Alan Zilberman
@alanzilberman.bsky.social
Film critic at Washington City Paper. #FreeDC.
Fucking penultimate flashback episodes (cc @kvanaren.bsky.social).
February 16, 2026 at 3:15 AM
Fucking penultimate flashback episodes (cc @kvanaren.bsky.social).
Fewer than 5,000 logs in LB, and a great film to boot.
February 15, 2026 at 6:38 PM
Fewer than 5,000 logs in LB, and a great film to boot.
Spike Jonze’s HER is an awful movie.
Truly awful.
It makes an irrevocable error by sympathizing with Theodore, a protagonist who is a depraved loser.
Truly awful.
It makes an irrevocable error by sympathizing with Theodore, a protagonist who is a depraved loser.
Most of the replies to this post come from sadness or pity, and that is wrong. These fucking freaks *need* judgment and shame.
February 15, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Spike Jonze’s HER is an awful movie.
Truly awful.
It makes an irrevocable error by sympathizing with Theodore, a protagonist who is a depraved loser.
Truly awful.
It makes an irrevocable error by sympathizing with Theodore, a protagonist who is a depraved loser.
Most of the replies to this post come from sadness or pity, and that is wrong. These fucking freaks *need* judgment and shame.
February 15, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Most of the replies to this post come from sadness or pity, and that is wrong. These fucking freaks *need* judgment and shame.
My nephew Mr. Irresistible wishes y’all a Happy Valentines Day.
February 14, 2026 at 9:50 PM
My nephew Mr. Irresistible wishes y’all a Happy Valentines Day.
It is pushing 60 degrees and the streets are mostly clear. Anyone still using a folding chair or whatever to reserve a parking space on the street is a menace.
February 14, 2026 at 6:29 PM
It is pushing 60 degrees and the streets are mostly clear. Anyone still using a folding chair or whatever to reserve a parking space on the street is a menace.
Reposted by Alan Zilberman
Already a meme.
February 13, 2026 at 11:22 PM
Already a meme.
Yes, I know I need to get to Moby Dick and The Terror, but even without them, my appreciation for novels about whalers is most normie reading habit - at least for someone in my cohort.
8.
A strange, horror-adjacent maritime adventure with a real sense of atmosphere and dread. What it lacks in strong characters it makes up for with the language, which is closer to a prose poem than standard fiction. If you enjoyed Ian McGuire's The North Water, you'll also dig this.
A strange, horror-adjacent maritime adventure with a real sense of atmosphere and dread. What it lacks in strong characters it makes up for with the language, which is closer to a prose poem than standard fiction. If you enjoyed Ian McGuire's The North Water, you'll also dig this.
February 13, 2026 at 7:32 PM
Yes, I know I need to get to Moby Dick and The Terror, but even without them, my appreciation for novels about whalers is most normie reading habit - at least for someone in my cohort.
I share Jordan's enthusiasm because I do enjoy a well-made jazz biopic. If you haven't seen Born to be Blue, the movie where Ethan Hawke plays Chet Baker, you absolutely should!
February 13, 2026 at 3:56 PM
I share Jordan's enthusiasm because I do enjoy a well-made jazz biopic. If you haven't seen Born to be Blue, the movie where Ethan Hawke plays Chet Baker, you absolutely should!
Wuthering Heights may have Charli xcx, but there is a needle drop in Pillion so unexpected and delightful that it alone might be worth the admission price.
This weekend you have your choice between two sexy movies with hot leading men. Why not pick the kinkier and sweeter one?
Yes, I use my review of Pillion to talk about Wuthering Heights, and which approach toward eroticism I ultimately find the more successful.
Yes, I use my review of Pillion to talk about Wuthering Heights, and which approach toward eroticism I ultimately find the more successful.
Pillion Gives the Gay Leather Community the Rom-Com Treatment
This weekend you have your choice between two sexy movies with hot leading men. Why not pick the kinkier and sweeter one.
washingtoncitypaper.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Wuthering Heights may have Charli xcx, but there is a needle drop in Pillion so unexpected and delightful that it alone might be worth the admission price.
This weekend you have your choice between two sexy movies with hot leading men. Why not pick the kinkier and sweeter one?
