Ren Zelen
@renzelen.bsky.social
Academic editor & freelance film & book reviewer. Ex-lit academic. Has written sci-fi novels (see ‘Hathor Diaries' on Amazon).
Reposted by Ren Zelen
watching Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
this movie is so good holy shit?
I love Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh 🥹
this movie is so good holy shit?
I love Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh 🥹
November 10, 2025 at 7:41 PM
watching Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
this movie is so good holy shit?
I love Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh 🥹
this movie is so good holy shit?
I love Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh 🥹
Reposted by Ren Zelen
SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten.
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
November 10, 2025 at 6:40 PM
SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten.
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
Reposted by Ren Zelen
When someone is abusive, and they absolutely have no intention of changing their behavior, this is manipulation.
When someone attempts to gaslight you into thinking YOU somehow deserved the abuse, and they want you to get "calm" and participate in the acceptance of abuse this is called BULLSHIT
When someone attempts to gaslight you into thinking YOU somehow deserved the abuse, and they want you to get "calm" and participate in the acceptance of abuse this is called BULLSHIT
a white cat is laying on a pink and white carpet
Alt: a white cat is laying on a pink and white carpet looking mad
media.tenor.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:16 PM
When someone is abusive, and they absolutely have no intention of changing their behavior, this is manipulation.
When someone attempts to gaslight you into thinking YOU somehow deserved the abuse, and they want you to get "calm" and participate in the acceptance of abuse this is called BULLSHIT
When someone attempts to gaslight you into thinking YOU somehow deserved the abuse, and they want you to get "calm" and participate in the acceptance of abuse this is called BULLSHIT
Reposted by Ren Zelen
I mean, I have very many reservations about the BBC, but this here is undeniably true. It's never crossed my mind to privatise it or whatever.
There are many subtle and complex arguments one can have about the future of the BBC — but I guarantee you that no other channel or streaming service will be as committed to factual programming, children’s education, history shows, religious discussion, poetry, arts, or state of the nation debate
November 10, 2025 at 4:15 PM
I mean, I have very many reservations about the BBC, but this here is undeniably true. It's never crossed my mind to privatise it or whatever.
Reposted by Ren Zelen
I’ve got to hand it to this administration. They are doing everything humanly possible to make every non-billionaire miserable. And the billionaires are still miserable because a number on a spreadsheet will never be high enough to satiate them.
November 10, 2025 at 6:23 PM
I’ve got to hand it to this administration. They are doing everything humanly possible to make every non-billionaire miserable. And the billionaires are still miserable because a number on a spreadsheet will never be high enough to satiate them.
Tommy, the movie, is on the Sky at the moment. Ken Russell made some insane films, but all rather compelling.
November 10, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Tommy, the movie, is on the Sky at the moment. Ken Russell made some insane films, but all rather compelling.
He could bankrupt the BBC and the country. The right wing are rubbing their hands in glee, (as long as they’re not called upon to help fork out for the payout).
If you've ever needed a reason to rally behind the BBC then this is it.
November 10, 2025 at 5:36 PM
He could bankrupt the BBC and the country. The right wing are rubbing their hands in glee, (as long as they’re not called upon to help fork out for the payout).
He’s been emboldened by his successes, (thanks to his rigged court system or his opponents just caving in). He now sees it as a way of amassing more money.
I wonder when he will start suing news outlets for describing his barefaced lies about the 2020 election as barefaced lies…
November 10, 2025 at 5:33 PM
He’s been emboldened by his successes, (thanks to his rigged court system or his opponents just caving in). He now sees it as a way of amassing more money.
When Boris Johnson was Prime Minister one of his senior advisers confided to me that 1 of the only things in politics his boss actually cared about was “killing off the BBC”
Johnson is notoriously as backstabbing & personally touchy as the orange idiot. Wonder if the Beeb refused to give him a job?
Johnson is notoriously as backstabbing & personally touchy as the orange idiot. Wonder if the Beeb refused to give him a job?
November 10, 2025 at 4:03 PM
When Boris Johnson was Prime Minister one of his senior advisers confided to me that 1 of the only things in politics his boss actually cared about was “killing off the BBC”
Johnson is notoriously as backstabbing & personally touchy as the orange idiot. Wonder if the Beeb refused to give him a job?
Johnson is notoriously as backstabbing & personally touchy as the orange idiot. Wonder if the Beeb refused to give him a job?
Reposted by Ren Zelen
Finally saw Frankenstein. Beautiful film. Absolutely loved it.
November 10, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Finally saw Frankenstein. Beautiful film. Absolutely loved it.
Reposted by Ren Zelen
it finally happened to me -- reviewing a manuscript that cites a paper by me that doesn't exist
November 10, 2025 at 12:22 PM
it finally happened to me -- reviewing a manuscript that cites a paper by me that doesn't exist
Davie was just not ‘right-wing enough bylinetimes.com/2025/06/09/b...
BBC Bosses Draw Up Plans to Win Over Reform Voters by Changing News and Drama Output
The Director General Tim Davie and other executives discussed altering BBC “story selection” in order to secure the "trust" of supporters of Nigel Farage’s party
bylinetimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Davie was just not ‘right-wing enough bylinetimes.com/2025/06/09/b...
Reposted by Ren Zelen
When Boris Johnson was Prime Minister one of his senior advisers confided to me that one of the only things in politics his boss actually cared about was “killing off the BBC”.
