Projects #001 - “I’m actually from a smaller company that was purchased in a leveraged buy-out!”

First two weeks of January, plus Toy Story!

I’ve always found Concept Art Buzz so cute…

Project Updates 1/1-1/12/25

Let’s start with some project housekeeping - these will not be this extensive every week! I was just VERY productive on my winter break and I’d like to wow everyone for the first issue. The project recaps will cover Monday-Sunday of whatever week the issue drops.

This post is officially TOO LONG FOR EMAIL VIEWING! Hooray! Definitely open this in browser or the Substack app! As I’ve said before, the formatting is not set in stone as I figure out how to work Substack. Speaking of, here’s our very first poll!

Make sure to stick around at the end for some special links and recommendations, including some resources to help out with the LA wildfires!

Film & TV

Filmographies Completed

S. Craig Zahler

Brawl in Cell Block 99
Dragged Across Concrete
Bone Tomahawk

These films are all mercilessly stupid with ridiculous scripts. Objectively bad. Unfortunately, I did basically enjoy them all. Modern day exploitation films but even dumber? Sure why not dude. Go nuts.

Steve McQueen

Hunger
Shame

Both films had been on my watchlist for a good long while, what better way to end my winter break? Greatly preferred Shame to Hunger. Something about crazy siblings works better than watching men starve. It is, of course, a good companion to Say Nothing.

52 Films by 52 Women

This is an annual, somewhat silly, project that keeps me honest. I don’t *stop* watching movies by women when I get to 52, but if I can’t clear this benchmark when I unconsciously do so with films directed by men, what am I doing? This, much like everything I do for feminism, is the bare minimum.

1. I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007) dir. Amy Heckerling (very bad)

2. All We Imagine as Light dir. Payal Kapadia (very good)

Misc. Films

The amount I write about films in this section will really depend on how busy I am the week of writing. Here’s how I started the year.

Let’s Start a Cult (2024) dir. Ben Kitnick

How did Stav let himself get sidelined in his own film by a guy who sucks? Eric Rahill kills every line reading at least.

Girls Town (1996) dir. Jim McKay

Great ‘90s hangout film. Hopefully more on this soon…

Possession (1981) dir. Andrzej Żuławski (rewatch)

This tweet.

Without You I’m Nothing (1990) dir. John Boskovich

Didn’t get the joke sorry Sandra…

Dead Calm (1989) dir. Phillip Noyce

Worth it for the babiest Nicole Kidman you’ll ever see, and Billy Zane’s face exploding.

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (2025) dir. Christian Gudegast

Pretty remarkable January trash - Big Nick is one of the best film characters of the past decade. The diamond heist tension made our very rowdy screening fall silent. Locked in.

The Brutalist (2024) dir. Brady Corbet (rewatch)

Second viewing solidified how much I love this crazy thing…

Gotcha! (1985) dir. Jeff Kanew

‘80s Cold War sex comedy - it’s awesome how Anthony Edwards looked young exactly once (the bar scenes in Top Gun) and otherwise looks like an old man trapped in a teen body forcing his way to the surface like the poster for The Frighteners.

Anime (No Virgins Allowed)

This section will be dedicated to my attempts to find worthwhile anime that isn’t titled, like, “My Little Sister Can’t Possibly Be This Fuckable”. I want my loved ones to trust that I’m not recommending the bad kind of freak shit, just the good stuff. “Good” is subjective, but please trust me. You are fine to skip both films listed here. I’ve also continued watching Dragon Ball Daima (mostly boring) and Rurouni Kenshin (really solid adaptation; do not google what the mangaka was up to in 2017). We’ll discuss when those seasons wrap.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024) dir. Kenji Kamiyama

Basically pointless, but some nice fight scenes. Imagine if every studio had to churn out an anime film to keep franchise rights - I’m not oppossed!

Wicked City (1987) dir. Yoshiaki Kawajiri

Let’s just say if you want to see a spider woman spray white foam out of her toothy vagina, this is for you.

Best First Time Watches, December 2024

I did this on Twitter every month for years - however, things have been weird over there. It’s best I drift away.

5. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)
4. Dead Bang (1989)
3. Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018)
2. Mother (2009)
1. Ikiru (1952)

TV

I watch a few shows week to week, but not nearly as many as I once did. I’ll be updating this when I feel like it. We don’t need me saying things like “Another Elsbeth this week! It’s good! Go Elsbeth!”

