Farouk
@faroukk.bsky.social
Sharing things I think matter. Writer and Cultural Critic with words in various places (currently @ Endless Mode). Game Dev at Play Underground Games working on a secret unannounced project.
Pinned
Farouk
@faroukk.bsky.social
· Apr 9
2025 Grant Recipients — Chicago Film Critics Association
The Chicago Film Critics Association & Rotten Tomatoes Emerging Critics Scholarship supports up-and-coming voices in film and media criticism in the Chicagoland area.
chicagofilmcritics.org
Excited to share that I've received special recognition as a "Writer to Watch" as part of the @chicagocritics.bsky.social / @rottentomatoes.com Emerging Critics Program. Congrats to all the writers recognized this year, and looking forward to the festival! chicagofilmcritics.org/grantrecipie...
I like blue and red and people with a dark past/difficult to overcome loneliness
November 26, 2025 at 4:11 AM
I like blue and red and people with a dark past/difficult to overcome loneliness
Reposted by Farouk
I had the privilege of interviewing Shinichirō Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Kids on the Slope, etc.) for The A.V. Club and asked him about what initially drew him to American pop culture, who he wants to work with next, and what defines enduring art.
Cowboy Bebop director Shinichirō Watanabe on what it takes for art to "survive beyond"
We interviewed Cowboy Bebop director Shinichirō Watanabe about his work, where his love of overseas culture came from, and what's next.
www.avclub.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:16 PM
I had the privilege of interviewing Shinichirō Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Kids on the Slope, etc.) for The A.V. Club and asked him about what initially drew him to American pop culture, who he wants to work with next, and what defines enduring art.
Reposted by Farouk
Are the Xbox Crocs a new low for "gamer" fashion, or simply more of the same cringe? That's for you to decide. www.avclub.com/xbox-crocs
The Xbox Crocs make their mark in canon of outrageous gamer fashion
Are the Xbox Crocs a new low for "gamer" fashion, or simply more of the same cringe? That's for you to decide.
www.avclub.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Are the Xbox Crocs a new low for "gamer" fashion, or simply more of the same cringe? That's for you to decide. www.avclub.com/xbox-crocs
One of the better things the Pokémon games have done recently with Legends Arceus/Z-A is the fact that the Pokémon straight up try to fucking kill you
November 25, 2025 at 2:26 AM
One of the better things the Pokémon games have done recently with Legends Arceus/Z-A is the fact that the Pokémon straight up try to fucking kill you
if Jay Kelly was about a woman they could've called it Grace Kelly
November 25, 2025 at 1:47 AM
if Jay Kelly was about a woman they could've called it Grace Kelly
Train Dreams? To do what exactly? Play baseball?
November 24, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Train Dreams? To do what exactly? Play baseball?
Reposted by Farouk
Finally. My big 2800 word essay about One Battle After Another and its black women characters is live. www.vulture.com/article/blac...
Black Actresses Are Carrying One Battle After Another
Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, and Regina Hall propel the film’s most conflicted ideas, for better and worse.
www.vulture.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Finally. My big 2800 word essay about One Battle After Another and its black women characters is live. www.vulture.com/article/blac...
Fellow Chicago ppl, this week you can watch 1 of the best documentaries of the year at the Gene Siskel Film Center: Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk. A diary of conversations Sepideh Farsi had with Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna as she lived under bombardment in Gaza.
boxd.it/bP2iBb
boxd.it/bP2iBb
A ★★★★½ review of Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk (2025)
An archive of a friendship; a record of various attempts at showing up and bearing witness; a live diary of the thoughts of those living through the worst of it as it's happening. It's all recorded us...
boxd.it
November 24, 2025 at 3:44 AM
Fellow Chicago ppl, this week you can watch 1 of the best documentaries of the year at the Gene Siskel Film Center: Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk. A diary of conversations Sepideh Farsi had with Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna as she lived under bombardment in Gaza.
boxd.it/bP2iBb
boxd.it/bP2iBb
Someone I'm in contact with who works at the theater just told me that there's a new movie coming out sometime soon
November 22, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Someone I'm in contact with who works at the theater just told me that there's a new movie coming out sometime soon
Reposted by Farouk
Thanks to all of YOU, we’ve almost got Q1 locked down for next year, but we’d love to make it “we’ve got 2026 locked down” so if you’re looking for something to support and/or find benefit in what BWDR provides, we’d love to have you join us as a subscriber!
