Rob Tiemstra
@timestar.bsky.social
Writer, film director, storyteller in prose and video. WGA/HWA Member. Wannabe Tolkien scholar. They/Them.
www.robtiemstra.com
www.robtiemstra.com
It’s raining in LA and my author copies for DRACULA BEYOND STOKER #7 have arrived!
Seeing your words in print is a wonderful feeling. 10/10 would recommend.
Seeing your words in print is a wonderful feeling. 10/10 would recommend.
November 15, 2025 at 10:26 PM
It’s raining in LA and my author copies for DRACULA BEYOND STOKER #7 have arrived!
Seeing your words in print is a wonderful feeling. 10/10 would recommend.
Seeing your words in print is a wonderful feeling. 10/10 would recommend.
“The “Red Death” had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood.”
Happy Halloween, Bluesky folk.
Happy Halloween, Bluesky folk.
November 1, 2025 at 12:50 AM
“The “Red Death” had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood.”
Happy Halloween, Bluesky folk.
Happy Halloween, Bluesky folk.
On my bookshelf it’s a close second
September 3, 2025 at 4:59 AM
On my bookshelf it’s a close second
No real through line to this week’s viewing, besides it being a series of bangers!
STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT - I may have liked this more than the first one, though for wildly different reasons.
POISON - A Rosetta Stone for the entire Todd Haynes oeuvre. Not my favorite of his, but essential.
STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT - I may have liked this more than the first one, though for wildly different reasons.
POISON - A Rosetta Stone for the entire Todd Haynes oeuvre. Not my favorite of his, but essential.
August 1, 2025 at 6:19 PM
No real through line to this week’s viewing, besides it being a series of bangers!
STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT - I may have liked this more than the first one, though for wildly different reasons.
POISON - A Rosetta Stone for the entire Todd Haynes oeuvre. Not my favorite of his, but essential.
STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT - I may have liked this more than the first one, though for wildly different reasons.
POISON - A Rosetta Stone for the entire Todd Haynes oeuvre. Not my favorite of his, but essential.
My #LastFourWatched are rarely so contemporary — a dizzying run of 2025 films, interrupted by a true crime documentary I put on for work
July 25, 2025 at 4:31 PM
My #LastFourWatched are rarely so contemporary — a dizzying run of 2025 films, interrupted by a true crime documentary I put on for work
I spent way too much time this morning agonizing over my best films of the 21st-century ballot. Here it is! Lotta painful omissions but I’m happy with the group I landed on.
June 24, 2025 at 9:27 PM
I spent way too much time this morning agonizing over my best films of the 21st-century ballot. Here it is! Lotta painful omissions but I’m happy with the group I landed on.
For whatever reason, I watched a lot of orange movies this week…
May 10, 2025 at 3:41 PM
For whatever reason, I watched a lot of orange movies this week…
Personally, I love witnessing modern history through the lens of steadily updating Wikipedia pages.
April 1, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Personally, I love witnessing modern history through the lens of steadily updating Wikipedia pages.
#LastFourWatched
EEPHUS: Feels like an adaptation of a great American stage play.
LADY VENGEANCE: One of my favorite Chan-Wook Park films!
PORCO ROSSO: a Miyazaki gem.
EXISTENZ: Cronenberg’s strange VR banger. There’s a bone gun that shoots teeth, what more can you ask for
#LetterboxdFriday
EEPHUS: Feels like an adaptation of a great American stage play.
LADY VENGEANCE: One of my favorite Chan-Wook Park films!
PORCO ROSSO: a Miyazaki gem.
EXISTENZ: Cronenberg’s strange VR banger. There’s a bone gun that shoots teeth, what more can you ask for
#LetterboxdFriday
March 28, 2025 at 5:19 PM
#LastFourWatched
EEPHUS: Feels like an adaptation of a great American stage play.
LADY VENGEANCE: One of my favorite Chan-Wook Park films!
PORCO ROSSO: a Miyazaki gem.
EXISTENZ: Cronenberg’s strange VR banger. There’s a bone gun that shoots teeth, what more can you ask for
#LetterboxdFriday
EEPHUS: Feels like an adaptation of a great American stage play.
LADY VENGEANCE: One of my favorite Chan-Wook Park films!
PORCO ROSSO: a Miyazaki gem.
EXISTENZ: Cronenberg’s strange VR banger. There’s a bone gun that shoots teeth, what more can you ask for
#LetterboxdFriday
Someone must have asked the Lumiere Music Hall if it’s still operational.
March 15, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Someone must have asked the Lumiere Music Hall if it’s still operational.
Hit all the major demographics this week: a movie made by people I know, a trashy horror film we all enjoy, a European melodrama I watched as part of work research, and Padiiington
February 22, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Hit all the major demographics this week: a movie made by people I know, a trashy horror film we all enjoy, a European melodrama I watched as part of work research, and Padiiington
The cat appreciates my new reading chair better than I ever could.
February 17, 2025 at 10:56 PM
The cat appreciates my new reading chair better than I ever could.
For any UK-based queer film folks who follow me here, THE OCTOBER MARTYR will be screening next Monday at QueerFest Norwhich!
