Mom's visiting. We watched the new Muppet Show, which is exactly what we needed right now, and we hope leads to more. Then followed it with the Starfleet Academy pilot, which is an exciting blast, finally moving the franchise forward again with a fun new group of characters.

This is only related in a sideways manner, but: the story of any small slice of humanity is the story of humanity, just boiled down and distilled. So: In 2020, we had a lot of conversations about harassment at SF/F conventions, and Isaac Asimov came up several times.

Jeff Bezos’s wealth has increased an average of $70 million every day of 2026, meaning that he could have offset The Post’s losses with what he’s made since Monday.

Jim Sharman’s debut imagines alien invasion as madness, pop spectacle, and warning. Heather Drain and Chris O’Neil join Mike to decode it. www.projectionboothpodcast.com/2026/02/epis...

My Dad's actual Dad Movies: Cat Ballou, Kelly's Heroes, Lawrence of Arabia, Rock 'N Roll High School.

Oooooh here we go

Thread. Shitty people can make good and even great art. Likewise, dropping a favorite artist after you realize you can no longer support them can feel like a divorce or a friend breakup because they and their work were just that important to you. That shit hurts, even when it's necessary for you.

Stuff I Read and Watched from January 25 - 31, 2026. How many of these have you checked out?

At the same time the Epstein Files are reinforcing how protected sexual abusers really are, Neil Gaiman is using the nightmarish sexual violence allegations against him to market his next book. His DARVO defense is the first selling point. Rape culture is everywhere and unavoidable.

In the second half of this month's Lounge, @paxholley.com, @spidey004.bsky.social, and @michaelmay.bsky.social discuss Woman of Tomorrow, Legends of the Dark Knight, Rob and the Ramblin’ Man, reading origin stories, Star Wars homeworlds, and Ella McCay. www.afterlunchpodcast.net/2026/02/415-...

On The File Room this week, we discuss “Detour,” in which Mulder and Scully track down something that might be the Mothman in someplace that definitely isn’t Florida, and why a show sometimes repeats itself after 100 episodes overcast.fm/+ABGHvrfBb3k

Mother of Flies (2025 film) 4 stars letterboxd.com/noelct/film/...

Latest novel: House of Leaves (2000, Mark Z Danielewski), a mix of found footage creepy pasta and meta-narrative exploration of multiple layers of unreliable narrators encountering the unreliable realities of inescapable mazes, both actual and metaphorical.

Got to tag along with a friend for the Guthrie production of Somewhere, a sharp and soulful drama where the pop culture phenomenon of West Side Story is cast as a backdrop for the struggles of a real Puerto Rican family losing their home in 1959 New York. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tOH...

One of the most iconic one word line deliveries in modern cinema.

Comic Books

And absolute legend and treasure of comedy. RIP

"MindMeld". #gouache #commission on 9"x12" coldpressed cotton paper. #startrek #doctorwho #comicprofessional #art #scifiart #comicart

For some upcoming films, I say: “That looks good. Maybe I should see it.” But for others, I say: “I’m sure there’s an audience for this film, but I don’t think it’s for me.” BAM. Sorry if you can’t handle my blistering hot cinematic takes this early in the morning!!!!!! 🎥🔥

Check out our latest episode as @bisexualhorrorfan.bsky.social climbs aboard and we book passage with Stephen Sommers' underappreciated aquatic monster romp Deep Rising! www.cinemaspection.com/2026/01/deep...

We have a new episode over at @cinemaspection.bsky.social as @bisexualhorrorfan.bsky.social joins us to talk great monster design, character actors, and the charisma of Treat Williams as we discuss the criminally underrated creature feature Deep Rising! www.cinemaspection.com/2026/01/deep...

"Why is Brett Ratner here?"

The new Patrons-only episode of Telefantasy Time Jump is out now, in which @lizbethmyles.bsky.social and I chat about 1965's Marine Boy and the changes across three seasons of Lost in Space! Oh, the pain. #LostinSpace www.patreon.com/posts/telefa...

Arizona Dream (1993): Kusturica’s desert fantasia dissected with Andras Jones and David Rodgers, plus an interview with screenwriter David Atkins. www.projectionboothpodcast.com/2026/01/epis...

