6 Things That I’m Looking Forward To In May

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to the wonderful month of May!

1) Cannes Film Festival — This is the big one. This is the main thing that I’m looking forward to in May. I don’t care if anything else happens in May, as long as the Cannes Film Festival takes place. I won’t be at Cannes this year but, like most of you, I’ll be following all of the reports, dispatches, and rumors from the Festival.

Cannes is going to finally give reviewers a first look at some of the most anticipated films of 2024. The Apprentice, Bird, Kinds of Kindness, Oh Canada, and Parthenope are all going to be in the competition, along with Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. Oh, Megalopolis. After all the rumors and all the speculation about Coppola’s latest film, it will finally be presented to the world at Cannes. Megalopolis has been getting a mixed reaction among the studio folk, with many describing the film as being Coppola’s latest folly. Of course, the execs of the 70s said the same thing about Apocalypse Now before it was released. It was at the 79 Cannes Film Festival that Apocalypse Now was first honored. We’re all waiting to see if history will repeat itself.

(And let us not forget that films like Furiosa and the first of Kevin Costner’s Horizon films will be premiering out of competition.)

Victory at Cannes does not necessarily guarantee success at the Oscars but it doesn’t hurt. With this year’s Sundance Film Festival being an unexpectedly low-key affair, it appears that Cannes will be the true start of this year’s Oscar season.

2) The Fall Guy — Hey, this looks fun! Seriously, we need more fun films. Starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, The Fall Guy will be be in theaters at the end of this week.

3) Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes — I have mixed feelings about the idea of continuing the current line of Planet of the Apes films. I think the filmmakers may be underestimating just how important Andy Serkis was to the success of the previous three films. That said, I’m still interested in seeing the latest installment for myself. I hope it’s a success. I also hope that people will go back and watch the original Planet of the Apes films as well. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes is a film that feels more relevant with each passing years.

4) Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga — Like Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, I get the feeling that the filmmakers may be underestimating how important Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy were to the success of Mad Max: Fury Road. That said, I’m still very much looking forward to seeing Furiosa for myself. Following its Cannes premiere, Furiosa is scheduled to open on May 24th.

5) Hit Man — The latest from Richard Linklater also opens on May24th. After several months of hearing positive things about this film, I can’t wait to finally watch it.

6) 1992 — Ray Liotta’s final film will open, in limited release, on May 31st.

What are you looking forward to in May?

WTF, Tweetdeck!?

Posted on July 2, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, I woke up and tried to hop onto Tweetdeck and I discovered that it is now down. I usually have 10 open columns on my Tweetdeck and, as of right now, only two of them are loading. I can check my DMs and I can see tweets from people I follow but I can’t check my lists, I can’t check my hashtags, and I can’t see my replies on Tweetdeck. For that, I have to go straight to Twitter.

(Oddly, I can still tweet from Tweetdeck.)

Following yesterday’s rate-limit announcement, it’s hard not to assume that the limits that Elon Musk instituted also broke Tweetdeck. It’s like he’s just looking for ways to make those of us who encouraged others to give him a chance feel foolish.

Don’t get me wrong. There are some thing that Elon Musk has done that I agree with. I agree with the idea that free speech should be Twitter’s number one priority. I agree with the release of the Twitter Files, which did show just how much the government and other wealthy players manipulated the news. I agree with bringing back the previously banned accounts. In fact, I think he didn’t go far enough where that’s concerned because, as far as I know, the Trashfilm Guru’s original account is still suspended. And I even agree with doing away with the legacy blue checkmarks because the verification system had itself become corrupted. After Musk took over the site, I had a lot less annoying people showing up on my timeline as recommended follows and I appreciated that. Plus, Elon Musk drives my commie friends crazy and I appreciated that even more.

But none of that matters if people cannot actually use the site!

