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Posts by Michael Phillips

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Saw Lester’s “Three Musketeers” for the first time since ‘74. Loved it at 13, current me didn’t. But amid this
US political and moral nightmare the key line now belongs to Heston’s Cardinal Richelieu: “Vengeance? An expensive luxury. Statesmen cannot afford it.” #Richelieu2028

6 days ago 7 1 0 0

This is unconstitutional. Voting is a fundamental right for every American. Illinois will keep administering free and fair elections – and what Donald Trump puts on a piece of paper will not change that.

2 weeks ago 2868 702 72 29

Every leader and every citizen, in fact

4 weeks ago 7 1 0 0

Of course he does. Is this a joke? He defended the guy who killed Good. He’s told multiple people that he thinks protesters should be attacked. He told people at a rally to rough someone up. He’s said nothing as ICE has hurt people for months.

He doesn’t get to walk away from this now.

2 months ago 3788 890 131 21
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‘Send Help’ review: Rachel McAdams saves Sam Raimi’s grisly ‘Survivor’ riff Sam Raimi’s “Send Help” plays like “Cast Away” meets “Survivor,” elevated by Rachel McAdams, who brings humor, control and bite to a grisly premise.

Thin on the page, but the all-pro duo of "Send Help" -- Rachel McAdams and dir. Sam Raimi -- rescues the movie from itself. It's "Cast Away" if Wilson the volleyball were a total a-hole. My review for the @sfchronicle: www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...

2 months ago 13 1 0 0
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‘An Unbelievable Mess’: Artists Are Stymied by Trump Travel Bans

Excellent overview of America's imperiled touring artist visa situation by @sisario.bsky.social.

3 months ago 5 1 0 0

rare to see an american politician speak in these terms and it rocks

3 months ago 19301 3077 171 58

Try it. You’ll like it. Also, volunteer. Help out at a food bank. Talk to people. Listen to people. Remember why we’re all here. And a good 2026 to you, friends.

3 months ago 17 0 0 0

And start w Part 1. They’re numbered in order!

3 months ago 9 1 0 0

I learn a lot every year, but this year I got SO much from Alison, Adam and Josh every which way. Thanks to all, including Sam and Joe “House Call” DeCeault. Take a listen.

3 months ago 18 4 1 0
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Yes, and Ted Sarandos has already indicated his displeasure in anything more than 2 weeks. So.

4 months ago 8 0 1 0
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This is an American patriot.

4 months ago 7872 1960 206 127

Apparently the Netflix algorithm picked up on the phrase “you ran guns to Ethiopia” and boom: prequel

4 months ago 8 0 1 0

Right on.

5 months ago 14 0 0 0
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The State of Film Criticism – Museum of the Moving Image It’s become distressingly rare for arts journalists of all kinds to maintain staff jobs. For this free event, the Museum invites an illustrious panel to discuss the embattled profession of film critic...

NY-and-thereabouts friends: If you can swing by Astoria and the Museum of the Moving Image 4:30pm Sat. Nov. 1, I'll be here with these good people. movingimage.org/event/the-st...

6 months ago 9 0 0 0
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They were already living in one of Chicago’s worst apartment buildings. Then came the ICE raid. In what appears to have been a warrantless operation, the federal government will not say how many people were detained, who remains in custody and what happened to the children.

They were already living in one of Chicago’s worst apartment buildings. Then came the ICE raid. Our story @chicagotribune.com breaks down the “mind-blowing violation of the Fourth Amendment” that occurred and the propaganda from the U.S. government.
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/19/i...

6 months ago 97 43 0 2

Favorite sign at one of the many, many rallies across America today, this one in Albuquerque: "I like my democracy neat, no ICE." Clearly the work of domestic terrorists.

6 months ago 37 2 0 0

And yet five of the nine would probably get rid of the Voting Rights Act for free

6 months ago 10 0 0 0

Next on my reading list. It can, and has, happened anywhere.

6 months ago 3 0 0 0
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What an absolute treasure Diane Keaton was. Her wit never tired, nor did her style.

6 months ago 6584 1047 32 34
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Laying the groundwork for martial law, with the instigating provocation to be named later, exceeds the meaning of "unusual."

6 months ago 11 0 0 0

Thanks to the good people at rogerebert.com. It's a sadly beautiful re-watch right about now, in the age of "five Watergates a month."

6 months ago 11 1 0 0
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Kimmel won. Winning matters, wins are how we’re going to prevent this autocratic slide.

6 months ago 11387 1982 232 76
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Texas Tech Moves to Limit Academic Discussion to 2 Genders

“I’m emotionally shellshocked right now,” said one professor in the Texas Tech system. “What does it say about academic freedom? It says we don’t have it.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/u...

6 months ago 946 329 46 85

I think there is a direct relationship between punishing people for mourning George Floyd and punishing people for not mourning Charlie Kirk.

6 months ago 570 129 10 5

Much obliged, Peter. Truly.

8 months ago 39 1 0 0

Working w the excellent @ninametz.bsky.social and our editor Doug George has made us all a little better, I hope. I'll be hanging around "Filmspotting" as needed, and inflicting my musical tastes weekly on Classical WFMT via "Soundtrack." To you all: Thanks for reading, and giving a damn. (3/3)

8 months ago 331 10 13 1
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...I took the buyout. After 20 very good years here, straddling my two lifelong journalistic loves of theater (first four years, coming from the L.A. Times drama critic post to the Tribune's) and the movies, I feel nothing but gratitude for the chance to do this work in a great cultural city. (2/3)

8 months ago 330 19 8 2

A bit of news: The Chicago Tribune has deemed the post of film critic non-essential, and therefore zeroed-out that post. My options were to take a newsroom reassignment to be named later, or a buyout to be taken more or less immediately. So...(1/3)

8 months ago 771 131 44 91