Darren Mooney
@darrenmooney.bsky.social
As seen/read/heard at: Second Wind | The 250 | Irish Independent | NewsTalk | Q102 | Polygon | The Escapist. He/Him.
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It's Not All Netflix and Chill with the Cinemas | The Backdrop
YouTube video by Second Wind
youtu.be
New episode of #TheBackdrop up at @SecondWindGroup.com.
Looking at the aftermath of the streaming wars, the pivot away from streaming, and whether Netflix will ever truly be chill with theatres.
WATCH: youtu.be/NCu69O30iPk?...
Looking at the aftermath of the streaming wars, the pivot away from streaming, and whether Netflix will ever truly be chill with theatres.
WATCH: youtu.be/NCu69O30iPk?...
There needs to be real accountability in Hollywood.
Studios can’t keep writing blank cheques for these arthouse auteurs like Shawn Levy to make their personal passion projects that audiences don’t want to see.
We need to be more careful about the movies we greenlight.
Studios can’t keep writing blank cheques for these arthouse auteurs like Shawn Levy to make their personal passion projects that audiences don’t want to see.
We need to be more careful about the movies we greenlight.
November 30, 2025 at 8:46 PM
There needs to be real accountability in Hollywood.
Studios can’t keep writing blank cheques for these arthouse auteurs like Shawn Levy to make their personal passion projects that audiences don’t want to see.
We need to be more careful about the movies we greenlight.
Studios can’t keep writing blank cheques for these arthouse auteurs like Shawn Levy to make their personal passion projects that audiences don’t want to see.
We need to be more careful about the movies we greenlight.
Reading the “X-Men by Al Ewing” Omnibus and I’m pleasantly surprised how well it flows.
So much of the book is crossovers - “The King in Black” to “The Last Annihilation” to “The Hellfire Gala” to “Judgment Day” to “Sins of Sinister.”
(Storm and the Brotherhood #1.)
So much of the book is crossovers - “The King in Black” to “The Last Annihilation” to “The Hellfire Gala” to “Judgment Day” to “Sins of Sinister.”
(Storm and the Brotherhood #1.)
November 30, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Reading the “X-Men by Al Ewing” Omnibus and I’m pleasantly surprised how well it flows.
So much of the book is crossovers - “The King in Black” to “The Last Annihilation” to “The Hellfire Gala” to “Judgment Day” to “Sins of Sinister.”
(Storm and the Brotherhood #1.)
So much of the book is crossovers - “The King in Black” to “The Last Annihilation” to “The Hellfire Gala” to “Judgment Day” to “Sins of Sinister.”
(Storm and the Brotherhood #1.)
Having just finished the “X-Men by Al Ewing” Omnibus, picked up Gillen’s “Immortal X-Men” again.
I love that from the very first cover, the post-Hickman era of Krakoa is, textually, about a vacant leadership - actors clumsily scrambling to control an unravelling narrative.
(Immortal X-Men #1.)
I love that from the very first cover, the post-Hickman era of Krakoa is, textually, about a vacant leadership - actors clumsily scrambling to control an unravelling narrative.
(Immortal X-Men #1.)
November 30, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Having just finished the “X-Men by Al Ewing” Omnibus, picked up Gillen’s “Immortal X-Men” again.
I love that from the very first cover, the post-Hickman era of Krakoa is, textually, about a vacant leadership - actors clumsily scrambling to control an unravelling narrative.
(Immortal X-Men #1.)
I love that from the very first cover, the post-Hickman era of Krakoa is, textually, about a vacant leadership - actors clumsily scrambling to control an unravelling narrative.
(Immortal X-Men #1.)
Good weekend at the pictures, if you feel like heading to a cinema.
The best new release is "Wake Up Dead Man." The weakest of Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" trilogy, trading righteous anger for exhaustion, it's still a fun and compelling watch.
The best new release is "Wake Up Dead Man." The weakest of Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" trilogy, trading righteous anger for exhaustion, it's still a fun and compelling watch.
a man in a suit and tie stands in front of an altar with his arms outstretched
ALT: a man in a suit and tie stands in front of an altar with his arms outstretched
media.tenor.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Good weekend at the pictures, if you feel like heading to a cinema.
The best new release is "Wake Up Dead Man." The weakest of Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" trilogy, trading righteous anger for exhaustion, it's still a fun and compelling watch.