The official story is that the rate limit was instituted to combat data scraping. Data scraping is something that has been going on since the day Twitter was founded and it’s never been a big enough problem to require destroying people’s ability to use the site. If the problem was suddenly so bad that emergency measures were needed, why not take Twitter offline for maintenance instead of making an announcement that everyone would be restricted but that subscribers to Twitter Blue would be restricted less? If the problem was so bad that unverified users could only read 600 tweets a day, why then change that to a thousand tweets a day in response to people getting pissed off? If it’s that huge of a problem, you don’t say, “Okay, sorry, here’s an extra 400 tweets.” What you do is apologize and promise to fix things as quickly as possible. The rate limit is obviously just a scheme to convince people to subscribe.

At this point, I think everyone just has to hope that Joe Rogan or Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will declare rate limits to be a conspiracy because they seem to be the only people that the Silicon Valley tech bros are interested in listening to.

In the end, this is all a reminder of the outsized role that social media (and Twitter, in particular) play in our lives. Is it too late to return to the blogging era?

WTF, Twitter!?

Posted on July 1, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

You know, I have really been pretty open-minded when it comes to Elon Musk’s twitter but the announcement, made about an hour ago, that there are going to “temporarily” be limits on the number of tweets that you can read during a day may be the announcement that breaks me.

I’m not going to share the tweet here because I’m not sure if someone seeing an embedded tweet on a website counts towards the new read limits but basically, Elon Musk announced that verified users are now limited to reading 6,000 tweets “a day”, unverified users (i.e., those of us who don’t want to spend money to do something that we spent 14 yeas doing for free) can read 600 tweets “a day,” and new users can only read 300. Elon says that this is being done as a temporary measure to battle spam on the site.

(It is true that there is a lot of spam on twitter now. Recently, a bunch of obvious bots — i.e., bios that read, “I’m just looking for love!” and such — lay siege to a live tweet that I was taking part in. It got annoying pretty quickly. That said, I’ve got a block button and I’ve got a mute button and that’s really pretty much all I need to battle them.)

Elon’s tweet was frustratingly vague. How temporary is temporary? By day, does he mean a day per sunrise to sunset or does he mean that you’ll be limited by the number of tweets that you looked at over the previous 24 hours? If I scroll my timeline, does that count as reading every single tweet that shows up on it, regardless of whether I stopped to look at the tweet or not? If I see a tweet embedded in a news story, does that count? If I go back and read my own tweets, do those count? If I re-read a tweet, does that count as two tweets? If 600 strangers all reply to a tweet, does that mean that I’m screwed as soon as I click on my notifications?

It’s frustrating. Hopefully, the backlash — and there is a big one — will lead to twitter backtracking. Twitter’s habit of replying to the press with the poop emoji was cute at first but now, users have serious questions about their experience and Twitter’s refusal to be clear is no longer amusing. This isn’t a case of some whiny reporter throwing a fit and demanding to know why Elon refuses to suspend anyone who tells them to learn to code. This is a case of real users having legitimate questions about something that feels very arbitrary.

If this policy continues, it’ll be the death of live tweeting. I’m going to continue to try to keep my live tweets going for as long as possible. I don’t want to have to move everything over to Mastodon, where it seems like 90% of the users are competing to see who can virtue signal the loudest. But, if it has to be done, it’ll be done.

For now, I will no longer be embedding tweets in my posts here at TSL. I don’t want to accidentally send anyone over their limit.

Let’s hope this is resolved soon.

I miss the Fail Whale.

8 Things To Which To Look Forward To In March

Posted on March 2, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s March! March is the 3rd month of the year and it’s always been a favorite of mine, just because it has one of the best names of any month. March! It sounds so decisive and forward-looking. Who doesn’t love that?

