Benjamín Schultz-Figueroa
@benjaminschultzfig.bsky.social
Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies at Seattle University. Author of The Celluloid Specimen: Moving Image Research into Animal Life available from UC Press here:
https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520342347/the-celluloid-specimen
https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520342347/the-celluloid-specimen
Here, I made a meme of it. You can thank me later.
November 11, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Here, I made a meme of it. You can thank me later.
You know what early silent films definitely did better than anyone since? Guys in weird outfits hopping around. Can we bring that back? There's something sort of grotesque about it that is really interesting to watch.
November 10, 2025 at 4:30 AM
You know what early silent films definitely did better than anyone since? Guys in weird outfits hopping around. Can we bring that back? There's something sort of grotesque about it that is really interesting to watch.
One week later:
November 9, 2025 at 10:50 PM
One week later:
If it was a class, you could read this together:
November 9, 2025 at 5:20 PM
If it was a class, you could read this together:
You could also include Ganja and Hess (Bill Gunn, 1973)!
November 9, 2025 at 5:09 PM
You could also include Ganja and Hess (Bill Gunn, 1973)!
Dream triple feature of early-to-mid-twentieth century films about the afterlife:
-The Phantom Carriage (Victor Sjöström, 1921)
-The Dybbuk (Michał Waszyński, 1937)
-The Blood of Jesus (Spencer Williams, 1941)
-The Phantom Carriage (Victor Sjöström, 1921)
-The Dybbuk (Michał Waszyński, 1937)
-The Blood of Jesus (Spencer Williams, 1941)
November 9, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Dream triple feature of early-to-mid-twentieth century films about the afterlife:
-The Phantom Carriage (Victor Sjöström, 1921)
-The Dybbuk (Michał Waszyński, 1937)
-The Blood of Jesus (Spencer Williams, 1941)
-The Phantom Carriage (Victor Sjöström, 1921)
-The Dybbuk (Michał Waszyński, 1937)
-The Blood of Jesus (Spencer Williams, 1941)
Itam Hakim, Hopiit (Victor Masayesva Jr., 1984) is also a must-watch in my opinion. It's a masterful use of video aesthetics to make some truly stunning images.
November 8, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Itam Hakim, Hopiit (Victor Masayesva Jr., 1984) is also a must-watch in my opinion. It's a masterful use of video aesthetics to make some truly stunning images.
Wow. White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men (Terry Macy & Daniel Hart, 1996) is wild. This video essay is about white ppl stealing indigenous religious rituals for financial gain. The footage of these insipid "white shamans" leading fake "Native ceremonies" is both hilarious and hard to watch.
November 8, 2025 at 4:24 AM
Wow. White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men (Terry Macy & Daniel Hart, 1996) is wild. This video essay is about white ppl stealing indigenous religious rituals for financial gain. The footage of these insipid "white shamans" leading fake "Native ceremonies" is both hilarious and hard to watch.
Been watching the @criterionchannl.bsky.social's Native Nonfiction series. It's wonderful! The highlight for me so far has been F1ghting Looks Different 2 Me Now (Fox Maxy, 2022). It's part observational doc, part digital girlhood cultural extravaganza, and part meditation on violence. Check it out!
November 7, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Been watching the @criterionchannl.bsky.social's Native Nonfiction series. It's wonderful! The highlight for me so far has been F1ghting Looks Different 2 Me Now (Fox Maxy, 2022). It's part observational doc, part digital girlhood cultural extravaganza, and part meditation on violence. Check it out!
It's also really interesting to compare this film created by the Black church to Micheaux's (deeply critical) representations of the church in Within our Gates (1920) and Body and Soul (1925).
November 6, 2025 at 5:41 AM
It's also really interesting to compare this film created by the Black church to Micheaux's (deeply critical) representations of the church in Within our Gates (1920) and Body and Soul (1925).
Horror ppl should watch Hell-Bound Train (James & Eloyce Gist, 1930) on @criterionchannl.bsky.social. The Gists were Black evangelists & amateur filmmakers who used their films in their sermons. This film is a catalogue of sins. Even w/ no budget, it has surprisingly haunting moments throughout.
November 6, 2025 at 5:04 AM
Horror ppl should watch Hell-Bound Train (James & Eloyce Gist, 1930) on @criterionchannl.bsky.social. The Gists were Black evangelists & amateur filmmakers who used their films in their sermons. This film is a catalogue of sins. Even w/ no budget, it has surprisingly haunting moments throughout.