The best new release is "Wake Up Dead Man." The weakest of Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" trilogy, trading righteous anger for exhaustion, it's still a fun and compelling watch.
If you raise a generation in a culture where a lot of contemporary politics is signalling that there's is no sense of obligation to others and where individuals rarely face accountability for their narcissism, what did you *think* was going to happen?
www.vox.com/life/470517/...
www.vox.com/life/470517/...
November 28, 2025 at 10:20 AM
If you raise a generation in a culture where a lot of contemporary politics is signalling that there's is no sense of obligation to others and where individuals rarely face accountability for their narcissism, what did you *think* was going to happen?
www.vox.com/life/470517/...
www.vox.com/life/470517/...
"Enjoy" is a strong word to use when discussing Lynne Ramsay's "Die My Love", but it is a powerhouse piece of filmmaking with a compelling central performance from Jennifer Lawrence.
A claustrophobic, suffocating, overwhelming of motherhood and the boxes in which one is placed.
A claustrophobic, suffocating, overwhelming of motherhood and the boxes in which one is placed.
a woman in a blue shirt is kneeling down in a field
ALT: a woman in a blue shirt is kneeling down in a field
media.tenor.com
November 27, 2025 at 11:10 PM
"Enjoy" is a strong word to use when discussing Lynne Ramsay's "Die My Love", but it is a powerhouse piece of filmmaking with a compelling central performance from Jennifer Lawrence.
A claustrophobic, suffocating, overwhelming of motherhood and the boxes in which one is placed.
A claustrophobic, suffocating, overwhelming of motherhood and the boxes in which one is placed.
Thinking about how, between "One Battle After Another", "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You" and "Die My Love", it's been a really interesting year for sensitive portrayals of complicated motherhood, and the often challenging emotions that a mother can feel towards her child.
November 27, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Thinking about how, between "One Battle After Another", "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You" and "Die My Love", it's been a really interesting year for sensitive portrayals of complicated motherhood, and the often challenging emotions that a mother can feel towards her child.
Browsing iTunes and, well, you love to see it.
November 27, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Browsing iTunes and, well, you love to see it.
Between “Eternity” and “Good Fortune”, it’s really interesting - perhaps not in a good way - that we’ve returned to the spiritual melodramas of the Second World War era.
“Sure, our world may be screwed, but at least there’s an afterlife that is just as chaotic awaiting us!”
“Sure, our world may be screwed, but at least there’s an afterlife that is just as chaotic awaiting us!”
Had a very good time with David Freyne’s “Eternity.”
A charming, funny, sentimental, sincere good old-fashioned classical romantic melodrama, about how love is perhaps found in the kindness of attention and care as much as in epic sweeping narratives.
It is extremely “Darren” coded.
A charming, funny, sentimental, sincere good old-fashioned classical romantic melodrama, about how love is perhaps found in the kindness of attention and care as much as in epic sweeping narratives.
It is extremely “Darren” coded.
November 26, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Between “Eternity” and “Good Fortune”, it’s really interesting - perhaps not in a good way - that we’ve returned to the spiritual melodramas of the Second World War era.
“Sure, our world may be screwed, but at least there’s an afterlife that is just as chaotic awaiting us!”
“Sure, our world may be screwed, but at least there’s an afterlife that is just as chaotic awaiting us!”
Had a very good time with David Freyne’s “Eternity.”
A charming, funny, sentimental, sincere good old-fashioned classical romantic melodrama, about how love is perhaps found in the kindness of attention and care as much as in epic sweeping narratives.
It is extremely “Darren” coded.
A charming, funny, sentimental, sincere good old-fashioned classical romantic melodrama, about how love is perhaps found in the kindness of attention and care as much as in epic sweeping narratives.
It is extremely “Darren” coded.
November 26, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Had a very good time with David Freyne’s “Eternity.”
A charming, funny, sentimental, sincere good old-fashioned classical romantic melodrama, about how love is perhaps found in the kindness of attention and care as much as in epic sweeping narratives.
It is extremely “Darren” coded.
A charming, funny, sentimental, sincere good old-fashioned classical romantic melodrama, about how love is perhaps found in the kindness of attention and care as much as in epic sweeping narratives.
It is extremely “Darren” coded.
