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Alex Billington

@alexb.bsky.social
1.8K followers 832 following 1.7K posts

Cinema lover, dog lover, photographer, life-long geek, citizen of the world. I run the movie site FirstShowing.net + live in Berlin. Hackers, Sneakers, WarGames are my trio. 💾📡 Follow FS posts only here -> bsky.app/profile/firstshowing.bsky.…

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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 19h
Agreed - though I think many people thrive on BS right now. I think the truth is too radical/scary for them, they feel subconscious comfort in believing the BS. But yes we need to still teach it like it's life or death.
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Better Things Are Possible @internethippo.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I don't know how but we have to teach people to be better at detecting bullshit. Instead we have this ersatz skepticism where people are suspicious about the wrong things and find their way to conclusions that are worse than if they just blindly accepted conventional wisdom
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 19h
Ain't that the truth.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 23h
the funny thing about this of course is that "athenian democracy" was a cautionary tale to the framers, who saw it as unstable and prone to demagogues and tyrants like the one rubio works for
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 19h
It's as empty & hollow as can be, but most modern society is completely empty now. Just because they can make money doing it it's career for many of them. But once that goes away... everyone will be back to real, complete emptiness again.
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
At some point in the near future, the era of Instagram & influencers will end. And ALL these people will have absolutely no idea what to do with themselves when they're not showing off and/or performing for others in everything they do all day long (and to make money). It's going to be a hard fall.
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Accurate af 🚂
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foaming pipe snake @guntoucher.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
"snowpiercer is trying to say that class societ-" WRONG, snowpiercer is saying that it even in the worst circumstances that it kicks ass to be on a train
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Kashana @kashana.blacksky.app · 06/10/2026
I’m ready to be a CEO. I promise to take on debt, fire anyone who seems better than me at anything, and insist you’re going to love my product that kills you
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Oh for sure, completely agree with all of this. They were much better at it decades ago. There's no real strong place to build that in a big wide community anymore, and all the other places (like Twitter) are still toxic. It's all a bit crazy right now.
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
FTR not saying "don't tell stories then" or that storytelling isn't important. Just that there's something seriously broken with cinema & its connection to humanity nowadays. A bigger issue. I do think it'll get back to being impactful one day, only when the world is ready again.
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Perhaps the one & only recent film that had a measurable impact on the real world was Ava DuVernay's incredible doc 13th. But that was 10 years ago. That era is over. We're beyond that now and really, truly, people need to accept that cinema is just not impactful anymore. Sorry.
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Feels like a key reason some critics hate Digger is because the entire fiber of their being is believing in the value of art & storytelling. Then it shows how that's all a facade, a way to excuse ourselves. We live in a post-truth era, gone with that is cinema changing the world.
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I think many people still believe deep in their hearts & souls that these important films can make a difference because the truth is valuable, etc. But the reality is that's not what cinema is for anymore. It's escapism in a way that does not result in real world change/progress.
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
What Digger reiterated for me is the scary but we-must-accept-it truth that most films do NOT impact the world anymore *at all*. With vitally important films like Naza, Artificial, even The Social Reckoning coming up. I support them, ofc, but they simply will not change a thing.
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Daniel Dockery @dandock.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
The 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers deserves to be in the same conversation as The Thing and The Fly when it comes to providing new angles to the story. A pod people sci-fi/horror for a generation experiencing post-Watergate paranoia.
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ULTRA💀BLAST @ultrakillblast.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
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C. Robert Cargill @crobertcargill.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Timeline Cleanse
Nyx laying on an outdoor couch, chin resting on the back of the cushion.
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Theo Priestley @theopriestley.net · 30/09/2026
Stoner Airwolf looks lit
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ULTRA💀BLAST @ultrakillblast.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
THE HOBBIT (1977, Rankin/Bass)
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A L I E N Cerny @alancerny.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
HEART OF THE BEAST: Good boy.
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Sure. It's from an independently run movie site. Always find the latest trailers here: www.firstshowing.net/category/tra...
firstshowing.net
Latest Trailers | FirstShowing.net
Enjoy the newest trailers for upcoming movies and series.
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FirstShowing.net @firstshowing.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
New Trailer for 4K Update of 'The Man Who Stole the Sun' Cult Thriller
onfs.net
New Trailer for 4K Update of 'The Man Who Stole the Sun' Cult Thriller
