Glad everyone is celebrating the delightful duo of David Jonsson and Cooper Hoffman getting a new project with THE CHAPERONES, but need folks to realize the film is directed by India Donaldson who made the outstanding GOOD ONE. If ya need a refresher, read my appreciation below 📽️

Story: David Jonsson, Cooper Hoffman to star in THE CHAPERONES, a drama from A24, Plan B. www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...

More than 1800 detainees are missing after the closure of Alligator Alcatraz. Their families and lawyers can’t find them and they’ve vanished from the ICE database. Feels like this should be a much bigger story www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...

Criticism is under attack, but Chain Reactions fights right back. Five great cases for film criticism, woven into a single movie! www.avclub.com/chain-reacti...

For all those who missed it in theaters, Kelsey Taylor’s fantastic feature debut TO KILL A WOLF 🐺 is now available to stream on VOD. Recommend both seeing it ASAP and then also read my piece below as it's one of 2025’s true PNW indie discoveries that shows the beauty of the region 📽️

White nationalist livestreamer Nick Fuentes has never been more popular, and he has a plan in place to leverage that popularity to infiltrate all aspects of US society to spread his racist, antisemitic worldview. And it's already happening... www.wired.com/story/nick-f...

Cascade PBS slashes Seattle newsroom, citing federal cuts

'Normal,' which reteams Bob Odenkirk with the screenwriter of 'Nobody,' arrives next year with Henry Winkler and Lena Headey also starring. Read more: https://bit.ly/3IpJsRq

For those looking for another chance to see Bob Odenkirk beat people up, you're in luck as Magnolia Pictures has acquired Ben Wheatley’s NORMAL for a wide theatrical release in 2026. Yes, that's rather far out from now, but it gives you plenty of time to read my TIFF review below 📽️

Breaking News: Britain, Canada and Australia formally recognized Palestinian statehood.

While people are suddenly and uncharacteristically paying attention to media regulation, please take a moment to notice all the massive harm Brendan Carr has done to consumer protection and public safety as well me, back in April:

Kicking things off is (of course) Sophy Romvari’s feature directorial debut BLUE HERON, which is not just the undisputed best narrative film of this year’s TIFF but one of the absolute best of recent memory. Have seen it twice now and can't wait to again 📽️ bsky.app/profile/ecle...

NEW: The Pentagon told journalists it will require them to pledge they won’t gather any information — even unclassified — that hasn’t been expressly authorized for release, and will revoke the press credentials of those who do not obey. @washingtonpost.com

RIP to local cinema legend Randy Finley. Before there was a Seven Gables theater chain in Seattle there was The Movie House at 1403 NE 50th St., also founded by Randy. He ran it until the late 70s when Paul Doyle took over and renamed it The Grand Illusion. www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...

Once again have returned back from up north attending the Toronto International Film Festival to my home country where everything is completely fine. Thus, here are some of the best films I saw at the festival this year, many of which touch on the current state of things. Thread 📽️

The degree to which the entire creative community is massing against Disney right now should not be underestimated. There are people who are staying silent because they don't want to make it more difficult for Iger to walk this back. If he doesn't, I believe things will get much noisier.

Randy Finley, the influential movie entrepreneur and founder of the Seven Gables movie theater chain who showed art house, independent and international films that helped shaping the taste of a generation of Washington moviegoers, died last week. He was 83 📽️ www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...

Randy Finley, an influential movie theater entrepreneur who founded the regional Seven Gables movie theater chain, and later owned a winery, died Sept. 7.

SWIPED: Is this corporation my friend? Is my dating app feminist? Is this CEO really challenging the dominant power structures or only doing so when it benefits them? Is this Lily James dating app saga the new THE SOCIAL NETWORK? Nope! 📽️ My #TIFF review: www.thewrap.com/swiped-film-...

Made some recommendations for what ya should see at this year's Local Sightings Film Festival @nwfilmforum.bsky.social from the classic POLICE BEAT to great new docs like NOT ONE DROP OF BLOOD, WOLF LAND, and FIREBREAK plus some stellar experimental short films 📽️ www.thestranger.com/fall-arts-20...

BREAKING: A federal judge just sumamrily struck Trump's complaint against the New York Times, essentially calling it, essentially, garbage. Must be rewritten within 28 days. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Randy Finley, the influential movie entrepreneur and founder of the Seven Gables movie theater chain who showed art house, independent and international films that helped shaping the taste of a generation of Washington moviegoers, died last week. He was 83 📽️ www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...

The Seattle Film Critics Society joins our colleagues in @lafilmcritics.bsky.social, @nsfc.bsky.social, and @nyfcc.bsky.social in denouncing the decision by Nextstar and Disney-ABC to suspend JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!

We join our colleagues in @lafilmcritics.bsky.social and @nsfc.bsky.social in condemning the actions taken by Nexstar and Disney-ABC to pull "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" off the air.