Yes, I use my review of Pillion to talk about Wuthering Heights, and which approach toward eroticism I ultimately find the more successful.
Yes, I use my review of Pillion to talk about Wuthering Heights, and which approach toward eroticism I ultimately find the more successful.
Pillion Gives the Gay Leather Community the Rom-Com Treatment
This weekend you have your choice between two sexy movies with hot leading men. Why not pick the kinkier and sweeter one.
washingtoncitypaper.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:37 PM
This weekend you have your choice between two sexy movies with hot leading men. Why not pick the kinkier and sweeter one?
Yes, I use my review of Pillion to talk about Wuthering Heights, and which approach toward eroticism I ultimately find the more successful.
Yes, I use my review of Pillion to talk about Wuthering Heights, and which approach toward eroticism I ultimately find the more successful.
Zero. I am not crazy about eggplant, but anything on this list can be part of something delicious. Deep frying helps.
February 13, 2026 at 2:45 AM
Zero. I am not crazy about eggplant, but anything on this list can be part of something delicious. Deep frying helps.
Tangerine Dream might be the only band that is still credibly itself, despite having none of its original members. What is more common is a group like Guided by Voices or The Fall, where one person is the driving creative force while bandmates come and go.
Gotta disagree with the guy from Foreigner. On the sad day when Mick and Keith are no longer with us, The Rolling Stones is finished.
Source: www.vulture.com/article/when...
Source: www.vulture.com/article/when...
February 12, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Tangerine Dream might be the only band that is still credibly itself, despite having none of its original members. What is more common is a group like Guided by Voices or The Fall, where one person is the driving creative force while bandmates come and go.
Good news for those who care about the local coverage void left by the Washington Post cuts.
February 12, 2026 at 6:40 PM
Good news for those who care about the local coverage void left by the Washington Post cuts.
Gotta disagree with the guy from Foreigner. On the sad day when Mick and Keith are no longer with us, The Rolling Stones is finished.
Source: www.vulture.com/article/when...
Source: www.vulture.com/article/when...
February 12, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Gotta disagree with the guy from Foreigner. On the sad day when Mick and Keith are no longer with us, The Rolling Stones is finished.
Source: www.vulture.com/article/when...
Source: www.vulture.com/article/when...
Edward Norton. According to my 11th grade math teacher who also taught him, he was an unassuming dork who was really into student government.
Who's the most famous alum of your high school?
I'll go first: David Draiman of Disturbed
I'll go first: David Draiman of Disturbed
guys i just found out i went to the same high school as howard lutnick. please respect my privacy at this time.
February 12, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Edward Norton. According to my 11th grade math teacher who also taught him, he was an unassuming dork who was really into student government.
Nine Inch Nails ruled last night (yes, they did play I’m Afraid of Americans).
February 12, 2026 at 1:47 PM
Nine Inch Nails ruled last night (yes, they did play I’m Afraid of Americans).
James Van Der Beek does not get enough credit for The Rules of Attraction. His character is recognizable today's world: a malignant buffoon you could almost pity if he wasn't so dumb.
Off camera, especially during his cancer battle, he struck me as self-deprecating and courageous.
Rest in power.
Off camera, especially during his cancer battle, he struck me as self-deprecating and courageous.
Rest in power.
James Van Der Beek, who starred in the teen drama series "Dawson’s Creek," has died at 48
February 11, 2026 at 7:47 PM
James Van Der Beek does not get enough credit for The Rules of Attraction. His character is recognizable today's world: a malignant buffoon you could almost pity if he wasn't so dumb.
Off camera, especially during his cancer battle, he struck me as self-deprecating and courageous.
Rest in power.
Off camera, especially during his cancer battle, he struck me as self-deprecating and courageous.
Rest in power.
Dang. I always pleasantly surprised when he popped up.
My personal favorite was when he played the world's shittiest boss to Dennis Haysbert in HEAT.
My personal favorite was when he played the world's shittiest boss to Dennis Haysbert in HEAT.
Bud Cort, ‘Harold and Maude’ Star, Dies at 77
Bud Cort, who starred in 'Harold and Maude" and "Brewster McCloud," died Wednesday. He was 77.
variety.com
February 11, 2026 at 7:28 PM
Dang. I always pleasantly surprised when he popped up.
