Valentine Steele
@terwillikerinst.bsky.social
Associate Director of Marwenology Studies at McGill
It's nuts to me that they cared about it so little that they let it be licensed out for a foreign Blu-ray.
But did care enough to immediately yank the rights and then never allow another release anywhere, ever again.
But did care enough to immediately yank the rights and then never allow another release anywhere, ever again.
November 17, 2025 at 9:45 PM
It's nuts to me that they cared about it so little that they let it be licensed out for a foreign Blu-ray.
But did care enough to immediately yank the rights and then never allow another release anywhere, ever again.
But did care enough to immediately yank the rights and then never allow another release anywhere, ever again.
Looks like she lives in Italy, now.
November 14, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Looks like she lives in Italy, now.
His recent Poirot movies are a perfect example of this because they have to take Christie's material 10000 times more seriously for IP reasons, than they should/want to.
The last one was the best, and that's just because they threw out 90% of the novel and wrote an original movie. lol
The last one was the best, and that's just because they threw out 90% of the novel and wrote an original movie. lol
November 12, 2025 at 10:21 PM
His recent Poirot movies are a perfect example of this because they have to take Christie's material 10000 times more seriously for IP reasons, than they should/want to.
The last one was the best, and that's just because they threw out 90% of the novel and wrote an original movie. lol
The last one was the best, and that's just because they threw out 90% of the novel and wrote an original movie. lol
Branagh is one of those guys who literally just doesn't have a place in post-90s Hollywood.
Big, expensive, glossy movies for adults with base (positive), almost trashy (also positive) impulses don't really exist anymore.
Big, expensive, glossy movies for adults with base (positive), almost trashy (also positive) impulses don't really exist anymore.
November 12, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Branagh is one of those guys who literally just doesn't have a place in post-90s Hollywood.
Big, expensive, glossy movies for adults with base (positive), almost trashy (also positive) impulses don't really exist anymore.
Big, expensive, glossy movies for adults with base (positive), almost trashy (also positive) impulses don't really exist anymore.
The fact that they very clearly want to create a consistent universe is the major danger signal here.
November 11, 2025 at 10:41 PM
The fact that they very clearly want to create a consistent universe is the major danger signal here.
I will never get over the fact that people try to do an uncomplicatedly Leftist reading of a movie that's literally about how bad trade guilds/unions are.
From a guy who very famously does not like guilds/unions.
From a guy who very famously does not like guilds/unions.
November 11, 2025 at 3:24 AM
I will never get over the fact that people try to do an uncomplicatedly Leftist reading of a movie that's literally about how bad trade guilds/unions are.
From a guy who very famously does not like guilds/unions.
From a guy who very famously does not like guilds/unions.
"Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYqo...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYqo...
Chinatown: John Huston: "Of course I'm respectable"
YouTube video by Pundit Planet Media
www.youtube.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:19 AM
"Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYqo...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYqo...
Same deal as La Guardia 'spontaneously' becoming an Episcopalian before running for public office, thereby taking the edge off of being the son of Italian Jewish-Catholic atheists.
Americans just have an innate preference for religious people (even if only in the abstract).
Americans just have an innate preference for religious people (even if only in the abstract).
November 8, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Same deal as La Guardia 'spontaneously' becoming an Episcopalian before running for public office, thereby taking the edge off of being the son of Italian Jewish-Catholic atheists.
Americans just have an innate preference for religious people (even if only in the abstract).
Americans just have an innate preference for religious people (even if only in the abstract).
Not as serious as America obviously, but it's been increasing in frequency year on year.
That's why French police are actually armed now.
That's why French police are actually armed now.
November 2, 2025 at 3:49 AM
Not as serious as America obviously, but it's been increasing in frequency year on year.
That's why French police are actually armed now.
That's why French police are actually armed now.
Oh, France already does. It's a really serious problem there.
Luckily, it's just mostly confined to gang-on-gang violence. Both intra and inter.
Luckily, it's just mostly confined to gang-on-gang violence. Both intra and inter.
November 2, 2025 at 3:46 AM
Oh, France already does. It's a really serious problem there.
Luckily, it's just mostly confined to gang-on-gang violence. Both intra and inter.
Luckily, it's just mostly confined to gang-on-gang violence. Both intra and inter.
Yeah, this is a classic case of the cover-up being worse than the crime.
