James Callan
@scarequotes.com
Moviegoer, movie lover. PNW denizen. UX content worker. Word nerd. Ich spreche ein wenig Deutsch. Handy on a trivia team. Hard cider, iced tea. he/him, cis
Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/xrv
Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/xrv
Uncredited rewrites by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett? That tracks.
I watched this for the first time this year. It’s a gem.
I do love that the “guidance” the bishop needs is ultimately “dude, Cary Grant thinks your wife is hot. Think about that for a second.”
I do love that the “guidance” the bishop needs is ultimately “dude, Cary Grant thinks your wife is hot. Think about that for a second.”
Last night Jenn and I watched our traditional holiday movie, The Bishop's Wife. Highly recommended. Cary Grant plays an angel named Dudley who comes down from heaven to help a fussy bishop build a cathedral, but instead hits on the guy's wife the whole time. Perfect Christmas movie
December 27, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Uncredited rewrites by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett? That tracks.
I watched this for the first time this year. It’s a gem.
I do love that the “guidance” the bishop needs is ultimately “dude, Cary Grant thinks your wife is hot. Think about that for a second.”
I do love that the “guidance” the bishop needs is ultimately “dude, Cary Grant thinks your wife is hot. Think about that for a second.”
Last night Jenn and I watched our traditional holiday movie, The Bishop's Wife. Highly recommended. Cary Grant plays an angel named Dudley who comes down from heaven to help a fussy bishop build a cathedral, but instead hits on the guy's wife the whole time. Perfect Christmas movie
December 27, 2025 at 5:37 PM
I watched this for the first time this year. It’s a gem.
I do love that the “guidance” the bishop needs is ultimately “dude, Cary Grant thinks your wife is hot. Think about that for a second.”
I do love that the “guidance” the bishop needs is ultimately “dude, Cary Grant thinks your wife is hot. Think about that for a second.”
Reposted by James Callan
Cats come in two breeds: Seen Some Shit & About to Start Some Shit
December 27, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Cats come in two breeds: Seen Some Shit & About to Start Some Shit
I have never been into Avatar, and the observation that there was “no cultural footprint” was maybe interesting before the second one came out.
But once that hit, there’s not much to that argument unless your criteria for influence is enough fans leaning N’Avi to put it on government forms.
But once that hit, there’s not much to that argument unless your criteria for influence is enough fans leaning N’Avi to put it on government forms.
I have seen like ten more of the "cultural impact of AVATAR" posts going around recently, people acting like this is the first time it's been discussed and they're so happy somebody said it. Of course you don't know people who like AVATAR, you just now logged onto the internet for your first time.
December 26, 2025 at 7:35 PM
I have never been into Avatar, and the observation that there was “no cultural footprint” was maybe interesting before the second one came out.
But once that hit, there’s not much to that argument unless your criteria for influence is enough fans leaning N’Avi to put it on government forms.
But once that hit, there’s not much to that argument unless your criteria for influence is enough fans leaning N’Avi to put it on government forms.
Watching The Bishop’s Wife for the first time, and was delightfully surprised when young George Bailey showed up in one scene.
December 25, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Watching The Bishop’s Wife for the first time, and was delightfully surprised when young George Bailey showed up in one scene.
And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.
And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, and whose saucer section was recovered from Veridian II, was lovingly rebuilt and restored in secret over twenty years by Commodore La Forge at the Fleet Museum at Athan Prime where without a connection to the Starfleet mainframe, called into emergency action agains
December 25, 2025 at 9:06 PM
And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.
My absolute favorite Christmas song.
"May the day be the bowl of cherriest
And to all, the Merriest!"
"May the day be the bowl of cherriest
And to all, the Merriest!"
The Merriest
YouTube video by June Christy - Topic
www.youtube.com
December 24, 2025 at 8:33 PM
My absolute favorite Christmas song.
"May the day be the bowl of cherriest
And to all, the Merriest!"
"May the day be the bowl of cherriest
And to all, the Merriest!"
Can't believe The Miracle of Morgan's Creek is not on Blu-ray let alone 4k. Sturges deserves a high-quality box set.
This is wrong in an impressive number of ways.
(The quote is from The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, so the actor is correct. Pretty much nothing else.)
(The quote is from The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, so the actor is correct. Pretty much nothing else.)
December 24, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Can't believe The Miracle of Morgan's Creek is not on Blu-ray let alone 4k. Sturges deserves a high-quality box set.
This is wrong in an impressive number of ways.
(The quote is from The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, so the actor is correct. Pretty much nothing else.)
(The quote is from The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, so the actor is correct. Pretty much nothing else.)
December 24, 2025 at 7:30 PM
This is wrong in an impressive number of ways.
(The quote is from The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, so the actor is correct. Pretty much nothing else.)
(The quote is from The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, so the actor is correct. Pretty much nothing else.)
Reposted by James Callan
In case you missed it, I buried my father last week, which was… complicated. I ended up writing two essays about it. One before, and one after. They’re not happy things to read, but if you also have “complicated” relationships with your parents you might find some solace in them.
December 24, 2025 at 6:35 PM
In case you missed it, I buried my father last week, which was… complicated. I ended up writing two essays about it. One before, and one after. They’re not happy things to read, but if you also have “complicated” relationships with your parents you might find some solace in them.
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek is one of the funniest movies ever made.
