Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" turns 50 @jamdraper.bsky.social reflects on the divisive, atmospheric masterpiece from a tortured artist in a time of fleeting happiness, tranquility & gratification An artifact of possibilities, doomed hopefulness, and bold evolution. www.powmag.net/p/the-music-...

Jeremiah stops. His eyes are wide and he is terrified. He looks down with outstretched arms at his legs. “Dude,” he says, voice shaking. “Where are my fucking pants?” CANADA VACANT by @jamdraper.bsky.social www.bruisermag.com/Draper_Canada

Immensely excited to have my first piece up at BRUISER. Give it a read!

Pumped to have a short story in Hobart today. Read ‘Oak Wilt’: www.hobartpulp.com/web_features...

I wrote about some movies, books and music I really liked this year. Unranked, or course. draper.substack.com/p/2025-year-...

I organized my thoughts on ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER. A hopeful if even more dystopian alternate reality, fatherhood and the idea that those who carry out the deeds of the elite will never truly be a part of them. Read: draper.substack.com/p/one-battle...

WEAPONS review: Maybe it's because I'm not a horror guy at heart, but WEAPONS is at its best when the supernatural fades away and distills the chilling truth— reality is much more frightening than the absurd. open.substack.com/pub/draper/p...

I liked EDDINGTON, a flawed but ambitious and resonant movie that gets to the heart of the unique strain of American tech brainrot accelerated by a worldwide pandemic. Read: draper.substack.com/p/the-diagno...

It’s alright! It’s okay! There’s something to live for— Jesus told me so!

I wrote a short story and it doubles as an anti-research chemical PSA. pixelatedshroud.wordpress.com/2025/06/30/w...

Missed the Bluesky post— but I wrote about “Don’t Worry Baby” in here! Check it out.

For the third installment of my 'America, as told by Cinema' series on my blog, I wrote about what might be the best American movie ever. draper.substack.com/p/america-as...

For my second installment in the series I wrote about a movie that's timeless and essential to the American story, Barbara Loden's WANDA. draper.substack.com/p/america-as...

Read the first installment of my American film series. This one's about INHERENT VICE, its nostalgic portrayal of 20th century American decay and how PTA improved upon the source material with his signature romanticism. draper.substack.com/p/america-as...

Strolled up to the Os game and @jamdraper.bsky.social had a bag of 8 precooked dogs and the fellas were arguing a lot the 100 men vs. 1 gorilla. Strong start to the evening

Walt Whitman, 1846. Happy Opening Day.

I wrote about my favorite emo album (and the only one I ever really loved): www.getalternative.com/it-holds-up-...

I go outside to feel better, and it usually works. At least somewhat. My new journal transcription on Substack: draper.substack.com/p/journal-di...

"Some of the best nights of my life were being high in parking lots." boxd.it/8WVupb

Been watching Toshio Matsumoto's shorts all day. The FUNERAL PARADE OF ROSES Blu-ray comes with them. I most enjoy THE WEAVERS OF NISHIJIN, a short documentary about the slow death of the textile industry and the dark side of society's sacred garments: exploitative labor. youtu.be/X2GBZiMlC8s?...

I watched the 312-minute cut and never wanted it to end. GOAT talk letterboxd.com/jamdraper/fi...

Do you guys think Bantam Books would honor this coupon? It’s only been expired 50 years.

I watched a very lowkey movie last night that nobody's ever heard of. Then I reviewed it. VERTIGO: boxd.it/8FkwXR

Finally reading (struggling?) through Gravity’s Rainbow. This weird thing happens to me with Pynchon— it seems I barely get what’s going on, yet the passages are seared in my mind for days after reading. It sticks to the subconscious in a way that I haven’t experienced with any other writer.

Great read. "A book could fix a man, but it’s not the only way to, and it’s not a sure thing."

If you look through my Bluesky profile, you'll see I've been thinking much about David Lynch this week. He came to mind while I watched STAGECOACH (maybe because of his appearance as John Ford in THE FABLEMANS?) Anyway, I see a direct line from Ford to Lynch in moviemaking. Read: boxd.it/8AmZp9

In light of his death I watched the David Lynch movie I’ve been meaning to get to and… wow. I feel like it’s the perfect final feature film for his career. You gotta know the rules to break ‘em, and he lived that out for three straight hours. INLAND EMPIRE review: boxd.it/8z44Cb

I wrote very quickly about David Lynch's death, and using his own philosophy on life and death to cope with him leaving us. Rest in peace, legend. open.substack.com/pub/draper/p...

New Substack on the tumultuous start to 2025 and working to be better intrinsically despite the chaos all around us. open.substack.com/pub/draper/p...

Unless it’s your stated goal to analyze each sentence from a higher academia perspective, I think annotating books is really dumb.

Wade Whitehouse might be Paul Schrader's most personal protagonist, and that's saying something. My review of AFFLICTION (1997): boxd.it/8myV1P

Dostoevsky— there’s beauty in simply existing.

Reading The Brothers Karamazov for the first time.

My favorite part of this movie is that Frank Capra couldn’t even conceive a fascist society so bad that they’d get rid of public libraries. Review of IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (you may have heard of it?): boxd.it/84SX45

Russell’s recommendation of the day.

I wrote about the United Healthcare CEO’s assassination and why the shooter’s personal beliefs shouldn’t invalidate his actions. Read: open.substack.com/pub/draper/p...

Satantango is a nihilistic masterpiece that tackles the existential question and the search for purpose in the face of hopelessness. Like if 1984 was a good book. Adorned with biblical passages about sunsets and rain and mud and spider webs, it’s Faulknerian in nature. A must-read.

I made sure to eat good while home for Thanksgiving. I love Detroit.

This was a dark ass move. Review of OUT OF THE BLUE: boxd.it/7UAaUZ

Excellente analyse 🙏 Grande fan de Lynch, je persiste à penser qu'il est un cinéaste féministe & engagé, qui met en image les tréfonds du mal tel que seul l'homme peut le créer. L'homme, pas la femme. ⬇️

People often say that David Lynch’s films are confusing or inaccessible. They focus too much on the minutiae of every scene; take a step back to think about Lynch’s whole ethos and creative mission. Only then will it make all too much sense. My review of LOST HIGHWAY: boxd.it/7UkKGH

I watched IKIRU (1952) last night and it reminded me of something I went through that made me finally decide to live instead of just kill time: boxd.it/7TXDYN

The good news is that Jase Richardson is amazing for a freshman. The bad news is that it seems MSU's best player is a freshman.

My first short story’s been published. Read “Cool Dark Blue”: www.ephemerasmag.com/jameson-draper

I find it interesting how Kendrick occupies an increasingly rare place in the culture that is devoid of any critiques. He can do no wrong in the eyes of the masses, which feels less & less common in an era defined by clicks-for-clout and identity politics.

When you look up “crazy ass white boy” in the dictionary, the corresponding photo should be Levon Helm

I watched THE KING OF COMEDY for the first time last night and realized that six years after he made TAXI DRIVER, Scorsese just spun the block with another version of Travis Bickle and made a movie nearly as good. Legend. boxd.it/7RcdDR

As a kid in 2007— before I was familiar with their lore— I got to sing on stage with the Beach Boys. After the show we went backstage for autographs. We asked Mike Love if John Stamos (their drummer at the time) would sign my CD, to which he said: "Uncle Jesse's a bad man." He never came out.

You ever watch a movie that makes the rest of the director's oeuvre make more sense to you? boxd.it/7QhMlz