Chris B

Few things recently. Robot Dreams (cinema) Lovely little mostly-silent animation about a world of animals, and a dog who buys a robot friend. All about joy and bittersweet sadness, etc. Beautifully made. My partner and I did a rare Everyman for this one, which made it feel like a treat. Immaculate (cinema) Liked it rather than loved it. I liked that they went there for the ending, but it faltered in places for me. Sydney Sweeney was good, but I wanted the whole thing to be more Suspiria-style lurid. The few flashes of colour and abstract stuff really worked, and I'd have loved more of that. The Last Omen The Omen is one of my favourite horror films (and the first proper grown-up one I watched). And while it's not in the same league, I really liked it. Ralph Ineson is, once again, brilliant in a horror film, and it just overall worked better for me than Immaculate. It's surreal that two such similar films came out a week apart though. Mute Witness (shudder) Odd little film, about a woman with total speech impairment - she's working in a horror film in Russia, and starts being stalked after she witnesses a murder. It's not great, but it has a whole bunch of really good bits. And an odd cast - Fay Ripley plays the best friend, and Alec Guinness has a cameo (filmed separately, years before) and it's his last credited film role. Has a great scene involving a type-talk phone, and a genuinely funny bit of exploitative nudity. . Late Night with the Devil AI-nonsense aside, this was really fun. Could have been more subtle by the end, and it would have been better going back to the documentary-style... but when it works, it really works, and has some cracking moments in it. And it's funny too. "He died." "You mean he bombed?" "No."

I know nothing has been set up for it, but my partner suggested Pac would make a great opponent for Danielson at Wembley and I now very much want that.

At least she only did that kind of lazy trope for fantasy characters and not human characters of other ethnicities like Cho Chang, Kingsley Shacklebolt or Anthony Goldstein.

Worth noting that Rowling has threatened a lawsuit against a (Jewish) writer who accused her of holocaust denial after she claimed trans people weren't targeted - so the writer issued a denial. As a result of what's been perceived as a SLAPP, a lot of people are angry, and the accusations have been all over twitter since yesterday. Very much a case of the Streisand Effect in action. But it could also turn it into a much bigger story, not least since there's precedent for exactly this being classed as denial in Germany.

Kingston just blew off a really good feud with Brian Danielson. I'd say that's pretty significant. With Penta, the biggest issue is that they don't give him some big feuds or wins. The Copeland match was excellent, but it was never in question who was winning, because Penta's not presented as that kind of threat. Which is frustrating, because he's so good. Mox would be a huge loss - he's stepped into the main event so many times and always delivered. Sure, he's been lower this year, but with him just winning the NJPW title, I'd expect we'll be getting Mox/Okada in the near future (although probably after he drops the title).

Looks like a really nice mixed audience. You getting good returners?

I was horrified when I realised he wrote the Wide Awake Club joke books. It was like he'd travelled back in time since I'd become aware of him, and infected my childhood with Brandrethness.

Yes, he's one of those guys that takes a bit of time investment. I didn't get him at first and wasn't that impressed, and I now think he's one of the greatest wrestlers alive.

Phenomenal post by @Devon Malcolm.

While I disagree with a fair amount of what you're saying, I think there's a world of difference between having and (even loudly) expressing that opinion, and searching out people who are enjoying a show (or posting in threads where people are doing so) in order to make that point. Especially repeatedly. I think that's where a lot of it becomes bad faith. Like, have the discussion, make the point, whatever - but there's a point where it becomes point scoring and trolling.

Even without watching, it sounds so, so much easier than the 6/7 hours the one-nighters were feeling like before they went this way.

I tend to see it more as a social media thing than a TV thing. The Copeland thing felt unusual, even as a mission statement. The thing this week may be different (and the Bucks being involved makes me think it's not going to be quite as on-the-level as it's being made out to be), but I can't think of that many time the problems have made their way onto the show itself. Not meaning to be contrary here - if you come at me with receipts, no problem, because I tend to be a little more switched-off on AEW these days while I'm watching. But I don't feel like I'm seeing that much in the way of politics on the show itself.

It was last September, and the BTE guys got a legal letter saying they'd broken the NDA from Punk's lawyer in that episode. The Pepsi bottle was the only possible reference that anyone could find.

Going back to Regal, I think he lacked a main event style. He's great, don't get me wrong, but it's only as I've understood wrestling better that I've understood how good he was. But I can't think of a spot or match he did, outside of comedy, that got people out of their seats. He's an art house movie, not a blockbuster.

The many sips of Cody Rhodes.