Noel Murray
@noelmu.bsky.social
Freelancer for hire. You know me from: The A.V. Club, The Dissolve. Posts about food, TV, movies, the Braves, pretty scenery. Husband of @donnadb.bsky.social .
Reposted by Noel Murray
*seeing a tiny circle i mostly recognize by its overall light-dark pattern like the eyespots on a butterfly's wing* that's my friend
January 29, 2024 at 6:22 PM
*seeing a tiny circle i mostly recognize by its overall light-dark pattern like the eyespots on a butterfly's wing* that's my friend
Reposted by Noel Murray
Bird lives, the Dead come alive, and Xgau Sez is back—all this and more at And It Don't Stop.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-f...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-f...
Xgau Sez: February, 2026
Some health notes, Bird: still lives, the live Dead, the A shelves explained, reissues not reevaluated, and some faves.
robertchristgau.substack.com
February 18, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Bird lives, the Dead come alive, and Xgau Sez is back—all this and more at And It Don't Stop.
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-f...
robertchristgau.substack.com/p/xgau-sez-f...
Sorry, Swedes. You were real good. 🇺🇸🏒🇺🇸
February 18, 2026 at 10:42 PM
Sorry, Swedes. You were real good. 🇺🇸🏒🇺🇸
Reposted by Noel Murray
L'arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat. I was furious at the railway company for their poor planning, and at the theatre owners for not foreseeing the inevitable tragedy
fun question: what’s the maddest you’ve ever been leaving a movie theater? not necessarily worst movie you’ve seen, but the one that just pissed you off the most. mine is Batman v Superman
February 18, 2026 at 9:18 PM
L'arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat. I was furious at the railway company for their poor planning, and at the theatre owners for not foreseeing the inevitable tragedy
Reposted by Noel Murray
so many insane responses to this, but the most insane are the people who seem to believe it's impossible to clean yourself with bar soap, like not stinking was invented in the 2010s
“You can keep your body washes with their magnesium or their tea tree oil, their exfoliants and emollients. I’m a bar-soap user. It’s how I smell. It’s who I am.” slate.com/life/2026/02...
February 18, 2026 at 9:14 PM
so many insane responses to this, but the most insane are the people who seem to believe it's impossible to clean yourself with bar soap, like not stinking was invented in the 2010s
While writing about A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms I've been re-reading "The Hedge Knight" and it's reminded me of how good the show has been at matching the general feel of the book's illustrations. For example: Here's Steely Pate and Egg helping Dunk into his armor for the trial by seven.
February 18, 2026 at 8:45 PM
While writing about A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms I've been re-reading "The Hedge Knight" and it's reminded me of how good the show has been at matching the general feel of the book's illustrations. For example: Here's Steely Pate and Egg helping Dunk into his armor for the trial by seven.
The first episode of the new season begins with one of the most hilariously raunchy conversation in the show's run (which is saying something), but then like 5 minutes later we see Shoresy consoling a crying junior player and giving him legitimately helpful life advice. A lot going on here.
February 18, 2026 at 8:15 PM
The first episode of the new season begins with one of the most hilariously raunchy conversation in the show's run (which is saying something), but then like 5 minutes later we see Shoresy consoling a crying junior player and giving him legitimately helpful life advice. A lot going on here.
The press release email for the upcoming dark comedy Over Your Dead Body includes one still, and it's this one. Really grabs the eye, huh?
February 18, 2026 at 7:21 PM
The press release email for the upcoming dark comedy Over Your Dead Body includes one still, and it's this one. Really grabs the eye, huh?
Reposted by Noel Murray
TV Club Classic is back, in subscriber-exclusive form! Join us at the link in bio as Zack Handlen kicks off his recap coverage of Quantum Leap.
Scott Bakula tries to leap back home for the first time
Scott Bakula tries to leap back home for the first time
www.avclub.com
February 18, 2026 at 7:04 PM
TV Club Classic is back, in subscriber-exclusive form! Join us at the link in bio as Zack Handlen kicks off his recap coverage of Quantum Leap.
Reposted by Noel Murray
I imagine it was extremely disturbing
February 18, 2026 at 6:14 PM
I imagine it was extremely disturbing
Spending the morning with food poisoning really helps you understand what the historical kings and queens went through when they were felled by palace intrigue.
February 18, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Spending the morning with food poisoning really helps you understand what the historical kings and queens went through when they were felled by palace intrigue.
Reposted by Noel Murray
Critics are among an art form’s most passionate & dedicated audiences. So I regret to inform Margot Robbie that if she thinks about audiences at all while making movies, she’s thinking about us first & foremost whether she likes it or not & this isn’t the gotcha she thinks it is. Lol.
February 18, 2026 at 3:42 PM
Critics are among an art form’s most passionate & dedicated audiences. So I regret to inform Margot Robbie that if she thinks about audiences at all while making movies, she’s thinking about us first & foremost whether she likes it or not & this isn’t the gotcha she thinks it is. Lol.
