Jeff Benson
@jeffbensonwrites.bsky.social
Former editor @decrypt.co and Future by a16z. Current contributor @frontofficesports.bsky.social. Creator of bigfilmenergy.substack.com. I've written about crypto, movies, sports, business, and (occasionally) where to get good marmalade in California.
It's Memorial Day weekend. You're not doing something boring like going to the beach, are you? Of course not—you're gonna sit in an air-conditioned theater and have sequels/retreads wash over you like a CGI wave. Here's my guide to what's playing: bigfilmenergy.substack.com/p/movie-prev...
Movie Preview: Memorial Day Weekend
What's new in theaters and on streaming
bigfilmenergy.substack.com
May 22, 2025 at 5:10 PM
It's Memorial Day weekend. You're not doing something boring like going to the beach, are you? Of course not—you're gonna sit in an air-conditioned theater and have sequels/retreads wash over you like a CGI wave. Here's my guide to what's playing: bigfilmenergy.substack.com/p/movie-prev...
In Steven Soderbergh’s criminally underseen Black Bag, married spies George (Michael Fassbender) and Kathryn (Cate Blanchett) find themselves in a cat-and-mouse game. There’s a traitor in the agency, George learns, and it’s one of five people. Kathryn is on the list.
April 18, 2025 at 3:59 PM
In Steven Soderbergh’s criminally underseen Black Bag, married spies George (Michael Fassbender) and Kathryn (Cate Blanchett) find themselves in a cat-and-mouse game. There’s a traitor in the agency, George learns, and it’s one of five people. Kathryn is on the list.
Reposted by Jeff Benson
But yes, Dumars would have loved to bring Perry to New Orleans. The Kings presumably moved quickly on this so they wouldn't lose him
April 17, 2025 at 4:28 PM
But yes, Dumars would have loved to bring Perry to New Orleans. The Kings presumably moved quickly on this so they wouldn't lose him
This is catastrophic for HIV patients. And...it's also bad policy. A relatively small sum of money has cut HIV transmissions while spreading goodwill. What are we even doing?
I look at close to 100 stories a week and even more outside of work. I’ve done this ten years.
This is among the most horrific things I’ve ever read — testimony from dying children whose access to medicine has been cut off by the Trump administration.
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
This is among the most horrific things I’ve ever read — testimony from dying children whose access to medicine has been cut off by the Trump administration.
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
Haunted by hopelessness: 12 Zambians share their stories as HIV drugs run out
Mothers and children, husbands and wives, doctors, truck drivers and religious leaders are all grappling with the fallout from the sudden U.S. cuts in aid.
www.npr.org
April 17, 2025 at 2:57 AM
This is catastrophic for HIV patients. And...it's also bad policy. A relatively small sum of money has cut HIV transmissions while spreading goodwill. What are we even doing?
Reposted by Jeff Benson
W-W says Meta let advertisers know when 13-17 y-os were feeling depressed saying, this is a good time to try to serve them an ad. "If a 13-year-old girl would delete a selfie that was considered a good time to try to sell her a beauty product. This was taken as a signal and shared with advertisers."
April 9, 2025 at 7:56 PM
W-W says Meta let advertisers know when 13-17 y-os were feeling depressed saying, this is a good time to try to serve them an ad. "If a 13-year-old girl would delete a selfie that was considered a good time to try to sell her a beauty product. This was taken as a signal and shared with advertisers."
Meanwhile, over on Fox News:
April 3, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Meanwhile, over on Fox News:
What a quote.
🔥 @ninajankowicz.com: "Mr Taibbi said when he was first searching through the so-called Twitter files he didn't know what he was looking at. Well, he still doesn't. Everything looks like a conspiracy when you don't know how anything works."
April 1, 2025 at 6:11 PM
What a quote.
The administration made a booboo and responded by attacking the guy they accidentally included on the group text.
www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
Trump Called Him a ‘Sleazebag.’ Then He Got Invited to a Secret Chat.
Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg has long been a target of the president’s criticism
www.wsj.com
March 25, 2025 at 9:16 PM
The administration made a booboo and responded by attacking the guy they accidentally included on the group text.
www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
“Any security professional — military, government or otherwise — would be fired on the spot for this type of conduct and criminally prosecuted for being so reckless with this kind of information.”
- Pete Hegseth (2016) on Hillary Clinton's private email server
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/u...
- Pete Hegseth (2016) on Hillary Clinton's private email server
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/u...