Five years on, and it is a campaign that appears to be finally coming to fruition.
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/10/t...
Five years on, and it is a campaign that appears to be finally coming to fruition.
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/10/t...
The BBC’s Attempts to Appease the 'Right-Wing Coup' Against It Are Now Seeding Its Own Destruction
By attempting to appease those forces seeking to destroy them, the BBC has helped trigger a crisis that now threatens its very future, argues Adam Bienkov
bylinetimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:49 PM
When Boris Johnson was Prime Minister one of his senior advisers confided to me that one of the only things in politics his boss actually cared about was “killing off the BBC”.
Five years on, and it is a campaign that appears to be finally coming to fruition.
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/10/t...
Five years on, and it is a campaign that appears to be finally coming to fruition.
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/10/t...
Reposted by Ren Zelen
When was the last time anyone at the BBC had to resign for misrepresenting a leftwinger?
November 10, 2025 at 2:06 PM
When was the last time anyone at the BBC had to resign for misrepresenting a leftwinger?
Reposted by Ren Zelen
The BBC has always been governed by the Tory Toffs or people hired by the Tory Toffs. At least though they had the sense that when they crossed the door that they remained faithfull to its charter to inform and educate. Now even this has been worn away by the fevred frothing of right wing press.
Once every 20 years or so, the director-general of the BBC is forced to resign for being insufficiently rightwing. Alastair Milne in 1987. Greg Dyke in 2004. Tim Davie in 2025. The great irony is that the BBC was in all cases profoundly biased towards established power. But just not biased enough …
November 10, 2025 at 8:53 AM
The BBC has always been governed by the Tory Toffs or people hired by the Tory Toffs. At least though they had the sense that when they crossed the door that they remained faithfull to its charter to inform and educate. Now even this has been worn away by the fevred frothing of right wing press.
Farage is the most expert of hypocrites. Sometimes you just have to step back in amazement at his nerve & utter contempt for the intelligence of the public.
Oh dearie me! How shocking?
Any ideas of just who, exactly, may have betrayed small business owners?
I guess we’ll never know.
Any ideas of just who, exactly, may have betrayed small business owners?
I guess we’ll never know.
November 10, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Farage is the most expert of hypocrites. Sometimes you just have to step back in amazement at his nerve & utter contempt for the intelligence of the public.
Line from a character in an Irvine Welsh novel I'm reading - "Geordies are just Scots who can't blame the English for them being fu*ked up, the poor c*nts..."
Welsh lives in a grotesque universe, but he has a wicked sense of humour.
Welsh lives in a grotesque universe, but he has a wicked sense of humour.
November 10, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Line from a character in an Irvine Welsh novel I'm reading - "Geordies are just Scots who can't blame the English for them being fu*ked up, the poor c*nts..."
Welsh lives in a grotesque universe, but he has a wicked sense of humour.
Welsh lives in a grotesque universe, but he has a wicked sense of humour.
Reposted by Ren Zelen
This speech never gets old.
November 9, 2025 at 3:24 PM
This speech never gets old.
Reposted by Ren Zelen
The fact that the BBC has made serious culpable errors does not negate the point that there is a real and concerted right-wing media campaign to destroy it. Both points can be true at the same time and the campaign would not end even if the errors did.
November 10, 2025 at 1:08 PM
The fact that the BBC has made serious culpable errors does not negate the point that there is a real and concerted right-wing media campaign to destroy it. Both points can be true at the same time and the campaign would not end even if the errors did.
Reposted by Ren Zelen
If the BBC licence fee could somehow be disconnected between news and non-news output, I suspect the number of people willing to pay to watch its news output would be tiny
November 10, 2025 at 2:37 PM
If the BBC licence fee could somehow be disconnected between news and non-news output, I suspect the number of people willing to pay to watch its news output would be tiny
Reposted by Ren Zelen
This is now free streaming if you have Netflix. Man, this was right up there with The Shape of Water as one of his best. In fact it's one of the best of the year--and yeah one of the best horror films, only it's more a wonderful drama than a horror movie. It really feels like Mary Shelley. Superb.
Frankenstein | Guillermo del Toro | Official Teaser | Netflix
YouTube video by Netflix
www.youtube.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:43 AM
This is now free streaming if you have Netflix. Man, this was right up there with The Shape of Water as one of his best. In fact it's one of the best of the year--and yeah one of the best horror films, only it's more a wonderful drama than a horror movie. It really feels like Mary Shelley. Superb.
Reposted by Ren Zelen
From ‘All the Money in the World’
Fletcher Chase: I mean, what would it take for you to feel secure?
J. Paul Getty: More.
Fletcher Chase: I mean, what would it take for you to feel secure?
J. Paul Getty: More.
November 10, 2025 at 2:13 PM
From ‘All the Money in the World’
Fletcher Chase: I mean, what would it take for you to feel secure?
J. Paul Getty: More.
Fletcher Chase: I mean, what would it take for you to feel secure?
J. Paul Getty: More.
Reposted by Ren Zelen
The gall of racists in the UK to moan about corruption in countries in Africa or nations like Russia. You can't turn over a stone in this country without all manner of creepy crawlies being found.
November 10, 2025 at 2:07 PM
The gall of racists in the UK to moan about corruption in countries in Africa or nations like Russia. You can't turn over a stone in this country without all manner of creepy crawlies being found.
Reposted by Ren Zelen
