Watched and Read - November 8, 2026

 Here's what I watched and read last week...

 

MOVIES

The Birds (1963), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, is one of the first modern apocalyptic horror films, one that I have written about in my Hitchcock manuscript, which I hope to publish one day. There are many great scenes, but one of my favorites is the big debate at the Tides restaurant as they try to figure out why the birds are attacking. The scene reminded me of an episode of The Twilight Zone, “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.” In Serling’s tale, the characters turn to violence when they can’t figure out why they have lost power. In The Birds, the question is why the birds are attacking Bodega Bay. At the end of “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street,” a reason is given. But no reason is given for The Birds, leaving the film on an apocalyptic note.

Snake Eyes (1998), directed by Brian de Palma, is more about its form than its content. The story falls into B-movie territory, mixing suspense, film noir, and horror. But the star of the film is the cinematography. The opening long take is amazing, a signature style of De Palma. Nicolas Cage, Carla Gugino, and Gary Sinise deliver good performances.

I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol (2026), directed by Nick Mead and Andre Relis, is a really good documentary on founding member and bass player of the Sex Pistol, Glen Matlock. I have watched a lot of documentaries on the UK punk movement during this time, but this was surprisingly good, with things I didn’t know, told from Matlock’s perspective. It is definitely worth checking out.

Butthole Surfers: The Hole Truth and Nothing Butt (2025), directed by Tom Stern, is an excellent documentary on the underground punk band from Texas. I loved the incorporation of puppetry, animation, and archival footage to help tell the band’s story. There were a few graphic moments that were a little tough to watch, but I very much enjoyed learning about the different band members, particularly Paul Leary and Gibby Haynes.

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BOOKS

Other Worlds Than These is one of King’s best books in a long time. King wrote the book after Peter Straub passed away in 2022. I love all of Kings’s books, but this one was exceptionally good. It is an epic read full of great and exciting scenes. Since this is a new book, I will not say too much. Even though this is the third and final book about Jack Sawyer, King recently stated that it is a standalone book. Black House ended on a cliffhanger, with Jack ending up in Mid-World, where book three takes up his story. Sprinkled throughout the book, King does a great job of reminding us of Jack’s past adventures, mostly from The Talisman. The book has a Dark Tower feel to it, along with a touch of 11/22/63. This is definitely worth checking out. I do agree with King that you can read this one without reading The Talisman and Black House first. But I still recommend reading the first two books.

Watched and Read - November 1, 2026

 

Here’s what I watched and listened to last week…

 

 

MOVIES

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), directed by Don Siegel, one of the best paranoia films of the 1950s. It is a film that traffics in Cold War anxieties. Peter Biskind wrote a great book about this movie and other sci-fi/horror movies during the 1950s called Seeing Is Believing.

The Night of the Hunter (1956), directed by Charles Laughton, might have some of the best cinematography I’d ever seen in a movie. The Gothic and expressionist lighting and framing are stunning. The film captures a child’s perspective, which gives it a scary fairy tale vibe. Rev. Harry Powell, played brilliantly and frighteningly by Robert Mitchum, could be one of the scariest villains in cinema.

Ed Wood (1994), directed by Tim Burton, is one of my all-time favorite films. I think it is Burton’s masterpiece. This is a film about the friendship between B-filmmaker Ed Wood and iconic horror actor Bela Lugosi. We saw the movie at the Egyptian in Los Angeles. Afterwards, Guillermo del Toro interviewed the screenwriters, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who discussed how the movie got made. I was surprised to learn that they wrote the script in six weeks without any notes from Tim Burton. Amazing.

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TV

I finished the fifth season of The Wonder Years. This is another good season with lots of great episodes, such as "The Hardware Store," "Grandpa's Car," "Lunch Stories," and "Carnal Knowledge." I’ve noticed that as Kevin grows up, he can sometimes be selfish, especially in “Carnal Knowledge.” But he always seems to redeem himself. However, Wayne’s shenanigans and his constant need to eat are a bit tiring to watch. I wish the writers did a better job of developing his character. Yet "Private Butthead," where Wayne tries to enlist in the army, is one of the best episodes of the season.

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MUSIC

I love the new Queens of the Stone Age album “Perfecth.” This is not a heavy-riff album like “Rated R” or “Songs for the Deaf.” The nine songs on “Perfecth” are quieter and moodier that draw from the sounds of Villians. The heaviest song, and one of the best on the album, is “Where The Goth Girls At?” But I love the slower songs such as “Insignificant Other” and “Easy Street.”

 

Watched and Read - October 25, 2026

 Here's what I watched last week...