My personal favorite was when he played the world's shittiest boss to Dennis Haysbert in HEAT.
My personal favorite was when he played the world's shittiest boss to Dennis Haysbert in HEAT.
Scene report: after chipping away at it for nearly three weeks, I have finally dug out my car.
February 11, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Scene report: after chipping away at it for nearly three weeks, I have finally dug out my car.
Wow, this blew up!
To be clear, I am not here to litigate the intricacies of the job report revision process. I just think it's funny to encounter an example of "I happen to have Mr. McLuhan right here" in the wild.
I promise I'll go back to posting about movies, books, and punk rock shortly.
To be clear, I am not here to litigate the intricacies of the job report revision process. I just think it's funny to encounter an example of "I happen to have Mr. McLuhan right here" in the wild.
I promise I'll go back to posting about movies, books, and punk rock shortly.
Bluesky in a nutshell.
Some context: BLS released its jobs numbers today, which were better than expected, and resistance libs would rather stay mad/conspiratorial than listen to actual on-the-ground experts that the data is still reliable.
Some context: BLS released its jobs numbers today, which were better than expected, and resistance libs would rather stay mad/conspiratorial than listen to actual on-the-ground experts that the data is still reliable.
February 11, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Wow, this blew up!
To be clear, I am not here to litigate the intricacies of the job report revision process. I just think it's funny to encounter an example of "I happen to have Mr. McLuhan right here" in the wild.
I promise I'll go back to posting about movies, books, and punk rock shortly.
To be clear, I am not here to litigate the intricacies of the job report revision process. I just think it's funny to encounter an example of "I happen to have Mr. McLuhan right here" in the wild.
I promise I'll go back to posting about movies, books, and punk rock shortly.
Bluesky in a nutshell.
Some context: BLS released its jobs numbers today, which were better than expected, and resistance libs would rather stay mad/conspiratorial than listen to actual on-the-ground experts that the data is still reliable.
Some context: BLS released its jobs numbers today, which were better than expected, and resistance libs would rather stay mad/conspiratorial than listen to actual on-the-ground experts that the data is still reliable.
February 11, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Bluesky in a nutshell.
Some context: BLS released its jobs numbers today, which were better than expected, and resistance libs would rather stay mad/conspiratorial than listen to actual on-the-ground experts that the data is still reliable.
Some context: BLS released its jobs numbers today, which were better than expected, and resistance libs would rather stay mad/conspiratorial than listen to actual on-the-ground experts that the data is still reliable.
They played "I'm Afraid of Americans" in New Orleans last week (thanks for the catch @aadowd.bsky.social), so here's hoping they realize the DC crowd - which is still dealing with National Guard on the streets - could use some catharsis!
Nine Inch Nails is playing DC tomorrow, their first time here since 2018. If they don’t play “I’m Afraid of Americans,” I think the entire crowd will be justifiably disappointed.
February 11, 2026 at 3:35 PM
They played "I'm Afraid of Americans" in New Orleans last week (thanks for the catch @aadowd.bsky.social), so here's hoping they realize the DC crowd - which is still dealing with National Guard on the streets - could use some catharsis!
Mark… you can still hire them.
(Media) SCOOP: Weeks ago, the owner of the Washington City Paper had offered to purchase The Washington Post's sports and local sections, keeping their desks alive.
The Post reporters were laid off and the desks were shut down instead.
www.theverge.com/policy/87683...
The Post reporters were laid off and the desks were shut down instead.
www.theverge.com/policy/87683...
Bezos could have saved WaPo’s sports and local journalists. He laid them off instead.
“The equation isn’t adding up.”
www.theverge.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:58 AM
Mark… you can still hire them.
Nine Inch Nails is playing DC tomorrow, their first time here since 2018. If they don’t play “I’m Afraid of Americans,” I think the entire crowd will be justifiably disappointed.
February 11, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Nine Inch Nails is playing DC tomorrow, their first time here since 2018. If they don’t play “I’m Afraid of Americans,” I think the entire crowd will be justifiably disappointed.