Greg the Bunny (Complete First Season/Series)

Can you believe this got cancelled? Well…

John Adams (Episodes 1-3)

So far so good! But these episodes are long as hell! More to say when we finish.

Creature Commandos (Season One Finale)

By the end things got pointlessly cruel, which does seem like it was the point but not really what I need from superhero projects. Not a great sign for whatever Gunn has planned for the DC film universe, which does need to die again for the sake of humanity. Will not be watching season two.

Reading

Books finished

The Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice (audiobook)

When I Arrived at the Castle by Emily Carroll

Was not on purpose that I finished two vampire books! Not sure how many Vampire Chronicles I have in me, but this one was a lot of fun. I’ll admit I am morbidly curious how Lestat eventually ends up going to Atlantis… Carroll’s short graphic novel about vampire sex is a fun trifle. Took me truly ten minutes to read. This is how you boost your stats!

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

We’ll be coming back to this in its own issue. Maus always freaked me out as a teen so I never read it in full, glad I finally did. Picked it up after learning Spiegelman is planning to make new work about Gaza. I admire his devotion to portraying his father as the most annoying man to ever live.

Books skimmed

Carmageddon by Daniel Knowles

Lots of facts about how bad cars are that I already knew from the company I keep, but a good thing to have on hand.

Gus Van Sant: The Art of Making Movies by Katya Tylevich

Very cute that the author refers to him as ‘Gus’ throughout.

Alphabetical Diaries by Sheila Heti

A cool experiment, it must be said, but not something I could really ‘read’. Worth looking at though!

Manga (No Virgins Allowed)

Little to report here as Weekly Shonen Jump is on its winter break. Frieren is back on indefinite hiatus, Undead Unluck has only a handful of chapters left, and things are heating up on Elbaph in One Piece. I’m embarking on a quick Akane-banashi reread with physical volumes from the library. Akane has really risen in my esteem as its gone on - is this one of the only Jump series where a female protagonist isn’t horrifically sexualized? Feels like one of the only current series with a mangaka who understands that women are people. They should let women write manga more often - just my two cents.

To cover all my bases, here’s a clipping from the Google Doc I use to keep track of all the series I’m reading and when they release. Isn’t it fun to see into my brain like this?

Currently reading

• One Piece (Final saga), chapter 1135 - Weekly Shonen Jump, 2-3 chapters a month due to Oda’s mandated breaks - if he goes down so does the Japanese economy.

• Hunter x Hunter (Hiatus), chapter 410 - WSJ, publishes in batches of ten every couple years. Togashi says he is writing through chapter 450 so we’ll see how that goes.

• D.Gray-Man, chapter 253 - Jump SQ.Rise, quarterly release (kind of!)

• Vinland Saga (Final arc), chapter 216 - Monthly Afternoon, monthly release with a lot of breaks. Wrapping up, will likely be complete by end of 2025.

• Black Clover (Final battle), chapter 378 - Jump Giga, quarterly release for the final battle. Should be done by next year at this snail’s pace.

• Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, chapter 52 - Monthly Big Comic Spirits, monthly release with hiatuses. Honestly not sure of the schedule!

• Witch Hat Atelier, chapter 85 - Morning Two, monthly release.

• SpyxFamily, chapter 109 - Jump Plus, irregular release, anime could catch up since it barely comes out.

• Undead Unluck (Final battle), chapter 237 - WSJ, probably over by March.

• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (hiatus), chapter 140 - Weekly Shonen Sunday, basically biweekly, on another extended hiatus.

• Me & Roboco, chapter 216 - WSJ, gag manga. Could go forever…

• Sakamoto Days, chapter 196 - WSJ

• Dandadan, chapter 180 - Jump Plus

• Akane-banashi, chapter 141 - WSJ

• Chainsaw Man, chapter 189 - Jump Plus, weekly/biweekly.

• Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 9: The JOJOLands - Ultra Jump, monthly. Is this the final adventure for Jojo? Time will tell…

• DOGSRED, chapter 39 - Weekly Young Jump, kind of biweekly? They let him do whatever. To be clear, this should be the case for all mangaka.

• Mujina into the Deep, chapter 5.6 - Big Comic Superior, monthly.

• Astro Baby, chapter 26 - Jump Plus, biweekly.

• Shiba Inu Rooms, chapter 17 - Jump Plus, biweekly.

• Ultimate Exorcist Kyoshi, chapter 27 - WSJ

• Ichi the Witch, chapter 17 - WSJ

• The Sound of Blinking, chapter 2 - Big Comic Superior, monthly(?)

