Dickens’ early work as an essayist and journalist included penetrating work on street crime and prison life, including the desperate need for prison reform. Nancy's murder in Oliver Twist was a direct reference to a real crime. Painting him as just a snobbish opponent of what we would now call “true crime” is bizarre.

John has grown on me as a character. His attempts to steer away from his worst impulses seem sincere but the occasional dig he can't help can be very funny (I mean, that was one boring breakup). 

The pre-Force Awakens EU had some very silly ideas but I always liked its embrace of the Jedi having individual gifts, not just all being primarily warriors. There’s botanist Jedi and healer Jedi and researcher Jedi. I just assumed that new trilogy Leia funneled her latent abilities into being a badass diplomat and…

I respect Margaret’s commitment to combining murder and capitalism. Everyone needs a hobby. 

Jay doesn’t really strike me as a Tom Waits guy, to be honest. Gloria, that’s an awful thing to do without talking to the parents first. Cam, stop intimidating children, you’re a teacher. 

Now that’s the Gang I love. Take a serious issue, treat it in the most self-serving and shallow way possible, and then reap the consequences of your horrible decisions. 

The Olivier thing in Sky Captain was creepy but at least there was a thematic reason to “cast” a dead actor in the role.

Frankly, Canada is probably already overrepresented in this category, with seven nominations (for comparison, India has only been nominated three times and China only twice and those are enormous film producers). 

Nothing against Wright, a fantastic actor, but I feel Stephen Root’s IMDb page is like a list of the great comedy, drama, and animated series of the decade.

Crimes of Grindelwald was such a confusing mess. The first movie’s most lovable character becomes a magical rapist and Wizard Nazi sympathizer. The alternate love interest not only killed a baby - she killed the wrong baby! Newt has basically no effect on the plot. Find a director who will tell Rowling no.

There’s a great episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show where Rob and Jerry buy a boat together and get in over their heads. It has great jokes, it builds perfectly, and it tells you something new about the characters. This episode did none of those things. And the whale thing was just dull. 

I love Cushing. He was just always enjoyable on screen, whether he was a baddie or a good guy, and seemed to commit to even the worst script. 

It was a Hammer kind of Halloween. First up Frankenstein Created Woman (1967), which despite the misleading title (Frankenstein doesn’t actually create anybody in this one) is such a marvelous, weird little movie. Apparently Terence Fisher described it as an “adult fairy tale” and that really fits the tone of this…

You feeling OK there, Shoemaker? That first paragraph got weirdly "existential dread." 

It’s an interesting idea. I’m increasingly persuaded by the theories that enough of The Bad Place comes around to humanity’s ability to change that the demons play a big role in saving humanity.

Simone asking why she still has to put up with behavior like this in The Good Place connected to something I’ve already been wondering: why aren’t people as intelligent as Chidi, Simone, and John constantly asking how Brent even made it into The Good Place in the first place? He is clearly and fundamentally an awful…

I liked that the “origin story” here seemed to combine both the original Friday the 13th (vengeful mother, negligent counselors) and Sleepaway Camp (boating accident). If you’re going to borrow, might as well borrow from the icons. Rabe is always welcome on AHS, even if this wasn’t exactly her most nuanced character.…

I liked this one mostly because they actually let the family members enjoy being around each other. The Alex and Luke/Manny and Jay plots seemed headed down the predictable “annoy each other, wind up screaming” route but instead they let them be affectionate. 

Charlie continuing to eat the pie was such a dumb gag but made me laugh so very hard. 

I hope he gets more interesting stuff to do than he has as Felix in the Bond films.