AJ Howell
@howell489.bsky.social
Writer. Artist. Improv-er. Nerdy over TV, movies, music, books. Reader of pulp, comics, and other fun stuff. Lover of things retro and random.
Just an artistic nerd trying to be a good person.
Just an artistic nerd trying to be a good person.
My top five would probably be the same, now that I think about it! I just want to shout out DIAL M FOR MURDER and ROPE, Hitchcock’s two big theatrical adaptations. I love both, and I feel like both would be perfect for OVERHATED!
February 17, 2026 at 6:03 AM
My top five would probably be the same, now that I think about it! I just want to shout out DIAL M FOR MURDER and ROPE, Hitchcock’s two big theatrical adaptations. I love both, and I feel like both would be perfect for OVERHATED!
Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and a snickerdoodle. Because it’s nice to treat yourself!
February 17, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and a snickerdoodle. Because it’s nice to treat yourself!
Kinda proud of something I wrote over on the OTHER site, so I decided to share it here!
February 16, 2026 at 3:26 AM
Kinda proud of something I wrote over on the OTHER site, so I decided to share it here!
(This kind of advertising was ported over to TV Land when Nick at Nite got its own network in the 1990s!)
February 15, 2026 at 8:25 AM
(This kind of advertising was ported over to TV Land when Nick at Nite got its own network in the 1990s!)
...And here's what I wrote about 'em!
February 13, 2026 at 7:24 PM
...And here's what I wrote about 'em!
Doing some catch-up on my Letterboxd account! Here are my last two watches...
February 13, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Doing some catch-up on my Letterboxd account! Here are my last two watches...
It’s BLAST FROM THE PAST’s 27th anniversary, so seems like as good a time as any to sing its praises! This is one of my comfort-food movies, and it falls into a category I love: films with a protagonist who prevails just by being a truly good person. If you like romcoms, you need to see this!
February 13, 2026 at 5:27 AM
It’s BLAST FROM THE PAST’s 27th anniversary, so seems like as good a time as any to sing its praises! This is one of my comfort-food movies, and it falls into a category I love: films with a protagonist who prevails just by being a truly good person. If you like romcoms, you need to see this!
This was really good! It’s a mystery, and I suspected a few different people over the course of the novel, but I never even considered the actual culprits. This book played me like a harp and I love that!
February 13, 2026 at 3:24 AM
This was really good! It’s a mystery, and I suspected a few different people over the course of the novel, but I never even considered the actual culprits. This book played me like a harp and I love that!
As a horror fan, I should probably be watching the SCREAM movies in anticipation of SCREAM VII. I just listened to a podcast about the first LEPRECHAUN movie, though, and I’m wondering if I should finally crack the lid open on those…
(This poster terrified me as a kid, btw!)
(This poster terrified me as a kid, btw!)
February 10, 2026 at 10:29 PM
As a horror fan, I should probably be watching the SCREAM movies in anticipation of SCREAM VII. I just listened to a podcast about the first LEPRECHAUN movie, though, and I’m wondering if I should finally crack the lid open on those…
(This poster terrified me as a kid, btw!)
(This poster terrified me as a kid, btw!)
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is the biggest musical I’ve seen live since THE SOUND OF MUSIC in elementary school. I enjoyed it! It’s a solidly constructed show that had some cool production design. This was the most ambitious show I’ve seen live, and it was fun to see the big set pieces!
February 10, 2026 at 6:08 AM
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is the biggest musical I’ve seen live since THE SOUND OF MUSIC in elementary school. I enjoyed it! It’s a solidly constructed show that had some cool production design. This was the most ambitious show I’ve seen live, and it was fun to see the big set pieces!
Playing TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES at a pizza place is a vibe I’m TOTALLY here for.
February 10, 2026 at 1:12 AM
Playing TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES at a pizza place is a vibe I’m TOTALLY here for.
This is being released this coming September and I’m already excited to get my hands on a copy (with or without the poster)!
February 6, 2026 at 4:28 AM
This is being released this coming September and I’m already excited to get my hands on a copy (with or without the poster)!
I also wrote some stuff about it!
February 5, 2026 at 3:55 AM
I also wrote some stuff about it!
MY FAVORITE YEAR had a pretty good run as my favorite film discovery of 2026 (basically a whole month), but it's been beaten out by PARENTHOOD. I liked this!
February 5, 2026 at 3:55 AM
MY FAVORITE YEAR had a pretty good run as my favorite film discovery of 2026 (basically a whole month), but it's been beaten out by PARENTHOOD. I liked this!
I don’t know if this is serendipity or the algorithm just really cares about me, but I just got an anti-smoking PSA at the top of @junkfoodcinema.bsky.social’s episode on 200 CIGARETTES.
I promise I’m okay, Internet! I don’t smoke!
I promise I’m okay, Internet! I don’t smoke!
February 1, 2026 at 6:38 AM
I don’t know if this is serendipity or the algorithm just really cares about me, but I just got an anti-smoking PSA at the top of @junkfoodcinema.bsky.social’s episode on 200 CIGARETTES.