Videos Game

Very little to report beyond Balatro… I am trying to beat the Checkered Deck on Red Chip difficulty but having a tough time. Reading the Balatro subreddit makes me feel schizophrenic. This is a Project that will rarely see updates, but the Switch 2 is imminent so…

Apartment Amenities

• I wiped the the weird dust off the top of my cabinets so I can put stuff up there. My mom recommended some Dawn on a big sponge, and it worked like a charm. The greasy dust rolled up into little pillbugs, it was disgusting. But it’s looking a lot better now and my old toaster is happy but there.

• I also spackled some holes in the wall behind my trash - considering putting in some tall shelves to maximize storage space, but it’s been a dead zone on Craigslist lately…

• I am not posting a photo of my bathroom on the internet, but just text me and I’ll show you the latest framed addition above the toilet. Not weird.

• Trying to organize my animated film shelf - chronological or by studio? These are the questions that keep me up at night…

Pixar Project #001 - TOY STORY (1995) dir. John Lasseter

Last time I did a full Pixar rewatch was 15 years ago before Toy Story 3 - it’s gotten a bit harder!

How do I write about a movie I think about every single day of my life, the first movie I ever saw in theaters, the keystone upon which reality turns? Probably by calming down a bit and saying: this movie is really really good.

Toy Story, despite having terrifying marionette people, is still a genuinely unbelievable technological feat. This film is as important to animation as Snow White, for reasons good AND bad. Toy Story gave us every great Pixar movie, but it also gave us Shark Tale. Everything comes back to Woody and Buzz. There is no denying this. The level of creativity due to hardware limitations is astounding. Can’t get rain to work? Just dim the lights and make some thunder noises! Don’t need to see any drops. Explosions and smoke too tasking for your ancient desktop? Throw some bits and shake the camera! You can see every problem Pixar faced and every solution too. This film is 77 min toe to tip, and not a second is wasted.

The rules of toys are quickly established (We’ll discuss these in greater depths in the sequels): toys are alive. Toys freeze up (consciously) when humans are present, a seemingly innate instinct. Toys want to be played with, as a form of euphoria and fulfilling a higher purpose. They will do anything for their owners, even bend these rules to an extent. Toys can be horny for each other, but which toys are capable of this and which experience a sort of asexual eternal innocence remains unclear. The rules of when toys do and do not feel pain are so loose they feel almost psychosomatic, and probably are! But most importantly for this film, when some toys come out of the box, they think they are the real thing.

Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen, who is unfortunately great, but this is also why he’s still haunting our lives) thinks he is a real space ranger, much like Chris Evans 27 years later (we will get there). Woody (Tom Hanks, who sounds so young), the leader of Andy’s toys, is immediately dismissive of this nutjob who takes over his turf. Sibling rivalry is the name of the game. While Woody’s asshole personality was toned down from the infamous Black Tuesday pitch (in which he did things like literally kick Slinky), he is still a snide fucking asshole. We could use more protagonists motivated by rage-infused insecurity. In a gorgeously lit sunset sequence, Woody accidentally knocks Buzz out the window, leading the toys to mutiny and throw him out as well.

The mismatched buddy comedy is the foundation for most Pixar films, a real crutch for them in later films. But of course, this was the first, and it’s great. Woody and Buzz beat the shit out of each other before deciding Andy is what matters and that they must get back before the big move. There’s a pit stop at Pizza Planet, probably the coolest place to ever exist in my prepubescent mind. I am desperate to get my teeth rotted out by that slime drink. Before long, Buzz and Woody are snatched up by Andy’s Beavis and Butt-head neighbor Sid, who loves ‘torturing toys’. Now many have made the argument that Sid is innocent because he can’t know these things are sentient, but the destruction of his toys is not the limit of his cruelty. He is awful to his little sister, and probably beat the shit out of that little geek Andy once or twice too. We should be so lucky he’s sticking to blowing up Combat Carl and not that freakish dog Scud.

Randy Newman’s contributions to the film cannot go overlooked. While “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” remains a stone cold classic in the Disney pantheon, “I Will Go Sailing No More” really sells the utter devastation Buzz feels when he awakens to his true situation: he is a toy and he cannot fly. All this moment is is a toy jumping off a stairwell, and it feels as huge as anything captured in a live action drama. What’s Randy been up to lately? Hope he’s well.