 

 

MOVIES

The Naked City (1948), directed by Jules Dassin, is a classic noir film. The on-location shooting in New York City gives the film a strong sense of realism. I read that this is one of the early American films informed by Italian Neorealism. It is available to stream on Criterion.

The Devil’s Backbone (2001), directed by Guillermo del Toro, is one of his best. It’s a great companion film to Pan’s Labyrinth. I am teaching the film for horror studies in my introduction to film course. We are examining the various horror and Gothic themes, particularly how del Toro reconfigures the monstrous.

Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story (2026), directed by Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley, is an excellent documentary on comedian Maria Bamford. The documentary traces her beginnings as a comedian, explores her mental health, and examines her relationship with her family. I think what I enjoyed the most is hearing the stories about her family, especially Maria’s relationship with her parents.

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TV

SPOILER ALERT

I finished the series Carrie on Amazon and thought it was excellent. At first, I was hesitant to watch it because I love De Palma’s version so much. But this is an amazing reimagining of King’s novel that directly speaks to our current troubles with social media.

The main reason I watched the series was the connections to The Dark Tower. I recently heard Flanagan on the Kingcast explaining the difficulty of getting rights to all The Dark Tower characters. He did mention that he could use certain characters that were not exclusively part of Roland’s crew for the series. I’m not sure if that will be the case for Carrie White. I think Adelaide (Katie Siegel) might be after Carrie because of her power. My speculation is that they want to bring Carrie to Mid-World to be used as a Breaker. This was the case for Ted Brautigan, who was on the run from the “Low Men in Yellow Coats” in Hearts in Atlantis. It is possible the two women working for Adelaide are “Low Men.” Besides the connections to The Dark Tower, Carrie is worth the watch. It should garner some Emmy nods next year.

Watched and Read - October 18, 2026

 Here's what I watched and read last week...

MOVIES

 

The Gift (2015). I was mixed on this one. I thought the acting was very good, especially Rebecca Hall. The problem I had was with the story itself. Some of it didn’t make sense in terms of character motivation. I didn’t believe Hall would marry a man like Jason Bateman’s character. I thought the payback at the end was a stretch.

Norm: The Tale of Norm MacDonald (2026), directed by Judd Apatow, is an excellent documentary that explores one of comedy’s great comedians. The part that stood out for me is Norm talking about Richard Farnsworth’s Oscar-nominated performance in David Lynch’s Straight Story. Farnsworth had been privately battling cancer during the shooting of the film. Norm was also battling cancer for over nine years but never made it public. He did not want cancer to get in his way of comedy.

Before Sunrise (1995), directed by Richard Linklater, is one of the highlights of 1990s independent filmmaking. It might also be one of the ultimate Generation X films. It treats it subject matter with thought and seriousness, while still retaining the melodrama associated with romances. I love all the ruminations on time, death, relationships, and art. A standout moment is when the poet on the street writes a poem for Jesse and Céline using the word “milkshake.” Linklater went on to make two more films that follow Jesse and Céline, which are just as good as the first.

TV

Alice in Chains Unplugged is an amazing performance by the legendary band from Seattle. Unplugged has featured some incredible performances, such as LL Cool J, Eric Clapton and Nirvana. I would also put AIC up there as well. Paramount + does not include the complete show. The entire show is available on YouTube.

Untold: Mr. T: I Pity the Fool (2026), directed by Scott Weintrob, is a Netflix documentary I very much enjoyed, but I just wished it was a little longer. They really plowed through his life. But I did enjoy learning how he came up with his name, how Stallone cast him for Rocky III, and about his television role on The A-Team.

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BOOKS

I am currently reading Stephen King’s Other Worlds Than These and loving it. It is a long book, so I probably won’t be done reading it until November.

 

 

Watched and Read - October 11, 2026

 Here's what I watched, read, and listened to...

MOVIES

Don’t Look Back in Anger (2026), directed by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, is an excellent documentary on the band’s reunion. I found myself getting emotional watching the Gallagher brothers reunite. The live footage looks and sounds amazing.

The Dark Half (1993), directed by George A. Romero, is a good adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. I love the cinematography and autumn feel of the film. There are some flaws but they didn’t get in the way of the story. Michael Rooker, Amy Madigan and Timothy Hutton are all good. The climax with the birds is classic Romero and a nice homage to Hitchcock.

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TV

‘Salem’s Lot (1976), directed by Tobe Hooper, is a good adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. With the limitation of televisual horror, Hooper relies more on atmospheric horror than graphic violence. I love the set design of the interior of the Marsten House. You can almost feel and smell its deterioration. The makeup of Barlow is a nice callback to Nosferatu. I also love the references to Psycho right before Dr. Norton is killed. The miniseries is streaming on Criterion.

