#robert evans critical

[notaplaceofhonour]

I’ve been a listener of Behind the Bastards (as well as other Robert Evans podcasts and the leftist podcast network he co-founded with Sophie Lichterman, Cool Zone Media) for years. There have been iffy takes along the way, due to Robert Evans’ over-the-top persona & edgy sense of humor, and I obviously haven’t always agreed on everything on the show, but I found the show entertaining & informative. This last year, however, I’ve been increasingly concerned about BTB and the broader Cool Zone Media ecosystem.

Since 10/7, coverage of I/P on It Could Happen Here (a podcast that started as a series of speculative essays by Robert Evans about what a Second Civil War might look like if it happened, and has since been turned into a daily/weekly show covering topical leftwing topics, hosted by other people on his team) has been iffy at best. I tuned out the second they hosted Sim Kern—someone I was introduced to pre-10/7 as a queer Jewish booktok-er who had some out-there takes but some decent ones but has since pivoted to hardcore promotion of JVP & their talking points. From what I have listened to, ICHH’s coverage of I/P has not been The Worst™️ I’ve seen, but definitely has some serious issues that have pretty heavily shaken my faith in CoolZoneMedia’s judgment regarding the content they produce.

Jason Petty (aka Propaganda), who is a frequent BTB guest, also has a show on the network (Hood Politics), and I’ve had a glowingly positive view of for a while, but he’s said some stuff recently about I/P that rubbed me the wrong way. I know he also recently started a mini-series on Hood Politics about I/P that I haven’t listened to yet (I may not ever; I think I’m at my limit for what I can handle, media diet-wise tbh), which I can’t comment on besides my initial gut feeling of “this gives me pause”.

But what has been the nail in the coffin for me in terms of interest in BTB and the entirety of Cool Zone Media has been this:

The most fair I can be to this is to acknowledge that Robert Evans stops just short of advocating for copycat suicides, but that is a grotesquely low bar that it physically churns my stomach to entertain as somehow a point in anyone’s favor.

This goes so far beyond irresponsible coverage. This is active lionization of self-harm and suicide. Robert’s “willing to give up their own life” is such a repulsively fucked up way to spin suicide.

Aaron Bushnell did not “give up his life”. He killed himself.

Cut the euphemistic bullshit, using indirect, flowery language to spin a guy fucking drenching himself in gasoline and burning himself to death while calling Jews genocidal colonizers as somehow romantic and commendable.

He killed himself.

He believed fucked up shit disconnected from reality and tried to “protest” it by killing himself—an act of self-harm with no material connection to improving the world in any way. If you’re promoting that as a “principled” act of “moral courage”, there is something severely fucking wrong with you—whether that’s mentally or morally, I do not care.

You are harming people and I want no part in it.

[asgoodeasgold]

FYC @sagawards @criticschoiceawards please consider Matthew Goode for his towering performance as Bob Evans in Paramount+ The Offer.

🔊SOUND ON🔊

In this wonderful scene, Bob tells of his first experience at the cinema watching Robin Hood and how much making movies means to him. And that's why he and his assistant Peter must watch the daily rushes despite the fact it's late at night and they have a mountain of things to do.

Matthew Goode is also putting the magic on the screen, so much belief and understated emotion, it made my spine tingle.

📷 Paramount+ The Offer (2022) my edit

[matthewgiggles]

📸The Offer Paramount Plus - BluRay extras. (Available to buy)

Bonus gifs 😁

[noneorother]

Share your GOS2 bibliography with me

How crazy is it that season 2 has basically forced me to go back to university. I’ve done more reading and critical analysis and historical research than I have in years. I bite my thumb at you, Neil (affectionate).

And as I’m sure I’m not alone in this, I’d love to see your bibliography of all of the references or reading/watch lists. I’m sure to pick up a few good ones! I’ll go first.

Movies + TV Arrival - Denis Villeneuve Clue - Jonathan Lynn I Know Where I'm Going - Powell & Pressburger The Ball - Magnus Dennison and Katja Roberts Every Day - Michael Sucsy About Time - Richard Curtis The Red Shoes - Powell & Pressburger The Small Back Room - Powell & Pressburger The Tales of Hoffmann - Powell & Pressburger Stairway to Heaven - Powell & Pressburger Ill Met By Moonlight - Powell & Pressburger The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse - Steve Bendelack Monty Python's Life of Brian - Terry Jones Monty Python and the Holy Grail - Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones The Twilight zone (The Arrival) Boris Sagal The Twilight zone (The Hitch-Hiker) - Alvin Ganzer Staged (Seasons 1 and 2) - Simon Evans & Phin Glynn Books The Crow Road - Iain Banks The Bridge - Iain Banks The Scholars of Night - John M. Ford Symbols of Sacred Science - René Guénon Catch-22 - Joseph Heller A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens The Colour of Magic - Terry Pratchett Night Watch (Discworld) - Terry Pratchett Parlement of Foules - Geoffrey Chaucer The language of the birds - Farid ud-Din Attar Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen Persuasion - Jane Austen Midnight Days - Neil Gaiman Negative Burn #11 - Neil Gaiman Chivalry - Neil Gaiman Other Les contes d'Hoffamann - opera, Jacques Offenbach Don Giovanni - opera, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart The Line, the Cross and the Curve - musical, Kate Bush The book of Enoch - Ethiopian Apocryphal trs. Rev. George Schodde, PhD