"A movie like this will never be made again!" Toho in Japan has unveiled a brand new trailer for the 4K re-release of a cult classic that few have seen titled The Man Who Stole the Sun. Originally released in 1979 in Japan, this film has been making a big comeback recently as a subversive, bonkers, Japanese New Wave favorite about a guy who builds an atomic bomb in his apartment and declares war on the state. Yes for real! A high school science teacher is the butt of all his students' jokes, until their bus is hijacked on a school trip. But something more sinister lurks beneath the surface: he's building an atomic bomb in his apartment. On October 6th, 1979, the legendary The Man Who Stole the Sun—a film that left an indelible mark on Japanese cinematic history—premiered. The film returns to Reiwa-era screens in a 4K digital remaster this October exactly 47 years later. Starring Kenji Sawada as Makoto Kido & Bunta Sugawara as the police inspector trying to stop him, along with Kimiko Ikegami, Kazuo Kitamura, Shigeru Kamiyama, Kei Sato, Yunosuke Ito, Morio Kazama, Toshiyuki Nishida, and Yutaka Mizutani. "This legendary masterpiece, born of extraordinary passion and madness, is reborn again in 2026." I cannot wait to see this! Keep hearing crazy things about it. // Continue Reading ›
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ULTRA💀BLAST @ultrakillblast.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
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ULTRA💀BLAST @ultrakillblast.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Bruce Campbell in ARMY OF DARKNESS
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Would've been nice to help keep an independent website going with a few clicks - but sure.
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I hope people go watch the film! And I hope they see this man for who he really is - absolutely not a visionary, instead he's everything wrong with the world today.
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Ciara Torres-Spelliscy @profciara.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
💥Ok I see other platforms are blocking this. I met Alex Gibney moons ago at ABCNY (the Association of the Bar for the City of New York). He’s the real deal. Here’s the trailer for Alex Gibney’s documentary about Musk. Let’s Streisand Effect this: www.firstshowing.net/2026/must-se... 👋🎥
firstshowing.net
Must See Full Trailer for Alex Gibney's 'Musk' Doc About a Fraudster | FirstShowing.net
"Do we even know this man at all?" Bleecker Street has launched their main official trailer for the must see new documentary film titled simply Musk, about the uber-wealthy tech giant megalomaniac Elo...
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ULTRA💀BLAST @ultrakillblast.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Friday.
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Many of these films are about completely different topics. With different stories and different truths they examine. But one thing remains clear - wealthy, powerful people lie to us all the time and get away with it with impunity. And society needs to STOP letting this happen. Definitively.
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A LOT of films I've seen in 2026 have been about how many, many powerful people are blatant liars. And these films expose their lies and their manipulations clearly. But we live in a post-truth era where this isn't as shocking as usual. However, these films remind us why all this lying is so bad.
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TCMFanatics @tcmfans.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Remembering Jim Henson, born on this day, 1936.
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The Onion @theonion.com · 24/09/2026
Dog Can’t Believe Guy She Hooked Up With 10 Years Ago Now Head Of FBI theonion.com/dog-cant-believe-guy-s…
Dog Can’t Believe Guy She Hooked Up With 10 Years Ago Now Head Of FBI
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Michael Warburton @michaelwarburton.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
32yrs ago these 3 Movies were playing in Cinemas at the same time. How far has Hollywood/Cinema/Film fallen.
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FirstShowing.net @firstshowing.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at 'Hook' - Trailer for New Making Of Doc
onfs.net
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at 'Hook' - Trailer for New Making Of Doc
"To rescue his children, an adult Peter Pan must return to Neverland and battle an old enemy... in order to rediscover the child in himself." Let me just say it - this is one of my all-time favorites. I love it. I grew up with it. Critics are wrong, Hook is a amazing! Sony Pictures is preparing to release the new 4K Steelbook Collector's Edition of the 1991 movie (order it here), and included in here is a brand-new documentary about the making of this iconic Spielberg classic. "Relive the magic of Robin Williams as Peter Pan with an all-new hour-long documentary featuring never-before-seen footage from the making of Steven Spielberg's Hook." Apparently they had a documentary crew filming the filming of the movie back in 1990, but the doc about it was never released in full? Now they've finished it and it's included as a special feature in the 4K Steelbook. Hook stars Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook, Robin Williams as Peter Pan, Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell, Bob Hoskins as Smee, Maggie Smith as Wendy, and Charlie Korsmo as Jack. Pre-order the Hook 4K today to revisit this family classic & go behind the scenes like never before! The clip of Robin Williams (miss him) talking about keeping joy & imagination glowing is what I love the most about this film. // Continue Reading ›
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A L I E N Cerny @alancerny.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I'm glad we're getting THE DEVILS now. Because a year (or six months, or however long the merger takes) from now, we would not be getting THE DEVILS. This is a 4K I will absolutely buy (and I haven't seen it yet!), because, who knows what the future holds?
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BOOlian Singleton 🎃👻 @juliansingleton.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Robert Pattinson is incredible in PRIMETIME, but he’s actually the gateway to beyond-belief performances by Skyler Gisondo and Merritt Wever. Loved the cinematography by David Bolen, which drenches the ensemble cast in an all-encompassing digital dread #FantasticFest
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
No sorry this is just dumb.
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Smooth Dunk @smoothdunk2.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
when ai leaves u behind
7 panel comic.

Panel 1:
A Red Guy with AI across his chest looks like he’s about to run away. A Yellow Guy stands next to him. Red Guy says “I’m the future, buddy. You comin’?”
Yellow Guy replies “Nah”

Panel 2: 
Red Guy is almost out of the panel. He leans in and says “Enjoy getting left behind, pal”
Yellow Guy replies “ok”

Panel 3:
Yellow Guy stands alone.

