Sign in

James Callan

@scarequotes.com
2.5K followers 967 following 6.3K posts

Moviegoer, movie lover. PNW denizen. Word nerd. Ich spreche ein wenig Deutsch. Handy on a trivia team. he/him, cis Writing about movies to write about me: The Kinogänger newsletter. buttondown.com/thekinoganger Letterboxd: boxd.it/xrv

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by James Callan
medievalmvb @medievalmvb.bsky.social · 1h
Anecdotal, but I think newsletter subs are being impacted strongly by recessionary budget-guarding, meaning new sub acquisition is critical, and Substack has the *reputation* of being the biggest marketplace where one can easily reach new subs
011
Reposted by James Callan
Peter Sokolowski @petersokolowski.bsky.social · 1h
I'm thrilled to announce my upcoming book: BY DEFINITION: The Surprising History of the English Dictionary To be published in February! read.macmillan.com/lp/by-defini...
5283
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 2h
I need to finish S1. One of those shows that I liked but never got around to finishing.
010
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 3h
In the past few months, I've had several newsletters I subscribe to switch to Substack. None of them talk about why they chose Substack of all the options out there. Why Substack? Why *now*?
120
Reposted by James Callan
Prasad Jallepalli, MD, PhD @prasad.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
5 potatoes cubed is still 5 potatoes because potatoes are root vegetables
773433850
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 29/09/2026
I still don't get why Apple Music assumes that when I play an album I really just want to play the tracks I've favorited, unless I explicitly tell me to show the complete album. Yes! The complete album!
000
Reposted by James Callan
Cat Hicks @grimalkina.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Features of thoughtful automation include: you are still a decision maker, but you are no longer the rote task cog in the machine asked to inject your information a thousand times over just to get something fixed. There's nothing morally wrong about not wanting to waste your life on that.
1362
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 29/09/2026
Just requested that my library buy a copy! (@fvrlibraries.bsky.social is pretty amenable to suggestions, so fingers crossed.)
122
Reposted by James Callan
Andrew Schreck @andrewschreck.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
i don't think cis guys realize how much power they can shift in a conversation just by casually telling their friends
"that's fucked up, man" when someone says something
81127943476
Reposted by James Callan
Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Put another way, to be legible enough for AI to be useful to most families, they would have to stop communicating as the family they have known, never had to overtly think about, and become something stranger and coarser that has no cultural foundation. Why would I do that?
936043
Reposted by James Callan
Yvonne Lam @yvonnezlam.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
We are socialized not to talk about it this way, but having to explain and justify your actions to a system that wasn't built for you can be incredibly demoralizing to people. bsky.app/profile/erik...
1112
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 28/09/2026
We’ve all been coinagemogged
030
Reposted by James Callan
your girl @aundriaparker.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Hey @letterboxd.social - would you ever consider allowing the ability to reply to comments, instead of having to add an “unattached” comment? It would seriously help the discussion aspect of reviews, and people could disable it if they didn’t want that? This feature seems like a no-brainer, friends.
181
Reposted by James Callan
Pavel @spavel.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
cuth pube
A sign that attempts to spell out "the Cube pub" by shifting the B in Cube down with the PU right before it and TH before the E.
1584046675
Reposted by James Callan
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 26/09/2026
"Gentle Reminder" would make a great title for an office horror movie. (The sequel: "Kind Regards.")
121
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 26/09/2026
Something that surprises me anew every now and again: A lot of people heard the advice to give a gentle reminder about something, and followed through by just putting the words "gentle reminder" at the beginning of whatever they're saying.
120
Reposted by James Callan
Gwen C. Katz @gwenckatz.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Fuck ChatGPT flyers. The future is broadsheets.
A crowded broadsheet with way too many fonts. It says:
Forget ChatGPT Flyers
Say it with 
Broadsheets
Unlimited fonts
Stretch them
Or cram a really long sentence into one line for no good reason
No whitespace
Mix capital and lowercase
Pointing hands
(They're called manicules!)
Don't be left behind
Broadsheets are the future
203186645274
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 24/09/2026
Filled in my last Scorsese feature blind spot last night and watched Silence, which is unsurprisingly Pretty Good. It did clarify something for me, though: Scorsese grappling with what it means to to be American > Scorsese grappling with what it means to be Catholic
030
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 24/09/2026
Writing poetry again for the first time in years. Apparently this poem won't be perfect if I do work on it and it won't be perfect if I don't work on it. Catch-fucking-22, I guess.
160
Reposted by James Callan
Bill Smiley @neokefka99.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
She exploded Roy Scheider with her mind.
052890
Reposted by James Callan
Martyn @martynpedler.com · 22/09/2026
Me: I'm Robert Eggers. Cop: Oh yeah? How do you spell magic? Me: With a K. Cop: Checks out.
171
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 22/09/2026
Good news for Seattle cinephiles: The Grand Illusion is taking over the Varsity's space.
grandillusioncinema.org
The Grand Illusion Is Moving Into the Varsity Theatre - The Grand Illusion Cinema
We are moving into and reopening the historic Varsity Theatre in the U District! Learn more about our plans and how you can help.
030
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 22/09/2026
Lists are bullshit but also Community is shockingly low.
010
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 21/09/2026
Not to nitpick a fun outage page, but Jake in this movie famously brags that he never went down.
Screen shot of Robert De Niro in Raging Bull. 

Letterboxd logo in the top left, over this message: 

We're taking a short break between rounds.
Letterbox is offline due to a server outage. We'll be back soon!

