hackman. Val Kilmer. Terence Stamp. Joan Plowright. Michael Madsen. Prunella Scales. George Wendt. Claudia Cardinale. Tatsuya Nakadai. Sally Kirkland. Knock it the hell off, 2025.

this is so silly. people know the deal with bond. the writers should just embrace the metatextual aspects of the franchise

RIP to truly one of the greatest actors of all time. The man excelled in every role he was cast in and there will never be another Tatsuya Nakadai.

First film of his I ever saw. No one had a batter career than him

Oh no! The Human Condition trilogy Kwaidan Ran The Sword of Doom Yojimbo High and Low The Face of Another Inn of Evil Kagemusha Basically the history of post-war Japanese cinema is all tied to Tatsuya Nakadai. Even had a bit part in Seven Samurai

Stubby has been friendlier than usual today.

The tunnel of light to home. Wooded path. Long exposure with torch. Different ISO settings / running into the darkness to pose before walking back. Could have done this for hours. A nearby field is earmarked for houses, so only a year of this before I’m mistaken for marsh lights.

this is what I wrote this book for. so on a cultural level we can try to get through it as quickly and with as little harm as possible. and on an individual level: don't listen to the AI or Reddit when they tell you to cut off your OK-but-sometimes-annoying family/ www.penguin.co.uk/books/469677...

Adell is the sexier, riskier, costlier move. cheaper Ward just makes makes a ton of Phillies sense for one year, filling a corner outfield hole, mashing lefties and putting less pressure on the OF prospects.

The Supreme Court rejects petition from Kim Davis to reconsider its 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage, effectively preserving Obergefell for a long time to come. Marriage equality is safe. www.scotusblog.com/2025/11/supr...