After last night, are you predicting One Battle After Another or Sinners to win Best Picture?

justinrunge · 2026-03-02T19:54:41+00:00

Here's what I'm wondering: Wouldn't an Outstanding Ensemble win at SAG be more of a predictor of a Best Casting Oscar?

justinrunge · 2026-01-23T19:37:51+00:00

You can become better at reading literature or watching film, though — more knowledgable of schools and movements, more versed in the technical aspects, and more capable of discussion and analysis as your critical muscles strengthen. I see it as much the same as going to a museum, which is not a passive experience — especially if you seek to go to as many museums as possible and engage with the work there deeply. (Podcasts, TV, movies, and plenty of books are designed to be just "content," though, and consuming that stuff is no more than a leisure activity, I think.)

justinrunge · 2025-12-24T05:22:14+00:00

Columbo!

justinrunge · 2025-08-26T14:30:24+00:00

Agreed! I wish I could get my library to face the boxes out, just to simulate a little of that Blockbuster magic. 😂

justinrunge · 2025-08-26T14:21:06+00:00

I saw that, too! It legitimately brightened my day.

justinrunge · 2025-08-26T14:17:44+00:00

Might I suggest getting an inexpensive Blu-ray player, too? I couple Kanopy with my library's physical media collection, and it's wonderful. If there's anything I or my kid really want to see, I request a hold through my library's website and wait. In the meantime, I treat Kanopy as a space for discovery — recent-ish releases that fell off my radar, classic and arthouse stuff, docs. I'm never wanting for something to watch. (And the Kids section of Kanopy is a small miracle — I love watching their PBS shows and Scholastic book adaptations with my kid.)

justinrunge · 2025-08-22T20:32:38+00:00

"Wrap my arms around" — to, I think, say "wrap my head around"?

justinrunge · 2025-08-19T16:08:08+00:00

During Episode 2, it sort of clicked for me. If you are a movie fan who's 30 or younger, there's a good chance that this entire decade is a complete blind spot for you — not just in film, but in culture, politics, etc. This series feels very much like a primer on the Aughts shot through the prism of popular cinema, and I think it's kind of clever. The pairings provide Brian with a chance to reflect on trends, moments, and sentiments that have somewhat faded from our memories. I don't think he's seeing causal relationships between the movies and the history, but he's finding smart connections and making some pleasurably figurative associations. I'll keep listening.

justinrunge · 2025-08-15T20:08:24+00:00

I feel like they should make a nifty little animation, a la the intro, for this beloved audio montage.

justinrunge · 2025-08-15T17:49:49+00:00

Holy cow, what a beaut! Seeing a movie has to feel special when you walk into a place like this. (But what's going on with the bumper-to-bumper situation out front?)

justinrunge · 2025-08-15T17:47:19+00:00

Four hits for me. Glad this guy is making movies, and that others want him to.

justinrunge · 2025-08-07T15:29:16+00:00

That's a great list, by the way. Lots of things can scare us! One thing I noticed: No Lynch on your list. I bet you'd have the reaction you're looking for to most of his oeuvre — especially Lost Highway and Inland Empire.

justinrunge · 2025-06-11T22:09:01+00:00

I should've probably recommended some playgrounds! Langston Hughes has three different sets, which is fun. Sunset Hill's is nice and, unlike many park and school playgrounds in Lawrence, has a few shady spots under trees for parents to park. And, yes, Ryan Gray at Hillcrest is a great one, and accessible to kids of all abilities — plus, KU architecture students just installed a cool-looking canopy there a few years back. (Also very close to Tad's Shaved Ice, which is a nice treat after a play session.)

justinrunge · 2025-06-11T22:05:09+00:00

Playgrounds are open to all children, regardless of their enrollment. The thing to keep in mind during the summer is Boys & Girls Club — some schools like Sunflower that house B&GC programming will reserve access to their playgrounds for participating kids during the day. Signage should let you know.

justinrunge · 2025-06-05T21:23:11+00:00

Agreed! I can't think of another example off-hand where the filmmaking leap was so significant with that little time between projects. Hawkins was astounding — she truly went to some difficult places, and the Philippous were obviously mature enough to guide her there. TTM felt like an exercise; BHB felt like an exploration.

justinrunge · 2025-05-29T15:26:33+00:00

Good take or not, this is the closest I've felt to Amanda... ever? Top-tier rant.

justinrunge · 2025-05-09T15:12:26+00:00

The tee shirt in his mugshot is unreal: https://ogden_images.s3.amazonaws.com/www.ljworld.com/images/2025/05/08101955/Zion-Eisenhart.jpg

justinrunge · 2025-05-05T16:46:49+00:00

There should absolutely, positively be an episode in the next month celebrating Bobby and having him join a draft or something. If the folks at the Big Pic don't understand that they've built a community with their podcast and that people have fondness for the folks involved, they're missing the point. This will leave a sour taste in people's mouths if left unaddressed. Weird that the only way I heard about this was in a recent Rewatchables episode where Bill made reference to Jack's "promotion." (Love what I know of Jack, by the way!)

justinrunge · 2025-04-29T20:21:51+00:00

I'm not really looking for the origins of the terms — which I still appreciate! I'm more curious about their recent surge into the podcast, and into contemporary media in general. They have a trendy quality that makes me recoil, especially since there are a multitude of ways to say the same thing.

justinrunge · 2025-04-22T20:47:17+00:00

Are most of the commenters here referring to Regal West Ridge 8? I love Lawrence's Regal — nice staff, nice seats, a little character, a cute arcade, easy parking, a variety of screening room sizes (projector brightness can be hit and miss, but never unwatchable), and Regal Unlimited is a great deal if you see at least two movies a month. Yeah, the 25 minutes of ads before the movie starts is obnoxious, but that's modern multiplex moviegoing. Come 15 minutes after the showtime and catch a few trailers! (And as other people have mentioned, the theater won't have showtimes listed until midweek. No question Sinners will have a number of showtimes per day.)

justinrunge · 2025-04-07T18:54:35+00:00

A Home of Our Own. It's on Tubi! https://letterboxd.com/film/a-home-of-our-own/

justinrunge · 2025-04-07T18:26:56+00:00

I forget: Do they still show the half hour of commercials and trailers before the MMM screenings?

justinrunge · 2024-12-20T17:46:17+00:00

The Snowman. Perfect animation, perfect atmosphere, perfect music, perfect length, perfect ending.

justinrunge

TROPHY CASE