Still from Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull (1980)
150
Reposted by James Callan
Siddhant Adlakha @siddhantadlakha.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
“What are its Oscar chances” I don’t know but a good way to enjoy movies is not spending five months treating them like the stock market
834665
Reposted by James Callan
jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 21/09/2026
mind you, birth of a nation is a movie so insanely racist that it legitimately should make you question whether the medium itself is evil
483858170
Reposted by James Callan
‮Jeff Eaton @eaton.fyi · 19/09/2026
This is a terrible time for systems thinkers, in part because nobody wants to listen to systems thinkers about stuff they’ve been saying for years, so now systems thinkers have to watch deeply incurious people reinvent systems thinking from first principles
39315
Reposted by James Callan
Stephanie 🍉 @ageofoddish.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
mmygod
the slut gnomes of false berlin jeopardy bluesky posttoday's jeopardy categories. the last 2 are "false berlin" and "bizarre little men"
1207406618
Reposted by James Callan
Kristen Lopez @kristenklopez.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Just saw this dropped!! I used the recent Inde Navarette/Jeff S*eider discourse to write about Hollywood's long history of male entertainment journalists writing on women for @salon.com. www.salon.com/2026/09/17/h...
salon.com
Hollywood's long history of men who think actresses owe them
Jeff Sneider's threats against Inde Navarrette fit a decades-old pattern in entertainment media.
17381145
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 18/09/2026
Facebook Marketplace rejected my listing because "It looks like your listing sells a recalled product." Checked the IKEA website. The thing I listed is not one of their recalled products.
100
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 17/09/2026
Omakase sushi at Tojo's in Vancouver, BC, back in the early 2000s. Sat at the bar, got fed too much food, loved every course. The details have faded but the overall pleasure remains.
030
Reposted by James Callan
Jonathon Owen @arrantpedantry.com · 17/09/2026
A quick glance at the trending topic shows that apparently *everyone* is misreading that as "Meryl Streep cast as Asian."
291
Reposted by James Callan
Catherine 🇨🇦 @catf.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I thought it said "Meryl Streep cast as Asian" and was thinking I know she a great actor but that's a huge stretch that won't go over well.
Trending topics on Bluesky.  

Meryl Streep cast as Aslan
021
Reposted by James Callan
michelle⁷ @poisonivy47.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
i saw "meryl streep cast as aslan" trending and my mind read "meryl streep cast as asian" and i was all ready to be mad about it LOL i need to take anap
041
Reposted by James Callan
Bruce 🤙😎🤙 (Li’l Jersey) @bruce69420.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
guys, meryl streep has not, in fact, been cast as an asian person
031
Reposted by James Callan
Phil Santiago @philthepill.online · 17/09/2026
Oh, god. Oh, god, I thought that said "Meryl Streep cast as ASIAN."
441
Reposted by James Callan
Karen James @kejames.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
When I first saw the "Meryl streep cast as Aslan" trend I thought it said, "cast as Asian" and about had a heart attack.
3153
Reposted by James Callan
Darren M. A. Calvert @dmacalvert.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Read this on my phone and fully thought it said she had been cast as Asian.
~ Trending

1. Meryl Streep cast as Aslan
2202
Reposted by James Callan
❄️🏳️‍🌈Frosty All Along🏳️‍🌈❄️ @frostytearex.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I saw this and thought it said that Meryl Streep was cast as Asian and I'm sitting here like ?????
Trending: Meryl Streep cast as Aslan
281
Reposted by James Callan
Thomas Ha @thomasha.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
definitely misread the trending topic as "Meryl Streep cast as Asian" and was ready to be more mad or confused and instead am pleasantly surprised
3252
Reposted by James Callan
Eric Garment @ericgarment.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
i absolutely misread this as "Meryl Streep cast as Asian"
261
Reposted by James Callan
Joshua Tsui 🍥 @joshuatsui.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Maybe my retirement hobby will be opening a micro cinema with popcorn flavored to the theme of the film
0105
Reposted by James Callan
Abby Olcese @abbyolcese.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Look, I've said it before and I'll say it again, finding unused Criterion discount codes in your inbox during a sale is one of the best feelings ever.
0151
Reposted by James Callan
Monteiro @monteiro.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Do not them fuck with your vote. Do not let them fuck with your community’s votes. Print the zine. Read the zine. Hand it out to everyone. If you STAY ready, you don’t have to GET ready. howtovote.tips
howtovote.tips
How to Vote / Cómo Votar
A free field guide to what stops people from voting, and what to do about it. English and Spanish, ready to print.
0129
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 16/09/2026
What scene makes you emotional no matter how many times you see it? I accept that this is very basic of me. I still tear up.
static.klipy.com
On Your Left
Alt: Captain America in Endgame, exhausted and battered, with a hand up to his earpiece. A portal is opening in the background on the right, and he hears "on your left."
010
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 16/09/2026
“We wake, if we ever wake at all, to mystery, rumors of death, beauty, violence…. 'Seem like we’re just set down here,' a woman said to me recently, “and don’t nobody know why.'” RIP Annie Dillard. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek was a formative work for me. I was just thinking I should revisit.
theguardian.com
Annie Dillard, Pulitzer prize-winning author of nonfiction and nature essays, dies aged 81
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, published when Dillard was 28, skyrocketed her to become one of the most prominent nonfiction writers of her generation
030
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 16/09/2026
Me: Who is this attractive younger woman who's texting me? ... Oh, Taylor Tomlinson is wants me to preorder her book. Best possible explanation.
000
Reposted by James Callan
The Clinton Street Theater @cstpdx.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
WARNING: It is still Shrektember.
A bunch of Shrek babies. Too many, really.
081
James Callan @scarequotes.com · 15/09/2026
Tokyo Story: Rated R for strong visual symmetry and pervasive tatami shots.
Thermal paper ticket stub showing the text "Tokyo Story (ID may be required")
030
Reposted by James Callan
Randy Perry @randois.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
My dumb ass scrolling too quickly: The end is... Lincoln?
031