I think about that person who replied to a post about some random blockbuster arguing “ugh, it’s okay for a movie to be dumb fun, not every movie has to be Barbie.”
“Barbie” is actually the baseline of quality you should expect from an IP-driven blockbuster, not an outlier.
“Barbie” is actually the baseline of quality you should expect from an IP-driven blockbuster, not an outlier.
a woman wearing sunglasses and a zebra print dress is smiling
ALT: a woman wearing sunglasses and a zebra print dress is smiling
media.tenor.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:50 PM
I think about that person who replied to a post about some random blockbuster arguing “ugh, it’s okay for a movie to be dumb fun, not every movie has to be Barbie.”
“Barbie” is actually the baseline of quality you should expect from an IP-driven blockbuster, not an outlier.
“Barbie” is actually the baseline of quality you should expect from an IP-driven blockbuster, not an outlier.
November 26, 2025 at 10:26 PM
November 26, 2025 at 7:43 PM
I think a lot that is wrong with fan culture can be seen in the strange insistence that something like “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey”, which is awful, is somehow more offensive than the “live action” remake of “The Lion King”, which is just as bad - it’s just “official.”
a lion with a long mane is standing in the grass and looking at the camera .
ALT: a lion with a long mane is standing in the grass and looking at the camera .
media.tenor.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:02 AM
I think a lot that is wrong with fan culture can be seen in the strange insistence that something like “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey”, which is awful, is somehow more offensive than the “live action” remake of “The Lion King”, which is just as bad - it’s just “official.”
As somebody who is not especially in love with the “Wicked” movies, it is… bizarre in the year 2025 to hear a prominent movie podcaster describe “what it is doing to The Wizard of Oz” as “abominable.”
This is just standard revisionist storytelling. It’s pretty straightforward.
This is just standard revisionist storytelling. It’s pretty straightforward.
a woman with a green face and a black sweater has a buckle on her shoulder
ALT: a woman with a green face and a black sweater has a buckle on her shoulder
media.tenor.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:39 PM
As somebody who is not especially in love with the “Wicked” movies, it is… bizarre in the year 2025 to hear a prominent movie podcaster describe “what it is doing to The Wizard of Oz” as “abominable.”
This is just standard revisionist storytelling. It’s pretty straightforward.
This is just standard revisionist storytelling. It’s pretty straightforward.
Although it’s the weakest of the trilogy, I had a good time at “Wake Up Dead Man.”
As with “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion”, the charm has an appealing jagged edge, a palpable anger at the state of contemporary America.
This time, though, it seems more exhausted than animated.
As with “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion”, the charm has an appealing jagged edge, a palpable anger at the state of contemporary America.
This time, though, it seems more exhausted than animated.
a man in a suit and tie is standing in the woods near a grave
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is standing in the woods near a grave
media.tenor.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Although it’s the weakest of the trilogy, I had a good time at “Wake Up Dead Man.”
As with “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion”, the charm has an appealing jagged edge, a palpable anger at the state of contemporary America.
This time, though, it seems more exhausted than animated.
As with “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion”, the charm has an appealing jagged edge, a palpable anger at the state of contemporary America.
This time, though, it seems more exhausted than animated.
Had a three-movie cinema night - which is a really good cinema night, all said.
Wrote some quick thoughts down on the bus home.
First up, “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t”, which seems to have been how most of the cast interacted.
boxd.it/bLU1P3
Wrote some quick thoughts down on the bus home.
First up, “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t”, which seems to have been how most of the cast interacted.
boxd.it/bLU1P3
A ★★ review of Now You See Me: Now You Don't (2025)
“The horsemen are dead —” “WHAT?!” “To me. The horsemen are dead to me. Stop interrupting me.” Find somebody who loves you as much as Rosamund Pike loves doing her South African accent. The success of...
boxd.it
November 20, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Had a three-movie cinema night - which is a really good cinema night, all said.
Wrote some quick thoughts down on the bus home.
First up, “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t”, which seems to have been how most of the cast interacted.
boxd.it/bLU1P3
Wrote some quick thoughts down on the bus home.