Anyway, the climactic chase is as thrilling as you remember, even as you can feel the background landscapes straining against the limits of computer processing. After scarring Sid for life by revealing that he is alive (Sid will be fine, sometimes kids need the fear of god put in their hearts so they stop being sociopaths), Woody saves Buzz and runs to the moving van with Scud the dog right behind them. Buzz grabbing and snapping Scud’s eyelids is a disgusting and brutal image, but obviously the film stops short of letting this thing get creamed by a car. No Disney villain death for a dog that is likely just undersocialized and rightfully freaked out that toys are running around.

Woody and Buzz “falling with style” (pictured above) needs no textual analysis. Pixar nailed it, even if they didn’t know how to animate wind yet. A truly iconic moment of triumph, then we’re out! That’s Toy Story! I could keep going, breaking down each and every character introduced, but there are three more movies to do that with. Hamm, Rex, Mr. Potato Head, the shark that makes fun of Woody, all our friends. Bo Peep, a great check for Annie Potts but suffers from the “animators don’t know that women are people” disease that ravages the community, is more of a concept than a character, but at least her glass body is yet another crazy accomplishment. And she somehow left kiss marks on Woody? Did she find a crayon and wipe it on her face? Another question we can ask John Lasseter, who is in hell. We’re running out of time this week, but we’ll dive into Pixar’s history as the project continues. How many of you know what happened with Brave? You’ll soon learn.

TOY STORY: Five out of five bouncing lamps (his name is Luxo Jr. And he is a hero.)

Mary Fran Corner

My dear friend Mary Frances is doing this rewatch alongside me, down in DC! Each Pixar Project update will feature her musings as well.

“Not only did this movie really set the stage for the future of animation but it holds up well. I genuinely enjoy it every time I watch it, the last time before this one being for Kyle’s 30th birthday. One of the most special parts of watching Disney movies for me is being transported to fond memories like that whenever I watch one.

As a kid I loved Woody and was anti-Buzz, but as an adult that has completely shifted. Woody is such a toxic boss to the other toys (like ordering Slinky Dog to be happy?? let the dog feel his feelings!!) and can’t handle not being the center of attention. Woody going up to Buzz and saying he’ll never take Andy away from him and Buzz being unfazed reminds me of that scene in Mad Men when Ginsburg and Draper are in the elevator together and Ginsberg tells Draper “I feel sorry for you” and Draper replies “I don't think about you at all.” Really respect Disney for creating such an awful main character and still flourishing.

It all turns around in the end though and even though Woody is still not ideal he’s become a better version of himself. My favorite part of the movie is probably when he has all of Sid’s toys work together to save Buzz. Hate to admit it but the guy has good leadership skills and he put them to good use in that scene.

By the way — “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” is one of my favorite Disney songs. So often, Disney movies emphasize being the prettiest or most talented or smartest or most magical but this song says it’s ok. You don’t have to be any of those things to be a friend. What a wonderful message :’)”

From the archives

The invitation to my aforementioned 30th birthday party!

Thanks to my parents for setting it up!!

Links and Recommendations

• My review of Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl at Boston Hassle! A great, great film!

• For Hawke Cast, we were finally able to watch the long lost short film LION’S DEN starring Ethan and directed by someone whose name I don’t want to use! Don’t tell Isr*el what I said about it on this episode!

• Fun charts about streaming services and ads - Paramount Plus is basically just advertising itself! Wonder how that will go.

• Steven Soderbergh’s Seen, Read 2024 List. He owes me money.

• I found this obituary for Debrina/Debbie Kawan, the woman who was set on fire on the MTA last month, very striking and sad.

• LA Wildfire Relief Master Doc - I’m blown away by the bravery of everyone in LA, even the male fashion influencers I follow have been donating the extra stuff those companies send them! Praying things continue to stabilize, but until then thinking of my friends out west.

• Wildfire GoFundMe for a friend of a friend that is close to the finish line!

Where to find me

Please feel free to follow me on Letterboxd or Instagram. I’ll still post links on Twitter though I’m not using it much anymore. I’ve reserved my name on Bluesky, but am hesitant to start posting there - I don’t agree with the resignation of immediately jumping to another social media platform. I’m not looking for reasons to spend MORE time online, and I wish more people would recognize the out they’re being given. I understand it’s different for people who make their money off social media, but I’m not them.

And of course I’ll always be in the comments section below! What’s your current project? Any wildfire resources you’d like to plug for our LA brethren?