If he'd just fessed up at the start, then it would've felt plausible. This just showed that he's
1) A liar
2) a bad liar
3) an idiot who has no idea what oppo research is
If he'd just fessed up at the start, then it would've felt plausible. This just showed that he's
1) A liar
2) a bad liar
3) an idiot who has no idea what oppo research is
October 28, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Yeah, this is a classic case of the cover-up being worse than the crime.
If he'd just fessed up at the start, then it would've felt plausible. This just showed that he's
1) A liar
2) a bad liar
3) an idiot who has no idea what oppo research is
If he'd just fessed up at the start, then it would've felt plausible. This just showed that he's
1) A liar
2) a bad liar
3) an idiot who has no idea what oppo research is
The great irony of modern home video is that stuff like Exorcist 2/3 is treated way better than the first*.
All because WB is fine licensing out lesser works to labels who will charge collectors $40, but *has* to keep the good stuff in-house at $15 for casuals.
*theatrical cut still MIA on Bluray!
All because WB is fine licensing out lesser works to labels who will charge collectors $40, but *has* to keep the good stuff in-house at $15 for casuals.
*theatrical cut still MIA on Bluray!
October 25, 2025 at 10:01 PM
The great irony of modern home video is that stuff like Exorcist 2/3 is treated way better than the first*.
All because WB is fine licensing out lesser works to labels who will charge collectors $40, but *has* to keep the good stuff in-house at $15 for casuals.
*theatrical cut still MIA on Bluray!
All because WB is fine licensing out lesser works to labels who will charge collectors $40, but *has* to keep the good stuff in-house at $15 for casuals.
*theatrical cut still MIA on Bluray!
Literally just saw some Frasier DVDs with their old price tags still on, and it would cost $400 in today's money to get the complete series in the 2000s.
A totally rebuilt/rescanned HD version of the complete series on Blu-ray *today* retails for 115 bucks.
The level of undercutting is insane.
A totally rebuilt/rescanned HD version of the complete series on Blu-ray *today* retails for 115 bucks.
The level of undercutting is insane.
October 25, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Literally just saw some Frasier DVDs with their old price tags still on, and it would cost $400 in today's money to get the complete series in the 2000s.
A totally rebuilt/rescanned HD version of the complete series on Blu-ray *today* retails for 115 bucks.
The level of undercutting is insane.
A totally rebuilt/rescanned HD version of the complete series on Blu-ray *today* retails for 115 bucks.
The level of undercutting is insane.
Yeah, that's my stance too.
October 25, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Yeah, that's my stance too.
Every time that Hot Ones Matt Damon video goes viral (where he talks about the death of the home video market), people always miss his very obvious subtext.
viz. "If you people don't start paying 10-20 bucks for regular mid-budget movies again, you aren't gonna get any more of them".
viz. "If you people don't start paying 10-20 bucks for regular mid-budget movies again, you aren't gonna get any more of them".
October 25, 2025 at 5:56 PM
2010s Film/TV piracy discourse was so annoying. I didn't/don't even have a problem with it; I've done it myself.
But you had so many people self-righteously not understanding that if a thing costs [X] million dollars, it needs to make ([X] million dollars x 3), in order for there to be more of it.
But you had so many people self-righteously not understanding that if a thing costs [X] million dollars, it needs to make ([X] million dollars x 3), in order for there to be more of it.
October 25, 2025 at 5:51 PM
2010s Film/TV piracy discourse was so annoying. I didn't/don't even have a problem with it; I've done it myself.
But you had so many people self-righteously not understanding that if a thing costs [X] million dollars, it needs to make ([X] million dollars x 3), in order for there to be more of it.
But you had so many people self-righteously not understanding that if a thing costs [X] million dollars, it needs to make ([X] million dollars x 3), in order for there to be more of it.
Like, look at how Chloe Fineman (bad) and Sarah Sherman (good*) have basically had all the personality sandblasted out of their characters.
Now they're just always playing ladies at restaurant tables who get shocked at all the raucous activities the boys are doing.
*mostly when writing/directing
Now they're just always playing ladies at restaurant tables who get shocked at all the raucous activities the boys are doing.
*mostly when writing/directing
October 23, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Like, look at how Chloe Fineman (bad) and Sarah Sherman (good*) have basically had all the personality sandblasted out of their characters.
Now they're just always playing ladies at restaurant tables who get shocked at all the raucous activities the boys are doing.
*mostly when writing/directing
Now they're just always playing ladies at restaurant tables who get shocked at all the raucous activities the boys are doing.