Doing one of those earnest posts where we kindly remind you that we lost half our operating budget over the summer, and that we're looking for ways to keep this whole thing going, and that if you like what we do or that we exist, the best thing you could possibly do to support us is to subscribe
Subscribe - Bright Wall/Dark Room
Subscribe for $29 a year Subscribe now to receive immediate access to each new essay we publish, plus our entire 140+ issue archive. Bright Wall/Dark Room is 100% independent, runs no ads, and strongl...
www.brightwalldarkroom.com
November 22, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Thanks to all of YOU, we’ve almost got Q1 locked down for next year, but we’d love to make it “we’ve got 2026 locked down” so if you’re looking for something to support and/or find benefit in what BWDR provides, we’d love to have you join us as a subscriber!
Reposted by Farouk
film criticism may be dying, but The A.V. Club let me write about Bazin’s ontology of the image, and that’s not for nothing
The closer Richard Linklater gets to remaking Breathless, the further he strays from Jean-Luc Godard
Nouvelle Vague betrays Godard, yet finds something all its own
Nouvelle Vague never becomes Breathless or finds the birth of the French New Wave. It's too deep in Richard Linklater's precise reality.
www.avclub.com
November 21, 2025 at 10:32 PM
film criticism may be dying, but The A.V. Club let me write about Bazin’s ontology of the image, and that’s not for nothing
this country is actually unreal
Q: Are you affirming that you think President Trump is a fascist?
MAMDANI: I've spoken about--
TRUMP: That's okay. You can just say yes. I don't mind.
MAMDANI: I've spoken about--
TRUMP: That's okay. You can just say yes. I don't mind.
November 21, 2025 at 10:10 PM
this country is actually unreal
Reposted by Farouk
I wrote about Zelda - the character, her series, and some feelings on Age of Imprisonment for @theavclubgames.bsky.social:
Princess Zelda reckons with her legacy and reclaims her legend in Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment
Princess Zelda has always had power, but Age of Imprisonment gives her something just as valuable: self-awareness.
www.avclub.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:59 PM
I wrote about Zelda - the character, her series, and some feelings on Age of Imprisonment for @theavclubgames.bsky.social:
Reposted by Farouk
Every once in a while, I check my son's Steam reviews.
November 20, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Every once in a while, I check my son's Steam reviews.
I wanted to share that I don’t really like sparkling water, but I think it’s totally cool if you like it! Just wanted to say something honest today, I really hope this doesn’t offend any of my followers!!
November 20, 2025 at 10:31 PM
I wanted to share that I don’t really like sparkling water, but I think it’s totally cool if you like it! Just wanted to say something honest today, I really hope this doesn’t offend any of my followers!!
Reposted by Farouk
Reposted by Farouk
sad news out of roku city today. a train has derailed, killing the big robot. he was 24.
November 18, 2025 at 5:29 PM
sad news out of roku city today. a train has derailed, killing the big robot. he was 24.
I was getting annoyed at the "SpongeBob Big Guy Pants Okay" phrase that everyone keeps posting but then I googled what it's referencing and actually this is the funniest thing ever
November 19, 2025 at 4:44 AM
I was getting annoyed at the "SpongeBob Big Guy Pants Okay" phrase that everyone keeps posting but then I googled what it's referencing and actually this is the funniest thing ever
One of the best and most essential movies you could watch, and some equally incredible writing on the film here.
"You can count the number of pro-revolutionary American movies on one hand and still have a middle finger reserved for ICE." 🔥
"You can count the number of pro-revolutionary American movies on one hand and still have a middle finger reserved for ICE." 🔥
New today on the site:
“Ivan Dixon’s THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR (1973) is a pipe bomb on the video store shelf, a gasoline-filled wine bottle in your DVD cabinet, a vicious bit of malware streamed through hijacked plutocrat satellites.”