Here’s what I’m looking forward to in March:

The Batman

Okay, honestly, I don’t know that I’m so much looking forward to The Batman as much as I’m just happy for everyone who I know can’t wait to see this movie tomorrow. I will say that I support anything that brings Paul Dano to the public eye. And I’m happy for Robert Pattinson, though I hope he will continue to also make challenging films like Good Time and Cosmopolis. The Batman seems guaranteed to become the first really big hit of the year. With Pattinson starring in this and Kristen Stewart having a decent chance to win an Oscar, it may be time to seriously reconsider the legacy of Twilight.

Critically, The Batman has been receiving the best reviews of the year so far. If I have any doubts about the film, that’s due to the fact that it’s a 3-hour film and Twitter, which is where I’ve seen the most enthusiasm for The Batman, tends to be an echo chamber when it comes to evaluating the box office potential of comic book films. If I’ve learned anything over the past year, it’s that you really can’t use Film Twitter as a way to gauge how enthusiastic the general public may or may not be for a movie. If The Batman somehow does fail at the box office and we get yet another reboot, I guess they’re going to have to call it “A Batman.” It’s hard not to feel that we’re running out of titles here.

2. The Oscars

The Oscars will finally be handed out on the 27th and, as always, we’ve got a lot planned for that day here at the Shattered Lens. With all the controversy surrounding the show and the decision to do stuff like give out “Fan Favorite” awards, this year seems primed to be an even bigger fiasco than last year’s show. Every “fix” that’s been announced for the show feels like a “threat.” I mean, when you announce that the show is going to be hosted by Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes, that also makes the promise of “time for more comedy bits” seem rather ominous. (You’ll notice that I didn’t mention Regina Hall because she’s the best and really, she’s the only host the show needs.) The Academy and ABC are so desperate to not go over that three-hour running time that I’m personally rooting for a four-hour show. I want people to ramble on interminably in their speeches. I want technical difficulties to slow things down. I want the ABC execs to freak out as the clock strikes ten and the show is nowhere near being over.

Of course, the only question that really matters is whether the ratings will improve or not. To be honest, I’m kind of hoping the ratings don’t improve because I don’t want the Academy thinking that “Fan Favorite” and less categories is the way to go. My hope is that less than 100,000 people watch and the Oscars move to a streaming platform. Next year, I want to see the Oscars on Peacock, with Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley hosting. Hmmm….maybe I shouldn’t watch this year….

3. A New Season of Survivor

Admittedly, the most recent season of Survivor was weird. Jeff Probts kept trying to be nice and every member of the cast had some big, dramatic story to tell about their life back home. There were a lot of emotional tribal councils. There was a lot of hugging. That’s not what we watch Survivor for. Survivor is not meant to be a show that makes you feel better about humanity. Survivor is supposed to be a show that celebrates betrayal and ruthlessness. Survivor is about great villains, not sob stories. Fortunately, a new season of my second-favorite (after The Amazing Race) reality show is starting in March and I hope it will be a return to the Survivor of old.

4. Deep Water

Finally, this Ben Affleck/Ana de Armas film will be getting its release! Earlier this year, it went from being a theatrical release to a movie that’s going to premiere on Hulu. Some people may think that’s a bad sign but personally, I think that indicates that the film will be enjoyably trashy. We’ll find out this month!

5. A Day To Die

Another Bruce Willis film? This will be Willis’s third film of the year and it’s only March! I’ve made it my goal to watch every Bruce Willis appears in this year. I still haven’t gotten started so I guess I’ll have to do an American Siege/Gasoline Alley/Day to Die marathon sometime this month. My hope is that, at some point this year, we’ll get the Nicolas Cage/Bruce Willis/Frank Grillo collaboration that VOD fans have been waiting for. (For the record, Frank Grillo is in A Day To Die but Nic Cage apparently is not.)

As for A Day to Die, I wonder how many people will accidentally watch it because they think it’s a Die Hard sequel. You have to admire the hustle, that’s all I’m saying.

