Marshall Shaffer
banner
marshallshaffer.bsky.social
Marshall Shaffer
@marshallshaffer.bsky.social
Freelance writer frequently seen on The Playlist, Decider, Slant Magazine, Slashfilm, and Crooked Marquee. We'll get along. (he/him)
https://marshallandthemovies.substack.com/
Think I can officially call it a wrap on Sundance, 50 films later: marshallandthemovies.substack.com/p/sundance-2...
Sundance 2026, Ranked
The Best and the Rest from Out West
marshallandthemovies.substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 12:41 PM
Reposted by Marshall Shaffer
Beth de Araújo’s sophomore feature JOSEPHINE is a harrowing chronicle of a premature maturation. Read @marshallshaffer.bsky.social's #Sundance review.
'Josephine' Review: Bearing Witness Is No Child's Play
Beth de Araújo's film demonstrates how small acts of courage can help people persist through the pain they experience.
www.slantmagazine.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:57 PM
Reposted by Marshall Shaffer
Gregg Araki's I WANT YOUR SEX, starring Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman, gets too caught up in concern trolling about the sexual timidity of today’s youth. Read @marshallshaffer.bsky.social's #Sundance review.
'I Want Your Sex' Review: A Screed Against Zoomer Puritanism
Gregg Araki's 'I Want Your Sex' quickly reveals itself to be little more than a screed in a sex comedy's clothes.
www.slantmagazine.com
January 30, 2026 at 3:12 PM
Reposted by Marshall Shaffer
i haven't done this since twitter but at the request of 1 (one) person, OSCAR NOMINEES AS SIMPSONS SCREENCAPS THREAD
January 29, 2026 at 1:15 PM
For anyone who's seen it: is the Baz Luhrmann Elvis doc worth waiting to see in IMAX, or is a press screening room fine enough to get the effect?
elvis presley is sitting in a rocking chair and saying `` thank you very much ! ''
ALT: elvis presley is sitting in a rocking chair and saying `` thank you very much ! ''
media.tenor.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Reposted by Marshall Shaffer
It’s started: Oliver Laxe said on Spanish television that THE SECRET AGENT is doing well because there are too many Brazilians in the Academy — “ultranationalists” who would vote for a shoe if it were Brazilian and now this is what the comment section on the SIRÂT Instagram looks like x 5,000.
January 23, 2026 at 6:49 AM
Today's newsletter: a highlight reel from the 15 of this year's Oscar nominees whom I've interviewed 📬 marshallandthemovies.substack.com/p/what-i-lea...
What I Learned from This Year's Oscar Nominees
Great moments from memorable interviews
marshallandthemovies.substack.com
January 23, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Maybe a niche NYC post, but I feel like I should have seen the IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT nomination falloff coming when the showtimes became so minimal at Lincoln Center and Film Forum didn't even keep it until nominations
January 22, 2026 at 3:40 PM
who knows a guy with a VIVA VERDI screener
January 22, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Reposted by Marshall Shaffer
Bubble burst!
Ok so the clear winner for first movie for class of 2025 is Wicked for Good, right?! @joereid.bsky.social @chrisvfeil.bsky.social
January 22, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Today’s newsletter 📬

Trying to understand what the new Oscar Achievement in Casting will entail? I chatted with a friend with experience in the field to break it down: marshallandthemovies.substack.com/p/what-does-...
What Does "Achievement in Casting" Look Like?
A chat about the newest Academy Award in 2026
marshallandthemovies.substack.com
January 18, 2026 at 7:47 PM
Reposted by Marshall Shaffer
Read our interview with Lav Diaz about his "acid trip" version of MAGELLAN, poking holes in mythmaking, working with Gael García Bernal, and more. tinyurl.com/nhd6e6zf
January 7, 2026 at 8:33 PM
📝 FIRST PIECE OF 2026

Had a blast talking with Lav Diaz about making MAGELLAN (out starting Friday 1/9), which at *only* 160 minutes might seem like a diet meal for the Filipino filmmaker ... but is still rich to digest.

