Rodney Ascher
@rodneyascher.bsky.social
'Thanks to' credit on Boorman & the Devil, Gallagher, and The Adult Swim Yule Log. Edited Andy Kaufman's posthumous comedy album, Directed Rolling Stone's 10th Best Music Video of 2016. NOW PLAYING: GHOST BOY (SXSW 2025 Audience Award Winner)
Pinned
Rumbles from Highland Park, could this be one more post-pandemic LA miracle? (Like Vidiots, the Vista, The Elysian, and Philosophical Research Society.) www.architecturaldigest.com/story/kriste...
Kristen Stewart’s Bold Plan to Bring a Beloved Los Angeles Theater Back to Life
How the actor-director is restoring the historic Highland Theatre as a community-centered home for adventurous cinema in LA
www.architecturaldigest.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:05 PM
Rumbles from Highland Park, could this be one more post-pandemic LA miracle? (Like Vidiots, the Vista, The Elysian, and Philosophical Research Society.) www.architecturaldigest.com/story/kriste...
Yes, this. I blame much of (looking around, gesturing) on their decline.
We need to find a way to tell the youths about alt-weeklies so they restart them
February 4, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Yes, this. I blame much of (looking around, gesturing) on their decline.
![# SpaceX
February 2, 2026
## xAI joins SpaceX to Accelerate Humanity’s Future
SpaceX has acquired xAI to form the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world’s foremost real-time information and free speech platform. This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI's mission: scaling to **make a sentient sun** [emphasis added] to understand the Universe and extend the light of consciousness to the stars!
Current advances in AI are dependent on large terrestrial data centers, which require immense amounts of power and cooling. Global electricity demand for AI simply cannot be met with terrestrial solutions, even in the near term, without imposing hardship on communities and the environment.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:k4pk3m6rz5roldf73eww4ksb/bafkreidjut3hxqj3oaz2kbw6q2ru3vqhbg6xig3ufrjjdre3wgtlp5gr4i@jpeg)
“…I’m listening to 4’33” and your horn is an intrinsic part of the song now”
February 3, 2026 at 4:33 PM
“…I’m listening to 4’33” and your horn is an intrinsic part of the song now”
Catching up on my superhero cinema
February 3, 2026 at 2:24 AM
Catching up on my superhero cinema
Breaking:
An old bat just yelled at me for being in her seat. I am not in her seat. I moved anyway.
January 30, 2026 at 7:06 PM
Breaking:
Killers Kiss and Fear and Desire don’t screen everyday. Get thee to Somerville.
New column in @cambridgeday.com! Big story this week is the HFA’s Complete Kubrick retrospective, which kicks off with the director’s least screened films. Plus more of the Best of 2025 at @brattletheatre.bsky.social, double Antonioni at HFA, and Mass Ave on screen at @somervilletheatre.bsky.social!
This week in film: Mass. Ave. doc, early Kubrick, more of 2025's best - Cambridge Day
Two best picture nominatons, plus the ones that didn't make the cut. New Mass Ave documentary captures "a certain point in time in Cambridge that will soon be passed" using drone technology and local ...
www.cambridgeday.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Killers Kiss and Fear and Desire don’t screen everyday. Get thee to Somerville.
If, like me, you’re trying to get your head around ‘LA Modern Clown’ get thee to the Elysian. And while you’re at it, listen to this new refresher on the subject by Clown Boss Chad Damiani on his ‘standup and clown’ podcast: stand-up-and-clown.simplecast.com/episodes/202...
2026 Refresher: What is Modern Clown? | STAND UP AND CLOWN
Like this podcast? Share it with a friend and help spread the message of modern clown. Also, follow Chad on IG (link in ep notes)
stand-up-and-clown.simplecast.com
January 29, 2026 at 12:26 AM
If, like me, you’re trying to get your head around ‘LA Modern Clown’ get thee to the Elysian. And while you’re at it, listen to this new refresher on the subject by Clown Boss Chad Damiani on his ‘standup and clown’ podcast: stand-up-and-clown.simplecast.com/episodes/202...
Classic. But don't sleep on TANGO www.youtube.com/watch?v=z27z...
January 28, 2026 at 6:03 AM
Classic. But don't sleep on TANGO www.youtube.com/watch?v=z27z...
Unbidden, this blacklight poster I haven’t seen in 30 years came into my head
January 25, 2026 at 9:34 PM
Unbidden, this blacklight poster I haven’t seen in 30 years came into my head
MARTY SUPREME pinball when???
At the risk of overhyping it, DUNE might just be the most extraordinary pinball machine I've ever played. When the worm caught the ball magnetically in its maw and then slowly rose out of the cabinet floor while lights flashed and the whole thing vibrated, it was an out of body experience.
January 25, 2026 at 2:45 PM
MARTY SUPREME pinball when???
Reposted by Rodney Ascher
I met the man who created Call of Duty, about 12 years ago. He regretted it, and as penance was taking audio and video of traumatic incidents and turning them into VR experiences so a viewer could feel the emotional pain. I think of him a lot right now.