Trump Officials in Leaked Signal Chat Had Criticized Hillary Clinton’s Private Email Server
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who disclosed war plans in a Signal group with a journalist, condemned Mrs. Clinton’s actions in November 2016.
www.nytimes.com
March 25, 2025 at 8:45 PM
“Any security professional — military, government or otherwise — would be fired on the spot for this type of conduct and criminally prosecuted for being so reckless with this kind of information.”
- Pete Hegseth (2016) on Hillary Clinton's private email server
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/u...
- Pete Hegseth (2016) on Hillary Clinton's private email server
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/u...
Here's one for the "Yeah, but Hillary's emails" crowd (which I know only ever existed as an excuse looking for a reason): www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
Top Trump Officials Debated War Plans on Unclassified Chat Shared With Journalist
The texts on the Signal encrypted messaging service revealed disagreements about whether to strike Houthis in Yemen.
www.wsj.com
March 24, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Here's one for the "Yeah, but Hillary's emails" crowd (which I know only ever existed as an excuse looking for a reason): www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
Oooof.
March 22, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Oooof.
Reposted by Jeff Benson
It seem insane for a US Senator to say we've all been subjected to "a relentless bombardment of Marxist propaganda." But what he means by this is 1) there was a Burger King ad with an interracial couple and 2) Star Wars Episodes VII-IX had a female lead.
March 21, 2025 at 1:13 PM
It seem insane for a US Senator to say we've all been subjected to "a relentless bombardment of Marxist propaganda." But what he means by this is 1) there was a Burger King ad with an interracial couple and 2) Star Wars Episodes VII-IX had a female lead.
This is...not true.
BREAKING: Trump's billionaire Commerce Secretary says that seniors won't care if they don't get their Social Security checks — and that anyone who does complain is a fraudster.
March 21, 2025 at 8:08 PM
This is...not true.
Reposted by Jeff Benson
Incredible stuff in here: They ID'ed him, in part, by going to court hearings and watching him post
February 19, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Incredible stuff in here: They ID'ed him, in part, by going to court hearings and watching him post
What the actual fuck? apnews.com/article/doge...
Trump begins firings of FAA air traffic control staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash
The Trump administration has begun firing several hundred Federal Aviation Administration employees, upending staff on a busy air travel weekend and just weeks after a fatal mid-air collision in Washi...
apnews.com
February 17, 2025 at 5:15 PM
What the actual fuck? apnews.com/article/doge...
When we look back to this era of politics, we should refer to it as MuskCarthyism.
February 17, 2025 at 12:18 AM
When we look back to this era of politics, we should refer to it as MuskCarthyism.
Reposted by Jeff Benson
“The Maryland National Guard must decline events which celebrates individuals based all or in part on immutable characteristics,” the memo said.
Douglass was an abolitionist, suffragist, orator and author. That’s what we celebrate him. Let’s be clear: This bars celebrating him because he was Black.
Douglass was an abolitionist, suffragist, orator and author. That’s what we celebrate him. Let’s be clear: This bars celebrating him because he was Black.
Maryland National Guard out of Frederick Douglass parade after DoD order
Strict guidance from the national defense department crushed plans for a parade held in honor of Frederick Douglass’ 207th birthday because it was being held during Black History Month.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com
February 15, 2025 at 7:07 AM
“The Maryland National Guard must decline events which celebrates individuals based all or in part on immutable characteristics,” the memo said.
Douglass was an abolitionist, suffragist, orator and author. That’s what we celebrate him. Let’s be clear: This bars celebrating him because he was Black.
Douglass was an abolitionist, suffragist, orator and author. That’s what we celebrate him. Let’s be clear: This bars celebrating him because he was Black.
You know the saying. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me 35 times, shame on Marvel.”
bigfilmenergy.substack.com/p/dont-watch...
bigfilmenergy.substack.com/p/dont-watch...
Don't Watch 'Captain America: Brave New World'
A preview, not a review, of a film I haven't seen
bigfilmenergy.substack.com
February 15, 2025 at 3:32 AM
You know the saying. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me 35 times, shame on Marvel.”
bigfilmenergy.substack.com/p/dont-watch...
bigfilmenergy.substack.com/p/dont-watch...
Reposted by Jeff Benson
It sucks living in the universe where Biff has the Almanac
February 13, 2025 at 9:36 PM
It sucks living in the universe where Biff has the Almanac
"Nickel Boys"' path to victory is just waiting for every other Oscar nominee to be taken down by lukewarm controversies.
The next Oscar scandal? The music shop that supplied the guitar played by Monica Barbaro in “A Complete Unknown” is angry at Edward Norton.
February 12, 2025 at 5:11 PM
"Nickel Boys"' path to victory is just waiting for every other Oscar nominee to be taken down by lukewarm controversies.