Sean Wagner-McGough
@seanmcgough.bsky.social
Movie writing at http://thelongshot.substack.com. Take your head apart/free your own heart.
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The staying power of Arrival
An ode to Denis Villeneuve's science fiction masterpiece of 2016, a movie that has the traits to live on well past its date of arrival
thelongshot.substack.com
Since it’s apparently been eight years since ARRIVAL came out, here’s my essay on Denis Villeneuve’s masterpiece and why it’s worth every single rewatch.
thelongshot.substack.com/p/the-stayin...
thelongshot.substack.com/p/the-stayin...
Losing at Villa at the end of a difficult run w/o Gabby+Saliba is fine — it's 1 point dropped. The fact is, we've been in survival mode because of the injuries, and if we can come out of this period with a lead at the top, I'll take it. But ... if we never get our stars back, it won't matter.
December 6, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Losing at Villa at the end of a difficult run w/o Gabby+Saliba is fine — it's 1 point dropped. The fact is, we've been in survival mode because of the injuries, and if we can come out of this period with a lead at the top, I'll take it. But ... if we never get our stars back, it won't matter.
Today was the most “moments” game we’ve had in a long time. I can’t remember the last time we had a basketball game like that, and we looked absolutely shattered for the final 25 minutes, and as a result, the final moment went their way.
December 6, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Today was the most “moments” game we’ve had in a long time. I can’t remember the last time we had a basketball game like that, and we looked absolutely shattered for the final 25 minutes, and as a result, the final moment went their way.
Reposted by Sean Wagner-McGough
No delusions here: if this is our health level for another month or two we will surely be chasing the top spot, not defending it.
And that won’t be because of any ingrained personality of a team, whatever the stupid narrative might become.
It will be because no team can survive injury decimation.
And that won’t be because of any ingrained personality of a team, whatever the stupid narrative might become.
It will be because no team can survive injury decimation.
December 6, 2025 at 2:47 PM
No delusions here: if this is our health level for another month or two we will surely be chasing the top spot, not defending it.
And that won’t be because of any ingrained personality of a team, whatever the stupid narrative might become.
It will be because no team can survive injury decimation.
And that won’t be because of any ingrained personality of a team, whatever the stupid narrative might become.
It will be because no team can survive injury decimation.
Man do I miss Gabriel and Saliba.
December 6, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Man do I miss Gabriel and Saliba.
If you care about movies, movie theaters, or physical media, Netflix buying WB is just about the worst case scenario. www.nplusonemag.com/issue-49/ess...
Casual Viewing | Will Tavlin
A decade before Airbnb persuaded homeowners to transform their homes into hotels, Netflix convinced its users to turn theirs into mini Netflix warehouses. Customers who held onto their DVDs for longer...
www.nplusonemag.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:50 AM
If you care about movies, movie theaters, or physical media, Netflix buying WB is just about the worst case scenario. www.nplusonemag.com/issue-49/ess...
Everything sucks, part infinity.
BREAKING via Bloomberg
Warner Brothers Discovery is now in exclusive deal talks to sell its TV and film studios to Netflix.
The deal, which could be announced in the coming days, would include the HBO Max streaming service.
Warner Brothers Discovery is now in exclusive deal talks to sell its TV and film studios to Netflix.
The deal, which could be announced in the coming days, would include the HBO Max streaming service.
Warner Bros. Is Said to Begin Exclusive Deal Talks With Netflix
Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. has entered exclusive negotiations to sell its film and TV studios and HBO Max streaming service to Netflix Inc., according to people familiar with the discussions.
bit.ly
December 5, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Everything sucks, part infinity.
Holy crap was it nice to see Ben White back at nearly his best today. You could see the rust in some of his final balls, but the way he attacked on the right was the Ben White of before the surgery. Looks like we found him again, and what a boost it is to this team right when we needed it.
December 4, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Holy crap was it nice to see Ben White back at nearly his best today. You could see the rust in some of his final balls, but the way he attacked on the right was the Ben White of before the surgery. Looks like we found him again, and what a boost it is to this team right when we needed it.
STAGEDIVER’s self-titled debut if guitar tone is something you care about. Otherwise, the Train Dreams score.
What's the best album of 2025?
December 2, 2025 at 2:12 AM
STAGEDIVER’s self-titled debut if guitar tone is something you care about. Otherwise, the Train Dreams score.