- Bryan Miller
“Ivan Dixon’s THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR (1973) is a pipe bomb on the video store shelf, a gasoline-filled wine bottle in your DVD cabinet, a vicious bit of malware streamed through hijacked plutocrat satellites.”
- Bryan Miller
The Spook Who Sat By the Door (1973): Weaponized Expectations
Ivan Dixon's The Spook Who Sat By the Door is a pipe bomb on the video store shelf, a gasoline-filled wine bottle in your DVD cabinet.
www.brightwalldarkroom.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:14 PM
One of the best and most essential movies you could watch, and some equally incredible writing on the film here.
"You can count the number of pro-revolutionary American movies on one hand and still have a middle finger reserved for ICE." 🔥
"You can count the number of pro-revolutionary American movies on one hand and still have a middle finger reserved for ICE." 🔥
Reposted by Farouk
New today on the site:
“Ivan Dixon’s THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR (1973) is a pipe bomb on the video store shelf, a gasoline-filled wine bottle in your DVD cabinet, a vicious bit of malware streamed through hijacked plutocrat satellites.”
- Bryan Miller
“Ivan Dixon’s THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR (1973) is a pipe bomb on the video store shelf, a gasoline-filled wine bottle in your DVD cabinet, a vicious bit of malware streamed through hijacked plutocrat satellites.”
- Bryan Miller
The Spook Who Sat By the Door (1973): Weaponized Expectations
Ivan Dixon's The Spook Who Sat By the Door is a pipe bomb on the video store shelf, a gasoline-filled wine bottle in your DVD cabinet.
www.brightwalldarkroom.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:46 PM
New today on the site:
“Ivan Dixon’s THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR (1973) is a pipe bomb on the video store shelf, a gasoline-filled wine bottle in your DVD cabinet, a vicious bit of malware streamed through hijacked plutocrat satellites.”
- Bryan Miller
“Ivan Dixon’s THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR (1973) is a pipe bomb on the video store shelf, a gasoline-filled wine bottle in your DVD cabinet, a vicious bit of malware streamed through hijacked plutocrat satellites.”
- Bryan Miller
sometimes there's a lot of news in the world and then I get really tired
November 18, 2025 at 12:57 AM
sometimes there's a lot of news in the world and then I get really tired
Best essay I've read on this album, truly understands how it's working within the culture
I wrote about Rosalía's "Lux," martyrdom, and our collective gastrointestinal health johnpaulbrammer.substack.com/p/eat-me
Eat Me
On Rosalía's "Lux" and our collective gut health
johnpaulbrammer.substack.com
November 16, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Best essay I've read on this album, truly understands how it's working within the culture
Reposted by Farouk
I wrote about Rosalía's "Lux," martyrdom, and our collective gastrointestinal health johnpaulbrammer.substack.com/p/eat-me
Eat Me
On Rosalía's "Lux" and our collective gut health
johnpaulbrammer.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:07 PM
I wrote about Rosalía's "Lux," martyrdom, and our collective gastrointestinal health johnpaulbrammer.substack.com/p/eat-me
Reposted by Farouk
Opening my online store back up again for the holidays ❄️ Could use some help so consider checking it out 🙇🏽
angelaramones.bigcartel.com/products
angelaramones.bigcartel.com/products
Products
Browse all products from Angela Ramones.
angelaramones.bigcartel.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Opening my online store back up again for the holidays ❄️ Could use some help so consider checking it out 🙇🏽
angelaramones.bigcartel.com/products
angelaramones.bigcartel.com/products
Watching the new Tatsuki Fujimoto anthology show and realizing he's anime/manga's equivalent of Paul Thomas Anderson
November 12, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Watching the new Tatsuki Fujimoto anthology show and realizing he's anime/manga's equivalent of Paul Thomas Anderson