Calvin Kemph
@calvinkemph.bsky.social
Editor-in-Chief of The Twin Geeks, Seattle Film Critics Society member.
thetwingeeks.com
thetwingeeks.com
#Bugonia is a richly textured remake of a good South Korean movie that advances Yorgos Lanthimos’ credentials as one of our best working filmmakers. @seattlecritics.bsky.social
Bugonia: Do You Want to Believe?
Yorgos Lanthimos is working at the forefront of present cinematic expression. The work of the Greek auteur will not leave you indifferent. That art provokes response is so central to its value in t…
thetwingeeks.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:42 PM
#Bugonia is a richly textured remake of a good South Korean movie that advances Yorgos Lanthimos’ credentials as one of our best working filmmakers. @seattlecritics.bsky.social
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
Reminder: If you use generative AI for *any of your writing tasks* you are a Slopper not a writer and should be ashamed of yourself. The end.
November 11, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Reminder: If you use generative AI for *any of your writing tasks* you are a Slopper not a writer and should be ashamed of yourself. The end.
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
For Arc Raiders to ride the wave of human sociability all the way to the bank, while also being so contemptuous of the thing that makes us social animals in its own workflow demonstrates a lack of artistic integrity that I find impossible to ignore.
Our review: https://bit.ly/49bVn01
Our review: https://bit.ly/49bVn01
November 10, 2025 at 4:31 PM
For Arc Raiders to ride the wave of human sociability all the way to the bank, while also being so contemptuous of the thing that makes us social animals in its own workflow demonstrates a lack of artistic integrity that I find impossible to ignore.
Our review: https://bit.ly/49bVn01
Our review: https://bit.ly/49bVn01
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
Watching Our of the Past. So much beauty, in the actors' faces & bodies as well as in the photography & staging (as in a fistfight that plays out partly in the shadows combatants cast on a wall). Very adult in its understanding of attraction and how one choice can trap you for life.
November 8, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Watching Our of the Past. So much beauty, in the actors' faces & bodies as well as in the photography & staging (as in a fistfight that plays out partly in the shadows combatants cast on a wall). Very adult in its understanding of attraction and how one choice can trap you for life.
Maybe the Mariners just need to spend more money, is the only lesson this year.
November 2, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Maybe the Mariners just need to spend more money, is the only lesson this year.
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
As someone who doesn't watch sports but does love human suffering, I'm having a great night
November 2, 2025 at 4:05 AM
As someone who doesn't watch sports but does love human suffering, I'm having a great night
Addiction is a hungry ghost, that consumes everything in its path and can never be satiated. Ballad of a Small Player explores this philosophy around addiction through sumptuous visuals and a magnetic lead performance. @seattlecritics.bsky.social
Ballad of a Small Player: Hungry Ghosts
The visual font of addiction is so often relegated to drugs and alcohol, but addiction is a spiritual malady, and its expression is equally valid in all forms of spiritual disintegration. Addiction…
thetwingeeks.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Addiction is a hungry ghost, that consumes everything in its path and can never be satiated. Ballad of a Small Player explores this philosophy around addiction through sumptuous visuals and a magnetic lead performance. @seattlecritics.bsky.social
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
I wrote a piece on the work of writer and director James Gunn, who is engaged in a pretty incredible ongoing enterprise that despises bigotry and authoritarianism and reaffirms patriotism for progressives. www.vulture.com/article/jame...
James Gunn’s American Project
He is few critics’ idea of a respectable auteur, but his work is more consistently progressive than any other comic-book material today.
www.vulture.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:59 PM
I wrote a piece on the work of writer and director James Gunn, who is engaged in a pretty incredible ongoing enterprise that despises bigotry and authoritarianism and reaffirms patriotism for progressives. www.vulture.com/article/jame...
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
"In Ballad of a Small Player, we are given the gift of Colin Farrell overdoing it. Nobody overdoes it like Colin Farrell, and to take this for granted is a disservice." -- very enjoyable piece by @djmecca.bsky.social
Edward Berger's Ballad of a Small Player, starring Colin Farrell, is now streaming on Netflix.