*mostly when writing/directing
McKinnon is a lot like Wiig, where I think she is legit talented, but she also knew that women on SNL barely get anything good, so when she found her guaranteed bit, she just ran it into the ground.
October 23, 2025 at 8:46 PM
McKinnon is a lot like Wiig, where I think she is legit talented, but she also knew that women on SNL barely get anything good, so when she found her guaranteed bit, she just ran it into the ground.
Cecily Strong is IMO one of their biggest missed opportunities.
She's essentially the closest thing to a Bill Hader-esque chameleon that they've had in over a decade, and she never got a signature character or bit.
She's essentially the closest thing to a Bill Hader-esque chameleon that they've had in over a decade, and she never got a signature character or bit.
October 23, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Cecily Strong is IMO one of their biggest missed opportunities.
She's essentially the closest thing to a Bill Hader-esque chameleon that they've had in over a decade, and she never got a signature character or bit.
She's essentially the closest thing to a Bill Hader-esque chameleon that they've had in over a decade, and she never got a signature character or bit.
Fascinating movie; everyone in front of/behind the camera is performing solid to good work technically, but George Miller (not entirely at fault, given all the production stuff) is so clearly lost at sea.
It does help emphasise why the job title is 'director'. Albeit in a negative way.
It does help emphasise why the job title is 'director'. Albeit in a negative way.
October 23, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Fascinating movie; everyone in front of/behind the camera is performing solid to good work technically, but George Miller (not entirely at fault, given all the production stuff) is so clearly lost at sea.
It does help emphasise why the job title is 'director'. Albeit in a negative way.
It does help emphasise why the job title is 'director'. Albeit in a negative way.
IMO - the secret was that Columbus/Cuaron (the template setters) didn't care about fantasy just for its own sake.
You can see this a lot in sci-fi, too. Like, I enjoy the first Trek movie. But you need a Nicholas Meyer to actually inject the damn things with a reason for normies to watch it.
You can see this a lot in sci-fi, too. Like, I enjoy the first Trek movie. But you need a Nicholas Meyer to actually inject the damn things with a reason for normies to watch it.
October 15, 2025 at 11:14 PM
IMO - the secret was that Columbus/Cuaron (the template setters) didn't care about fantasy just for its own sake.
You can see this a lot in sci-fi, too. Like, I enjoy the first Trek movie. But you need a Nicholas Meyer to actually inject the damn things with a reason for normies to watch it.
You can see this a lot in sci-fi, too. Like, I enjoy the first Trek movie. But you need a Nicholas Meyer to actually inject the damn things with a reason for normies to watch it.
Around the same time, WB also did an animated 90s-Disney-Ripoff remake of The King and I, and I have to wonder if this movie started off the same way wrt the 60s Camelot musical.
October 14, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Around the same time, WB also did an animated 90s-Disney-Ripoff remake of The King and I, and I have to wonder if this movie started off the same way wrt the 60s Camelot musical.
Like, I do tolerate Orthodox Jews and Muslims making women wear head/face coverings. Go nuts. Rightfully protected by law.
But I would go fucking insane if I had to make myself pretend that it wasn't super off-putting (to me) in a weird medieval way.
But I would go fucking insane if I had to make myself pretend that it wasn't super off-putting (to me) in a weird medieval way.
October 8, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Like, I do tolerate Orthodox Jews and Muslims making women wear head/face coverings. Go nuts. Rightfully protected by law.
But I would go fucking insane if I had to make myself pretend that it wasn't super off-putting (to me) in a weird medieval way.
But I would go fucking insane if I had to make myself pretend that it wasn't super off-putting (to me) in a weird medieval way.
I genuinely think it all went wrong when "tolerance" became a dirty word.
Sorry, sometimes you *will* have to tolerate others instead of loving them. A lot of people are dicks/weirdos in ways that aren't harmful, but are still very draining and annoying.
Sorry, sometimes you *will* have to tolerate others instead of loving them. A lot of people are dicks/weirdos in ways that aren't harmful, but are still very draining and annoying.
October 8, 2025 at 3:17 AM
I genuinely think it all went wrong when "tolerance" became a dirty word.
Sorry, sometimes you *will* have to tolerate others instead of loving them. A lot of people are dicks/weirdos in ways that aren't harmful, but are still very draining and annoying.
Sorry, sometimes you *will* have to tolerate others instead of loving them. A lot of people are dicks/weirdos in ways that aren't harmful, but are still very draining and annoying.