A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it. Named after the legendary character "Crazy Eddie" in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye." Expect news and views about culture, politics, economics, technology, and science fiction.
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) unveiled the winners of the 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards at a gala event in New York City. You Can See Everything won all five categories in which it was nominated, including the top award of the evening, Best Documentary Feature. The film also took home the awards for Best Director for Nathan Fielder & Lance Oppenheim, Best Cinematography for David Bolen, Best Editing for Adam Locke-Norton, and Best Score for Ari Balouzian.
I called the awards for Best Documentary Feature and Best Director, but blew the rest. I didn't take the likelihood of a sweep into consideration; I should have. Even so, watching the film win five awards was fun to watch, so I'm sharing Best Documentary Feature (11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards).
"You Can See Everything" WINS Best Documentary Feature
Congratulations! May this be the first of many nominations and awards!
Once Upon a Time in Harlem won three awards, including Best First Documentary Feature for David Greaves, Best Archival Documentary, and Best Historical Documentary.
14th leads the pack with six nominations, including Best Documentary Feature. The film’s other nominations are Ava DuVernay for Best Director, Spencer Averick for Best Editing, and Jason Moran for Best Music Score, along with Best Political Documentary, and Best Historical Documentary.
I'm kicking off with a category I haven't covered before, Best Historical Documentary.
BEST HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY
14th (Netflix)
Once Upon a Time in Harlem (Neon)
Rehearsals for a Revolution (Sony Pictures Classics)
SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of (Netflix)
Soul Patrol (Kino Lorber)
Turning Point: Generation 9/11 (Netflix)
As mentioned in the press release, 14th leads with six nominations, followed by Once Upon a Time in Harlem with five, Rehearsals for a Revolution with four, and SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of, Soul Patrol, and Turning Point: Generation 9/11 tied at one each. I couldn't find a trailer for 14th, but I did retrieve Ava DuVernay Reveals How the 14th Amendment Defines Our Lives | Art of the Doc from IndieWire.
In her follow up to the Oscar Nominated "13th," director Ava DuVernay uncovers the power the 14th amendment has over us all. At the Art of the Doc event in Los Angeles, presented by National Geographic, DuVernay sat down with IndieWire's Chris O'Falt to discuss her new film. What started as a document of the administration's attacks on 14th amendment rights evolved into a discovery of a "second constitution" hidden in our laws.
I don't recall Yang or Kay mentioning the 14th Amendment and searching the video's transcript doesn't retrieve any mention of it, either, but Vox explained that an expanded interpretation of it forms the basis for fetal personhood. I have very little respect for that idea, since the same people pushing for fetal personhood on that basis are not supporting enforcing Section 3, the Insurrection Clause, on convictedcriminalDonald Trump and favor endingbirthright citizenship, guaranteed by Section 1. They want to pick and choose which parts of the 14th Amendment to enforce. Hmph. May my complaint from Stephen Colbert returns after his illness with Liz Cheney stand in their way: "I think the insurrection clause applies, but, like much of the rest of the 14th Amendment, the courts are too timid or ideologically opposed to enforce it."
DuVernay has literally documented the attempt to reverse the "second constitution" of the 14th Amendment. May her film inspire the rest of us to protect it.
A decade after his death, genre-defying filmmaker William Greaves has one last trick up his sleeve with what he considered the most important event he captured on film: a 1972 party he engineered with the living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance. For four hours, this extraordinary group – many of whom had not seen each other in fifty years – reminisced, critiqued, argued, laughed and drank while wrestling with their place in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape. Shot on 16mm film, newly restored and now directed by Greaves’ son David, this landmark film is at once a self-exploration and an inquiry into the heart of the critical mass of energy called the Harlem Renaissance. William Greaves’ intent was not only to document these artists and intellectuals as they spoke about their lives and work but also to plumb the meaning of the extraordinary creative period in which they lived to help us better understand how culture has been passed on from one generation to another and the role that the artist plays in keeping it alive.
That's impressive. I can see and hear why Gold Derby thinks it is almost certain to be nominated at the Oscars, while 14th is on the bubble waiting for the Documentary Branch to wrestle with its issues about whether to nominate Alex Gibney for Musk after he's already won an Oscar. That 14th doesn't seem to have a trailer on YouTube isn't helping it.
Legendary "SCTV" cast members reunite in this documentary for a funny and heartfelt celebration of how a scrappy Canadian sketch show made comedy history.
This documentary, which feels out of place in this field, won't win here, but it looks like exactly what the Creative Arts Emmy Awards would nominate. I'm looking forward to seeing it next July.
Soul Patrol uncovers a hidden chapter of American military history by focusing on the Vietnam War's first Black special ops team, an elite unit operating deep behind enemy lines. With unprecedented access to this once-secretive group of African-American veterans, director J.M. Harper reconstructs their journey with an immediacy rarely seen in Vietnam War storytelling, using raw Super 8 footage, photographs, and audio recordings from their personal archives. Opening on the war’s 50th anniversary, the surviving members reunite in a hotel that becomes a surreal liminal space, where memory, brotherhood, and unresolved trauma collide. As the men reflect on their experiences, the film interrogates the contradictions of fighting for freedom abroad while facing inequality at home. Winner of the Directing Award for U.S. Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, Soul Patrol is not just a war story, but a reckoning – an intimate portrait of survival, memory, and the enduring cost of war on those asked to fight it.