6. American Song Contest

Wow, that’s a bland title! Anyway, this is America’s version of Eurovision. Singers from all 50 states will be competing and I’m sure our media will not use this as a way to push this whole Blue State vs. Red State narrative that they are so proud of. I’m looking forward to this because I can’t wait to hear how bad the songs are. Vermont’s song will probably be some sort old folkie nonsense and I can’t wait to ridicule it on Twitter. I know that’s kind of a negative way to look at things but fug it. It happens.

7. Lent

I gave up cursing for Lent!

8. After Yang

I’ve heard very good things about this film, which will be premiering this Friday on Showtime. I look forward to seeing it!

What are you looking forward to in March?

Editorial: On Classic Hollywood and Historical Perspective

Posted on April 27, 2019 by gary loggins

cracked rear viewer

TRIGGER WARNING: Tonight’s post has been cancelled so I can present the following editorial. All views expressed are mine alone. Not all of you will agree with me. If you’re too sensitive, please just keep it moving. For the rest of you, read on…

*sigh* I shouldn’t even have to be writing this.

The New York Yankees baseball team have stopped playing Kate Smith’s immortal “God Bless America” at their games. Hockey’s Philadelphia Flyers have followed suit, and Philly’s Wells Fargo Arena has gone so far as to remove a statue of Ms. Smith from the premises. Meanwhile, at Kentucky’s Bowling Green University, plans are afoot to rename the Gish Sisters Movie Theater, named after pioneering film stars Lillian and Dorothy Gish.

What’s going on here, you may well ask?

Let’s start with the venerable Kate Smith. For those of you unfamiliar, Kate Smith was a popular songstress whose…

View original post 1,118 more words

Merry Christmas and a Happy Treevenge to One and All!

Posted on December 25, 2018 by Arleigh

Treevenge

It wouldn’t be a Christmas here at Through the Shattered Lens without our yearly viewing of that most Christmas-y of all Christmas films: Treevenge.

I wouldn’t be out of place to say that this is the greatest film ever developed, put on celluloid and released for the world to see. We here at Through the Shattered Lens always wait for Christmas morning to see if the Christmas trees will make an appearance on the site and, lo and behold, they haven’t missed a Christmas morning since 2009.

Treevenge is a film that is full of Chrstmas joy. From it’s nostalgic opening music to the joy of families and friends enjoying their Christmas Eve with their new, hand picked Christmas tree.

Merry Christmas, One and all!

Merry Christmas from the Folks of Through the Shattered Lens

Posted on December 25, 2017 by Arleigh

Treevenge It’s a yearly tradition to celebrate the birth of this particular site by reintroducing it’s readers (introducing those new to the site) to the greatest film ever made. It’s the greatest Christmas film and the greatest feel good film. In the end, it’s just the greatest film ever made and anyone who thinks otherwise is just misguided and wrong.

Treevenge has everything one should ever want and probably didn’t even know they needed or wanted. It has romance. Nostalgia for those who fondly remember getting to choose their first Christmas tree. It’s a family film where we see families celebrate the traditions of the holidays.

It even has moments of scandalous scenes that may make one go “OH MY!”. I know that many of the original contributors past and present look forward to this yearly TSL tradition. I may not have been as active this year as I have been year’s past, but this was one day I wouldn’t missed for all the world.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, ONE AND ALL!

Lisa’s Editorial Corner: 10 Things For Which I Am Thankful In 2017

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Well, it’s that time.

Every Thanksgiving, I come up with an even-numbered list of things for which I’m thankful. I know some people are saying that we shouldn’t be thankful for anything this year. These are the people who say that, because they’re miserable, it’s somehow offensive that everyone else isn’t miserable.

But you know what?

Fuck that.

No one tells me what to believe or whether or not I can celebrate a holiday. That freedom is something that I’m very thankful for! Here’s a few more things that I’ve been thankful for this year:

I’m thankful for this site. Arleigh Sandoc founded Through the Shattered Lens in December of 2009 and, about four months later, I posted my very first review on this site. A lot has changed since that first review. New contributors have added their own unique perspectives to this site and I’d like to think that, on a personal level, I’ve grown as a writer since I wrote that first review. But one thing that has always remained consistent is just how much I love doing this. I’ve posted over 4,000 posts on Through the Shattered Lens and I’ve had a blast writing every one of them!