I'm sure there will be more... sigh. Spoiler alert: there are more! Donnie Darko - 2001, Richard Kelly Nothing Lasts Forever - 1984, Tom Schiller The Ghosts of Berkley Square - 1947, Vernon Sewell Brazil! - 1985, Terry Gilliam No Bed for Bacon - 1941, Caryl Brahms and S. J. Simon Don't, Mr Disraeli! - 1949, Caryl Brahms and S. J. Simon Murder Mysteries - Neil Gaiman The Man Who Was Thursday - 1908, GK Chesterton Small Gods - 1992, Terry Pratchett Ipomadon - Medieval - Trs. Richard Scott-Robinson

[goingrampant]

There's an increasingly common plot device or framework that I'm seeing applied where a basic antisemitic narrative is retold with the evil Jew figures replaced with Nazis in an effort to make it no longer antisemitic while still telling the same basic narrative. For a concrete label, let's call it... Protocols of the Elders of Nazism. The Illuminati exists; there is a secret society threatening children with bloodletting, but it’s the Nazis this time, so it's no longer antisemitic (?). With enough care, this can be executed well, but it may be substantially flawed and wind up supporting real world antisemitism with what reads as a dog whistle or first layer of Nazi propaganda to make new recruits accept basic premises of Nazi ideology before hitting them with the hard stuff. This latter condition may be due to bad writing or literal Nazi propaganda and the lack of clarity is part of the problem.

There are a few instances where this is done reasonably well (YMMV), to make an antifascist point from a place of respect toward Jews and Jewish culture. Roald Dahl was very antisemitic, and his The Witches book reproduces the blood libel narrative, as does the 1990 film adaptation, but the 2020 film attempts to spin this around to code the witches as Nazis with a smattering of German (I believe I read somewhere that Anne Hathaway deliberately played her witch character as a Nazi). Guillermo del Toro's The Strain draws heavily from Dracula and Nosferatu, both frequently labeled as antisemitic, and spins the narrative to have the vampire bad guys intertwined with the Nazis while heroic Jews oppose them. Hunters does similarly, with a Nakam-like rogue group of heroic Jews (eh... *handwavy gesture*) opposing a secret conspiracy of Nazis.

And then there is worse execution, with the framework often appearing as leftist populism while also ferreting in ideas in common with rightist populism/actual Nazism. The Boys comics drip with allusions to antisemitic conspiracy theories as part of its populist message but technically has a Nazi bad guy and villainous American fascism, which makes me consider the comics to read like an antifascist work made by an ex-Nazi the day after he decided he was antifa. The Boys TV show (which has a significant Jewish presence in the production) is better but still suffers this problem with its depiction of an evil pharmaceutical company exhibiting traits in common with antisemitic conspiracy theories, just now with a Nazi origin associated with a revamped version of the comics' Nazi bad guy as well as the American fascism element. Associated terf ideas bring Abigail Shrier's antisemitic conspiracy theory to mind, as well.

Hogwarts Legacy dresses its goblin antagonists up like Nazis, has a line of combat dialog be "I was only following orders!", and depicts them as racist against humans... while also an allusion to anti-SJW Nazi propaganda characterizing feminist game critics as a Jewish conspiracy. The goblins drip with antisemitic imagery but are supposed to be Nazis. With one of the main developers' active advocacy for Gamergate and fixation on Anita Sarkeesian, who I believe was demonized through the main goblin antagonist in allusion to neo-Nazi antisemitic memes ("Anita Jewkeesian"), I think it's reasonable to characterize the game as Nazi propaganda. It's worth note that journalist Robert Evans suggests in The War on Everyone, his audiobook chronicling the development of American neo-Nazism, that Gamergate could have been created by Internet-savy neo-Nazis to spread propaganda.

Most recently, Wonka--also an adaptation of a Roald Dahl work--depicts an evil money-grubbing cartel with characters alluding to Hitler in name and appearance... and seemingly alludes to terf Abigail Shrier's antisemitic conspiracy theory with this evil cartel drugging a woman's daughter to give her a mustache. A chocolate that makes you get clever ideas, made of the essences of lightning and sunshine, is also concerning. ("The lightning and the sun" is a phrase from Nazi occultism representing Hitler as a heroic god figure opposing spiritual chaos, and you can find references to it as dog whistles in various places. Joe Rogan seems to have been indoctrinated in this ideology and similarly dropped references to it. It's possible someone involved in the production of Wonka stuck in lightning and sun references to dog whistle?)

This trope should not be seen as an instant fix for narratives grounded in antisemitism and may indeed carry ideas serving to induct people into coming to accept antisemitic conspiracy theories and associated problems. My takeaway is that depictions of Nazis should be handled with great care. It's not simply acceptable to stick them into any old evil archetype and call it a day. When resurrecting antisemitic narratives, care must be taken to insure the antisemitism itself doesn't propagate, whether or not Nazis are in it as bad guys.