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BOOKS

Tales from the Crypt, volume 4. These are a lot of fun to read. I am currently reading volume 5. They are planning to release all of the Tales from the Crypt in one big book. But I do hope they release volume 6 separately.

PODCASTS

TCM’s The Plot Thickens is devoted to Stanley Kubrick this month. They are partnering with Criterion in anticipation of the big Kubrick collection coming out very soon. I really enjoyed the first episode and am looking forward to the next.

 

 

Watched and Read - October 4, 2026

 Here's what I watched and read...

 

MOVIES

It Follows (2014), directed by David Robert Mitchell, is a great atmospheric horror film with an intriguing premise. The film’s use of offscreen space, deep space staging, long takes, and deep focus photography help to create an unsettling and creepy vibe.

Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple (2026), directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn, is an outstanding and heartfelt documentary on the legendary drummer of Rush. This is a must-see not only for Rush fans but for drummers alike. It was amazing to watch drummers Danny Carey, Chad Smith, Stewart Copeland, and Gavin Harrison play Rush songs. But I also enjoyed hearing about their personal connection and friendship with Peart.

TV

I finished the third season Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. There are a lot of great episodes in this season, especially “Band Candy,” “The Zeppo,” and “Doppelgangland.” The two-part finale has hints of The Avengers, a movie that the series’s creator Joss Whedon would later direct. This is also the season in which they pulled the episode “Earshot” because of Columbine. Unfortunately, this is an important episode that comes back at the end of the season when Jonathan (Danny Strong) gives Buffy the umbrella at the prom for protecting the school. Jonathan had been thinking of suicide in “Earshot,” and Buffy had talked him out of it. Overall, I very much enjoyed Buffy’s high school years. But I think it is during the college years when the show turns to greatness.

We finished watching Widow’s Bay. What a great season! All the episodes were fun to watch. There were a lot of genuine scares, especially in the last episode. The series has a good mix of folk horror and comedy. Parts of the series reminded me of Jaws, Salem’s Lot, and Lost. I am looking forward to next season.

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BOOKS

Alice in Chains: The Untold Story by David de Sola is an excellent account of the legendary grunge band from Seattle. De Sola compiled interviews with different people who were connected to the band, such as sound engineers, friends, family, and various musicians who had played with the founding members. Ultimately, the book is about the tragic and heartbreaking story of Layne Staley who died of an overdose in 2002. If you love AIC, this is a must-read.

I was very fortunate to see AIC play a small and intimate show in October of 1991 in Middletown, NY. This was not long after The Clash of the Titans tour, when I had also seen them in Middletown. They came back and played a show at a club called The Class. I was in the front of the stage and literally was five feet or so from Staley. They introduced a new song that night called “Sick Man.” It was an amazing show, one that I will never forget.

 

 

Watched and Read - September 27, 2026

 Here's what I watched and read....

 

MOVIES

Jackass: Best and Last (2026), directed by Jeff Tremaine, is a mix of old and new skits and stunts. I’ve seen all the Jackass movies, and some of the stunts are hard to watch. But I still laughed pretty hard watching the new movie.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), directed by Wes Anderson, might be one of his best. I teach this film for cinematography, especially for its use of multiple aspect ratios. We usually associate widescreen (2.40:1) with spectacles. But it’s the classic film aspect ratio of 1.37:1 where we locate the spectacle of the hotel in the Grand Budapest.

TV

We finished Mr. Inbetween and thought it was amazing. I think it ranks highly among some of the great gangster and crime TV series of the past thirty years. The mixing of episodic and serialized storytelling reminded me of The Sopranos. And much like The Sopranos, you’re always on uneven ground, never knowing if Ray is going to be murdered. I’ll be curious to see what television series Scott Ryan creates next.

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BOOKS

I started reading Tales from the Crypt again for my yearly Halloween reads. I’ve noticed the later issues are a little more graphic. As I was reading them, I kept thinking of the Comics Code Authority seal, which came out of the Senate hearings on graphic imagery in comic books. Check out Stan Lee talking about it with Kevin Smith. 

 

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YOUTUBE

I’ve been a big fan of Quicksand since the beginning and attended one of their first shows back in 1990 at Club Anthrax in Norwalk, CT. This is a good interview. Although I wish Zane had asked questions about their connection to New York City’s hardcore scene. He missed a good opportunity to cover some interesting history, like Walter’s connection to the Straight Edge scene, and how he played bass for Youth of Today and guitar for Gorilla Biscuits. But the interview is worth checking out.