2. I’m thankful for our readers. Seriously, you are the ones who make all of this worthwhile. We currently have somewhere around 28,000 subscribers and to each and every one of you, I say, “Thank you.” Thank you for reading and thank you for commenting. Just as I hope I’ve introduced some of you to some new movies, quite a few of you have also inspired me to take a second and third look at some of the films I’ve reviewed.

3. I’m thankful for all of the brave women (and men) who have shared their stories in an effort to make this world a safer place.

4. I’m thankful that this was the year of Twin Peaks. On this site, starting with the original series and extending all the way through the end of the Showtime revival, we shared our thoughts on everything Twin Peaks this year. Years from now, we’ll still be debating why Laura screamed.

5. I’m thankful that this has been a great year for genre films. While so many of the year’s “prestige” films fell flat, 2017 will always be remembered as the year of War of the Planet of Apes, Wonder Woman, The Lego Batman Movie, Beauty and the Beast, Split Kong: Skull Island, Get Out, It, Spider-Man, The Big Sick, Logan, and Thor: Ragnorak.

6. I’m thankful for networks like TCM, which introduce classic movies to new viewers.

7. I’m thankful for my friends in the Late Night Movie Gang. Every Saturday night, we watch a movie. Sometimes the movie is bad and sometimes, the movie is really bad. But we always have a blast.

8. I’m thankful that, in just another few weeks, I’ll be able to see The Disaster Artist.

9. I’m thankful for the artists who, in this time of rampant conformity, are still fighting to maintain their own unique and individual vision.

10. I’m thankful for Chinese food. Seriously, who doesn’t love Chinese food?

Happy thanksgiving!

Why Lisa Is Currently Furious

Posted on April 8, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Hi there, WordPress subscribers!

Have you looked at you WordPress Reader lately?

It’s been reformatted once again! The WordPress Reader is now using combined cards and it’s probably going to kill a lot of your favorite sites. I just thought everyone might want a little advanced warning.

See, here’s how combined cards work. Let’s say that there’s a wordpress site — like this one — that publishes multiple different posts during the day. In the past, each post would appear separately in your reader, as a “card.” However, someone apparently thought that prolific writers — like me for instance — were posting so much that the WordPress Reader was getting crowded.

So, now, we have combined cards! Instead of getting a card that reads, “TV Review: Twin Peaks On Through The Shattered Lens,” followed by another card that reads, “Why Lisa Is Currently Furious,” you’ll get a card that reads, “Two new posts on Through The Shattered Lens.” If you want to just casually click on the like button or get a quick preview of the images used in those posts, you’ll no longer be able to do that. Not with combined cards. Instead, you’ll have to click on the combined card and then click on one of the posts listed.

Does that help to “clean up” the reader? I have no idea. I really didn’t know that there was apparently a “cluttered reader” crisis going on.

What I do know is that this new format only serves to reward writers who only post, at most, once a day. Meanwhile, people like me and sites like this, will be punished for having a lot to say. With this combined card nonsense, WordPress has pretty much destroyed the benefits that many sites got from people casually browsing their reader.

And who is going to suffer?

Only the most active and prolific writers. I’ve already heard from many other WordPress users that, since the introduction of combined cards, both their views and their likes are way down.

I mean, what the Hell? HOW IS THIS A GOOD THING!? In the end, the only thing this reformat is going to do is unfairly deprive sites of hundreds of potential views, likes, and comments. Why punish those of us who are actually willing to put in the effort to make our sites worth visiting!? And, perhaps even more importantly, why do this without giving us any say or advanced warning?

No. I am not happy about this at all.