Wonder if we see Rice on the bench against Brentford, as scary as it’d be to start without him. At some point soon, Arteta probably wants to find a game to rest Rice and Zubimendi. Zubimendi didn’t go a full 90 today, and Odegaard should be ready for a start and 60-70 minutes.
December 1, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Wonder if we see Rice on the bench against Brentford, as scary as it’d be to start without him. At some point soon, Arteta probably wants to find a game to rest Rice and Zubimendi. Zubimendi didn’t go a full 90 today, and Odegaard should be ready for a start and 60-70 minutes.
The results of those tests are significantly more important than today’s result.
Arteta says Saliba has further tests tomorrow on the knock he suffered in training
November 30, 2025 at 7:15 PM
The results of those tests are significantly more important than today’s result.
Honestly, I think it’s a point gained. What a horrible performance at the end of a long and difficult week. Saliba’s injury was just one too many to overcome. Think Chelsea were better at 11v11.
November 30, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Honestly, I think it’s a point gained. What a horrible performance at the end of a long and difficult week. Saliba’s injury was just one too many to overcome. Think Chelsea were better at 11v11.
We need to be more patient on the ball. Madueke and Myles turning into traffic. Keep the ball and work the man advantage.
November 30, 2025 at 6:14 PM
We need to be more patient on the ball. Madueke and Myles turning into traffic. Keep the ball and work the man advantage.
If their contracts needed sorting, Saliba and Gabriel’s agents would only need to show Arsenal this game to justify whatever wages they wanted.
You realise how much easier football is when you can rely on your centre-backs to win almost every single duel, every long ball, every 50-50.
November 30, 2025 at 6:03 PM
If their contracts needed sorting, Saliba and Gabriel’s agents would only need to show Arsenal this game to justify whatever wages they wanted.
Reposted by Sean Wagner-McGough
You realise how much easier football is when you can rely on your centre-backs to win almost every single duel, every long ball, every 50-50.
November 30, 2025 at 6:00 PM
You realise how much easier football is when you can rely on your centre-backs to win almost every single duel, every long ball, every 50-50.
Hincapie is a walking second yellow, afraid to say.
November 30, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Hincapie is a walking second yellow, afraid to say.
Saka saving me from some generational headloss.
November 30, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Saka saving me from some generational headloss.
We’ve been bad. There’s a lot of reasons to explain why, injuries chief among them, but we’ve been bad through 55 minutes. No getting around that.
November 30, 2025 at 5:47 PM
We’ve been bad. There’s a lot of reasons to explain why, injuries chief among them, but we’ve been bad through 55 minutes. No getting around that.
One of those days
November 30, 2025 at 5:40 PM
One of those days
Odegaard needs to get on, but I can’t decide for who: Zubimendi because of the yellow? Martinelli and move Eze to the left?
November 30, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Odegaard needs to get on, but I can’t decide for who: Zubimendi because of the yellow? Martinelli and move Eze to the left?
We’ve entered the “try and get an Arsenal player sent off” phase of the game, which to be fair, looks like a likely outcome after all the yellows (all deserved) we’ve picked up.
November 30, 2025 at 5:13 PM
We’ve entered the “try and get an Arsenal player sent off” phase of the game, which to be fair, looks like a likely outcome after all the yellows (all deserved) we’ve picked up.
Leg breaking tackle. Awful
November 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Leg breaking tackle. Awful
This is the first time all season I can confidently say we are feeling the absences and injuries. We’re not the same team without the injured players, and Chelsea are good enough to take advantage of it.
November 30, 2025 at 5:02 PM
This is the first time all season I can confidently say we are feeling the absences and injuries. We’re not the same team without the injured players, and Chelsea are good enough to take advantage of it.
Feel like we need to ride this out to halftime, pray it’s still 0-0 and we have 11 men on the pitch, and then hope Mikel can change it. Gyokeres? Odegaard? I don’t think Merino is having the same effectiveness he had against Spurs and Bayern, and we’re missing security and presence in the midfield.
November 30, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Feel like we need to ride this out to halftime, pray it’s still 0-0 and we have 11 men on the pitch, and then hope Mikel can change it. Gyokeres? Odegaard? I don’t think Merino is having the same effectiveness he had against Spurs and Bayern, and we’re missing security and presence in the midfield.
We really miss Saliba’s passing right now.
November 30, 2025 at 4:54 PM
We really miss Saliba’s passing right now.