I am watching what is happening in Minneapolis on Ali Velshi and one of the ICE officers (off camera) literally says, “It’s like Call of Duty. Pretty cool huh?” as they shoot whatever it is they are shooting. Agents walking around, guns unholstered for no reason. This is insanity
January 24, 2026 at 5:51 PM
I met the man who created Call of Duty, about 12 years ago. He regretted it, and as penance was taking audio and video of traumatic incidents and turning them into VR experiences so a viewer could feel the emotional pain. I think of him a lot right now.
Congrats on the premiere of BUDDY to my insanely talented pal @heycasperkelly.bsky.social !! I've been following this one's road to Sundance for a long time and I'm thrilled to see these first reactions!!
January 23, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Congrats on the premiere of BUDDY to my insanely talented pal @heycasperkelly.bsky.social !! I've been following this one's road to Sundance for a long time and I'm thrilled to see these first reactions!!
One thing that’s easy to lose track of when the discourse is so full of ‘Shakes is Just an Angry Alcoholic Clown’ is that he’s actually great at his job and the kids love his act.
January 22, 2026 at 6:44 AM
One thing that’s easy to lose track of when the discourse is so full of ‘Shakes is Just an Angry Alcoholic Clown’ is that he’s actually great at his job and the kids love his act.
Reposted by Rodney Ascher
"Terrible things are happening outside ... poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart; men, women and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared." — Anne Frank (Jan 13, 1943)
January 13, 2026 at 6:33 PM
"Terrible things are happening outside ... poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart; men, women and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared." — Anne Frank (Jan 13, 1943)
Reposted by Rodney Ascher
A Venn diagram of “perfect Errol Morris subject” and “perfect David Cronenberg subject” with this dude right smack dab in the middle.
January 21, 2026 at 10:37 PM
A Venn diagram of “perfect Errol Morris subject” and “perfect David Cronenberg subject” with this dude right smack dab in the middle.
Amazingly, my wife agreed to give it a try and invited some friends to play along. When she said "this was the most fun I've ever had playing pinball. It was so good I will never play another again because this will never be topped" I felt like I won 2 lotteries at once while riding a rollercoaster.
At the risk of overhyping it, DUNE might just be the most extraordinary pinball machine I've ever played. When the worm caught the ball magnetically in its maw and then slowly rose out of the cabinet floor while lights flashed and the whole thing vibrated, it was an out of body experience.
January 21, 2026 at 7:48 PM
Amazingly, my wife agreed to give it a try and invited some friends to play along. When she said "this was the most fun I've ever had playing pinball. It was so good I will never play another again because this will never be topped" I felt like I won 2 lotteries at once while riding a rollercoaster.
Reposted by Rodney Ascher
Tokusatsu is at it's best when you can see the effort put into it, the part where human beings made it and put it together, it's theater essentially with all the wonder and joy that theater often sparks.
Being tokupilled means going from "wow these effects are pretty corny" to "this is literally the coolest fucking thing I've ever seen in my life".
January 19, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Tokusatsu is at it's best when you can see the effort put into it, the part where human beings made it and put it together, it's theater essentially with all the wonder and joy that theater often sparks.
Reposted by Rodney Ascher
When you can’t quite remember the opening line of “Atlantic City”:
January 19, 2026 at 2:20 PM
When you can’t quite remember the opening line of “Atlantic City”:
I've read 'Mr Burns' and it's such a brilliant idea - Boots Riley doing a film version is amazing news.
January 16, 2026 at 7:53 PM
I've read 'Mr Burns' and it's such a brilliant idea - Boots Riley doing a film version is amazing news.
Someone knows how to play the game
January 15, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Someone knows how to play the game
Reposted by Rodney Ascher
a dog walks into a bar. bartender reaches for the phone, but realizes that he doesn't know who to call about this. and, in any case, it's just a dog. he grabs a bowl from the back, fills it with water, and puts it on the floor. he is happy to have a chance to be kind. that's been hard for him lately
January 11, 2025 at 11:35 PM
a dog walks into a bar. bartender reaches for the phone, but realizes that he doesn't know who to call about this. and, in any case, it's just a dog. he grabs a bowl from the back, fills it with water, and puts it on the floor. he is happy to have a chance to be kind. that's been hard for him lately
This week I learned something so basic and obvious so many years after everyone else I will not disgrace myself by repeating it, but also the excellent word 'Orthonym" the real name of someone known by their pseudonym.
January 14, 2026 at 6:57 PM
This week I learned something so basic and obvious so many years after everyone else I will not disgrace myself by repeating it, but also the excellent word 'Orthonym" the real name of someone known by their pseudonym.
Thank you Nick McCarthy for bringing this movie back into the world and (literally) putting it into my hand.
January 14, 2026 at 7:43 AM
Thank you Nick McCarthy for bringing this movie back into the world and (literally) putting it into my hand.