Twenty-five years after 9/11, this documentary explores how a single day shaped the next generation. From children who lost their parents in the attacks to journalists who cut their teeth on the original War on Terror to young Afghans and Marines forced to deal with the fallout of America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan - their gripping stories reveal that the legacy of 9/11 is measured not only by history, but by the lives it continues to shape.
I expect this to be nominated at the next News & Doc Emmy Awards, just like Turning Point: The Vietnam War. It should do well there, even if I doubt it will win here.
Speaking of which, 14th, Once Upon a Time in Harlem, and Rehearsals for a Revolution are all also nominated for Best Documentary Feature, so one of them will win. 14th may be the most urgent, but I think Once Upon a Time in Harlem may be a better film, so I expect it will win this category. If so, and 14th also misses being nominated at the Oscars, I think it will do very well at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominations for 14th, Once Upon a Time in Harlem, and Rehearsals for a Revolution.
For over 120 years, The Bon-Ton stood as a significant, regional department store brand which grew increasingly larger more influential as time went on. The company at one point was bringing in over $3 billion in revenue across over 270 stores with 22,000 employees. By all accounts, it was a massive American success story. However as time went on, the brand had totally collapsed by 2018, declaring bankruptcy and disappearing from the retail landscape. Join me in this episode of Bankrupt as we find out what happened.
As I've writtenseveraltimesbefore, "no bankrupt company's story is complete without both Bright Sun Films and Company Man making videos about it." It only took Jake eight years to contribute his take on the tale.
That's a wrap for today's tale of the Retail Apocalypse. Stay tuned for 14th's nominations as the Sunday entertainment feature.
Avedon (Netflix)
Jean-Michel Basquiat (Netflix)
Lorne (Focus Features)
Marty, Life Is Short (Netflix)
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (HBO Max)
Musk (Bleecker Street)
Musk leads the nominees for Best Biographical Documentary with three nominations, including Best Documentary Feature and Best Political Documentary, followed by Lorne with two, and all the rest with one each. On that basis alone, I think Musk is the favorite.
An incisive look behind the legend of Elon Musk, the wealthiest, and most unchecked, man on the planet.
I have only one thing to say — WOW! It might just earn a third nomination for Alex Gibney at the Oscars, even though that's not the way the Documentary Branch rolls. They have issues.
The untold story of the legend behind the legends. LORNE is only in theaters April 17, from Academy Award winner Morgan Neville.
From Morgan Neville, Academy Award-winning filmmaker of 20 Feet from Stardom and Won't You Be My Neighbor?, comes Lorne, an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes glimpse at the man who built the inimitable empire of comedy, shaping television and culture for generations. The documentary features exclusive footage, archival treasures, and candid interviews with the show’s most iconic cast members and writers including Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, John Mulaney, Andy Samberg, Conan O’Brien, Chris Rock and many more.
This looks like a documentary that would do well at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards; it's their kind of subject.
The life and work of legendary photographer Richard Avedon come into focus through archival footage and new interviews in this intimate documentary.
On the other hand, Avedon would be a lock for an Arts and Culture Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards if the Creative Arts Emmy Awards don't want it because of Avedon's celebrity subjects, not Richard Avedon himself.
From directors Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, the two-part documentary #MelBrooks: The 99 Year Old Man! premieres January 22 and January 23 on HBO Max.
That looks like fun. Here's to Spaceballs: The New One being as funny and successful as the original and to Mel Brooks being around to enjoy it!
Follow over the jump for the other categories in which Musk and Lorne earned nominations.
The Atlantic Meridional Ocean Circulation, or AMOC for short, is the Atlantic's heat conveyor belt. And experts have been warning us for a while that it may be on the verge of collapse. But brand new research suggests the AMOC's tipping point may be different than we previously thought. So what is this new tipping point? And do we have time to save the AMOC?
The good news is that the tipping point for AMOC collapse isn't a set temperature point; the Earth could theoretically warm a lot more without the AMOC collapsing. The bad news is that the rate of warming determines the tipping point and we're warming fast enough to make it happen. YIKES! Humanity needs to slow down the rate of warming, which won't happen during the "Godzilla" El Niño; that will only speed up warming.
After the Democrats' best midterm performance in 68 years, CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten breaks down how this may spell the end of the Trump era; cross referencing the President's net approval rate with Dem seats gained to frame this election's consequences.
That's a good summary of the reasons for what Harry Enten and others at CNN called a "blue-nami" and what it means. It's also a good distillation of how Harry tried to keep his audience entertained as he explained the polls this year, props and all. As for it being at least the beginnning of "the end of the Trump era as we know it," I sure hope so. On the other hand, I can wait for the 2028 presidential contest to begin. First, the Democratic leadership in Congress will have to hold Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump accountable, which reminds me of what I wrote in Randy Rainbow sings 'WHERE THE HELL IS OUR CONGRESS?'
