Disclaimer I have still not seen as of Dec 31 2024 (mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa): All We Imagine as Light (Payal Kapadia) The Brutalist (Brady Corbet) Caught by the Tides (Jia Zhang-ke) Chime (Kiyoshi Kurosawa) The End (Joshua Oppenheimer) Grand Tour (Miguel Gomes) Hard Truths (Mike Leigh) Kneecap (Rich Peppiat) Megalopolis (Francis Ford Coppola) Misericordia (Alain Guiraudie)... Read more →
12/31/2024
12/18/2024
CHART: MY FAVORITE PODCASTS OF 2024
The very best voices I heard in my head throughout the year: Shell Game, hosted by Evan Ratliff is, without question, the standout podcast of 2024. While it flirts with untapped Kaufmanesque potential - hinting at layers of meta-narrative that never fully materialize - it remains a brilliant exploration of its subject. Sharp, engrossing, and expertly crafted, it’s a masterclass... Read more →
09/21/2023
UPDATE: RECENT ARTICLES ON PATREON (SEPTEMBER 2023: FIRAS SHEHEDAH)
During the second half of September, I wrote a series of contributions on Patreon that revolve around our machinima curated program known as VRAL, now in its fourth season. On Patreon, we share exclusive video essays, articles, insights, and behind-the-scenes details with our dedicated community. Our goal is to offer a unique glimpse into the minds of talented artists working... Read more →
12/31/2019
CHARTS: MY FAVORITE VIDEO GAMES OF 2019
I was asked by Swiss RadioTwo's host Daniel Paul Bilenko to share my favorite video games of the year. My original list was much longer, but Daniel was inflexible: no more than six. So, here are my frivolous judgments about unforgettable (strictly unranked) playful experiences... The podcast is available here. Mini Motorways by Dinosaur Polo Club (Wellington, New Zealand) The... Read more →
12/27/2019
CHART: MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2019... AND THE DECADE (2010-2019)
WHAT I WROTE Parasite: "Koreda's Shoplifters have become more belligerent, shapeshifting into fully fledged home invaders. Class warfare is the dominant narrative of early 21st cinema and Joon-Ho has always been building cinematic barricades (consider Snowpiercer, Okja and even his earlier shorts). Fantasy always preempts reality: the world is literally on fire: it's about time. The upper class parasites have... Read more →