How can an article about actors playing made-up versions of themselves not mention Being John Malkovich? The omission is almost as egregious as the one FT video game writer did to Planescape: Torment. Both of the snubbed works of art came out in 1999, which I can only assume was too far behind the authors’ time horizon, but then if you write about a field for a living shouldn’t you know about its (fairly recent) history?

I am of firm believe that to know a thing is to know its roots. Yes, this can go too far — see the name of this very blog — but most people most of the time don’t go far enough back, the most common knowledge border being their birth year. Which is fine for a blogger, not so great for professional journalists.

🍿 The Sheep Detectives (2026) was so-so as a murder mystery but absolutely delightful as a family movie that’s bursting with color and character.

Happy Mother’s Day to all who celebrate! This is what we’re watching tonight.

• Brian VanHooker for Polygon: An oral history of The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Netflix’s quirky sci-fi masterpiece. I don’t know how long an article needs to be or how many people need to be involved for it to qualify as an oral history, but this ain’t it. Still, it is about one of our family’s favorite movies so I felt obligated to link. For sampling of a true “oral history”, check out The Ringer.
• Nick Schaden: Discs versus digital: A buyer’s guide. Discs, of course, which are no less digital than streaming and are impervious to flaky internet connections.
• Gabby at woolgathering: one ticket for two movies, please!. Some interesting movie pairings, with the very first one proposed spanning the longest time period: Bringing Up Baby from (1938) + What’s Up, Doc? (1972).
• Scott Sumner: Films of 2026: Q1. Many of them are behind the Substack paywall (why, Scott, why?) but the reviews of new-ish movies I never would have heard of otherwise is above the fold. His brief re-re-review of Mulholland Drive is spot on.

🍿 It Chapter Two (2019) was a tad too long and a bit of a drag, because adulthood is a drag and we are seeing the kids all grown up. What would have worked much better is if the modern-day scenes were interspersed with the 1980s so that we learn about the story as the adults remembered it. Brilliant idea, I know.

🍿 It (2017) — the rare remake that is infinitely better than the original miniseries, and (together with the sequel) the second-best Stephen King horror story adaptation. Granted, it is not a high bar to jump over as they all tend to be stinkers.

🍿 Svadba (2026) was a competently executed, fun, and a tad crass romp. The only thing that can unite the Balkans is clearly love and mockery of corrupt transnational elites.

🍿 The Thin Man (1934) was fun to watch, even with the wooden acting from everyone but the lead characters. Nick and Nora inspired so many other murder mysteries and action comedies that a reboot is only a matter of time, and indeed Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt’s production companies were considering it. I imagine their functional alcoholism will play differently these days.

🍿 21 Jump Street (2012) was fun, but its main effect was to make me want to rewatch Hot Fuzz.

🍿 The End of the Tour (2015) made David Foster Wallace less handsome — with apologies to Jason Segel — but also less neurotic and more comfortable to watch. For comparison, here is an interview with the real DFW done around the same time the movie portrays, which I dare you to watch without cringing. DFW was an introspection machine, to our benefit and his own detriment, the self-destructed proof that the unexamined life is more viable.