[barkingbonzo]

CHINATOWN 𝟭𝟵𝟳𝟰

Chinatown is a 1974 American neo-noir mystery film directed by Roman Polanski from a screenplay by Robert Towne. The film stars Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. It was inspired by the California water wars, a series of disputes over southern California water at the beginning of the 20th century, by which Los Angeles interests secured water rights in the Owens Valley. The Robert Evans production, released by Paramount Pictures, was Polanski's last film in the United States and features many elements of film noir, particularly a multi-layered story that is part mystery and part psychological drama. Chinatown was released in the United States on June 20, 1974, to high critical and commercial success.

Chinatown received a leading 11 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director (for Polanski), Best Actor (for Nicholson) and Best Actress (for Dunaway), winning Best Original Screenplay. At the 28th British Academy Film Awards, the film received 11 nominations, including Best Film, Best Actress in a Leading Role (for Dunaway) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (for Huston), and won a leading 3 awards, including Best Direction (for Polanski) and Best Actor in a Leading Role (for Nicholson). It also received 7 nominations at the 32nd Golden Globe Awards, including Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama (for Dunaway) and Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture (for Huston), and won 4 awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director (for Polanski) and Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (for Nicholson).

The American Film Institute placed it second among its top ten mystery films in 2008. In 1991, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". It is also often cited as one of the greatest films of all time.

A sequel, The Two Jakes, was released in 1990, again starring Nicholson, who also directed, with Robert Towne returning to write the screenplay. The film failed to match the acclaim of its predecessor.

[riri53]

Here's an example for these kind of fan fic:

Infinity war cast x short!insecure!rader

Summary: Reader is 4'11 and insecure about it but her cast mates and fans show her that she's beautiful.

Warrings: None

A/N: Reader here uses she/her pronouns. Also english isn't my first lamguage so I'm sorry for my grammar.

-----------

Y/N Y/L/N had always been self-conscious about her height. At 4'11, she often felt like she was constantly overlooked and underestimated, especially in the cutthroat world of Hollywood. But when she landed a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she knew that she had to put her insecurities aside and bring her A-game.

At the Infinity War panel, Y/N was nervous. She had never been in front of such a large audience before, and she was worried that her height would be a topic of ridicule. But as she took her place on stage alongside her fellow cast members, she was surprised to hear them all gushing about how much they loved her petite stature.

"Y/N is a powerhouse, despite her size," Chris Evans said, earning cheers from the audience. "She's got more energy and spunk than any of us combined."

Robert Downey Jr. chimed in, "And let's not forget how easy it is to maneuver her around during fight scenes. It's like having a little ninja on set."

Y/N blushed, feeling grateful and relieved that her height was being celebrated rather than criticized. And the positive feedback didn't stop there. As she walked around the convention center, fans approached her to tell her how much they loved her portrayal of her character and how they admired her confidence and talent.

But perhaps the most memorable moment of the day was when Tom Holland, her mischievous co-star, snuck up behind her and lifted her off the ground, spinning her around in a playful prank. The crowd erupted in laughter, and Y/N couldn't help but join in.

In that moment, Y/N realized that her height wasn't something to be ashamed of. It was a part of who she was, and it made her unique and memorable. She felt a newfound sense of confidence and pride in herself and her abilities, and she knew that she had the support of her cast and fans behind her.

From that day forward, Y/N Y/L/N embraced her height and all the quirks and challenges that came with it. And as she continued to shine on screen and in public appearances, she inspired others to do the same, proving that sometimes the things that make us different are the very things that make us great.

[cherienymphe]

I think Chris evans, Timothée Chalamet, Henry Cavill and Robert Patterson fan girls are the most delusional and obsessed, but I always give these actors the side eye for never publicly defending their girlfriends from harassment. I understand not having to respond to every single  piece of criticism directly towards you as a celeb, but they’re always quiet when their partners get harassed like crazy. Like fka twigs and rob were together for 3 years not once did he stand up for her when his fans racially abused her online and was comparing her to slaves and monkeys 🥴🥴🥴

Yeah in some ways I think they (including the partners) expect it on some level bc truthfully I don't know of any gf or wife or whatever that hasn't been harassed but I do think there comes a point where something needs to be said. FKA Twigs' cellophane is proof that that shit got to her and it'd gotten to a point where she felt like Rob needed to defend her and he didn't. I periodically hate him for three minutes and 24 seconds of my life 😭

[themuseumwithoutwalls]

MWW Artwork of the Day (6/27/23) Robert Reid (American, 1862-1929) The Mirror (c. 1910) Oil on canvas, 94.9 x 77 cm. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC (Gift of William T. Evans)

Known primarily for his murals in the Library of Congress and other public buildings, Reid also painted bold, richly colored figures and landscapes in the Impressionist manner. In 1897 he was inaugurated into the Ten American Painters, the youngest of that number, but affecting a dazzling palette that outshone the more somber tones of his colleagues. The decorative quality of his canvases prompted a major critic to dub him a “decorative Impressionist”; yet another called his work “sentimental” and “pretty,” all of which must have improved his sales in some markets. As Richard Boyle astringently remarks, “sentiment pervaded all the art world at that time. It was popular and it sold.”

