Anne Billson
@annebillson.bsky.social
Auteur en filmcriticus, screenwriter, vertaler, fotograaf, evil feminist, wicked spinster, international cat-sitter. Likes frites, beer & chocolade. The Low Countries.
Reposted by Anne Billson
Re-posting for #ShareMondays2025 :)
Full view of Rogie Falls - love the colour of the water as it falls over the rocks in the foreground.
#Scotland
#Scotland
December 15, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Re-posting for #ShareMondays2025 :)
Reposted by Anne Billson
THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT (Harlin, 1996)
December 15, 2025 at 11:12 PM
THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT (Harlin, 1996)
Reposted by Anne Billson
The other day a waiter tried to kill a wasp & he forked himself in the side of his hand & made himself bleed. We didn't eat there again.
December 15, 2025 at 9:44 PM
The other day a waiter tried to kill a wasp & he forked himself in the side of his hand & made himself bleed. We didn't eat there again.
Reposted by Anne Billson
I had to look up "pillow shots". It was worth it.
December 14, 2025 at 11:28 AM
I had to look up "pillow shots". It was worth it.
Reposted by Anne Billson
Tokyo Godfathers is one of the best films of this century. A key reason is that it portrays Tokyo with an almost overwhelming level of care and detail.
Satoshi Kon and his team moved mountains to make this film's world feel real — as we explore today: animationobsessive.substack.com/p/satoshi-ko...
Satoshi Kon and his team moved mountains to make this film's world feel real — as we explore today: animationobsessive.substack.com/p/satoshi-ko...
Satoshi Kon's Impossibly Real Tokyo
Plus: news and a music video.
animationobsessive.substack.com
December 15, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Tokyo Godfathers is one of the best films of this century. A key reason is that it portrays Tokyo with an almost overwhelming level of care and detail.
Satoshi Kon and his team moved mountains to make this film's world feel real — as we explore today: animationobsessive.substack.com/p/satoshi-ko...
Satoshi Kon and his team moved mountains to make this film's world feel real — as we explore today: animationobsessive.substack.com/p/satoshi-ko...
Reposted by Anne Billson
Cat is brought in as a prisoner to the monkey guardroom, 1630s. By David Teniers, whose day is today.
December 15, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Cat is brought in as a prisoner to the monkey guardroom, 1630s. By David Teniers, whose day is today.
People who say it's been a bad year for films - where have you been? what have you been watching? did you even GO to the cinema? It's been a great year for films! Only one I loathed was [REDACTED] (ps that's not the title) though haven't yet got round to WICKED part 2 & I hated the first one.
December 15, 2025 at 4:13 PM
People who say it's been a bad year for films - where have you been? what have you been watching? did you even GO to the cinema? It's been a great year for films! Only one I loathed was [REDACTED] (ps that's not the title) though haven't yet got round to WICKED part 2 & I hated the first one.
My favourite part of the train.
December 15, 2025 at 3:59 PM
My favourite part of the train.
Reposted by Anne Billson
100%. When I post about astronomy or books here, I get nice replies talking about astronomy and books. On X I get people telling me space is fake, NASA is lying, and people running crypto scams. Pretty easy choice
"Bluesky is an echo chamber."
"Bluesky doesn't have enough reach"
"Liberals must return to X to challenge the far right"
I'm not a tech bro or a journalist. Your priorities are not my priorities. Stop telling me I need to do anything other than chat about comics & telly with people who seem nice.
"Bluesky doesn't have enough reach"
"Liberals must return to X to challenge the far right"
I'm not a tech bro or a journalist. Your priorities are not my priorities. Stop telling me I need to do anything other than chat about comics & telly with people who seem nice.
December 15, 2025 at 3:30 PM
100%. When I post about astronomy or books here, I get nice replies talking about astronomy and books. On X I get people telling me space is fake, NASA is lying, and people running crypto scams. Pretty easy choice
Reposted by Anne Billson
If for some reason I were ever asked to explain the concept of comic timing I would just show someone this scene. As perfect a self-contained masterpiece as Steamed Hams youtube.com/watch?v=H7vk...
"Lick My Love Pump" Scene from This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
YouTube video by Nathaniel Noah
youtube.com
December 15, 2025 at 2:48 PM
If for some reason I were ever asked to explain the concept of comic timing I would just show someone this scene. As perfect a self-contained masterpiece as Steamed Hams youtube.com/watch?v=H7vk...
Reposted by Anne Billson
Born on this day in 1610, in Antwerp, my younger colleague & friend David Teniers. Incredibly diverse painter. Here having a Boschy moment for Temptation of Saint Anthony, complete w/ A+ flying demons.
December 15, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Born on this day in 1610, in Antwerp, my younger colleague & friend David Teniers. Incredibly diverse painter. Here having a Boschy moment for Temptation of Saint Anthony, complete w/ A+ flying demons.
Reposted by Anne Billson
Reposted by Anne Billson
Overheard in the supermarket. Two teenagers.
1: 'Where's Dad?'
2 (with ineffable weariness): 'In the cheese aisle, having the time of his life.'
1: 'Where's Dad?'
2 (with ineffable weariness): 'In the cheese aisle, having the time of his life.'
December 15, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Overheard in the supermarket. Two teenagers.
1: 'Where's Dad?'
2 (with ineffable weariness): 'In the cheese aisle, having the time of his life.'
1: 'Where's Dad?'
2 (with ineffable weariness): 'In the cheese aisle, having the time of his life.'
Reposted by Anne Billson
Many if not all of my faves made it into this year's Critic's Circle nominations, as ever it was an honour to vote and it'll be all kinds of fun to see how things play out.
criticscircle.org.uk/one-battle-a...
criticscircle.org.uk/one-battle-a...