And also, it turns out, a Christmas movie.
And also, it turns out, a Christmas movie.
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) trailer
YouTube video by lachambreverte
www.youtube.com
December 24, 2025 at 6:05 PM
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek is one of the funniest movies ever made.
And also, it turns out, a Christmas movie.
And also, it turns out, a Christmas movie.
Reposted by James Callan
What if we kissed next to the deer from "Annihilation"?
December 24, 2025 at 12:48 AM
What if we kissed next to the deer from "Annihilation"?
"It doesn't matter - the movie will take you where you need to go."
Love that answer to "What would be the ideal moviegoing scenario for people to see The Testament of Ann Lee?"
Love that answer to "What would be the ideal moviegoing scenario for people to see The Testament of Ann Lee?"
12 Questions With Celia Rowlson-Hall, Choreographer (The Testament of Ann Lee)
"(Favorite movie theater) is the Lyceum Cinema in Red Hook, it hasn’t been updated since the 90s and still has Kindergarten Cop posters up."
www.11amsaturday.com
December 23, 2025 at 6:18 PM
"It doesn't matter - the movie will take you where you need to go."
Love that answer to "What would be the ideal moviegoing scenario for people to see The Testament of Ann Lee?"
Love that answer to "What would be the ideal moviegoing scenario for people to see The Testament of Ann Lee?"
An album, meaning a collection of songs presented as one unit, got its name because early albums were collections of multiple physical records contained in a multi-page book similar to a photo album.
One thing I love is obsolete technology being encoded in our language. Words like “footage” and “rewind” and “dial (as a phone)” that literally describe a physicality that doesn’t exist anymore, yet lingers linguistically. Anybody have any other examples?
December 22, 2025 at 8:56 PM
An album, meaning a collection of songs presented as one unit, got its name because early albums were collections of multiple physical records contained in a multi-page book similar to a photo album.
East of the Rockies, he's known as GOLIKEBESTFOOCHINE
December 22, 2025 at 8:30 PM
East of the Rockies, he's known as GOLIKEBESTFOOCHINE
Dang! I had a ticket to see Kill Bill in 70mm on Dec 30, but the Hollywood just emailed to say they're canceling KB screenings after Christmas Day because 70mm Marty Supreme screenings are so popular.
So I think I'll be missing the whole bloody affair.
So I think I'll be missing the whole bloody affair.
December 22, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Dang! I had a ticket to see Kill Bill in 70mm on Dec 30, but the Hollywood just emailed to say they're canceling KB screenings after Christmas Day because 70mm Marty Supreme screenings are so popular.
So I think I'll be missing the whole bloody affair.
So I think I'll be missing the whole bloody affair.
Reposted by James Callan
Reposted by James Callan
Happy 21st December evening everyone. May the Great Veiled Bear pass over you house tonight and not present you with one of his cursed Christmas cookies.
December 21, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Happy 21st December evening everyone. May the Great Veiled Bear pass over you house tonight and not present you with one of his cursed Christmas cookies.
The guy from Wyrd War introducing ...All the Marbles said: “I think I saw a kid in the audience, so heads up … there are gonna be titties in this movie, just so you know. PG in the ‘80s was a different thing.”
December 21, 2025 at 6:42 AM
The guy from Wyrd War introducing ...All the Marbles said: “I think I saw a kid in the audience, so heads up … there are gonna be titties in this movie, just so you know. PG in the ‘80s was a different thing.”
I laughed out loud alone in the car when Chris Molanphy was careful to emphasize that “Dueling Banjos” was the “most memorable *musical* scene” in Deliverance.
December 20, 2025 at 11:09 PM
I laughed out loud alone in the car when Chris Molanphy was careful to emphasize that “Dueling Banjos” was the “most memorable *musical* scene” in Deliverance.
Spent some time in the last few weeks coming up with a ranked list of my 100 favorite movies, an exercise that is purely for fun and inherently imprecise and temporary.
I'm usually a qual guy, not a quant guy, but I do enjoy a good list.
I'm usually a qual guy, not a quant guy, but I do enjoy a good list.
My 100 favorite movies of all time
I'll say up front that this is a foolish project. Just like a map is not the territory, a list of movies is not my moviegoing taste. I did it as an exercise. It's pretty easy for me to list a few favo...
letterboxd.com
December 20, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Spent some time in the last few weeks coming up with a ranked list of my 100 favorite movies, an exercise that is purely for fun and inherently imprecise and temporary.
I'm usually a qual guy, not a quant guy, but I do enjoy a good list.
I'm usually a qual guy, not a quant guy, but I do enjoy a good list.
I hate the whole experience of subscribing to newsletters on Substack.
Do you want to pledge to pay for a year? Do you want to subscribe to these other newsletters while you're here? Do you want to share with the world that you subscribed?
No, fuck off.
Do you want to pledge to pay for a year? Do you want to subscribe to these other newsletters while you're here? Do you want to share with the world that you subscribed?
No, fuck off.
December 20, 2025 at 7:09 PM
I hate the whole experience of subscribing to newsletters on Substack.
Do you want to pledge to pay for a year? Do you want to subscribe to these other newsletters while you're here? Do you want to share with the world that you subscribed?
No, fuck off.
Do you want to pledge to pay for a year? Do you want to subscribe to these other newsletters while you're here? Do you want to share with the world that you subscribed?
No, fuck off.