Josh Bell
@signalbleed.bsky.social
Freelance writer and film/TV critic at KTNV, Tom's Guide, Crooked Marquee, The Inlander, Inverse, Highway Radio, Awesome Movie Year, and more. For hire: [email protected]
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Josh Bell
@signalbleed.bsky.social
· Oct 18
Latest Episodes - Awesome Movie Year
Awesome Movie Year is a podcast where film-critic Josh Bell & comedian Jason Harris take a look at different awesome movie years.
awesomemovieyear.com
Welcome new followers! (And thank you, @bwdr.bsky.social starter pack.) I write about movies and TV for various publications, and I co-host the Awesome Movie Year podcast, taking on a different year in cinema history each season.
I worry about where the line is for how much can be expressed in a "social media reaction," so I will just offer this factual observation about 'Avatar: Fire and Ash': It definitely is the longest 'Avatar' movie yet.
December 2, 2025 at 6:47 AM
I worry about where the line is for how much can be expressed in a "social media reaction," so I will just offer this factual observation about 'Avatar: Fire and Ash': It definitely is the longest 'Avatar' movie yet.
I'm basic enough that my main Tom Stoppard appreciation comes from 'Shakespeare in Love,' which is genuinely great and shouldn't be dismissed because of Oscar shenanigans. RIP.
November 30, 2025 at 1:19 AM
I'm basic enough that my main Tom Stoppard appreciation comes from 'Shakespeare in Love,' which is genuinely great and shouldn't be dismissed because of Oscar shenanigans. RIP.
There are a couple of days left to watch underrated rom-com 'Long Shot' on Netflix. I made a case for it at @tomsguide.com:
#filmsky #moviesky
#filmsky #moviesky
Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen star in one of the most underrated rom-coms of the past decade — watch it now before it leaves Netflix
'Long Shot' is funny and heartfelt, with a surprisingly smart take on American politics
www.tomsguide.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:38 AM
There are a couple of days left to watch underrated rom-com 'Long Shot' on Netflix. I made a case for it at @tomsguide.com:
#filmsky #moviesky
#filmsky #moviesky
I'm thankful to my Awesome Movie Year collaborators for chatting with me about the eerie psychodrama 'Let's Scare Jessica to Death' in this week's 1971 episode. awesomemovieyear.com/captivate-po...
November 27, 2025 at 4:38 AM
I'm thankful to my Awesome Movie Year collaborators for chatting with me about the eerie psychodrama 'Let's Scare Jessica to Death' in this week's 1971 episode. awesomemovieyear.com/captivate-po...
A Las Vegas Weekly colleague once told me after reading one of my reviews (of a Kelly Clarkson album) that she still didn't like the music, but now she understood why I liked it.
What is the best compliment you ever received? Putting aside whether or not you believed it.
November 27, 2025 at 4:09 AM
A Las Vegas Weekly colleague once told me after reading one of my reviews (of a Kelly Clarkson album) that she still didn't like the music, but now she understood why I liked it.
One good thing about still getting some DVD awards screeners is that I can find the designated inoffensive uplifting Oscars-friendly movie to bring over on Christmas and watch with my mom and grandma. (This year I think it will be 'Rental Family.')
November 27, 2025 at 3:03 AM
One good thing about still getting some DVD awards screeners is that I can find the designated inoffensive uplifting Oscars-friendly movie to bring over on Christmas and watch with my mom and grandma. (This year I think it will be 'Rental Family.')
At the movie theater attempting to order a small drink, and they tell me they are out of small cups, so I can get a medium, or a limited-edition 'Tron: Ares' souvenir cup ... for a dollar less.
November 26, 2025 at 4:54 AM
At the movie theater attempting to order a small drink, and they tell me they are out of small cups, so I can get a medium, or a limited-edition 'Tron: Ares' souvenir cup ... for a dollar less.
With 'It: Welcome to Derry' reaching a huge audience on HBO, I wrote about the original 1990 ABC 'It' miniseries, a childhood staple for me that I still have on VHS.
