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
Posts by Michael Phillips
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.
Every leader and every citizen, in fact
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.
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...
rare to see an american politician speak in these terms and it rocks
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.
And start w Part 1. They’re numbered in order!
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.
Yes, and Ted Sarandos has already indicated his displeasure in anything more than 2 weeks. So.
This is an American patriot.
Apparently the Netflix algorithm picked up on the phrase “you ran guns to Ethiopia” and boom: prequel
Right on.
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...
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...
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.
And yet five of the nine would probably get rid of the Voting Rights Act for free
Next on my reading list. It can, and has, happened anywhere.
What an absolute treasure Diane Keaton was. Her wit never tired, nor did her style.
Laying the groundwork for martial law, with the instigating provocation to be named later, exceeds the meaning of "unusual."
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."
Kimmel won. Winning matters, wins are how we’re going to prevent this autocratic slide.
“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...
I think there is a direct relationship between punishing people for mourning George Floyd and punishing people for not mourning Charlie Kirk.
Much obliged, Peter. Truly.
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)
...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)
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)