The Democrats in Congress are probably doing everything they can think of. It's just that they seem so unimaginative and are so uninspiring. Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries may be good leaders of their caucuses, but they leave activists and rank-and-file Democrats cold. We could use leaders that make us feel like they're doing something, even if it would be merely therapeutic. That would be helpful; I think a lot of us need therapy while watching Hoover Harding Cleveland and his administration doing his will with the support of the Republicans in Congress!
Here's to the Democrats in the next Congress wielding power effectively.
MS NOW rates both the Mississippi and Alaska Senate races too close to call. MS NOW Senior Capitol Hill Reporter Ali Vitali is at the Big Board to break down the numbers.
Time to be patient as Alaska and Mississippi count their remaining ballots and Alaska goes through the ranked-choice voting process.
CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten unpacks the "blue-nami" wave of Democratic flips in the Senate and House of Representatives from Tuesday's midterm elections. He also delves into gubernatorial races across the country, what we've learned from voter polls, the razor-thin margin in the Mississippi Senate race as well as the continuing returns from the Alaska Senate race and the ranked-choice voting system used there.
That was worth it just to hear Enten call the result a "blue-nami."
The major Michigan races have been called, with Michiganders electing a new governor and U.S. Senator. Some counties are still reporting results the next day. We take a look at what’s outstanding, what counties have flipped and results at other major races.
That may not have been slickly produced, but it was informative about all the major statewide contests and the three Congressional districts in Michigan that flipped, so I appreciate it.
That's a wrap for today. I promise not to blog about the election tomorrow, so stay tuned to see what I do write about.
On Tuesday 3rd November, US voters will determine whether Trump's political machine is able to plough on for another two years, or whether it hits a roadblock, as they determine the makeup of Congress - including 35 Senators and all the House of Representatives - in the critical midterms. If you have been distraught about the direction of travel that Trump has forced the US into over recent years, it is hard not to hope that the election could bring some respite. Polls suggest that the cost of living crisis, corruption scandals, and foreign policy decisions are among the issues that could see Trump stumbling - amidst his brazen claim that "he is on the ballot" ...
Two years ago to the day, we released our song "Bohemian Trumpsody" by Queen about the presidential election in 2024, so it felt fitting to return to an absolute belter of a song - written by the inimitable Freddie Mercury in 1978 and released as a single in 1979 - which we were reminded of recently in a viewing of the cult British zombie movie "Shaun of the Dead". We patched in our own version of some multitrack harmonies by recruiting Alfie and Tess after the main shots had been filmed.
Ahead of this week’s midterm elections, John Oliver discusses why things aren’t looking great for Republicans, how they’re desperately trying to get ahead, and why Hamilton was a mistake. You heard us, Lin-Manuel. You’ve done more harm than good.
That's a good summary of my midterms experience and a listing of why I'll be relieved when this election is over. That written, I'm not done with the midterms, as I have a Marsh Family song about them for tomorrow. Stay tuned for Tuneful Tuesday!
A spooky mausoleum ride attempts to scare its passengers (Jeremy Culhane, Grace Reiter) with characters like David S. Pumpkins (Tom Hanks) before getting interrupted by something even scarier.
Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Ted Cruz saying Americans will die if Abdul El-Sayed wins the Senate race.
Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like a woman who went viral for reporting a car crash while dressed as a banana.
Of course the woman reporting a car crash while dressed as a banana was in Florida. Florida Man (and woman, too)!
Follow over the jump for the Weekend Update interviews, Inde Navarrette's monologue, and a seasonal skit.
"Thriller" is a song by Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on November 11, 1983, in the UK and on January 23, 1984, in the US, as the seventh and final single from his sixth album of the same name. "Thriller" is a disco song featuring a synthesizer bassline, lyrics, and sound effects evoking horror films. It includes a spoken-word sequence performed by the horror actor Vincent Price. It was produced by Quincy Jones and written by Rod Temperton, who wanted to write a theatrical song to suit Jackson's love of film.
"Du Hast" is a song by German metal band Rammstein. It was released as the second single from their second album Sehnsucht (1997). It has appeared on numerous soundtracks for films, most notably The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture, How High, and the home video CKY2K. It is featured in the music video games Guitar Hero 5 and Rock Band 3. The guitar riff is similar to Ministry's "Just One Fix". The music was written by keyboardist Flake and guitarist Richard Kruspe. The intro section and the verses were a combination of a synth sequence by Flake and a guitar riff by Kruspe, and the chorus was written around a chord sequence by Flake.
"Somebody's Watching Me" is the debut single written, co-produced, and performed by American singer Rockwell, released by Motown in December 1983. Serving as the lead single from Rockwell's debut studio album of the same name (1984), it features uncredited guest vocals by Michael Jackson, additional backing vocals by Jermaine Jackson, and co-production from Curtis Anthony Nolan.
I had been wishing Broken Peach would redo "Thriller" for Halloween since 2017 as I wrote in 2019.