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, HAMNET AND SINNERS LEAD NOMINATIONS FOR 46TH ANNUAL LONDON CRITICS’ CIRCLE FILM AWARDS | The Critics' Circle
The long-established awards ceremony will honour the best in film achievement on 1 February 2026 at The May Fair in London London, 15 December 2025 Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another...
criticscircle.org.uk
December 15, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Many if not all of my faves made it into this year's Critic's Circle nominations, as ever it was an honour to vote and it'll be all kinds of fun to see how things play out.
criticscircle.org.uk/one-battle-a...
criticscircle.org.uk/one-battle-a...
Seen all of these!
December 15, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Seen all of these!
The awards shortlist; I voted for some of these. Seen all but three, two of which I should be able to catch up with, but the third doesn't open in Belgium until February and they're not sending out screeners AFAIK. So tough shit, can't vote for it.
December 15, 2025 at 12:04 PM
The awards shortlist; I voted for some of these. Seen all but three, two of which I should be able to catch up with, but the third doesn't open in Belgium until February and they're not sending out screeners AFAIK. So tough shit, can't vote for it.
Reposted by Anne Billson
When I interviewed Spinal Tap and Marty DiBergi this summer, none of them broke character, for the whole hour. Except Rob Reiner, once, losing it when Michael McKean's David St Hubbins talked about minimalism. I didn't use this in the feature and hadn't published any audio, but this is joyful.
December 15, 2025 at 10:24 AM
When I interviewed Spinal Tap and Marty DiBergi this summer, none of them broke character, for the whole hour. Except Rob Reiner, once, losing it when Michael McKean's David St Hubbins talked about minimalism. I didn't use this in the feature and hadn't published any audio, but this is joyful.
Reposted by Anne Billson
Mass market paperbacks were always my favourite format. Made the idea and the feel of a book so exciting - a compact self-contained world you could carry round in your pocket. Genuinely sad they’re going. Trade paperbacks are just the ‘cheap’ version of a hardback. Not their own thing at all.
RIP Mass market paperbacks. Always my preferred format.
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
Last Call for Mass Market Paperbacks
After years of steady sales declines, the format will largely disappear next year.
www.publishersweekly.com
December 14, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Mass market paperbacks were always my favourite format. Made the idea and the feel of a book so exciting - a compact self-contained world you could carry round in your pocket. Genuinely sad they’re going. Trade paperbacks are just the ‘cheap’ version of a hardback. Not their own thing at all.
Reposted by Anne Billson
this field biologist does a great job highlighting the insidiousness of AI editing
these one-click AI edit buttons are incredibly appealing to many photographers, amateurs and professionals alike, and are framed as innocuous
this is worth sharing and educating people about
these one-click AI edit buttons are incredibly appealing to many photographers, amateurs and professionals alike, and are framed as innocuous
this is worth sharing and educating people about
December 15, 2025 at 2:21 AM
this field biologist does a great job highlighting the insidiousness of AI editing
these one-click AI edit buttons are incredibly appealing to many photographers, amateurs and professionals alike, and are framed as innocuous
this is worth sharing and educating people about
these one-click AI edit buttons are incredibly appealing to many photographers, amateurs and professionals alike, and are framed as innocuous
this is worth sharing and educating people about
Reposted by Anne Billson
When Rob Reiner was on his all-time epic run at the start of his career, he had an opportunity to read a script that was looking for a production partner, and he lost his mind for it. He decided Castle Rock had to have it, no matter what.
December 15, 2025 at 7:37 AM
When Rob Reiner was on his all-time epic run at the start of his career, he had an opportunity to read a script that was looking for a production partner, and he lost his mind for it. He decided Castle Rock had to have it, no matter what.
Reposted by Anne Billson
In honour of Rob Reiner, have David Moore's thread on the best sword fight in movie history and exactly how nerdy it is.
As you may know, I have stopped using Twitter, and have decided to reproduce some of my more memorable threads here for posterity. Here’s one I hold wrote after a particularly engaging swordfighting lesson.
Buckle up, swordfighting fans, because I *have* studied my Agrippa!
[BIG ASS THREAD]
Buckle up, swordfighting fans, because I *have* studied my Agrippa!
[BIG ASS THREAD]
a man reading a book to a young boy
Alt: a man reading a book to a young boy
media.tenor.com
December 15, 2025 at 8:46 AM
In honour of Rob Reiner, have David Moore's thread on the best sword fight in movie history and exactly how nerdy it is.
Reposted by Anne Billson
Daddy will explain about these stones.
December 15, 2025 at 6:20 AM
Daddy will explain about these stones.
Reposted by Anne Billson
Experimentation: now adding some pretty great porcelain to the table in 1638. By Willem Claesz. Heda, on his birthday.
December 14, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Experimentation: now adding some pretty great porcelain to the table in 1638. By Willem Claesz. Heda, on his birthday.
Reposted by Anne Billson
Had fun introducing The Saragossa Manuscript screening yesterday, not many films you can intro by telling the audience that the author of the source novel died because he thought he was a werewolf so he whittled down the top of a silver sugar bowl to the size of a bullet & shot himself in the heart
December 14, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Had fun introducing The Saragossa Manuscript screening yesterday, not many films you can intro by telling the audience that the author of the source novel died because he thought he was a werewolf so he whittled down the top of a silver sugar bowl to the size of a bullet & shot himself in the heart
Reposted by Anne Billson
See? It's a real gem
Watched that film you mentioned @mattleys.bsky.social :
My Old Ass. What a superb film! Brilliant acting, great conceit and well funny too. Ta!
My Old Ass. What a superb film! Brilliant acting, great conceit and well funny too. Ta!
December 14, 2025 at 6:23 PM
See? It's a real gem