We strongly condemn the actions taken by Nexstar and Disney-ABC to pull JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! off the air.

We strongly condemn the actions taken by Nexstar and Disney-ABC to pull JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! off the air.

Made some recommendations for what ya should see at this year's Local Sightings Film Festival @nwfilmforum.bsky.social from the classic POLICE BEAT to great new docs like NOT ONE DROP OF BLOOD, WOLF LAND, and FIREBREAK plus some stellar experimental short films 📽️ www.thestranger.com/fall-arts-20...

LOST writer-producer Damon Lindelof says he won’t work with Disney unless Kimmel js reinstated. I’m hearing other talent weighing similar pledges.

Once again have returned back from up north attending the Toronto International Film Festival to my home country where everything is completely fine. Thus, here are some of the best films I saw at the festival this year, many of which touch on the current state of things. Thread 📽️

ABC Pulls ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Indefinitely After Host’s Charlie Kirk Comments Via Variety

My thoughts on the breathtaking ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, a film that feels immediately essential. www.rogerebert.com/reviews/one-...

This has been a weird day, as you can imagine. But it’s also been a really nice day, because of everything you all have said about my work. I feel like Tom Sawyer eavesdropping on his own funeral. Thanks for reading. And, in this case, writing.

OK, not even getting into the ethics or the existential issues around AI: Have some goddamn self-respect. If you're a writer and you do this I don't know how you look at yourself, but I know exactly how I look at you.

Scoop: Business Insider informed its staff this week that they are allowed to use ChatGPT to generate first drafts of their stories, while also indicating the newsroom will not disclose such A.I. use to readers. Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/business-i...

So, a bit of an announcement: I'm retiring. My last day at IGN will be Oct 1; after that I'll be a full-time dad for a bit while my kids are of an age where they'll think spending time with me is cool rather than lame. It's been a huge honor and privilege to run reviews here for the past 12.5 years.

Joel Edgerton is fantastic in "Train Dreams," a mournful period drama that, on occasion, carries great dramatic weight as it wrestles with America’s past. #TIFF50 decider.com/2025/09/16/t...

On the loss of an absolute titan. Words can't capture his impact, but I did my best. www.rogerebert.com/tributes/the...

For @rollingstone.com, I eulogized one of the greats.

Robert Redford used his immense fame to shape the entire landscape of independent cinema. He was a true titan.

Breaking news: Robert Redford, the big-screen idol turned Oscar-winning director, independent film advocate and environmental activist, died at 89.

Some news: yesterday was my last at Rolling Stone. For now, I'm going solo, doing all my TV reviewing, recapping, etc., at my newsletter. I hope you'll consider subscribing. Many more details here:

Breaking News: Israel launched a ground offensive into Gaza City, officials said, even as hundreds of thousands of people remained there. Follow live updates.

I wish I could remember where -- a Tiktok perhaps? an X post? -- where someone made a prediction that the Savanah Bananas would be canceled soon, and I wish I could remember and link them to give them credit defector.com/the-official...

Hello Seattle & Tacoma, you'll have a couple chances to see the lovely THE BALTIMORONS this week. The film opens Wednesday @siffnews.bsky.social where Jay Duplass will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A + opens Friday @thegrandcinema.bsky.social. Give my review below a read then go out to see it 📽️

Just wanted to share this very sweet shot from last night's Emmys of the moment Jeff Hiller won Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and the unfeigned delight from his fellow gay nominees Colman Domingo, Michael Urie, and Bowen Yang. Solidarity!

THE BALTIMORONS: Jay Duplass makes BEFORE SUNSET but with beer opposed to wine, a great deal more mouth blood, and a Baltimore setting. Would die for my new favorite movie couple Michael Strassner & Liz Larsen. I wish Baltimore was a real place 📽️ My review: www.inlander.com/screen/jay-d...

"I just want to say, go birds, fuck ICE and free Palestine," "Hacks" star Hannah Einbinder at the #Emmys

Now the winner of the Best Canadian Discovery Award, Sophy Romvari’s magnificent debut BLUE HERON is the type of film that makes going to a festival so exciting and gives one hope for the future of the art form. However and whenever you can see it, you absolutely must do so 📽️

I put together a ranking of every movie I saw that screened in Venice, Telluride or Toronto. And I wrote a little bit about going to fall festivals during a time of great uncertainty about the future of film criticism.

NEW*: #TIFF50 winners are HAMNET (People’s Choice), NO OTHER CHOICE (International PC), NIRVANNA THE BAND… (Midnight), ROAD BETWEEN US (Doc), WRONG HUSBAND (Cdn), BLUE HERON (Cdn Discovery) *List inadvertently sent to TIFF members @ 10 am, ~30 mins prior to awards ceremony began handing out honours