More of this artist's work is included in this MWW gallery/album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.558575937581113&type=3

[ghelgheli]

The Stuff I Read in September 2023

Stuff I Extra Liked Is Bold

Books

Orphans of the Sky, Robert A. Heinlein

Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein

Revenant Gun, Yoon Ha Lee

All Systems Red, Martha Wells

Artificial Condition, Martha Wells

Rogue Protocol, Martha Wells

Exit Strategy, Martha Wells

Friendship Poems, ed. Peter Washington

Introduction to Linear Algebra, ch. 1-3, Gilbert Strang

Manga (mostly yuri [really all yuri])

Yagate Kimi ni Naru / Bloom Into You, Nio Nakatani

Kaketa Tsuki to Dōnattsu / Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, Shio Usui

Onna Tomodachi to Kekkon Shitemita / Trying Out Marriage With My Female Friend, Shio Usui

Kimi no Tame ni Sekai wa Aru / The World Exists for You, Shio Usui

Teiji ni Agaretara / If We Leave on the Dot, Ayu Inui

Nikurashii Hodo Aishiteru / I Love You So Much I Hate You, Ayu Inui

Tsukiatte Agetemo Ī Kana / How Do We Relationship? Tamifull

Himegoto - Juukyuusai no Seifuku / Uniforms at the Age of Nineteen, Ryou Minenami

Colorless Girl, Honami Shirono

Short Fiction

It gets so lonely here, ebi-hime [itch.io]

Aye, and Gomorrah, Samuel R. Delaney [strange horizons]

Evolutionary Game Theory

Red Queen and Red King Effects in cultural agent-based modeling: Hawk Dove Binary and Systemic Discrimination, S. M. Amadae & Christopher J. Watts [doi]

The Evolution of Social Norms, H. Peyton Young [doi]

The Checkerboard Model of Social Interaction, James Sakoda [doi]

Dynamic Models of Segregation, Thomas C. Schelling [doi]

Towards a Unified Science of Cultural Evolution, Alex Mesoudi, Andrew Whiten, Kevin N. Laland [doi]

Is Human Cultural Evolution Darwinian? Alex Mesoudi, Andrew Whiten, Kevin N. Laland [doi]

Gender/Sexuality/Queer Stuff (up to several degrees removed)

Re-orienting Desire: The Gay International and the Arab World, Joseph Massad [link]

The Empire of Sexuality, Joseph Massad (interview) [link]

The Bare Bones of Sex, Anne Fausto-Sterling [jstor]

On the Biology of Sexed Subjects, Helen Keane & Marsha Rosengarten [doi]

Vacation Cruises: Or, the Homoerotics of Orientalism, Joseph A. Boone [jstor]

Romancing the Transgender Native: Rethinking the Use of the “Third Gender” Concept, Evan B. Towle & Lynn M. Morgan [doi]

Scientific Racism and the Emergence of the Homosexual Body, Siobhan Somerville [jstor]

White Sexual Imperialism: A Theory of Asian Feminist Jurisprudence, Sunny Woan [link]

Haunted by the 1990s: Queer Theory’s Affective Histories, Kadji Amin [jstor]

Annoying Anthro

The Sexual Division of Labor, Rebecca B. Bird, Brian F. Codding [researchgate]

Factors in the Division of Labor by Sex: A Cross-Cultural Analysis, George P. Murdock & Caterina Provost [jstor]

Biosocial Construction of Sex Differences and Similarities in Behavior, Wendy Wood & Alice H. Eagly [doi]

Political Theory

Some critics argue that the Internal Colony Theory is outdated. Here’s why they’re wrong, Patrick D. Anderson [link]

Toward a New Theory of Internal Colonialism, Charles Pinderhughes [link]

The Anatomy of Iranian Racism: Reflections on the Root Causes of South Azerbaijans Resistance Movement, Alireza Asgharzadeh [link]

The veil or a brother's life: French manipulations of Muslim women's images during the Algerian War, 1954–62, Elizabeth Perego [doi]

A Difficulty in the Concept of Social Welfare, Kenneth J. Arrow [jstor]

Manipulation of Voting Schemes: A General Result, Allan Gibbard [jstor]

China Has Billionaires, Roderic Day [redsails]

Other

Conversations I Can't Have, Cassandra Byers Harvin [proquest]

Earth system impacts of the European arrival and Great Dying in the Americas after 1492, Alexander Koch et al. [doi]

Why prisons are not “The New Asylums”, Liat Ben-Moshe [doi]

Uses of Value Judgments in Science: A General Argument, with Lessons from a Case Study of Feminist Research on Divorce, Elizabeth Anderson [doi]

Boundary Issues, Lily Scherlis [link]

[denimbex1986]