Reposted by Noel Murray
I don't understand the point of speed skating team pursuit, nor how it was ever invented. Who was out on the frozen canals of Amsterdam and was, like, "Gentlemen: Shall we touch each other's butts as we skate? (Heren: zullen we elkaars billen aanraken tijdens het schaatsen?)"
February 18, 2026 at 4:16 AM
I don't understand the point of speed skating team pursuit, nor how it was ever invented. Who was out on the frozen canals of Amsterdam and was, like, "Gentlemen: Shall we touch each other's butts as we skate? (Heren: zullen we elkaars billen aanraken tijdens het schaatsen?)"
Reposted by Noel Murray
Bring back sunggle-pupping for making out at parties
February 17, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Bring back sunggle-pupping for making out at parties
This is a great piece and I would say that even if it didn't quote me.
Today at The Reveal: Wes Anderson's BOTTLE ROCKET at 30.
“You and I both respond to goals”: ‘Bottle Rocket’ at 30
'Bottle Rocket' helped establish Wes Anderson as a major filmmaker and Luke and Owen Wilson as movie stars. But it's always been more than just a humble indie launching pad.
thereveal.film
February 17, 2026 at 5:49 PM
This is a great piece and I would say that even if it didn't quote me.
Reposted by Noel Murray
I don’t know who needs to hear Jesse Jackson leading the kids on Sesame Street in this beautiful call-and-response reminding them that every child is somebody, but here it is
February 17, 2026 at 11:41 AM
I don’t know who needs to hear Jesse Jackson leading the kids on Sesame Street in this beautiful call-and-response reminding them that every child is somebody, but here it is
Reposted by Noel Murray
wow
February 17, 2026 at 5:54 AM
wow
Reposted by Noel Murray
other countries' bobsledders: young sprinters in their 20s
our country's bobsledders: 40-year-old moms who originally played softball and skiing
also our country's bobsledders:
our country's bobsledders: 40-year-old moms who originally played softball and skiing
also our country's bobsledders:
February 17, 2026 at 2:51 AM
other countries' bobsledders: young sprinters in their 20s
our country's bobsledders: 40-year-old moms who originally played softball and skiing
also our country's bobsledders:
our country's bobsledders: 40-year-old moms who originally played softball and skiing
also our country's bobsledders:
Well sir there's nothin' on Earth like a genuine bona-fide super-slick one-seat monobob!
February 17, 2026 at 1:40 AM
Well sir there's nothin' on Earth like a genuine bona-fide super-slick one-seat monobob!
Seeing Walton Goggins responding to Robert Duvall's death reminded me that I asked Goggins about The Apostle in a 2008 AV Club Random Roles:
February 16, 2026 at 11:58 PM
Seeing Walton Goggins responding to Robert Duvall's death reminded me that I asked Goggins about The Apostle in a 2008 AV Club Random Roles:
I often see people toss around "it's available on Kanopy," and I'm not saying they shouldn't do that, because it's useful info for people who have access to Kanopy. But not everybody does, and even those who do don't always have access to everything Kanopy offers. Just something to keep in mind.
I do want to point out that Wiseman's movies are streamable via Kanopy (which is great if you live in a place where Kanopy is accessible; I don't) and also available for purchase on DVD at his Zipporah Films website.
February 16, 2026 at 9:30 PM
I often see people toss around "it's available on Kanopy," and I'm not saying they shouldn't do that, because it's useful info for people who have access to Kanopy. But not everybody does, and even those who do don't always have access to everything Kanopy offers. Just something to keep in mind.
Unless Frederick Wiseman was working on another film when he died, his final work will be Menus-Plaisirs: Les Troisgros, my favorite documentary of 2023 (and in my overall Top 5 of all movies that year). Making masterpieces all the way to the end. We were blessed to have him for so long.
February 16, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Unless Frederick Wiseman was working on another film when he died, his final work will be Menus-Plaisirs: Les Troisgros, my favorite documentary of 2023 (and in my overall Top 5 of all movies that year). Making masterpieces all the way to the end. We were blessed to have him for so long.
RIP Robert Duvall, one of my favorite actors of all time. For The New York Times I wrote about 11 of his finest performances (10 movies, 1 TV miniseries), all of which are available to stream. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/m...
Where to Watch Robert Duvall’s Top Performances
www.nytimes.com
February 16, 2026 at 8:24 PM
RIP Robert Duvall, one of my favorite actors of all time. For The New York Times I wrote about 11 of his finest performances (10 movies, 1 TV miniseries), all of which are available to stream. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/m...
Reposted by Noel Murray
A tiny bald kid being my hypeman would fix me
February 16, 2026 at 8:01 PM
A tiny bald kid being my hypeman would fix me
Sure, bobsled looks fun, but they never show you all those people waiting around on the stairway with bobsleds slung on their backs.
February 16, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Sure, bobsled looks fun, but they never show you all those people waiting around on the stairway with bobsleds slung on their backs.