Interview at @slantmagazine.com: www.slantmagazine.com/film/lav-dia...
Lav Diaz on Poking Holes in Mythology with 'Magellan'
Lav Diaz discusses what he draws from other art forms and why he's satisfied with the discourse started by the film.
www.slantmagazine.com
January 7, 2026 at 11:18 PM
Broke the Letterboxd odometer 😮‍💨
January 2, 2026 at 9:09 PM
Let's dance in style, let's dance for a while.

My top 10 movies of 2025: marshallandthemovies.substack.com/p/my-top-10-...
My Top 10 Movies of 2025
Reflecting on the year in cinema
marshallandthemovies.substack.com
December 31, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by Marshall Shaffer
Can't think of any greater compliment for an actor than being called the modern-day Jack Lemmon

NO OTHER CHOICE is Now Playing at the Music Box, presented in 35mm

Get Tickets Now: musicboxtheatre.com/films-and-ev...
"For me, I think the modern-day Jack Lemmon or Jimmy Stewart is Lee Byung-hun, which is why I decided to cast him for the role."

Talked with Park Chan-wook and Lee Byung-hun for
@slantmagazine.com about NO OTHER CHOICE, out in theaters beginning tomorrow. www.slantmagazine.com/film/park-ch...
Park Chan-wook and Lee Byung-hun on 'No Other Choice'
Park and Lee discuss the nature of their collaboration, what they can relate to in Man-su's anxiety about unemployment, and more.
www.slantmagazine.com
December 31, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Reposted by Marshall Shaffer
Trump guys are about to Comet Pizza every third daycare center because they think they are all fronts for Somali money laundering. They're only doing this near cities with progressive mayors. This is straight up Government by LibsOfTikTok.
December 30, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Sundancing friends, who do you use to get from SLC airport to Park City?

My usual transportation service has DOUBLED their rates for 2026, so it's time to do what Gina Rodriguez would call "mama let's research"
a man with ice on his face is standing in a snowy field
ALT: a man with ice on his face is standing in a snowy field
media.tenor.com
December 29, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by Marshall Shaffer
I love this guy. Absolutely in love with going to the hospital.
December 27, 2025 at 11:58 PM
“If it were episodic, you would feel like you were marching through history. One of the things I really wanted to avoid is the audience thinking that history is inevitable.”

Talked to Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus about COVER-UP, which is on Netflix today: www.slantmagazine.com/features/lau...
Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus on 'Cover-Up' and Sy Hersh
The filmmakers discuss Hersh's legacy and what keeps them going in their own mission of holding power to account.
www.slantmagazine.com
December 26, 2025 at 3:05 PM
"For me, I think the modern-day Jack Lemmon or Jimmy Stewart is Lee Byung-hun, which is why I decided to cast him for the role."

Talked with Park Chan-wook and Lee Byung-hun for
@slantmagazine.com about NO OTHER CHOICE, out in theaters beginning tomorrow. www.slantmagazine.com/film/park-ch...
Park Chan-wook and Lee Byung-hun on 'No Other Choice'
Park and Lee discuss the nature of their collaboration, what they can relate to in Man-su's anxiety about unemployment, and more.
www.slantmagazine.com
December 24, 2025 at 5:28 PM
One last set of streaming recommendations, for once you’ve powered through that last yearly watch of your holiday favorite: marshallandthemovies.substack.com/p/the-downst...
The Downstream: December 2025
10 great movies to watch before they leave streaming this month.
marshallandthemovies.substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Perhaps the most scathing review I've ever had to issue. Hated ANACONDA! theplaylist.net/anaconda-rev...
‘Anaconda’ Review: Paul Rudd & Jack Black Can’t Save A Brutally Unfunny Rock-Bottom For Studio IP Era
Sony’s 2025 reboot ‘Anaconda’ turns self-aware IP satire into a brutally unfunny, overstuffed midlife-friends meta-misfire.
theplaylist.net
December 23, 2025 at 6:27 PM