'OPPENHEIMER (2023) 94% #1 Critics Consensus: Oppenheimer marks another engrossing achievement from Christopher Nolan that benefits from Murphy's tour-de-force performance and stunning visuals. Synopsis: During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to work on the top-secret Manhattan... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr. Directed By: Christopher Nolan

A QUIET PLACE PART II (2021) 91% #2 Critics Consensus: A nerve-wracking continuation of its predecessor, A Quiet Place Part II expands the terrifying world of the franchise without losing track of its heart. Synopsis: Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world... Starring: Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe Directed By: John Krasinski

THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY (2006) 90% #3 Critics Consensus: Bleak and uncompromising, but director Ken Loach brightens his film with gorgeous cinematography and tight pacing, and features a fine performance from Cillian Murphy. Synopsis: In 1920s Ireland young doctor Damien O'Donovan (Cillian Murphy) prepares to depart for a new job in a London hospital.... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham, Orla Fitzgerald Directed By: Ken Loach

INCEPTION (2010) 87% #4 Critics Consensus: Smart, innovative, and thrilling, Inception is that rare summer blockbuster that succeeds viscerally as well as intellectually. Synopsis: Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a thief with the rare ability to enter people's dreams and steal their secrets from... Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy Directed By: Christopher Nolan

28 DAYS LATER (2002) 87% #5 Critics Consensus: Kinetically directed by Danny Boyle, 28 Days Later is both a terrifying zombie movie and a sharp political allegory. Synopsis: A group of misguided animal rights activists free a caged chimp infected with the "Rage" virus from a medical research... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Noah Huntley, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson Directed By: Danny Boyle

BATMAN BEGINS (2005) 84% #6 Critics Consensus: Brooding and dark, but also exciting and smart, Batman Begins is a film that understands the essence of one of the definitive superheroes. Synopsis: A young Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) travels to the Far East, where he's trained in the martial arts... Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes Directed By: Christopher Nolan

THE PARTY (2017) 82% #7 Critics Consensus: Old-fashioned charm meets sharp wit and modern social satire in The Party, a biting comedy carried by a shining performance from Patricia Clarkson. Synopsis: A comedy of tragic proportions.... Starring: Patricia Clarkson, Bruno Ganz, Cherry Jones, Emily Mortimer Directed By: Sally Potter

RED EYE (2005) 79% #8 Critics Consensus: With solid performances and tight direction from Wes Craven, Red Eye is a brisk, economic thriller. Synopsis: In the wake of her grandmother's funeral, hotel manager Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) is waiting to fly back home when... Starring: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox, Jayma Mays Directed By: Wes Craven

SUNSHINE (2007) 76% #9 Critics Consensus: Danny Boyle continues his descent into mind-twisting sci-fi madness, taking us along for the ride. Sunshine fulfills the dual requisite necessary to become classic sci-fi: dazzling visuals with intelligent action. Synopsis: In the not-too-distant future, Earth's dying sun spells the end for humanity. In a last-ditch effort to save the planet... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh Directed By: Danny Boyle

PEAKY BLINDERS (2013) 93% #10 Synopsis: Britain is a mixture of despair and hedonism in 1919 in the aftermath of the Great War. Returning soldiers... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Natasha O'Keeffe, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle Directed By: Otto Bathurst, Anthony Byrne

INTERMISSION (2003) 74% #11 Critics Consensus: An edgy and energetic ensemble story. Synopsis: After Dublin resident John (Cillian Murphy) attempts a "trial" breakup with his girlfriend (Kelly Macdonald), she starts dating a middle-aged... Starring: Colin Farrell, Shirley Henderson, Kelly Macdonald, Colm Meaney Directed By: John Crowley

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING (2003) 73% #12 Critics Consensus: Visually arresting, but the story could be told with a bit more energy. Synopsis: When her father goes blind, Griet (Scarlett Johansson) must go to work as a maid for painter Johannes Vermeer... Starring: Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson, Judy Parfitt Directed By: Peter Webber

FREE FIRE (2016) 70% #13 Critics Consensus: Free Fire aims squarely for genre thrills, and hits its target repeatedly and with great gusto -- albeit with something less than pure cinematic grace. Synopsis: When a black-market arms deal goes outrageously wrong, Justine finds herself caught in the crossfire, forced to navigate through... Starring: Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy Directed By: Ben Wheatley

THE DELINQUENT SEASON (2017) 67% #14 Critics Consensus: No consensus yet. Synopsis: Two couples in suburban Dublin appear to live in marital bliss until an altercation between one of the couples occurs,... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Andrew Scott, Eva Birthistle, Catherine Walker Directed By: Mark O'Rowe

ON THE EDGE (2001) 67% #15 Critics Consensus: No consensus yet. Synopsis: When a young man suffering from depression after the death of his father is committed to a mental institution... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Tricia Vessey, Jonathan Jackson, Stephen Rea Directed By: John Carney

ANTHROPOID (2016) 67% #16 Critics Consensus: Anthropoid completes its mission rather unevenly but delivers a historically illuminating story with great performances to back it up. Synopsis: In December 1941, two Czech soldiers (Cillian Murphy, Jamie Dornan) parachute into their occupied homeland to assassinate Nazi officer Reinhard... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Jamie Dornan, Charlotte Le Bon, Anna Geislerová Directed By: Sean Ellis