Of course, the ultimate Michael Jackson song for Halloween is "Thriller," which Broken Peach also sings...Two years ago, I left [this] request in a comment on this video: "I have a suggestion for you all. Next Halloween, dress up like zombies and sing 'Thriller' again."
It only took nine years, but it finally happened.
Broken Peach also donned their skull makeup for a series of songs this spring that they called "Old Skull" (Old School). Follow over the jump.
Bats have long been symbols of death and darkness. But why? Their rise as Halloween’s spookiest icon traces back to ancient Celtic traditions, revealing how these harmless creatures turned into something far more evil. Join us under the Congress Street Bridge in Austin as we unravel the spooky myths, vampire lore, and Halloween history that turned these sky puppies into creatures of the night!
Ah, the intersection between folklore and biology! That's what got me into Monstrum seven years ago. I couldn't resist.
I also can't resist the Halloween-themed shorts Dr. Z has been posting, beginning with Why Ghosts Wear White Sheets.
Here's the long and storied history of why we see ghosts this way!
I'm glad YouTube recommended this channel to me. It's a great resource that I plan on using for...Halloween, Christmas, and, of course, English Language Day. Those entries will be fun!
In this episode of Words Unravelled, Rob and Jess dig into the spooky origins of Halloween words. From 'ghosts' and 'ghouls' to 'warlocks' and 'witches', they uncover the hauntingly fascinating roots of supernatural lingo.
What is the 'were' in werewolf?
Why is there a 'monster' in 'demonstrate'?
What does 'vampire' literally mean?
These creepy questions answered and many more. Join us... if you dare
Jess and Rob promoted her book Words from Hell. I found another podcast video by Grammar Girl about it, which I might use next year. I'm an environmentalist, I conserve my resources.
In the middle of talking about hoaxes and ghost words, Jess made an aside about the hoaxes purporting to explain the origin of the word cocktail. Shake Stir & Mingle almost certainly included some of them in The Origins of the Word Cocktail.
The term "cocktail" for mixed alcoholic drinks has an interesting and somewhat debated history, with several theories on its origin. One popular theory dates back to the 18th century in the United States, where mixed drinks became popular.
Here are a few stories that have circulated about the term's origin:Horse Dealers and Ginger:
One theory suggests that the term originated from horse dealers in the 18th century who would put ginger up a horse's derriere to make it appear more lively and spirited, thus artificially "cocking" its tail up. This practice was known as "cocktailing," and by extension, drinks mixed to make spirits more lively or palatable were called "cocktails."Cocktail as a Decoration:
Another theory suggests the term comes from the custom of placing a feather (often from a cock's tail) in the drink as a decorative garnish, indicating that the drink was mixed or adorned.French Influence: Some believe the term derives from the French word "coquetel," which was a drink served to French soldiers during the American Revolution. This theory posits that Americans adopted the term from their French allies.
The Tavern Tradition: Another story involves a tavern keeper named Betsy Flanagan, who during the American Revolution, is said to have served French soldiers an alcoholic drink garnished with feathers from a rooster's tail, leading to the drinks being called "cock tails."Cock-Ale:
There's also a reference to a drink from the 17th century called "cock-ale," which was made by steeping a cock in ale, along with other ingredients to add flavor.
However, this concoction is quite different from what we consider cocktails today.While these stories offer colorful origins for the term "cocktail," the true source remains somewhat of a mystery, enveloped in the mists of history. What's clear is that the term was firmly established by the early 19th century to refer to a mix of spirits with various ingredients to enhance or complement their flavors.
I don't know which, if any, to believe, although a corruption of the French "coquetel" appeals to me.
Dark, fruity, and dressed to impress! The Black Cat Martini combines blackberry liqueur, vodka, cranberry, and lemon for a deliciously smooth cocktail with a deep purple color, sparkling black sugar rim, and fresh blackberry garnish.
*Black Cat Martini Recipe*
- 2 oz vodka
- 1 oz blackberry liqueur
- ½ oz cranberry juice
- ½ oz lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
- Ice
- Optional: Fine black cocktail sugar for the rim
- Garnish: 2 fresh blackberries
Drink responsibly and stay tuned for more Halloween posts through the end of the month plus a bonus Day of the Dead entry. Trick or treat!
Parody of “Witchcraft” (Music by Cy Coleman, Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh)
Parody Lyrics by Randy Rainbow
Song Produced, Orchestrated, Mixed, Mastered by: Michael J Moritz Jr @michaeljmoritz
Vocal Arrangement - Brett Boles
All Vocals - Randy Rainbow
Piano, Orchestral - Michael J Moritz Jr
Drums - Tom Jorgensen
Randy is not like Stephen Colbert, who apparently "decided that if he couldn't say anything nice about McConnell, he shouldn't say anything at all, even if it meant getting poked with a broomstick for a punchline and transition." Randy had plenty of mean things to say about him, not that I'm in a position to complain.
Each fall, there’s one store that suddenly seems to be just about everywhere: Spirit Halloween. The brand taps into the $10 billion Halloween industry by setting up shop in otherwise vacant real estate for three months each year.