You can stream the original 'It' miniseries on HBO Max, so you can get even more Pennywise
Before 'It: Welcome to Derry,' this 1990 miniseries brought Stephen King's terrifying evil clown to the small screen
www.tomsguide.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:51 PM
With 'It: Welcome to Derry' reaching a huge audience on HBO, I wrote about the original 1990 ABC 'It' miniseries, a childhood staple for me that I still have on VHS.
Has Ryan Murphy ruined Glenn Close's acting abilities?
November 24, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Has Ryan Murphy ruined Glenn Close's acting abilities?
2025 Stephen King adaptations, ranked:
1. 'The Long Walk'
2. 'The Monkey'
3. 'The Running Man'
4. 'The Life of Chuck'
1. 'The Long Walk'
2. 'The Monkey'
3. 'The Running Man'
4. 'The Life of Chuck'
November 24, 2025 at 2:19 AM
2025 Stephen King adaptations, ranked:
1. 'The Long Walk'
2. 'The Monkey'
3. 'The Running Man'
4. 'The Life of Chuck'
1. 'The Long Walk'
2. 'The Monkey'
3. 'The Running Man'
4. 'The Life of Chuck'
Watching a movie ('Sunfish and Other Stories on Green Lake') with positive Bell's Beer representation.
a man in a yellow shirt is sitting in a chair holding a cup and pointing
ALT: a man in a yellow shirt is sitting in a chair holding a cup and pointing
media.tenor.com
November 23, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Watching a movie ('Sunfish and Other Stories on Green Lake') with positive Bell's Beer representation.
Someone should program a retrospective of part ones of two-part movies that are satisfying to watch on their own, with 'Wicked,' 'It,' 'Nymphomaniac,' maybe 'Dune' (although 'Dune' has a better second part than those others).
November 23, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Someone should program a retrospective of part ones of two-part movies that are satisfying to watch on their own, with 'Wicked,' 'It,' 'Nymphomaniac,' maybe 'Dune' (although 'Dune' has a better second part than those others).
My quick take on the underwhelming 'Wicked: For Good' in this week's Highway Radio segment:
Josh Bell Hates: Wicked For Good - Highway Radio
Now demonized as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba lives in exile in the Ozian forest, while Glinda resides at the palace in Emerald City, reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. As [...]
highwayradio.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:02 AM
My quick take on the underwhelming 'Wicked: For Good' in this week's Highway Radio segment:
People keep comparing this to a '30 Rock' bit when it's 100 percent a 'Girls5eva' song. (Apologies for bringing this to your attention; watch 'Girls5eva' instead.)
Someone found an mp3 of the creepy "Jailbait" song Olivia Nuzzi released when she was 16 🫣
November 20, 2025 at 3:35 AM
People keep comparing this to a '30 Rock' bit when it's 100 percent a 'Girls5eva' song. (Apologies for bringing this to your attention; watch 'Girls5eva' instead.)
Looking up info on a new indie film to see about potential coverage, and this is what Rotten Tomatoes qualifies as a "fresh" review.
November 20, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Looking up info on a new indie film to see about potential coverage, and this is what Rotten Tomatoes qualifies as a "fresh" review.
Despite its cool footage, I couldn't quite get over the hokiness of motorcycle documentary 'On Any Sunday,' which we talk about in this week's 1971 Awesome Movie Year episode. #filmsky #moviesky
On Any Sunday (1971 Documentary) - Awesome Movie Year
The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features our documentary pick, Bruce Brown’s On Any Sunday. Directed and narrated by Bruce Brown and featuring Mert Lawwill, David A...
awesomemovieyear.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Yes, it's already Christmas-movie season, so it's time for my annual holiday edition of VODepths, with Hallmark-style romances, documentaries about Christmas trees and giant leg lamps, and a very worn-out Cuba Gooding Jr. #filmsky #moviesky
Christmas VODepths: What to See (and Avoid) On Demand This Holiday Season — Crooked Marquee
Our mini-reviews of ‘Animal Tales of Christmas Magic,’ ‘Fragilé,’ ‘SuperClaus,’ ‘12 Toys of Christmas,’ and more direct-to-video holiday fare.