BROKEN (2012) 63% #17 Critics Consensus: No consensus yet. Synopsis: A girl witnesses a violent attack committed by a neighbor in one of three interconnected stories in a British housing... Starring: Tim Roth, Eloise Laurence, Cillian Murphy, Rory Kinnear Directed By: Rufus Norris

RETREAT (2011) 62% #18 Critics Consensus: No consensus yet. Synopsis: On an isolated island, a couple's attempt to recover from a personal tragedy is shattered when a stranger washes ashore... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Jamie Bell, Thandiwe Newton, Jimmy Yuill Directed By: Carl Tibbetts

BREAKFAST ON PLUTO (2005) 57% #19 Critics Consensus: Well-acted if monotonous drama about a transvestite prostitute in London during the 1970s. Synopsis: As a baby, Patrick (Cillian Murphy) is left by his mother on the steps of the rectory in their small... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea, Brendan Gleeson Directed By: Neil Jordan

WAVERIDERS (2008) 56% #20 Critics Consensus: No consensus yet. Synopsis: The untold story of Irish big wave surfing.... Starring: Cillian Murphy Directed By: Joel Conroy

PERRIER'S BOUNTY (2009) 55% #21 Critics Consensus: It has interesting characters and a strong cast, but Perrier's Bounty ultimately fails to do anything original with them. Synopsis: A petty crook (Cillian Murphy), his ailing father (Jim Broadbent) and a pretty neighbor go on the run from an... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Jodie Whittaker Directed By: Ian Fitzgibbon

TRON: LEGACY (2010) 51% #22 Critics Consensus: Tron Legacy boasts dazzling visuals, but its human characters and story get lost amidst its state-of-the-art production design. Synopsis: Sam (Garrett Hedlund), the son of famous video-game developer Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), has been haunted for a long time... Starring: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner Directed By: Joseph Kosinski

IN THE HEART OF THE SEA (2015) 42% #23 Critics Consensus: The admirably old-fashioned In the Heart of the Sea boasts thoughtful storytelling to match its visual panache, even if it can't claim the depth or epic sweep to which it so clearly aspires. Synopsis: In 1820, crewmen (Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy) aboard the New England vessel Essex face a harrowing battle for... Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson Directed By: Ron Howard

IN TIME (2011) 37% #24 Critics Consensus: In Time's intriguing premise and appealing cast are easily overpowered by the blunt, heavy-handed storytelling. Synopsis: In a future where time is money and the wealthy can live forever, Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) is a poor... Starring: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, Vincent Kartheiser Directed By: Andrew Niccol

THE EDGE OF LOVE (2008) 37% #25 Critics Consensus: Despite effective performances from Knightley and Miller, The Edge of Love lacks a coherent narrative. Synopsis: Two women (Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller) are best friends and rivals for the love of poet Dylan Thomas.... Starring: Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy, Matthew Rhys Directed By: John Maybury

ANNA (2019) 33% #26 Critics Consensus: Anna finds writer-director Luc Besson squarely in his wheelhouse, but fans of this variety of stylized action have seen it all done before -- and better. Synopsis: Beneath a woman's striking beauty lies a secret that will unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of... Starring: Sasha Luss, Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy, Helen Mirren Directed By: Luc Besson

RED LIGHTS (2012) 30% #27 Critics Consensus: Wasting the talents of an impressive cast on a predictable mystery, Red Lights lacks the clairvoyance to know what audiences want. Synopsis: Professional skeptics (Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver) try to prove that a famous psychic (Robert De Niro) is lying about his... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Toby Jones Directed By: Rodrigo Cortés

DISCO PIGS (2001) 20% #28 Critics Consensus: No consensus yet. Synopsis: Pig (Cillian Murphy) and Runt (Elaine Cassidy) born on the same day, in the same hospital, moments apart. Twins... Starring: Elaine Cassidy, Cillian Murphy, Geraldine O'Rawe, Eleanor Methven Directed By: Kirsten Sheridan

TRANSCENDENCE (2014) 19% #29 Critics Consensus: In his directorial debut, ace cinematographer Wally Pfister remains a distinctive visual stylist, but Transcendence's thought-provoking themes exceed the movie's narrative grasp. Synopsis: Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp), the world's foremost authority on artificial intelligence, is conducting highly controversial experiments to create... Starring: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Cillian Murphy Directed By: Wally Pfister

ALOFT (2014) 17% #30 Critics Consensus: Glacially paced and ineptly plotted, Aloft crushes the game efforts of a talented cast under a dreary viewing experience whose title proves sadly ironic. Synopsis: Accompanied by a documentary filmmaker, a falconer (Cillian Murphy) sets out across a frozen landscape to find his mother... Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent, Oona Chaplin Directed By: Claudia Llosa'

[asgoodeasgold]

FYC @sagawards @criticschoiceawards please consider Matthew Goode for his peerless performance as Bob Evans in Paramount+ The Offer.