This video came out four years ago, but it's held up well except for being too early to include PartyCityclosing in the United States, although it did show the handwriting on the wall with Halloween City opening fewer locations during the pandemic.
In this special Halloween episode of Retail Archaeology we check out this years Spirit Halloween instore experience. We also check out Horror Monger, and awesome horror themed store that is open year round.
So good to be back and talking about some news and watching a really great show! We missed Jenn on this one, but we "Keep Calm and Carry ON!
Oregon Crusaders 2018-REDRUM. WOW! So impressed with level of commitment from the members. Plus the show was designed to be fun and entertaining. Always fun doing a Halloween themed show.
This is an original drink inspired by The Shining made with Rum, Campari, Cherry Liqueur, Curaçao and Lime Zest. The drink is much lighter than 12 Bottle Bar’s other Shining-inspired drink, the Jack Torrance ( • Jack Torrance - A Cocktail Inspired by Sta... ). The interpretation of the drink could hardly be more literal. It’s rum-based and it’s red.
Pearl the Prius passed 75,000 yesterday, earlier than I expected, so I needed to write a driving update. This ran into my plan to go full spooky season this week, as well as my usual Sunday entertainment feature, but I found a way to combine all three, a Halloween car from television (and a movie). Watch The Munsters Drag-U-La Coffin Car and Koach by MyClassicCarTV.
Behold, two of the spookiest TV and MOVIE cars ever built! Dennis gets a close up look at the insane Drag-U-La coffin car dragster. It's a casket on wheels! Plus, we pile into the Munster Koach and FREAK OUT the neighborhood! In the Munsters episode titled Hot Rod Herman, Herman Munster loses the Koach in a drag race so Grandpa Munster builds the Drag-U-La to win back the Koach. "The Munsters" was a hit TV show in the 1960's.
Grandpa takes the custom vampire dragster for a spin.
From The Munsters Season 1, Episode 36, "Hot Rod Herman": Herman is dragged along by Eddie to compete in a drag-car race and modifies the family hearse into a dragster for the event.
All three generations of Munster men are geeking out over the hot rod, although Grandpa doesn't share that surname. That's a great television moment.
By the way, Wikipedia describes a different origin story for Drag-U-La in The Munsters movie.
The 1966 movie Munster, Go Home! features an alternate origin. After Herman crashes a Jaguar limousine owned (and raced) by the Munster family of England, Grandpa builds the DRAG-U-LA, using the motor from the Munster Koach, so Herman can drive it in a cross-country automobile race.
Zombie told Billboard magazine that the title came from the name of Grandpa Munster's eponymous dragster DRAG-U-LA on The Munsters. He goes on to say that it "was a classic show with great comic characters..."
The music video shows Rob Zombie driving the Munster Koach (not the actual Dragula racing car) with various shots of the band members in Southern California locations such as the Pasadena Arroyo Seco Parkway with shots of the 3rd Street tunnel and Lower Grand Boulevard in Los Angeles and different scenes from classic horror films, e.g. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) at the beginning of the video and the killer robot from chapter film series The Phantom Creeps (1939) along with home video footage of mid-20th-century families being entertained by a clown with clips of nuclear testing mushroom clouds sardonically overlapping of when the clown and a girl are laughing, with the multi-color backdrops referencing Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), also with early-20th-century footage of children being entertained and shocked.
I could go on about Rob Zombie being such a fan of The Munsters that he wrote, directed, and produced the 2022 film, but it's time I climb out of this rabbit hole and write my personal driving update. Follow over the jump.
Counting down the best horror movies 2026 has to offer. See our list of 25 terrifying titles to plan your next watch.
We are breaking down the most essential releases hitting the big screen. From supernatural chills to psychological tension, this list highlights the horror movies 2026 has in store for fans of the genre. Whether you are tracking major franchise sequels or original stories, our guide keeps you ahead of the cinematic curve.
This compilation features key clips and release details to help you prepare for the upcoming season. Finding scary movies has never been easier as we track the essential releases defining the genre this year. These new horror movies offer something for every cinematic taste, helping you decide exactly where to spend your time at the cinema.
That CNext included Cold Storage in this compilation reflects my thesis that science fiction and horror are sister genres (Colony and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple show that relationship, too, deeper into the horror genre). Send Help shows another boundary of the genre, this time between horror and thriller. The Critics Choice Super Awards considered it horror, while I suspect the Saturn Awards might nominate it under Thriller.
Follow over the jump for another way to rank this year's horror releases, box office.
Lowered compliance costs, greater control over products, more big engines, more pickup trucks. These are just some of the changes investors expect from the rollback of fuel economy rules and the elimination of fines. Data indicate pent up demand for pickup trucks, and many automakers are bringing back V-8 engines. At the same time, hybrid vehicles are surging, and electric vehicles have longer term structural demand in their favor.