I promise I’m okay, Internet! I don’t smoke!
I promise I’m okay, Internet! I don’t smoke!
Share a TV show that raised you.
January 29, 2026 at 3:07 AM
Share a TV show that raised you.
Then someone sent this to me in a reply, which is a perfect illustration of what I meant to say.
January 27, 2026 at 5:22 AM
Then someone sent this to me in a reply, which is a perfect illustration of what I meant to say.
Some guy was bagging on Superman for being terrifying because of his godlike powers over on that OTHER site. This is what I said in a QT. I'm kind of proud of it!
January 27, 2026 at 5:22 AM
Some guy was bagging on Superman for being terrifying because of his godlike powers over on that OTHER site. This is what I said in a QT. I'm kind of proud of it!
I'm so glad that both of you liked BREAKING AWAY! It's been a fave of mine for years, and you guys pointed out insights that I never noticed before!
May I suggest AMERICAN FLYERS as a future episode? It's another cycling movie written by Steve Tesich (directed by John Badham), & I think it's great!
May I suggest AMERICAN FLYERS as a future episode? It's another cycling movie written by Steve Tesich (directed by John Badham), & I think it's great!
January 12, 2026 at 5:31 AM
I'm so glad that both of you liked BREAKING AWAY! It's been a fave of mine for years, and you guys pointed out insights that I never noticed before!
May I suggest AMERICAN FLYERS as a future episode? It's another cycling movie written by Steve Tesich (directed by John Badham), & I think it's great!
May I suggest AMERICAN FLYERS as a future episode? It's another cycling movie written by Steve Tesich (directed by John Badham), & I think it's great!
THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT is one of my favorite movie discoveries of this year. It definitely deserves to be better known!
THE SURE THING is my personal favorite of Reiner's movies, & it also deserves to be better-known. It's a perfect (imo) updating of IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT into an '80s teen comedy.
THE SURE THING is my personal favorite of Reiner's movies, & it also deserves to be better-known. It's a perfect (imo) updating of IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT into an '80s teen comedy.
December 15, 2025 at 6:56 AM
THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT is one of my favorite movie discoveries of this year. It definitely deserves to be better known!
THE SURE THING is my personal favorite of Reiner's movies, & it also deserves to be better-known. It's a perfect (imo) updating of IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT into an '80s teen comedy.
THE SURE THING is my personal favorite of Reiner's movies, & it also deserves to be better-known. It's a perfect (imo) updating of IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT into an '80s teen comedy.
I'm really sad to hear that Rob Reiner and his wife were killed. I feel like directors are lucky to have ONE perfect film on the resume. IMO, Rob Reiner had four. What an amazing body of work to leave behind. Thanks for all the great art, Mr. Reiner.
December 15, 2025 at 4:08 AM
I'm really sad to hear that Rob Reiner and his wife were killed. I feel like directors are lucky to have ONE perfect film on the resume. IMO, Rob Reiner had four. What an amazing body of work to leave behind. Thanks for all the great art, Mr. Reiner.
Today’s FYE haul!
(I didn't realize that I'd picked up a Savage brothers double feature until I got home, btw!)
(I didn't realize that I'd picked up a Savage brothers double feature until I got home, btw!)
September 19, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Today’s FYE haul!
(I didn't realize that I'd picked up a Savage brothers double feature until I got home, btw!)
(I didn't realize that I'd picked up a Savage brothers double feature until I got home, btw!)
Apparently I'm in the minority on this, but I like this album cover and title! I think it's a bold, strong creative choice to be this blatantly goofy, and I appreciate the bravery-especially in the name of fun!
September 18, 2025 at 3:22 AM
Apparently I'm in the minority on this, but I like this album cover and title! I think it's a bold, strong creative choice to be this blatantly goofy, and I appreciate the bravery-especially in the name of fun!
Remembering the late Robert Redford with a movie I like from four decades: one from the 1960s, '70s, '80s, and '90s.
I like that this selection is so diverse; he did so much during his career and he left plenty of classics behind. He was one of the last real movie stars.
I like that this selection is so diverse; he did so much during his career and he left plenty of classics behind. He was one of the last real movie stars.
September 18, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Remembering the late Robert Redford with a movie I like from four decades: one from the 1960s, '70s, '80s, and '90s.
I like that this selection is so diverse; he did so much during his career and he left plenty of classics behind. He was one of the last real movie stars.
I like that this selection is so diverse; he did so much during his career and he left plenty of classics behind. He was one of the last real movie stars.
I think ELECTRIC DREAMS is a fun-but-flawed romantic comedy (with some interesting things to say about AI's role in the arts), but there's one part that's flawless, and that's "Together in Electric Dreams." In fact, it WAS a hit in the UK!
September 9, 2025 at 11:56 PM
I think ELECTRIC DREAMS is a fun-but-flawed romantic comedy (with some interesting things to say about AI's role in the arts), but there's one part that's flawless, and that's "Together in Electric Dreams." In fact, it WAS a hit in the UK!