Panel 4: 
Close up on Yellow Guy, there is a quiet “huff-huff-huff” noise coming from behind him

Panel 5:
Yellow Guy turns to look behind him

Panel 6: 
Close up on Yellow Guy’s face as if from the point of view of an attacker.
Yellow Guy yells “Jesus Christ”

Panel 7:
AI Red Guy is now chasing the Yellow Guy. 
Red Guy: “Use me”
Yellow Guy “No”
Red Guy “USE ME”
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FirstShowing.net @firstshowing.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Superb US Trailer for Hamaguchi's 'All of a Sudden' 2026 Masterpiece
onfs.net
Superb US Trailer for Hamaguchi's 'All of a Sudden' 2026 Masterpiece
"Are healthy people truly alive?" Neon has revealed the first official trailer for the wonderful new film titled All of a Sudden, made by master filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi. After making Drive My Car and Evil Does Not Exist, this is next film and it's set in Paris and shot in the French language (along with Japanese of course). It premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival and I declared it a masterpiece in my review. It's utterly breathtaking and sublime in every possible way. Director of a care facility for the elderly, Marie-Lou (Efira) strives to introduce an innovative care philosophy based on listening & respecting residents' dignity, despite resistance from part of her staff. Her encounter with Mari (Okamoto), a Japanese theater director battling cancer, will profoundly reshape her path. By forming a deep, supportive friendship, the two women join forces in a shared struggle to "make the impossible possible." Starring Virginie Efira, Tao Okamoto, Kyōzō Nagatsuka, Teruyo Kurosaki. With a score by Canadian-French composer Samuel Andreyev. This is still my #1 film of 2026 so far - I absolutely adore it. It's so tender and touching and uplifting and hopeful. I could listen to Efira & Okamoto's conversations for hours and hours. I never want to leave them after this! They're the best. This is one of my top must see films of 2026 when it opens in theaters this fall. // Continue Reading ›
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Congrats!! Happy B-Day TFS. 🎂🎂
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The Film Stage @thefilmstage.com · 09/09/2026
The Film Stage turns 18 today! Thanks to everyone who has ever read a word we've published for keeping the dream alive.
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Rachel Merrill Artist for Gil Thorp and Death To Pachuco! @ohhhaeee.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
People who say the Paramount merger will have zero effect on the studio's ability to entice talent & projects-Netflix once again landed the Lonesome Dove adaptation rights. Ellisons cronies couldnt even get a meeting despite LD being Ellisons "fave". Hae I didnt even know the guy could read!
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FirstShowing.net @firstshowing.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Must See Teaser for Luca Guadagnino 'Artificial' Movie About OpenAI
onfs.net
Must See Teaser for Luca Guadagnino 'Artificial' Movie About OpenAI
"What is the image of the future that you see?" "We don't teach it. It teaches itself..." Neon has revealed the first teaser trailer for the film Artificial, directed by master Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino as his latest after Challengers, Queer, & After the Hunt. Artificial is basically The Social Network but for OpenAI (creators of ChatGPT which is the worst btw) and its founder/CEO Sam Altman. It's premiering at the 2026 New York Film Festival then playing at London next before hitting theaters in December at the end of this year. Starring Andrew Garfield as Altman, Anora's Yura Borisov as Ilya Sutskever, Monica Barbaro as Mira Murati, Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk, Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, plus Mark Rylance as Geoffrey Hinton. NYFF adds: "Anchored by brilliant lead performances, Guadagnino's thrilling, funny, and very human drama propels audiences through the two decades of machine learning research that have brought us to our current AI crisis point." Also stating that "Guadagnino's film moves like a machine in unstoppable, constant motion—a history being written as we're watching it." I am so in! A quick glimpse at just a bit of footage, but more than enough to send this right to the top of my most anticipated list for 2026. // Continue Reading ›
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
They are extremely defensive about it, too. I sort of get it, I want screeners! But uh not this way - no way.
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
SO many critics are joining up just to be a part of it and vote and it's like - do any of you ever stop and think about this?!?! Or you just want the access?!?! It's wild...
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Alissa Wilkinson @alissawilkinson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
they *clap* are *clap* owned *clap* by *clap* Penske Media who owns literally all U.S. trades it's literally *more corrupt* than it was before
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Alex Billington @alexb.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Back in Venice again for my 10th time covering the Venice Film Festival. Still really bummed about the mediocre line-up but hoping there will be a few gems hidden in the selection somewhere. Kicking off with 3 screenings tomorrow. #Venezia83 #VeniceFilmFestival
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Jessica Ritchey @jmritchey.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
That's an another interesting thing to see with increasing frequency now, the instantly forgotten blockbuster. It feels tied to the collapse of new media. There are no outlets for weeks long discourse cycles to keep them in the mind for longer than two weeks.
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JennytheGeek @jennythegeek.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
This is where Jack Quaid ended up.
Jack Quaid screaming in a fake criterion closet as he holds Tron Ares
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