Dean Van Nguyen
@deanvannguyen.bsky.social
Writer. Irish-Vietnamese. Author of Iron Age: The Art of Ghostface Killah (2019) and Words for My Comrades: A Political History of Tupac Shakur (May 2025). Agent: Chris Clemans at Janklow Nesbit
From Eamonn Sweeney’s sports column in the Indo 👏
November 9, 2025 at 10:33 AM
From Eamonn Sweeney’s sports column in the Indo 👏
Interesting flick, The Smashing Machine. There’s been Qs on whether Mark Kerr has lived a life deserving of a biopic, but it’s both the story of the birth of the UFC and convincing depiction of what a corrosive relationship can look like. A lot of the film is very good, just don’t expect a Rocky arc
November 7, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Interesting flick, The Smashing Machine. There’s been Qs on whether Mark Kerr has lived a life deserving of a biopic, but it’s both the story of the birth of the UFC and convincing depiction of what a corrosive relationship can look like. A lot of the film is very good, just don’t expect a Rocky arc
When Trent comes on and Robbo has to mark him
November 4, 2025 at 8:37 PM
When Trent comes on and Robbo has to mark him
Simon Harris come to the stage, come to the stage! You’ve been caught capping on immigration, you are a capper! Roll the tape…
November 4, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Simon Harris come to the stage, come to the stage! You’ve been caught capping on immigration, you are a capper! Roll the tape…
People my book would make an excellent Christmas present for:
Hip-hop heads
Readers who enjoy music biographies
Readers who enjoy political history
Lefties
All the comrades, outlaws and generally scandalouz
Hip-hop heads
Readers who enjoy music biographies
Readers who enjoy political history
Lefties
All the comrades, outlaws and generally scandalouz
November 3, 2025 at 3:33 PM
People my book would make an excellent Christmas present for:
Hip-hop heads
Readers who enjoy music biographies
Readers who enjoy political history
Lefties
All the comrades, outlaws and generally scandalouz
Hip-hop heads
Readers who enjoy music biographies
Readers who enjoy political history
Lefties
All the comrades, outlaws and generally scandalouz
The Stendhal Syndrome (1996) A stoic and visceral fill. I enjoyed how it lingers on great artwork, inviting the viewer to appreciate and interpret each piece. But I found the pacing unnecessary slow 2/4
November 1, 2025 at 1:34 AM
The Stendhal Syndrome (1996) A stoic and visceral fill. I enjoyed how it lingers on great artwork, inviting the viewer to appreciate and interpret each piece. But I found the pacing unnecessary slow 2/4
Sightseers (2012) I’m a Ben Wheatley fan but this Brit comedy take on the Natural Born Killers formula didn’t do much for me. Lacking in punch, laughs, and purpose 2/4
October 29, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Sightseers (2012) I’m a Ben Wheatley fan but this Brit comedy take on the Natural Born Killers formula didn’t do much for me. Lacking in punch, laughs, and purpose 2/4
I dislike modern biopic’s obsession with perfectly replicating the look and mannerisms of its subjects. It’s counterproductive as the less freedom an actor has to interpret a character, the more obvious it is they’re a fake. Basically, Michael Shannon being cast as Elvis should be the archetype
October 28, 2025 at 10:00 PM
I dislike modern biopic’s obsession with perfectly replicating the look and mannerisms of its subjects. It’s counterproductive as the less freedom an actor has to interpret a character, the more obvious it is they’re a fake. Basically, Michael Shannon being cast as Elvis should be the archetype
Sleep (2023) I thought a film titled Sleep would be somber and meditative, but plenty of this is out there! I did feel there was a couple of missing beats in getting one character from A to B in their development, but it’s unsettling and with a great ending 3/4
October 27, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Sleep (2023) I thought a film titled Sleep would be somber and meditative, but plenty of this is out there! I did feel there was a couple of missing beats in getting one character from A to B in their development, but it’s unsettling and with a great ending 3/4
Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) Yep, I’d never seen this. I mean, Hooper captures true depravity here, right? The second half really had me reeling. Rounding up to a full score to acknowledge its influence 4/4
October 26, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) Yep, I’d never seen this. I mean, Hooper captures true depravity here, right? The second half really had me reeling. Rounding up to a full score to acknowledge its influence 4/4
Lord of Illusions (1995) A kind of “Philip Marlowe investigates the occult” premise. A lot of nice visuals but so po-faced and overly plotted. Would work well being played in a bar on mute 1.5/4
October 25, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Lord of Illusions (1995) A kind of “Philip Marlowe investigates the occult” premise. A lot of nice visuals but so po-faced and overly plotted. Would work well being played in a bar on mute 1.5/4