It was challenging role but Matthew gave an acting masterclass - he made larger-than-life Bob feel real and dazzled critics.

[matthewgiggles]

📸 The Offer Paramount Plus - Blu-ray extras 📀 (Region 1) - Matthew and his twinkling turquoise eyes 🤩 chatting about the Godfather and the 🎶 of the wedding scene.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Leave the World Behind grabs you with its initial scenario, builds up the tension to a critical point, and then leaves you with a… mostly satisfying ending. I say mostly because the film is so well acted and raises so many complex emotions that your expectations rise to an impossibly high level. That sounds like a much harder criticism than intended. It just means the film is the kind you thoroughly enjoy during your initial watch but are unlikely to revisit.

During an impromptu weekend getaway at a luxurious home near the beach, Amanda (Julia Roberts), her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke), their teenage son Archie (Charlie Evans) and younger daughter Rose (Farrah Mackenzie) narrowly avoid an oil tanker than runs ashore. Soon after, they notice the TV no longer works and the internet is unavailable. When the home’s owner - George (Mahershala Ali) and his college-age daughter, Ruth (Myha’la) arrive unexpectedly - an already uneasy situation becomes even tenser.

One of the film’s biggest strengths is the way it keeps its cards close to its chest. Aside from a couple of brief messages on Amanda’s phone, we have no idea what’s happening. Some of the strange events seem unrelated and if they are connected, you have no idea what could be causing them. Hackers could be responsible for disrupting the television, Wi-Fi and cellphone networks, but why would that affect the nearby wildlife? Things only get spookier as more conflicting information about what’s happening trickles in. Even when theories about what’s causing this proposed, you’re unsure if you can trust the source, which offers you no comfort, whatsoever.

You’ll sweat plenty from the prospect of the world shutting down for mysterious, likely nefarious reasons and if you aren’t, the character interactions will. There’s something wrong with Amanda. It’s understandable that she’s nervous about the situation, but the moment George and his daughter arrive, something about them sets off a series of irrational alarms inside her head. You wonder if she would react the same if they were white, and George’s daughter wonders the same thing. With a greater disaster surely on its way, these people need to cooperate and stay cool. For the most part, they do. Clay is doing his best to defuse the situation, so is George but you know one false move and the polite harmony will crumble.

The characters help an already engaging scenario become the kind you can’t look away from. There’s a part of you that strongly dislikes, maybe even hates Amanda. She’s coming so close to ruining everything so consistently… but she never becomes a caricature. She’s too real. It’s easy for you to recognize a part of yourself in her. Julia Robert’s excellent performance helps. You could say the same about the entire cast. There are so many great character moments. Kevin Bacon has a small but critical role, Ethan Hawke is perfectly cast, same for Mahershala Ali and Myha’la. All the characters have flaws. So much that I’m not sure you could say you “like” any of them but you also understand how upsetting these events would be, so you can't help empathize.

There’s one plot thread I’m unsure what to make of. At the film's beginning, Rose is about to finish the TV series Friends. She’s on the last episode when the Wi-Fi gives out. At one point in the story, she wanders away from everyone, determined to find a way to finish her show. It’s not surprising, considering her mother has repeatedly chosen to shelter her children from the severity of the situation. Her obsession with a trivial matter - the lives of a bunch of fictional characters whose story ended in 2004 - sets off a chain reaction that has nearly everyone running and panicking. On the other hand, we see people who - rather than try and live their lives as normally as possible until things blow over - take these events as an opportunity to do what they wouldn't have been able to under normal circumstances, and that leads to a disaster of unimaginable magnitude. It makes you wonder what screenplay writer and director Sam Esmail thinks of Rose.

Leave the World Behind makes its 2hr+ running time fly by like nothing, creates one nail-biting situation after another and its conclusion will have you thinking for a while. There's a lot you could say about it, even if it isn't exactly pleasant or the kind of movie I think you'll feel the need to ever revisit. Considering you'd be watching it "for free"/as part of a subscription, it's an easy recommendation. (January 4, 2024)

[pleasereadmeok]

A Goode Year 2022

I’m doing this a bit early coz I won’t be around much over the holidays.  Every year I sit down to write these thinking - hmm - we didn’t see enough of Matthew Goode this year.  [NEVER enough]  But then each year I’m surprised by how busy he is. 

January was all about season 3 of A Discovery of Witches. 

[📷 Sky]

Sadly it was a shorter season due to Covid but we got to see Matthew Goode back in the suit and cashmere for Prof Clairmont once more.  And he held babies.  😁

Stop animation ‘The House’ was released on Netflix - 

[📷 Nexus]

...  and we all watched and wondered what the hell it was all about.  Matthew played this guy called Raymond - 

Coz you just look at Raymond’s felty face and your first thought is ‘Matthew Goode’? Nope.  Anyway this got quite a following from the stop animation fans and won some noms and awards so all goode. 

Also in January we got our very first glimpse of Matthew Goode in ‘The Offer’ when this little teaser dropped - 

[📷 Paramount +]

There he is - BOB!  

