Josh Bell
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Josh Bell
@signalbleed.bsky.social
Freelance writer and film/TV critic at KTNV, Tom's Guide, Crooked Marquee, The Inlander, Inverse, Highway Radio, Awesome Movie Year, and more. For hire: [email protected]
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Welcome new followers! (And thank you, @bwdr.bsky.social starter pack.) I write about movies and TV for various publications, and I co-host the Awesome Movie Year podcast, taking on a different year in cinema history each season.
Latest Episodes - Awesome Movie Year
Awesome Movie Year is a podcast where film-critic Josh Bell & comedian Jason Harris take a look at different awesome movie years.
awesomemovieyear.com
Some brief thoughts on the entertaining 'Predator: Badlands' in this week's Highway Radio segment: highwayradio.com/josh-bell-ha...
November 9, 2025 at 1:39 AM
I really enjoyed the cheerleading sitcom 'Stumble' (premiering tonight on NBC), which is like 'Friday Night Lights' meets a Christopher Guest movie. My @tomsguide.com review:
This new cheerleading mockumentary is the funniest network sitcom I've seen in years
'Stumble' is NBC's new comedy about the cutthroat world of junior college cheerleading
www.tomsguide.com
November 7, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Boxing drama 'Christy' (opening in theaters tonight) never transcends its fundamental biopic-ness. My @inlander.com review:

#filmsky #moviesky
The Sydney Sweeney-led drama Christy fits a remarkable life into a basic biopic
At a meeting with boxer Christy Martin (Sydney Sweeney) around the midway point of biopic Christy, promoter Don King (Chad Coleman) tells Christy that her seemingly unstoppable career could come
www.inlander.com
November 6, 2025 at 10:49 PM
With Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein' streaming on Netflix tomorrow, I spotlighted another thoughtful, sophisticated (and underseen) 'Frankenstein' adaptation for @crooked-marquee.bsky.social: The 1973 TV movie 'Frankenstein: The True Story.' #filmsky #moviesky
The Deeper Truths of Frankenstein: The True Story
This little-seen 1973 TV movie is one of the most sophisticated adaptations of Mary Shelley’s classic novel.
crookedmarquee.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:06 PM
This week's 1971 episode of Awesome Movie Year looks at Dennis Hopper's ego-fueled flop 'The Last Movie': awesomemovieyear.com/captivate-po...
November 5, 2025 at 11:50 PM
This week's VODepths features a tender and affecting movie about mind-controlling worms, plus icebound action and domestic horror. #filmsky #moviesky
VODepths: What to See (and Avoid) on Demand This Week
Our mini-reviews of “Icefall,” “300 Letters,” “Wormtown,” and more new under-the-radar on-demand offerings.
crookedmarquee.com
November 4, 2025 at 10:35 PM
For @tomsguide.com today, I recommended the delightful Japanese time-loop comedy 'River.' #filmsky #moviesky
I remain totally charmed by this sci-fi comedy you probably missed — and it's streaming now on Prime Video
Japanese time-loop movie 'River' is another winning low-key sci-fi comedy from the director of 'Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes'
www.tomsguide.com
November 3, 2025 at 8:45 PM
This seems to be a recurring experience for me.
Something satisfying about sitting alone in my living room and yelling "Booooo" at a new movie's dumb twist ending.
November 2, 2025 at 6:58 AM
My quick take on Nia DaCosta's stylish 'Hedda' (streaming on Amazon Prime Video) in this week's Highway Radio segment: highwayradio.com/josh-bell-ha...
November 1, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Dreamed I was at a cool movie screening, but all I could focus on was that my view was obstructed and some weird guy kept trying to talk to me. So realistic!
October 31, 2025 at 7:06 PM
In the midst of completing a task and realized I never added it to today's to-do list, so I put it on the list just to have the satisfaction of removing it right after.
October 31, 2025 at 6:42 AM
The faux-timely dystopian drama 'Anniversary' (now in theaters) mostly wastes its impressive cast. My @inlander.com review:

#filmsky #moviesky
Political thriller Anniversary offers free-floating dystopian platitudes
“I am neither liberal nor conservative,” says Georgetown professor Ellen Taylor (Diane Lane) during a lecture at the beginning of political thriller Anniversary, and that equivocation encapsulates the...
www.inlander.com
October 30, 2025 at 6:37 PM
I have such fond memories of listening to KNAC in junior high when I lived in Southern California. It's awesome to see it return courtesy of my Vegas radio pal @gonzogreg.com (and on the station that currently hosts my movie reviews).
October 29, 2025 at 11:19 PM
We've got a Halloween special for this week's 1971 episode of Awesome Movie Year, featuring Mario Bava's proto-slasher movie 'A Bay of Blood': awesomemovieyear.com/captivate-po...
October 29, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Also while on vacation this week, I guess I finally became my dad (fell asleep in a recliner while watching a Western).
October 26, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Back from my vacation and catching up on a couple things that posted while I was gone. First, this week's Awesome Movie Year 1971 episode on Steven Spielberg's debut feature 'Duel.'
Duel (1971 First Feature) - Awesome Movie Year
The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features the second of two picks for a notable debut feature, Steven Spielberg’s Duel. Directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay ...
awesomemovieyear.com
October 26, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Apparently I was already in vacation mode here, making typos. I'll be mostly offline this week, but follow me on Letterboxd for thoughts on all my vacation movie-watching (different from work movie-watching, of course).
October 20, 2025 at 9:37 PM
I'm happy to headed off on vacation tomorrow, so I am engaging in my regular pre-vacation practice: Writing my work to-do list for the day I return.
October 20, 2025 at 3:36 AM
My quick take on ambitious horror sequel 'Black Phone 2' in this week's Highway Radio segment: highwayradio.com/josh-bell-ha...
October 17, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Before watching 'Mr. Scorsese' (premiering tomorrow on Apple TV), I was skeptical about the prospect of a five-hour series devoted to Martin Scorsese's life and career. By the end, I was ready for five more episodes. My @inlander.com review:
Mr. Scorsese offers a rewarding deep dive into the life and career of filmmaking legend Martin Scorsese
Anyone who’s seen his daughter Francesca’s TikToks knows that Martin Scorsese has a magnetic screen presence, and that’s key to the success of Mr. Scorsese, director Rebecca Miller’s five-episode docu...
www.inlander.com
October 17, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Every new Apple TV press release is like a fun game to see when they will finally change the logo on all their key art to remove the plus sign.
October 16, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Whatever the filmmakers were going for in the misguided cancel-culture drama 'After the Hunt' (out in wide release tonight), they did not get there. My @inlander.com review:

#filmsky #moviesky
After the Hunt tackles serious social issues with a lack of conviction
Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt begins with an homage to a filmmaker who’s often considered a casualty of so-called “cancel culture.” The opening credits are in Windsor Light, the font
www.inlander.com
October 16, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Looking into how my 100-year-old grandma (who's never used a computer or the internet) can send a handwritten fan letter to her favorite mystery author. Seems like the proper use of my media contacts.
October 16, 2025 at 4:09 AM
I've long been impressed with the career of my former Amherst College classmate Kim Rosenstock, and I got to write about her most accomplished work yet, FX's 'Dying for Sex,' in the latest Amherst Magazine: www.amherst.edu/news/magazin...
October 16, 2025 at 1:12 AM
It's fascinating to think about the direction George Lucas' career could have taken if he'd stuck with the experimental sci-fi of his debut feature 'THX 1138,' which we talk about in this week's 1971 episode of Awesome Movie Year: awesomemovieyear.com/captivate-po...
October 15, 2025 at 11:31 PM