The Long Walk (2025) To its credit, it stays engaging despite the narrow concept. Sensed nods to The Grapes of Wrath and, of course, Battle Royale. But the world building is unsatisfactory and the melodrama a bit heavy 2.5/4
October 23, 2025 at 11:19 PM
The Long Walk (2025) To its credit, it stays engaging despite the narrow concept. Sensed nods to The Grapes of Wrath and, of course, Battle Royale. But the world building is unsatisfactory and the melodrama a bit heavy 2.5/4
I once made this meme to depict their argument
October 22, 2025 at 7:56 PM
I once made this meme to depict their argument
Liverpool play football today
October 22, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Liverpool play football today
Creep (2014) I’m not a found footage fan—other than Blair Witch, I just don’t find them convincing. This one thinks it needs regular inorganic jump scares to keep the audience interested. Decent work from the two actors though 1.5/4
October 21, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Creep (2014) I’m not a found footage fan—other than Blair Witch, I just don’t find them convincing. This one thinks it needs regular inorganic jump scares to keep the audience interested. Decent work from the two actors though 1.5/4
Grindhouse (2007) I’d seen both as separate films. Commercial reasons meant they were split but it’s clearly unfair to judge them as individual flicks divorced from the original concept. These edits are also shorter. Without knowing every change it feels like they benefit from the tighter length 3/4
October 21, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Grindhouse (2007) I’d seen both as separate films. Commercial reasons meant they were split but it’s clearly unfair to judge them as individual flicks divorced from the original concept. These edits are also shorter. Without knowing every change it feels like they benefit from the tighter length 3/4
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) I knew this had a terrible rep but was hoping for a bit of a chuckle. My god. Incomprehensible, boring, and not scary at all. Just negative craic really 1/4
October 19, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) I knew this had a terrible rep but was hoping for a bit of a chuckle. My god. Incomprehensible, boring, and not scary at all. Just negative craic really 1/4
Nice way for Vinyl, Me Please to say “we’ve erased all the long-form articles you wrote for the site” (it rambles on like this for several more paragraphs)
October 18, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Nice way for Vinyl, Me Please to say “we’ve erased all the long-form articles you wrote for the site” (it rambles on like this for several more paragraphs)
Fresh (2022) These themes have been covered many times in better films. Overly slick and a bit shallow, but the last 15 minutes is undeniably fun 2/4
October 18, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Fresh (2022) These themes have been covered many times in better films. Overly slick and a bit shallow, but the last 15 minutes is undeniably fun 2/4
You Are Not My Mother (2021) Frequently creepy Irish flick with two strong performances and a great score. I’ve a minor grievance with the heavy use of a caricature bully character though 2.5/4
October 16, 2025 at 11:49 PM
You Are Not My Mother (2021) Frequently creepy Irish flick with two strong performances and a great score. I’ve a minor grievance with the heavy use of a caricature bully character though 2.5/4
Demons (1985) A riotous and enjoyably meta Zombie-style film with those practical gory special effects we all love 3/4
October 14, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Demons (1985) A riotous and enjoyably meta Zombie-style film with those practical gory special effects we all love 3/4
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) There was an opportunity here to make a fun parody of 90s slasher movies. Instead it’s a safe retread that would be forgettable if not for the nostalgia hit people of my generation will get from the older cast members. It’s not enough 2/4
October 14, 2025 at 12:44 AM
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) There was an opportunity here to make a fun parody of 90s slasher movies. Instead it’s a safe retread that would be forgettable if not for the nostalgia hit people of my generation will get from the older cast members. It’s not enough 2/4
His House (2020) Wish I could screen this to everyone in the UK and also Ireland who lends an ear to anti-asylum seeker bullshit. Horror will always be a genre of social commentary. Also the first film I’ve seen this month with real scares 3.5/4
October 12, 2025 at 11:56 PM
His House (2020) Wish I could screen this to everyone in the UK and also Ireland who lends an ear to anti-asylum seeker bullshit. Horror will always be a genre of social commentary. Also the first film I’ve seen this month with real scares 3.5/4