First up, “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t”, which seems to have been how most of the cast interacted.
boxd.it/bLU1P3
Wait? A second season of “Man on the Inside” is dropping *tomorrow* and I’m only hearing about it now?
a man wearing glasses and a suit has a netflix logo in the corner
ALT: a man wearing glasses and a suit has a netflix logo in the corner
media.tenor.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Wait? A second season of “Man on the Inside” is dropping *tomorrow* and I’m only hearing about it now?
New episode of #TheBackdrop up at @SecondWindGroup.com.
Looking at the aftermath of the streaming wars, the pivot away from streaming, and whether Netflix will ever truly be chill with theatres.
WATCH: youtu.be/NCu69O30iPk?...
Looking at the aftermath of the streaming wars, the pivot away from streaming, and whether Netflix will ever truly be chill with theatres.
WATCH: youtu.be/NCu69O30iPk?...
It's Not All Netflix and Chill with the Cinemas | The Backdrop
YouTube video by Second Wind
youtu.be
November 18, 2025 at 4:05 PM
New episode of #TheBackdrop up at @SecondWindGroup.com.
Looking at the aftermath of the streaming wars, the pivot away from streaming, and whether Netflix will ever truly be chill with theatres.
WATCH: youtu.be/NCu69O30iPk?...
Looking at the aftermath of the streaming wars, the pivot away from streaming, and whether Netflix will ever truly be chill with theatres.
WATCH: youtu.be/NCu69O30iPk?...
Reposted by Darren Mooney
It might be a good time to check-in on the complicated relationship between streaming and theatres, the delicate balance that exists between the two, and why it’s not all Netflix and chill.
This week's episode of The Backdrop is now available from @darrenmooney.bsky.social!
This week's episode of The Backdrop is now available from @darrenmooney.bsky.social!
It's Not All Netflix and Chill with the Cinemas | The Backdrop
YouTube video by Second Wind
www.youtube.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:04 PM
It might be a good time to check-in on the complicated relationship between streaming and theatres, the delicate balance that exists between the two, and why it’s not all Netflix and chill.
This week's episode of The Backdrop is now available from @darrenmooney.bsky.social!
This week's episode of The Backdrop is now available from @darrenmooney.bsky.social!
This bad boy arrived today. Looking forward to Krakoa-ing into Al Ewing’s “X-Men.”
A reminder of one of the golden ages of the “X-Men” line, and that period as a place that gave room to individual creators to carve out their own little sagas.
A reminder of one of the golden ages of the “X-Men” line, and that period as a place that gave room to individual creators to carve out their own little sagas.
November 18, 2025 at 3:53 PM
This bad boy arrived today. Looking forward to Krakoa-ing into Al Ewing’s “X-Men.”
A reminder of one of the golden ages of the “X-Men” line, and that period as a place that gave room to individual creators to carve out their own little sagas.
A reminder of one of the golden ages of the “X-Men” line, and that period as a place that gave room to individual creators to carve out their own little sagas.
Hell yeah.
#Sisu: Road to Revenge asks, “What if Michael Bay directed the Looney Tunes as a silent movie?”
A bloody, brutal, absurdist live action cartoon that captures the challenges of moving house.
A fun time at the pictures.
#Sisu: Road to Revenge asks, “What if Michael Bay directed the Looney Tunes as a silent movie?”
A bloody, brutal, absurdist live action cartoon that captures the challenges of moving house.
A fun time at the pictures.
a man with a beard is standing in front of a sign that says sisu
ALT: a man with a beard is standing in front of a sign that says sisu
media.tenor.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Hell yeah.
#Sisu: Road to Revenge asks, “What if Michael Bay directed the Looney Tunes as a silent movie?”
A bloody, brutal, absurdist live action cartoon that captures the challenges of moving house.
A fun time at the pictures.
#Sisu: Road to Revenge asks, “What if Michael Bay directed the Looney Tunes as a silent movie?”
A bloody, brutal, absurdist live action cartoon that captures the challenges of moving house.
A fun time at the pictures.
Reposted by Darren Mooney
In his latest Patreon column, @darrenmooney.bsky.social goes long on Glen Powell, The Running Man, and the state of movie stardom in 2025.
www.patreon.com/posts/column...
www.patreon.com/posts/column...
November 17, 2025 at 3:09 PM
In his latest Patreon column, @darrenmooney.bsky.social goes long on Glen Powell, The Running Man, and the state of movie stardom in 2025.
www.patreon.com/posts/column...
www.patreon.com/posts/column...