Ugh, lower CAFE standards are exactly the wrong thing to introduce when there is a fuel shortage because of the Iranwar, which is driving up fuel prices. That's on top of what the increased greenhouse gas emissions will to to increase climatechange, not that either Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump or the Republicans in Congress care about that. They do care about people and companies making money, and this change will allow car companies, especially American ones, to do just that, at least in the short- to medium-term. Long-term, this is a bad plan that I expect will be reversed, eventually. I can at least point to market forces, like demand for high-mileage vehicles, that will ameliorate the effects of lowering standards. The market will at least counteract some of what government won't do.
That's the general driving update. Follow over the jump for my family's personal report.
I closed yesterday's post by telling my readers, "Stay tuned to see if I resume my CriticsChoiceDocumentary Awards coverage" today. I got a late start, so I'm covering a category with a clear leader that has only four total nominations, Best Music Documentary.
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World) (HBO Max)
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (Neon)
Man on the Run (Amazon MGM Studios)
Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Peter Asher: Everywhere Man (Greenwich Entertainment)
Sara Bareilles: Good Grief (Group Effort Films / Naked Edge Films)
The clear leader is EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert with four total nominations. It's followed by Man on the Run with two, and the rest of the nominees with only this one nomination. Based on the number of nominations and Baz Luhrmann being an established director with two Oscar nominations, including one for Elvis, I'm picking his movie as the favorite to win this award.
BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (Neon)
Making Marie Antoinette (Mubi)
Man on the Run (Amazon MGM Studios)
Once Upon a Time in Harlem (Neon)
Rehearsals for a Revolution (Sony Pictures Classics)
Remake (Music Box Films)
The other nomination for Man on the Run and one of the three other nominations for EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is for Best Archival Documentary. I doubt either will win this category. Instead, I believe it will be one of the three nominees also nominated for Best Documentary, Once Upon a Time in Harlem, Rehearsals for a Revolution, and Remake. I might reassess this category when I cover Best Historical Documentary, but until then, my provisional pick is Once Upon a Time in Harlem, which earned five nominations, while Rehearsals for a Revolution and Remake have four. For what it's worth, Gold Derby has Once Upon a Time in Harlem second in its odds to earn an Oscar nomination for Documentary Feature, Rehearsals for a Revolution seventh, and Remake eleventh, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert 18th, and Man on the Run 21st, which reinforces my intuition. Making Marie Antoinette isn't even rated. That written, Gold Derby is second-guessing a different electorate, and electorates matter.
Follow over the jump for EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert's two other nominations.
AI data centers are driving unprecedented demand for electricity and putting renewed pressure on America’s power grid to modernize its equipment and develop greener, more efficient sources of power. Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon are all spending millions of dollars on local infrastructure upgrades and companies like SpaceXAI are even building off-grid power plants to power their data centers.
Google says its planned 780-megawatt data center in Pine Island, Minnesota, could offer a model for powering the AI boom. In a proposed agreement with Xcel Energy, Google says it will support 1,900 megawatts of new wind, solar and battery capacity, while minimum payments and exit fees are intended to protect local ratepayers if demand falls short.
CNBC examines whether projects like Pine Island can make the grid cleaner without shifting costs to existing customers, why some energy experts argue that smaller data centers could make better use of infrastructure already in place, and how utilities’ financial incentives can complicate efforts to build less.
This video examines the intersection between the environmental effects of data centers and updating theelectrical grid. Done wrong, it will increase air and noise pollution, increase fossil fuel use, and raise everyone's rates. Done right, it will finance the improvement of the grid and faster adoption of renewables and batteries. CNBC is trying to be even-handed in this video, but what I called "the explicitly pro-capitalist message of the channel" inclines it to be optimistic. As I wrote seven years ago, "I shouldn't complain about it on an investment media outlet; it's like complaining about water being wet." I hope all the optimists and AI boosters are right, but I'm prepared for them to be wrong.
Baby Doe (Narrative Distribution)
Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story (Dark Star Pictures)
The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare (Netflix)
A Killer Story (HBO Max)
Lost Women of Alaska (Investigation Discovery)V
Murder in Glitterball City (HBO Max)
In 1993, Gail Ritchey, a young woman from a conservative Christian community in rural Ohio, gave birth alone and left her newborn in the woods. Now a devoted mother of three, her quiet suburban life is shattered when DNA evidence links her to the infamous cold case of “Geauga’s Child”, leading to her arrest for murder. Authorities dismiss her claim that the baby was stillborn, and the media swiftly vilify her. Facing a possible life sentence, Gail turns to her husband, Mark, and their adult children, who struggle to reconcile the woman they love with the accusations against her. With her attorney, Steven, she must confront the weight of societal and religious pressures—and her own long-buried shame—to fight for her freedom. Executive Produced by Sarah Paulson and directed by Jessica Earnshaw (Jacinta), Baby Doe cuts through the headlines to uncover the human complexity of Gail’s case. With a compassionate yet unflinching lens, the film examines the intersection of women’s health, justice, and the societal forces that continue to shape stories like hers.
This story impresses me as tragic from start to finish and I'm not sure I want to watch it.