Info in the image, as well as a list of other films that will be screening!
Info in the image, as well as a list of other films that will be screening!
February 11, 2025 at 6:12 PM
For any UK-based queer film folks who follow me here, THE OCTOBER MARTYR will be screening next Monday at QueerFest Norwhich!
Info in the image, as well as a list of other films that will be screening!
Info in the image, as well as a list of other films that will be screening!
Oh! And Spencer, who did some creature design on this movie that I will not share for spoiler reasons. He’s a real wizard in crafting indie film pieces!
Unfortunately the only non-spoiler image I have of him from the shoot is him blowing up this tube. You’ll have to imagine what it’s for.
Unfortunately the only non-spoiler image I have of him from the shoot is him blowing up this tube. You’ll have to imagine what it’s for.
January 24, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Oh! And Spencer, who did some creature design on this movie that I will not share for spoiler reasons. He’s a real wizard in crafting indie film pieces!
Unfortunately the only non-spoiler image I have of him from the shoot is him blowing up this tube. You’ll have to imagine what it’s for.
Unfortunately the only non-spoiler image I have of him from the shoot is him blowing up this tube. You’ll have to imagine what it’s for.
While filming, I noticed that a little spider had crawled along the camera’s lens. Didn’t know if it was a good omen or bad (I’m usually quite arachnophobic)
I guess that remains to be seen! But shoutout to our unofficial mascot.
I guess that remains to be seen! But shoutout to our unofficial mascot.
January 24, 2025 at 12:06 AM
While filming, I noticed that a little spider had crawled along the camera’s lens. Didn’t know if it was a good omen or bad (I’m usually quite arachnophobic)
I guess that remains to be seen! But shoutout to our unofficial mascot.
I guess that remains to be seen! But shoutout to our unofficial mascot.
Whoop! Forgot to attach an image to the last one. Here’s Denis and I surveying a wide shot
January 24, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Whoop! Forgot to attach an image to the last one. Here’s Denis and I surveying a wide shot
… and our other key performer, @loseriloveyou.bsky.social, choreographed our fight scene brilliantly. Her ability to think on her feet saved us precious hours on the day.
January 23, 2025 at 11:59 PM
… and our other key performer, @loseriloveyou.bsky.social, choreographed our fight scene brilliantly. Her ability to think on her feet saved us precious hours on the day.
Not only was this a movie with an all transfemme cast (!) but having performers with strong artistic perspectives made all the difference. @cameronlaventure.bsky.social, who played the lead, is a terrific director. She offered up many suggestions that wound up saving the movie…
January 23, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Not only was this a movie with an all transfemme cast (!) but having performers with strong artistic perspectives made all the difference. @cameronlaventure.bsky.social, who played the lead, is a terrific director. She offered up many suggestions that wound up saving the movie…
While this sounds chaotic (it was) the movie was meticulously storyboarded by yours truly. Pictured: one of 3 storyboard pages. Other two withheld for spoiler reasons.
January 23, 2025 at 11:53 PM
While this sounds chaotic (it was) the movie was meticulously storyboarded by yours truly. Pictured: one of 3 storyboard pages. Other two withheld for spoiler reasons.
We had two cameras rolling almost simultaneously on set to make the most of our time - an A Camera doing most of the main action, and a B camera capturing inserts and supplemental footage.
Sometimes, I would even abandon A cam to direct B cam while my DP was lighting
Sometimes, I would even abandon A cam to direct B cam while my DP was lighting
January 23, 2025 at 11:51 PM
We had two cameras rolling almost simultaneously on set to make the most of our time - an A Camera doing most of the main action, and a B camera capturing inserts and supplemental footage.
Sometimes, I would even abandon A cam to direct B cam while my DP was lighting
Sometimes, I would even abandon A cam to direct B cam while my DP was lighting
Although it was conceived as a low stakes project, it was uniquely challenging. I went to work without many of my usual crutches: we were shooting without dialogue, on film, in a single day.
January 23, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Although it was conceived as a low stakes project, it was uniquely challenging. I went to work without many of my usual crutches: we were shooting without dialogue, on film, in a single day.
Apropos of nothing, here are more behind the scenes pictures from my latest directing effort - a short 8mm Nightmare I’m calling INVASIVE
(Currently in post production)
🧵
(Currently in post production)
🧵
January 23, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Apropos of nothing, here are more behind the scenes pictures from my latest directing effort - a short 8mm Nightmare I’m calling INVASIVE
(Currently in post production)
🧵
(Currently in post production)
🧵
I’m cheating a bit and posting two from the same film roll* - one of my roommate, the other of my cat
*(Ektar 100, for the curious)
*(Ektar 100, for the curious)
December 28, 2024 at 7:57 PM
I’m cheating a bit and posting two from the same film roll* - one of my roommate, the other of my cat
*(Ektar 100, for the curious)
*(Ektar 100, for the curious)
I directed something quick and spooky earlier this December — the set photographer captured me cradling a Super8 camera like it’s my child.
December 22, 2024 at 12:42 AM
I directed something quick and spooky earlier this December — the set photographer captured me cradling a Super8 camera like it’s my child.