I agree on both counts: he should come here; and he also deserves better than this constant, obvious, lazy point of reference. (Which to his credit, he handled with good grace.)

I agree on both counts: he should come here; and he also deserves better than this constant, obvious, lazy point of reference. (Which to his credit, he handled with good grace.)

Yep, Chicago is incredible – and as a friend who lives there said to me once, the most distinctly 'American' of big cities (his point being that New York and Los Angeles are kind of outliers, islands unto themselves). A fantastic, unique place.

Epigraph.

Epigraph.

In fairness, though, he was an unbelievably hot child.

In fairness, though, he was an unbelievably hot child.

Another low in what must be one of the most staggering declines in contemporary fiction.

Another low in what must be one of the most staggering declines in contemporary fiction.

It's honestly one of the worst movies I've ever seen – just jaw-droppingly, staggeringly awful in every way. I caught it at Toronto Film Festival years ago; it was a press & industry screening. About twenty minutes in, a guy near me picked up his BlackBerry and began calling what sounded like everybody he knew,…

It's honestly one of the worst movies I've ever seen – just jaw-droppingly, staggeringly awful in every way. I caught it at Toronto Film Festival years ago; it was a press & industry screening. About twenty minutes in, a guy near me picked up his BlackBerry and began calling what sounded like everybody he knew,…

But it WAS broken: the original film was two-thirds of a really terrific, technically masterful movie – followed by a last-act reveal that not only confounded all narrative logic and common sense, but left the audience feeling cheated and condescended-to. ("So, basically … Well, it was her all the time. I know, I know…

But it WAS broken: the original film was two-thirds of a really terrific, technically masterful movie – followed by a last-act reveal that not only confounded all narrative logic and common sense, but left the audience feeling cheated and condescended-to. ("So, basically … Well, it was her all the time. I know, I know…

It actually reminded me of 'Zandalee', of all things . . .

It actually reminded me of 'Zandalee', of all things . . .

He's easily in the top five assholes I've ever met. And god knows I've met a few.

He's easily in the top five assholes I've ever met. And god knows I've met a few.

On that, Chief, we're most definitely in agreement.

Sorry, you lose points for the following: using 'the equivalent to' (gramatically, you can use 'the equivalent of' or 'equivalent to', but not that); the weary cliché of that paint-drying analogy (which was great when Gene Hackman first said it of Rohmer, in Alan Sharp's script for 'Night Moves' . . . back in 1975);…

It's a small handful, but yeah: for me, 'Funny Ha Ha', 'The Puffy Chair', 'In Search of a Midnight Kiss' and nothing Joe Swanberg has ever made or been in work for me.