Stuff I Read and Watched from January 18 - 24, 2026

ICE & U.S. Customs & Border Protection employed at least 30 people with sexual & violent criminal histories in recent years. At least 20 agents committed offenses with underage victims. The bulk of abuse happened within the last two years. This article includes names of the agents.

As of noon today, I'm now 44 years old.

On The File Room this week we discuss “Unusual Suspects,” in which The X-Files delves into the backstory of The Lone Gunmen, and accidentally makes itself part of a much larger universe. overcast.fm/+ABGHvqD3jzE

New Lounge. @paxholley.com, @spidey004.bsky.social, and @michaelmay.bsky.social talk about Rise of Skywalker, Wonder Woman, Stranger Things Season 5, Stephen King and Maurice Sendak’s Hansel and Gretel, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, and more. www.afterlunchpodcast.net/2026/01/414-...

MINNESOTA VERSION OF COME OUT YE BLACK AND TANS

I'm a legal observer on the ground in MN. I've been posting videos of my ICE encounters and a daily journal on TikTok. My account has been shut down and new videos not made public. Find my stuff on IG and YT. I'm just trying to get the word out. youtu.be/ttSGP5bPbg0?...

Greg Ketter and Dreamhaven have been providing books and nerd sundries to me since my college days at the U of M (which was in the late Cretaceous period). He’s the real deal, and you should buy more books from Dreamhaven.

Alex from our time working together, while he was in nursing school. Later, he moved to ICU, working as a nurse to support critically ill Veterans. He had such a great attitude. We’d chat between patients about trying to get in a mountain bike ride together. Will never happen now

It’s -9 degrees. Downtown Minneapolis is packed for the anti-ICE rally and the crowd keeps growing

Starting a new project for the new year where we read 12 Stephen King novels, @michaelmay.bsky.social and @jesstures.bsky.social talk about all things Carrie. Not just the book, but also all the movies and the musical. www.afterlunchpodcast.net/2026/01/413-...

no matter how hard Greg Bovino tries to exude rugged masculinity he always comes off like Don Knotts in a Portlandia sketch

Tales of the Unnatural: The Movie With Big Naturals

I’ve added the script for Wake Up Dead Man to my site. This is the final shooting script, so it has stuff that was cut and moved around, which I always think is more interesting to see than a conformed cleaned up version. Enjoy! www.rian-johnson.com/screenplays

great thread that gives me a tiny little scrap of hope

The He-Man trailer looks like a blast. I was worried about what tone they'd go with, but Chris Pine D&D is the absolute right one.

ICE is reportedly incentivizing its agents with financial rewards to hit a 3,000 arrests-per-day quota, even if those they detain are later released. Remember this as Trump's thugs terrorize Minneapolis. https://www.wsj.com/us-news/the-standoff-that-has-turned-minnesota-into-a-tinderbox-a3a7e672

Something to look forward to. youtu.be/Cw3SRSOGWYw?...

New Episode! @michaelmay.bsky.social is joined by @paxholley.com, @geek-kay.bsky.social, and @runonsandwich.bsky.social to look back on the art and pop culture of 2025 and also to peek ahead at what's coming in 2026. www.afterlunchpodcast.net/2026/01/412-...

Stuff I Read and Watched from January 11 - 17, 2026

Tonight! The world is on fire and all, so join us for the first psychotronicon stream of 2026, paying tribute to the recently deceased! Watch stuff featuring Udo Kier, Rob Reiner, Rosa Von Praunheim, Gil Gerard, Josh Becker, Tony Geary and more! Starting at 7pm CST at app.kosmi.io/room/@dekkop...!

Stuff I Read and Watched from January 4 - 10, 2026

New Episode! @michaelmay.bsky.social and @paxholley.com finish a double-feature of 2017 Westerns with Scott Cooper's Hostiles, starring Christian Bale, Wes Studi, and Rosamund Pike. www.hellbentforletterbox.com/2026/01/host...

Glasses (2007 film) 4 stars. letterboxd.com/noelct/film/... #Filmsky

Tickets now on sale for B-Fest 2026! Get all the deets at b-fest.com. Excellent poster by @mitchoconnellart.bsky.social

Hi, I wrote about Walz and Frey and the exhortations to remain calm in Occupied Minnesota. wburdine.substack.com/p/turning-do...