Read @djmecca.bsky.social's review:
Read @djmecca.bsky.social's review:
Ballad of a Small Player Review: A Delicious, Nasty Exuberance
Note: This review was originally published as part of our 2025 Telluride coverage. Ballad of a Small Player is now in theaters and arrives on Netflix on October 29. In Ballad of a Small Player, we are...
thefilmstage.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:02 PM
"In Ballad of a Small Player, we are given the gift of Colin Farrell overdoing it. Nobody overdoes it like Colin Farrell, and to take this for granted is a disservice." -- very enjoyable piece by @djmecca.bsky.social
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
Making my @rollingstone.com debut writing about Monolith's incredible F.E.A.R. and how the story's meaning has kind of gotten lost over the years.
Alma isn't F.E.A.R.'s villain. Armacham and the people that made her are. She's as much a victim as anyone else, a spirit of vengeance made, not born.
Alma isn't F.E.A.R.'s villain. Armacham and the people that made her are. She's as much a victim as anyone else, a spirit of vengeance made, not born.
A @rollingstone.com Halloween special: writer @edgarallanbro.bsky.social looks back at #FEAR, the 2005 horror game whose famous monster has been totally misunderstood for 20 years. It's a great read.
www.rollingstone.com/culture/rs-g...
www.rollingstone.com/culture/rs-g...
'F.E.A.R.' at 20: Is the Game's Villain the Ghost -- Or the System That Killed Her?
Monolith's 2005 horror FPS shares a tragic monster story with films like 'The Ring' and 'The Grudge'
www.rollingstone.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Making my @rollingstone.com debut writing about Monolith's incredible F.E.A.R. and how the story's meaning has kind of gotten lost over the years.
Alma isn't F.E.A.R.'s villain. Armacham and the people that made her are. She's as much a victim as anyone else, a spirit of vengeance made, not born.
Alma isn't F.E.A.R.'s villain. Armacham and the people that made her are. She's as much a victim as anyone else, a spirit of vengeance made, not born.
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
Still reeling from this, still need a whole lotta help to cover next year, if you feel so inclined, consider a subscription?
Real talk (reel talk?):
BWDR recently lost a partnership that covered nearly half our operating budget, so things are suddenly very tough. If what we do has ever meant something to you, or you’ve ever thought about subscribing, now’s the time—it *truly* makes a difference.
BWDR recently lost a partnership that covered nearly half our operating budget, so things are suddenly very tough. If what we do has ever meant something to you, or you’ve ever thought about subscribing, now’s the time—it *truly* makes a difference.
Subscribe - Bright Wall/Dark Room
Subscribe for $29 a year Subscribe now to receive immediate access to each new essay we publish, plus our entire 135+ issue archive. Bright Wall/Dark Room is 100% independent, runs no ads, and strongl...
brightwalldarkroom.com
October 30, 2025 at 5:39 AM
Still reeling from this, still need a whole lotta help to cover next year, if you feel so inclined, consider a subscription?
Not the best at Fantasy sports cause I just want a team of players with cool sounding names.
October 29, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Not the best at Fantasy sports cause I just want a team of players with cool sounding names.
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
I will forever be upset that James Horner invented a new kind of music for Avatar and Cameron was like "it doesn't test well can you destroy all recordings and only make sci fi action movie music please"
October 23, 2025 at 12:09 AM
I will forever be upset that James Horner invented a new kind of music for Avatar and Cameron was like "it doesn't test well can you destroy all recordings and only make sci fi action movie music please"
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
Forget Josh O'Connor fall as Brett W. Bachman, the Washington editor behind MANDY & PIG, cut not one, not two, but six 2025 movies. For @seattletimes.com, dove into his Spielbergian origin, working with Mike Flanagan on CARRIE, recutting SHELBY OAKS, and more 📽️
www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...
www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...
October 22, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Forget Josh O'Connor fall as Brett W. Bachman, the Washington editor behind MANDY & PIG, cut not one, not two, but six 2025 movies. For @seattletimes.com, dove into his Spielbergian origin, working with Mike Flanagan on CARRIE, recutting SHELBY OAKS, and more 📽️
www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...
www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...
Thanks to the Mariners for making baseball endlessly interesting and chaotically fun. We nearly got a taste of what everyone else has had (the World Series), but no other team has what we have (the most fun team in baseball).