Did you know that The Secret of NIMH is partially inspired by the research of John B. Calhoun? He built these giant rat cities during his time at NIMH.
November 6, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Did you know that The Secret of NIMH is partially inspired by the research of John B. Calhoun? He built these giant rat cities during his time at NIMH.
That said, the marketing for the film itself was pretty direct about exploiting the sensationalist appeal of the "furniture" characters.
November 5, 2025 at 8:56 PM
That said, the marketing for the film itself was pretty direct about exploiting the sensationalist appeal of the "furniture" characters.
It seems to have been part of a promotional tour for the film, which usually was less salacious.
November 5, 2025 at 8:48 PM
It seems to have been part of a promotional tour for the film, which usually was less salacious.
Preparing to teach Soylent Green (Robert Fleisher, 1973), I came across this ad for a bizarre promotional event where the actresses who play the "furniture" in the film—enslaved sex workers who are purchased along with a luxury apartments—appeared as "furniture girls" at an actual furniture store.
November 5, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Preparing to teach Soylent Green (Robert Fleisher, 1973), I came across this ad for a bizarre promotional event where the actresses who play the "furniture" in the film—enslaved sex workers who are purchased along with a luxury apartments—appeared as "furniture girls" at an actual furniture store.
One of the things I love about found footage horror is the way it mines nontheatrical films like these for horrific moments. It's less about injecting horror where it wouldn't be otherwise, and more uncovering and heightening what is *already* disturbing and unsettling in them.
November 3, 2025 at 4:01 PM
One of the things I love about found footage horror is the way it mines nontheatrical films like these for horrific moments. It's less about injecting horror where it wouldn't be otherwise, and more uncovering and heightening what is *already* disturbing and unsettling in them.
Man! Some of the images in this are so startling and interesting looking. Plenty of good horror material in fact.
November 3, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Man! Some of the images in this are so startling and interesting looking. Plenty of good horror material in fact.
Just finished The Black Vampyre (1819). It's the first American vampire story and features a Black vampire who enacts revenge for his enslavement during the lead up to the Haitian Revolution. There's a lot to think through, but... 1/2
November 2, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Just finished The Black Vampyre (1819). It's the first American vampire story and features a Black vampire who enacts revenge for his enslavement during the lead up to the Haitian Revolution. There's a lot to think through, but... 1/2
The film was called House/Wife and it sounds like it could've been really interesting.
"A mother recovering from a brutal accident moves into a prototype smart home. As she begins to get settled, she finds out that the house's groundbreaking AI technology is quickly developing real human emotions."
"A mother recovering from a brutal accident moves into a prototype smart home. As she begins to get settled, she finds out that the house's groundbreaking AI technology is quickly developing real human emotions."
November 2, 2025 at 2:59 AM
The film was called House/Wife and it sounds like it could've been really interesting.
"A mother recovering from a brutal accident moves into a prototype smart home. As she begins to get settled, she finds out that the house's groundbreaking AI technology is quickly developing real human emotions."
"A mother recovering from a brutal accident moves into a prototype smart home. As she begins to get settled, she finds out that the house's groundbreaking AI technology is quickly developing real human emotions."
Every year the Japanese maple in front of my house has a brief moment of beauty before all its leaves turn brown and fall off.
November 1, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Every year the Japanese maple in front of my house has a brief moment of beauty before all its leaves turn brown and fall off.
Student papers though were more bullish on the film, like this one from a Dartmouth student newspaper:
November 1, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Student papers though were more bullish on the film, like this one from a Dartmouth student newspaper:
Like this from the NYT:
November 1, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Like this from the NYT:
A Kaibyō, flamenco dancer, and Spiderman.
November 1, 2025 at 1:51 AM
A Kaibyō, flamenco dancer, and Spiderman.
My kids' pumpkins for @joshuajfriedman.com's pumpkin feed. They did good. Much better than I could've!
October 31, 2025 at 2:07 PM
My kids' pumpkins for @joshuajfriedman.com's pumpkin feed. They did good. Much better than I could've!
Apparently, he also studied filmmaking in the Soviet Union in 1928 and was heavily influenced by montage theory. He made several anti-war and anti-imperialist films. Pretty interesting figure.
October 30, 2025 at 4:07 AM
Apparently, he also studied filmmaking in the Soviet Union in 1928 and was heavily influenced by montage theory. He made several anti-war and anti-imperialist films. Pretty interesting figure.