Dane Cook had it all: fame, fortune, and sold-out arenas. Then he discovered his own brother had stolen millions. Funny Money reveals the shocking betrayal that nearly destroyed him and his fight to reclaim his life.
FUNNY MONEY: THE DANE COOK STORY is a true crime documentary exploring one of the most extraordinary stories behind the rise of a stand-up comedy phenomenon. Watch the official trailer for the new Dane Cook documentary.
This looks interesting. I know how money makes family turn on each other so I want to see how the rich and famous handle it.
On November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students—Madison, Kaylee, Ethan, and Xana—were found murdered in an off-campus home, leaving a tight-knit college town shattered. For weeks, their killer walked free.
From director Skye Borgman (Unknown Number: The High School Catfish) and Academy Award-nominated executive producer Joe Berlinger comes the definitive chronicle of one of the most chilling murder cases in recent memory.
Now, this is the kind of real-life murder mystery I'd find fascinating. That I know how it turns out doesn't change that.
Over the course of three hours, LOST WOMEN OF ALASKA reveals this haunting story and exposes the deeply disturbing mind of a predator who targeted the most vulnerable. But his arrest is only the beginning of unraveling a far deeper horror.
I'm not sure the production values and editing of the trailer does this documentary justice, although it might still get me to watch it. Just the same, it is an Emmy winner for its narration and my choice going in as the favorite.
Directed by award-winning filmmakers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, #MurderInGlitterballCity is a two-part documentary that explores a dark tale of murder, lies, and deceit.
I was wondering when the paranormal would show up in these nominees and here it is, not that it matters for anything but atmosphere.
I'm less sure about which nominee will win after watching these trailers, although I wouldn't mind if Funny Money gets the trophy. It seems to be the only one where no one dies.
That's a wrap for today. I plan on returning to this series on Wednesday. Stay tuned for a short evergreen educational entry tomorrow.
Previous posts about the 11th Critics Choice Documentary Awards
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (Focus Features)
Ghost Elephants (National Geographic Documentary Films)
Lion (National Geographic)
Nuisance Bear (Mubi)
Secrets of the Bees (National Geographic)
Time and Water (National Geographic Documentary Films)
Nuisance Bear leads with five nominations, followed by Lion with four, The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist and Time and Water tied at two, then Ghost Elephants and Secrets of the Bees with just this one. I'm embedding their trailers in that order, beginning with NUISANCE BEAR | Official Trailer | Coming Soon.
Who is the real nuisance? Watch the official trailer for NUISANCE BEAR—the Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary from directors Jack Weisman and Gabriela Osio Vanden.
In theaters November 6 in Los Angeles, December 4 in New York, Canada and the UK. A MUBI Release.
This should look familiar to those of my readers who were following this blog in 2023, when it earned two News&Doc Emmy Award nominations and when I wrote that it had won Best Short Documentary at the 2022 Critics Choice Documentary Awards, so this electorate is familiar with it and liked it the first time. Remember, electorates matter. This is a feature-length treatment of the same material, and, based on its film festival awards, the expanded content is substance and not mere filler.
I can't recommend Nuisance Bear to my students, as it won't be available to them before the end of the semester, but I can recommend the next nominee. Watch LION | Official Trailer | National Geographic.
From “The Lion King” director Jon Favreau and BBC Studios executive producer Mike Gunton comes the extraordinary true story of a lion cub named Kio on his epic journey to become a king. Filmed over four years, this sweeping saga of family, hope and courage follows Kio as he grows from a vulnerable cub into a powerful leader. Along the way, he faces loss, exile and fierce rivals in a fight to survive. Combining cinematic storytelling with groundbreaking natural history filmmaking, this series captures the complete coming-of-age story of a lion — and the remarkable making of a king.
Welcome to the kind of project one can expect when Disney controls the National Geographic Channel. Fortunately, it looks like a hit with more than four million views on the trailer alone. It also looks like the kind of documentary series that would do well at next year's Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
"The most urgent film of our time.” THE AI DOC: OR HOW I BECAME AN APOCALOPTIMIST is only in theaters March 27. Watch the trailer now.
From the Academy Award®-winning filmmakers behind Everything Everywhere All at Once and Navalny; a father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with all this AI insanity. The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist is a hand-made, eye-opening documentary about the most powerful technology humanity has ever created... and what’s at stake if we get it wrong.
Holy crap! That was scary! It made me revisit what I wrote in 'Prophets of Doom' a dozen years ago.
Both [James Howard] Kunstler and Ruppert gave their familiar peak oil perspectives on the future. Of the rest, the one who worried about the farthest off catastrophe was De Garis, whose fear was of The Singularity, the surpassing of human intelligence by artificial intelligence. When he discussed his take on the future, I figured that Kunstler would likely have none of it. Sure enough, he told De Garis that he thought that the resources and finances needed to support the research for artificial intelligence would dry up before the technology reached that point. The result was that Kunstler didn't budge, but De Garis came away convinced that the other issues were fair more pressing than his particular worry. In particular, he became most concerned about water shortages.
