Barbara VanDenburgh
@babsvan.bsky.social
Poor, obscure, plain, and little. Writer, critic. Former books editor at USA TODAY. Let’s talk movies https://boxd.it/lA7b
Pinned
2026 watch #1: Phantom Thread. I’m just a girl looking for a hungry boy to gently poison into adoring submission.
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
Ten percent of the country being constantly zoinked does explain a few things
It's fun when this chart pops up, and half the comments are like, "there's no way that people are actually drinking ten drinks A DAY" and the other half are like "oh yeah, before I quit, I'd sit down with a 30 rack after work"
February 9, 2026 at 5:04 PM
Ten percent of the country being constantly zoinked does explain a few things
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
Them: you better not be back on ur bushshit
Me, rollin in:
Me, rollin in:
February 9, 2026 at 3:31 AM
Them: you better not be back on ur bushshit
Me, rollin in:
Me, rollin in:
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
This kind of smart, walkable, mixed-use urbanism is illegal to build in most American cities.
February 9, 2026 at 3:50 AM
This kind of smart, walkable, mixed-use urbanism is illegal to build in most American cities.
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
I'm convinced AI is our generation's radium - a discovery with genuinely useful applications in specific, controlled circumstances that we stupidly put in everything from kid's toys to toothpaste until we realised the harm far too late where future generations will ask if we were out of our minds.
February 8, 2026 at 10:23 PM
I'm convinced AI is our generation's radium - a discovery with genuinely useful applications in specific, controlled circumstances that we stupidly put in everything from kid's toys to toothpaste until we realised the harm far too late where future generations will ask if we were out of our minds.
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
Saw the pyrotechnics and assumed Charlie Kirk had died again
February 9, 2026 at 3:26 AM
Saw the pyrotechnics and assumed Charlie Kirk had died again
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
Macbeth: SHIT
February 9, 2026 at 2:50 AM
Macbeth: SHIT
Fuck the Super Bowl, real ones are at the Renaissance festival
February 9, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Fuck the Super Bowl, real ones are at the Renaissance festival
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
Using Mr. Rogers in a Super Bowl commercial for mortgages should result in prison time
February 9, 2026 at 12:34 AM
Using Mr. Rogers in a Super Bowl commercial for mortgages should result in prison time
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
Got my table booked for Valentine’s Day!
February 7, 2026 at 10:22 PM
Got my table booked for Valentine’s Day!
Mitch McConnell isn’t dead yet, but my birthday’s in 4 days if he wants to give me a present.
February 7, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Mitch McConnell isn’t dead yet, but my birthday’s in 4 days if he wants to give me a present.
We’ve got months to go before Mother’s Day, I reject this pessimism
February 7, 2026 at 4:50 PM
We’ve got months to go before Mother’s Day, I reject this pessimism
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
I'm sorry the guy changing the rules on the fly is named what
I stand with County Executive Calvin Ball as he signs emergency legislation today prohibiting privately owned buildings from being used as ICE detention centers.
Howard County chose dignity, accountability, and its people. Tune into our event now:
bit.ly/4a2VtHw
Howard County chose dignity, accountability, and its people. Tune into our event now:
bit.ly/4a2VtHw
Redirecting...
bit.ly
February 7, 2026 at 2:34 PM
I'm sorry the guy changing the rules on the fly is named what
I think I’ve watched every Super Bowl in my lifetime. Even when it landed on birthday, I leaned in and threw a super birthday bowl party. This year, me and my homies are all skipping the Super Bowl to go to the Renaissance Festival.
Curious to see those ratings Monday.
Curious to see those ratings Monday.
What to watch this weekend: Anything but the Super Bowl, bro
Two chess documentaries, the Muppets and a Radio-Canada comedy are here to distract you from the U.S. football bonanza
www.theglobeandmail.com
February 6, 2026 at 2:58 PM
I think I’ve watched every Super Bowl in my lifetime. Even when it landed on birthday, I leaned in and threw a super birthday bowl party. This year, me and my homies are all skipping the Super Bowl to go to the Renaissance Festival.
Curious to see those ratings Monday.
Curious to see those ratings Monday.
A weird movie week, just going where the wind blows me.
February 6, 2026 at 2:49 PM
A weird movie week, just going where the wind blows me.
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
jeffrey epstein being the first domino for the financial crash, video game micro transactions, and Gamergate is making me lose my mind
February 6, 2026 at 3:57 AM
jeffrey epstein being the first domino for the financial crash, video game micro transactions, and Gamergate is making me lose my mind
Are anybody else's boomer parents watching YouTube videos about random bullshit with unbearable AI-slop narration that they insist is real, or am I alone in this particular hell?
February 6, 2026 at 1:20 AM
Are anybody else's boomer parents watching YouTube videos about random bullshit with unbearable AI-slop narration that they insist is real, or am I alone in this particular hell?
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
Please, my magic bean, it is very sick
February 5, 2026 at 6:51 PM
Please, my magic bean, it is very sick
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
goddamnit
February 5, 2026 at 12:54 AM
goddamnit
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
How can someone have all this and be unhappy
February 5, 2026 at 6:12 AM
How can someone have all this and be unhappy
Off the top of my head, no order:
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
True Grit (2010)
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Tombstone
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Slow West
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Man of the West
The Power of the Dog
Unforgiven
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
True Grit (2010)
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Tombstone
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Slow West
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Man of the West
The Power of the Dog
Unforgiven
Saw a top 10 Westerns list in my feed, so thought I'd do one of my own.
February 5, 2026 at 5:35 AM
Off the top of my head, no order:
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
True Grit (2010)
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Tombstone
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Slow West
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Man of the West
The Power of the Dog
Unforgiven
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
True Grit (2010)
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Tombstone
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Slow West
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Man of the West
The Power of the Dog
Unforgiven
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
We have to take their money away. That's it. 🤷🏻
February 3, 2026 at 12:46 PM
We have to take their money away. That's it. 🤷🏻
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
I’ve watched this about 20 times already
February 5, 2026 at 1:28 AM
I’ve watched this about 20 times already
If all the media jobs I longed for no longer exist, what is there to even dream of?
February 4, 2026 at 7:03 PM
If all the media jobs I longed for no longer exist, what is there to even dream of?
Reposted by Barbara VanDenburgh
ohhh ‘democracy dies in darkness’ was aspirational
February 4, 2026 at 3:47 PM
ohhh ‘democracy dies in darkness’ was aspirational
Fucking Tombstone, man. Just a bunch of dudes playing cowboys, handlebar mustaches far as the eye can see. Passes the ultimate dad movie test - you simply cannot happen across this on TV on a Sunday afternoon and not nap on and off happily to it in your armchair
February 4, 2026 at 4:19 AM
Fucking Tombstone, man. Just a bunch of dudes playing cowboys, handlebar mustaches far as the eye can see. Passes the ultimate dad movie test - you simply cannot happen across this on TV on a Sunday afternoon and not nap on and off happily to it in your armchair