Author | Lightnews

Teddy (Jesse Plemons) has a plan. He has done his research. He has procured all the necessary supplies, including padlocks, steel cables, and bulk quantities of antihistamine cream. He has carefully p...

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · 3d

No matter how much you hate me, you will never hate me as much as I hate myself approximately 10 minutes after I excitedly and tediously ramble at another person about a thing that I'm interested in. My white-hot self-loathing about my awkwardness makes me powerful.

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · 4d

I mean you walk by an armorsmith and see 50 guys who look *just* like you fighting over very complicated breastplates, you go in, yes you do, you go in.

2

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · 7d

Watched this for about the 20th time tonight and nothing about it makes any fucking sense, every stylistic choice is bizarre, and everyone acts and talks like an alien. 10/10, no notes, perfect film.

2

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · 7d

When I talk about "vibes horror" where the sensation of a vivid, waking nightmare is privileged about trivial matters like plot coherence, what I mean is SUSPIRIA (1977).

An image from the 1977 film Suspiria: A young woman with long brown hair stands in front of a pink-hued mural of doors, flowers, and abstract shapes.

1 2

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · 9d

Boys only want one thing and it's the lost Director's Cut of David Nutter's 1998 teen sci-fi horror film DISTURBING BEHAVIOR starring James Mardsen and Katie Holmes.

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · 10d

For The Take-Up, I review BUGONIA. Good stuff from Yorgos Lanthimos, as usual. Close competition with WEAPONS for best ending of 2025.

This timeline mostly sucks, but I'm glad to live in a world where Lanthimos and Stone collided and matched each other's freak.

thetake-up.com/bugonia/

Bugonia - The Take-Up

My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 – Last Air in Moscow - The Take-Up

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · 11d

At The Take-Up, guest contributor (and friend of the site) Cliff Froehlich praises Julia Loktev's urgent, epic documentary, MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART 1 - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW, which will be screening at the Webster University Film Series this weekend.

thetake-up.com/my-undesirab...

A group portrait of seven independent Russian journalists, My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 - Last Air in Moscow – which screens at Webster University from Oct. 24-26 – saddens, inspires, and enrages in...

Hot Fuzz (with Alex McPherson)

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · 17d

This week on the The Take-Up Podcast, Josh and I welcome critic Alex McPherson to talk his "Permanent Cinema" selection, Edgar Wright's HOT FUZZ (2007). We get into the nitty-gritty of parody, homage, violence, genre, and the beauty of Dudes Rock Cinema.

open.spotify.com/episode/3r9K...

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · 24d

You want more ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER content? You got it! On the Take-Up pod this week, Josh and I get *very* animated (if a bit scattered) while enthusing about Paul Thomas Anderson's new feature. I also slide some praise for GHOST OF YOTEI in there.

open.spotify.com/episode/56IB...

One Battle After Another

Enemy — Gateway Cinephile

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · 24d

LRT: I spent waaay too much time in early 2014 thinking about the jaundiced psychological, societal, and political horror of Denis Villeneuve's masterful doppleganger nightmare, ENEMY.

www.gatewaycinephile.com/blog/2014/4/...

2013 // Canada / Spain // Denis Villeneuve // March 29, 2014 // Digital Theatrical Projection (St. Louis Cinema Chase Park Plaza) [Note: This post contains moderate spoilers.] A nauseating yellow pa...

www.gatewaycinephile.com

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · 24d

Villeneuve's masterpiece. I said it.

Crisping Lover @crispinglover.bsky.social · 25d

Enemy, 2013 Denis Villeneuve

"It's was Hegel who said that all the greatest world events happen twice. And then, Karl Marx added, the first time it was a tragedy and the second time it was a farce."

#filmsky #moviesky

Film poster. Infinite Jake Gyĺlenhaals on red background.

Still image. Two Jake Gyllenhaals have a heated moment.

Still image. Two Jake Gyllenhalls look at their hands.

Still image. Two Jake Gyllenhaals in a bathroom.

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · Oct 2

This week on the Take-Up pod, Josh and I are joined by Billy Rock of Do You Like Apples for a discussion of Billy's "Permanent Cinema" pick, M. Night Shyamalan's SIGNS (2002). Fate, faith, genre, invasion logistics, and MNS's storied career are discussed.

open.spotify.com/episode/64Uu...

Signs (with Billy Rock)

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · Sep 25

Josh and I shift to new releases this week to talk Francis Lawrence's THE LONG WALK. Much discussion of Stephen King, adaptations, fascism, Vietnam, male-male situationships, and more. Bonus discussion of HIM and our favorite poorly regarded King films.

open.spotify.com/episode/3pK0...

The Long Walk

Cameron Cade (Austin Pulliam) was raised to revere the American Holy Trinity: God, family, and football. In young Cam’s personal theology, the only figure that loomed larger than his high-expectations...

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · Sep 18

Hey, it's me, the guy who sort of liked HIM.

"Do horror films even need to make sense, or are style, spectacle, and creepy vibes enough to keep a feature afloat?"

thetake-up.com/him/

Him - The Take-Up

Taxi Driver (with Cliff Froehlich)

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · Sep 17

This week The Take-Up opens its doors to St. Louis film legend Cliff Froehlich, who walks us through his formative experiences with Martin Scorsese's dark, galvanic, and still-contentious character study, TAXI DRIVER (1976).

open.spotify.com/episode/2ZWm...

The Island of Last Things: A Novel

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · Sep 10

Was able to drop a shout-out in our closing segment for @emmasloley.bsky.social excellent new post-apocalyptic / zoology nerd novel, THE ISLAND OF LAST THINGS.

bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

A Novel

bookshop.org

1 1 2

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · Sep 10

On The Take-Up podcast, our inventory of "permanent cinema" continues with my inaugural pick, Joel and Ethan Coen's arguably perfect neo-noir/western, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007).

open.spotify.com/episode/7fb1...

No Country for Old Men

1 1 2

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · Sep 3

After a hiatus, The Take-Up podcast has returned with a format shake-up and a new mission: Establishing a "permanent cinema" of old and new classics. The first film up for consideration is Josh's pick, Todd Haynes' 2022 Douglas Sirk homage, FAR FROM HEAVEN (2002).

open.spotify.com/episode/0LA0...

Far From Heaven (2002)

When it comes to horror cinema, a compelling visual hook can be an efficient and effective means to lure an audience into a story. Horror, after all, is arguably the most psychologically primordial of...

Arachnophiliac @arachnophiliac.bsky.social · Aug 15

Anyways, WEAPONS is great. Like an adaptation of a lost Roald Dahl novel as directed by George Romero, not to mention the giddiest horror climax I've seen in ages.

thetake-up.com/weapons/

Weapons - The Take-Up