October 21, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Thanks to the Mariners for making baseball endlessly interesting and chaotically fun. We nearly got a taste of what everyone else has had (the World Series), but no other team has what we have (the most fun team in baseball).
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
Thanks to Alex Rubenstein and, of course, @jonbois.bsky.social for talking to me about making what not only remains the essential portrait of the team, the city, the state, & the country half a decade later, but most certainly will for many more decades to come 📽️
www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...
www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...
Documentarians on why the Mariners are the ‘weirdest, most outrageous team in the history of sports’
With the Mariners battling the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS, we spoke to the directors of the team's unofficial documentary about why the M's are special.
www.seattletimes.com
October 18, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Thanks to Alex Rubenstein and, of course, @jonbois.bsky.social for talking to me about making what not only remains the essential portrait of the team, the city, the state, & the country half a decade later, but most certainly will for many more decades to come 📽️
www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...
www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...
Me going to Tron to take in the NIN score, huge.
October 19, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Me going to Tron to take in the NIN score, huge.
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
Good time to take four hours and watch this if you never have before youtu.be/TIgK56cAjfY?...
The History of the Seattle Mariners: Supercut Edition
YouTube video by Secret Base
youtu.be
October 11, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Good time to take four hours and watch this if you never have before youtu.be/TIgK56cAjfY?...
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
mariners fans are my favorite bunch of fans of any team in any sport. i watched the bottom half of the last seven innings standing up in my living room. thanks for letting me hitch a ride
October 11, 2025 at 5:28 AM
mariners fans are my favorite bunch of fans of any team in any sport. i watched the bottom half of the last seven innings standing up in my living room. thanks for letting me hitch a ride
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
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 📽️
September 18, 2025 at 4:01 PM
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 📽️
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
This is exactly what I want from an interview with an artist--a probing, thoughtful questioner and a completely game subject. David Marchese's Q&A makes me want to revisit all of Cameron Crowe's film work.
(It's Sunday--I'm taking a day off from fury.) www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/m...
(It's Sunday--I'm taking a day off from fury.) www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/m...
What Happened to Cameron Crowe? He Has Answers.
www.nytimes.com
September 14, 2025 at 6:19 PM
This is exactly what I want from an interview with an artist--a probing, thoughtful questioner and a completely game subject. David Marchese's Q&A makes me want to revisit all of Cameron Crowe's film work.
(It's Sunday--I'm taking a day off from fury.) www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/m...
(It's Sunday--I'm taking a day off from fury.) www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/m...
Trans rights are human rights. All humans should be for them.
To my fellow cishet dudes: when we are quiet about supporting the trans community, the only voices anyone hears are the Charlie Kirks of the world. Don't let accusations of being "performative" or "virtue signaling" shut you up - that's their whole point. Our voices are needed now more than ever.
September 13, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Trans rights are human rights. All humans should be for them.
Reposted by Calvin Kemph
throughout this month we'll finally drop SCORIGAMI on youtube, free to watch for everybody. first episode premieres live tomorrow night at 9 p.m. eastern
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHNw...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHNw...
When a tractor company played in the NFL | SCORIGAMI, Part 1 of 4
YouTube video by Secret Base
www.youtube.com
September 9, 2025 at 1:24 AM
throughout this month we'll finally drop SCORIGAMI on youtube, free to watch for everybody. first episode premieres live tomorrow night at 9 p.m. eastern
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHNw...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHNw...
Outsider art is for the greater good and that couldn’t be more true when it comes to The Toxic Avenger — The Twin Geeks review about Troma and what it means when a rebellious DIY brand seeks mainstream distribution. @seattlecritics.bsky.social
The Toxic Avenger: Outsider Art, for Everyone
Outsider Art is for the greater good. Troma has long stood by this principle, working in a rebellious mode of filmmaking that is against the market and operates on the fringes of good taste. The To…
thetwingeeks.com
September 7, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Outsider art is for the greater good and that couldn’t be more true when it comes to The Toxic Avenger — The Twin Geeks review about Troma and what it means when a rebellious DIY brand seeks mainstream distribution. @seattlecritics.bsky.social