crookedmarquee.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:44 PM
For @tomsguide.com, I wrote about underrated stoner comedy 'Never Goin' Back,' which is now streaming on Tubi. #filmsky #moviesky
The best stoner comedy you probably haven't seen is now streaming for free on Tubi
'Never Goin' Back' introduces a teenage-girl duo that could have been the next Harold and Kumar
www.tomsguide.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:24 AM
For @tomsguide.com, I wrote about underrated stoner comedy 'Never Goin' Back,' which is now streaming on Tubi. #filmsky #moviesky
As much as I hate to disagree with my friends in the local Vegas film community, I really appreciate the Current's clear-eyed coverage of what to me seems like an obvious boondoggle, to counteract the blinkered boosterism I see everywhere else.
The Summerlin film studio bill currently under consideration by the Nevada State Legislature is expected to lead the state to a fiscal cliff in 2030, according to a fiscal analysis presented to lawmakers by their nonpartisan staff.
See the numbers: Nevada’s potential film studio fiscal cliff • Nevada Current
The Summerlin film studio bill currently under consideration by the Nevada State Legislature is expected to lead the state to a fiscal cliff in 2030, according to a fiscal analysis presented to lawmak...
nevadacurrent.com
November 16, 2025 at 10:20 PM
As much as I hate to disagree with my friends in the local Vegas film community, I really appreciate the Current's clear-eyed coverage of what to me seems like an obvious boondoggle, to counteract the blinkered boosterism I see everywhere else.
My quick take on Edgar Wright's uneven but entertaining 'The Running Man' in this week's Highway Radio segment: highwayradio.com/josh-bell-ha...
November 16, 2025 at 8:03 PM
My quick take on Edgar Wright's uneven but entertaining 'The Running Man' in this week's Highway Radio segment: highwayradio.com/josh-bell-ha...
Taking breaks to get through an overlong slog of a movie screener, but then of course that just makes the movie feel longer.
November 15, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Taking breaks to get through an overlong slog of a movie screener, but then of course that just makes the movie feel longer.
I've been an Oz Perkins fan since his earliest films, so there's no way I would've skipped 'Keeper,' but this kind of makes me want to see it even more.
November 15, 2025 at 8:24 AM
I've been an Oz Perkins fan since his earliest films, so there's no way I would've skipped 'Keeper,' but this kind of makes me want to see it even more.
For @crooked-marquee.bsky.social's Classic Corner today, I celebrated the 45th anniversary of the deceptively clever animal-attack thriller 'Alligator.' #filmsky #moviesky
Classic Corner: Alligator
Released 45 years ago this week, Lewis Teague’s witty and well-crafted animal-attack thriller is far more than a “Jaws” rip-off.
crookedmarquee.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:07 PM
For @crooked-marquee.bsky.social's Classic Corner today, I celebrated the 45th anniversary of the deceptively clever animal-attack thriller 'Alligator.' #filmsky #moviesky
For @inverse.com, I celebrated the fifth anniversary of Christopher Landon's goofy but heartfelt body-swap slasher movie 'Freaky.' #filmsky #moviesky
5 Years Ago, An Underseen Horror Movie Put A Clever Twist On A Sci-Fi Trope
A serial killer *and* a body swap is a lot for one teenager to deal with.
www.inverse.com
November 14, 2025 at 1:22 AM
For @inverse.com, I celebrated the fifth anniversary of Christopher Landon's goofy but heartfelt body-swap slasher movie 'Freaky.' #filmsky #moviesky
'Now You See Me: Now You Don't' (in theaters tonight) brings back the inexplicably popular franchise about obnoxious heisting magicians. My @inlander.com review:
#filmsky #moviesky
#filmsky #moviesky
The annoying outlaw magicians return in the flashy but empty Now You See Me: Now You Don’t
There’s nothing magical about the Now You See Me movies, in which the tricks are the result of digital special effects rather than sleight of hand, and the characters’ live
www.inlander.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:03 PM
'Now You See Me: Now You Don't' (in theaters tonight) brings back the inexplicably popular franchise about obnoxious heisting magicians. My @inlander.com review:
#filmsky #moviesky
#filmsky #moviesky