More promos appeared later in January including this gem - 

[📷 Miller Mobley]

February gave us more of Matthew Clairmont in his sharp jackets and cuddlesome cashmere. 🤤

We also got the amazing trailer for ‘The Offer’ and all of our hopes were fulfilled when we got our first look at Matthew’s awesome portrayal of Robert Evans. 

The best thing was that other people noticed it too and at last Matthew got some love for his acting skills from the critics.  

In other news - The Wine Show moved to it’s new home on AcornTV AND Matthew surprised us by attending the London Premiere of ‘The Duke’. 

He was obviously excited to be there and we loved seeing him in the flesh again. 

‘The Duke’ was just what Brits returning to the cinema needed - an old fashioned Brit comedy drama.  Matthew shone as ‘star’ barrister Jeremy Hutchinson and he was so convincing that he’d definitely be the one I’d call if I needed representing in court - 

 In March we said a final farewell to ‘A Discovery of Witches’ 😢 but not before we got to see some adorable Matthew outtakes - 

Meanwhile Matthew was clearing out his wardrobe and putting a lot of goodies into the ‘Auction for Ukraine’.  It wasn’t until later that we found out that the idea and most of the organising had been started by Matthew and that he roped in some high profile friends to help. 👏 

April was wall to wall ‘The Offer’ promotion.  We haven’t seen Matthew do so much promotion for a project since 2014 so this was heaven for Goode fans -

 So many funny and engaging interviews to enjoy but I swear if I hear him say ‘timbre’, ‘cadence’, ‘YouTube’ and ‘wormholes’ ever again I might have to scream.  

Better still - Matthew attended the LA premiere for ‘The Offer’ so we got another red carpet interview and even more new pics of him - 

[📷my edit from Extra TV youtube]

When ‘The Offer’ premiered on the 28th April - OMG Matthew was incredible as Robert Evans.  A stunning performance in every way. 

The Bob show continued through May and we got more goode interviews and articles to enjoy.  Just going to highlight this one in the LA Times - https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-05-05/the-offer-paramount-cast-matthew-goode-robert-evans   coz of the gorgeous pictures by Dania Maxwell

[📷 Dania Maxwell/LA Times] 

Matthew and Sophie were also invited to the London premiere of ‘Top Gun’ - presumably by Miles Teller?  Anyway - he gave us a little wave on red carpet TV - 

[📷 screenshots from Red Carpet TV and Tristan Fewings]

At last we saw Matthew do another chat show!  In June he was a guest on NBC's ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’ and joked about getting into American Football and trying to get X [R] rated movies from his local store as a kid ....  

Matthew attended the New York Premiere of ‘The Offer’ the next day - 

[📷Michael Loccisano/Getty Images]

Paramount + launched in the UK later in June and Matthew introduced ‘The Offer’ to the audience - 

[📷 Mike Marsland/Dave J Hogan] 

Matthew’s amazing work on the Auction for Ukraine was finally revealed in a fun guest appearance on The Chris Evans Radio Show.  We also got the first hint about his next project - with an acting hero 🤔  

[📷 Virgin Radio]   

One of the top auction lots was a lunch hosted by Matthew and friends at Hide restaurant - 

[📷 Hide Restaurant]

Before Matthew headed off for his summer holidays in July he found time to guest on ‘This Morning’ with Alison and Dermot.  

He talked about how he nearly missed out on getting the part of Robert Evans due to visa issues 😱 and he confirmed that acting hero he would be working with was indeed Anthony Hopkins!

Matthew headed off to Greece for a family holiday but found time to take a selfie with some fans - 

[📷 Paul and Kerry Hulme - cropped for privacy] 

July also brought us the official trailer for ‘Medieval’ and we got to see Matthew swaggering about in lavish cloaks and that glorious ginger hair - 

Matthew turned up with Hugh Bonneville at a Coldplay gig at Wembley arena in August - 

Medieval was released in September so we saw more of Matthew’s spectacular costumes and THAT hair - 

What happened in October?  Not a lot but in November we did get confirmation that Matthew would be working with Anthony Hopkins on the movie ‘Freud’s Last Session’.  

The movie will be based on the play by Mark St. Germain and Matthew will play C.S. Lewis.  

So I think that brings us up to date.  It’s been a Goode year for showcasing Matthew’s superb acting skills with his perfectly crafted role as Robert Evans in ‘The Offer’ and watching him actually enjoy promoting a show has been a highlight for me.   But if I have to choose the best part of the Goode year - Matthew’s work in getting together the Auction for Ukraine needs a special mention - coz he sure won’t mention it.  He obviously worked really hard on calling in favours and getting things moving and as a result the Auction raised £838,900!  So well done Matthew and all of your friends who helped! 👏

[tea-with-evan-and-me]

https://twitter.com/hourlyyemma/status/1771178116838310178?t=YPU4E1WSwQQpotm-pn0S-g&s=19

Literally the only thing that keeps her relevant is this type of shit are they not embarrassed

evan peters: emmy and golden globe winner, SAG award nominated, record-breaking viewership for a netflix series he starred in, critically acclaimed actor

emma roberts: memes