Renowned Icelandic poet and author, Andri Snær Magnason, is chasing something elusive. As the glacial ice of his homeland melts, he constructs a cinematic time capsule to hold onto this moment and send it to the future, before everything he loves slips away. Using his own collected archives, his grandparents’ photographs and films as well as traditional songs and folktales, Andri interlaces his family’s story with that of the land around him. From Academy Award®-nominated director Sara Dosa, TIME AND WATER is a universal reflection on the power of home and what it means to be alive amid profound epochal change.
I can see the resemblance to Fire of Love, the personal meaning of natural phenomena. I can also recommend it to my students. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
For over a decade, Dr. Steve Boyes, conservation biologist and National Geographic Explorer, has been in search of a mysterious, elusive herd of Ghost Elephants in the highlands of Angola, deep within its forests. From acclaimed director Werner Herzog (“Grizzly Man”), GHOST ELEPHANTS follows Boyes on an epic journey as he sets out with some of the best master trackers in the world, in pursuit of an animal long believed to be a myth.
I can hear why Herzog earned a nomination for Outstanding Narrator at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Too bad he didn't repeat here, but at least he earned a nomination for his film.
National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory explores the extraordinary lives of bees — among the planet’s most important animals. Over three years, special cameras opened a rare window into a single hive, revealing their hidden world. With more than 20,000 bee species pollinating one-third of the world’s food, this series uncovers their astonishing architecture and intelligence, unlocking their secrets.
I didn't include the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, but here it is. Also, I have been recommending it to my students, although none has submitted any extra credit yet.
After watching the trailers, I think Nuisance Bear is the most likely to win with The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist and Time and Water as the most likely to upset it. Lion may have more nominations than either of the latter, but I think it's more likely to win the limited series category.
BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
David Greaves – Once Upon a Time in Harlem (Neon)
Baz Luhrmann – EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (Neon)
Gabriela Osio Vanden & Jack Weisman – Nuisance Bear (Mubi)
Xander Robin – The Python Hunt (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Poh Si Teng – American Doctor (Watermelon Pictures)
John Wilson – The History of Concrete (Magnolia Pictures)
Nuisance Bear and Once Upon a Time in Harlem co-lead this category with five nominations each, followed by EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert and The History of Concrete tied at four, then American Doctor and The Python Hunt tied at two. Two of these, The History of Concrete and The Python Hunt, don't have nominations in categories I will examine in the future, so I'm embedding them here, beginning with The History of Concrete - Official Trailer | Directed by John Wilson | In Theaters September 18.
Following the finale of his acclaimed HBO series “How To with John Wilson”, NYC documentarian John Wilson looks to the bedrock of his beloved New York City for inspiration and structure. Concrete, the world's most widely used building material, appears as an ever-present life force, and John sets out to make the definitive documentary on the matter. After attending a workshop on how to write and sell a Hallmark movie, he decides to use the industry-approved Hallmark formula to tell this seemingly drab story and increase his movie’s appeal. But his foundation soon begins to crumble—literally and figuratively—as he struggles to balance artistic freedom with the realities of the modern film industry.
Directed by John Wilson
This looks more interesting than I expected. Also, while there is definitely are science, technology, and infrastructure angles and I mention concrete in my lectures, I can't tell from the trailer if I can recommend this to my students. On the other hand, I'm sure I can recommend The Python Hunt - Official Trailer - Oscilloscope Laboratories HD.
In an attempt to save the threatened ecosystem, the Florida government hosts an annual competition to remove invasive pythons from the Everglades. For ten grueling nights, python-mania overtakes the ‘glades as an eclectic group of amateur hunters contends with unforgiving terrain, aggressive nocturnal creatures and their own desires and demons that push them into the swamp, searching for slithering glory.
Directed by Xander Robin
Produced by Xander Robin, Lance Oppenheim, Lauren Cioffi, Melissa Oppenheim
I blogged about the Florida python huntthreetimes and every time it looked like wild fun in the service of biodiversity and sustainability. I think my students will generally enjoy watching this as long as killing snakes doesn't bother them.
Two nominees also earned nominations for Best Documentary, Once Upon a Time in Harlem and The History of Concrete, so they're my picks to win Best First Documentary Feature. I think the former has the inside track, but I'll re-examine this category when I cover Best Historical Documentary and Best Archival Documentary.
BEST NARRATION
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (Focus Features)
Written by Daniel Roher & Caroline Lindy
Performed by Daniel Roher & Caroline Lindy
The History of Concrete (Magnolia Pictures)
Written by John Wilson
Performed by John Wilson
Lorne (Focus Features)
Written by Morgan Neville, Alan Lowe, Jake Hostetter
Performed by Chris Parnell
Nuisance Bear (Mubi)
Written by Mike Tunalaaq Gibbons
Performed by Mike Tunalaaq Gibbons
Rehearsals for a Revolution (Sony Pictures Classics)
Written by Pegah Ahangarani
Performed by Pegah Ahangarani
Remake (Music Box Films)
Written by Ross McElwee
Performed by Ross McElwee
I'm waiting until I hear all the narration from the trailers before making my pick in this category.
