iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Congrats to my college across-the-hall housemate Maaza Mengiste on winning a MacArthur! Sorry I sucked at doing the dishes! 🤪

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

A quick note to my friends and colleagues at the Hamptons International Film Festival on the occasion of your Opening Night tonight... Break legs and have a great festival! Inspired by your work and hope you have a wonderful fest!

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

When I personally say "no oxygen for fascist propaganda" this is exactly what I mean, only I mean always and everywhere, not just when self-interest is at stake.

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

One of the absolute greatest, my entire worldview has been endlessly transformed by his work. I am so sad to learn of his loss. RIP to the great Chilean resistance artist and documentarian Patricio Guzmán.

povmagazine.com

There Is No History of Cinema Without Patricio Guzmán - POV Magazine

Remembering Patricio Guzmán, the Chilean documentary master who gave voice to the voiceless in films like The Battle of Chile and The Pearl Button.

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Proud to announce our 2026 Montclair Film Festival Honorees! Breakthrough Director Award to Beth de Araújo Screenwriter Award to Stephen Beresford Performer Award to Jack O’Connell Documentary Filmmaker Award to Ava DuVernay Filmmaker Tribute to Tony Gilroy Excited to welcome them to the fest!

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Just saw him last month and it was an amazing show, so many great unexpected songs in the set. Absolute highlight of my summer!

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Huh. 🤔 #GoBlue (📸 Patrick Barron, MGoBlog)

Michigan QB Bryce Underwood scoring a touchdown by running past the pylon in Michigan's 17-10 win against Oklahoma.

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

New post up at The Back Row Manifesto, featuring an update on my work on The Montclair Film Festival, Monsterpieces, and the loss of my High School. Give a read and thanks!

backrowmanifesto.substack.com

Scrapbook #10

An Irregular Series Wherein I Take My Personal Interests Personally

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

On Sunday, October 25, Tony Gilroy’s BEHEMOTH! screens as our Closing Night Film. We’re locking things in soon for the rest of the program and will announce our main slate on September 25. Save the dates and I hope you can join us for what is shaping up to be a stellar 15th Anniversary festival!

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

On Friday, October 23, Ava DuVernay’s 14th screens as our Documentary Centerpiece

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

On Sunday, October 18, Simon Stone’s ELSINORE will screen as our Fiction Centerpiece

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

On Saturday, October 17, we screen Brad Bird’s new RAY GUNN as our Animation Centerpiece

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

We open on Friday, October 16 with Martin McDonagh’s WILD HORSE NINE

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Proud to share the Opening, Closing, and Centerpiece Films of the 2026 Montclair Film Festival!

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Shut out of Stevie Wonder tickets in NYC, and he is playing on my birthday. Ah well. Congrats to the AI bots who will be attending, you earned those seats. 👏

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

As a music lover who grew up in Michigan in the 1970s and 80s, it was impossible not to literally feel the influence of Dave Marsh. Truly someone who helped shape and build the culture he wanted to see in the world. His loss feels like the true end of an era. I am so sorry to hear we have lost him.

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Agreed--I understand how he self-identified and at the time of all of this, libertarianism was truly misaligned with his politics. I think the label has been grafted on as his belief in individualism & his absolute free-speech stance have been co-opted by that movement.

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

the history of the band, the labels, & the social & historical context are invaluable for my understanding and have me reevaluating the early Mothers records. This is why I love this podcast-- the way it fits all of these disparate artists into a singular history. Just the best. ❤️ 7/7

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

As I grew up, the music became more of a novelty in my listening, and my personal politics have developed past the libertarian "satire" of many of the lyrics, but the music still holds a lot of memories & meaning for me. So, this episode, which gives so much valuable information about 6/7

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

trying to get those odd sixteenth note runs correct. I marveled over the musicianship in the band, and how tight they were, which lead to the revelation about the construction of the music itself--so many unison parts charted & played precisely, it was overwhelming to me. 5/7

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

At the same time, I was learning how to play music & jazz, and I got a copy of the Fake Book, and there, among the standards, was PEACHES EN REGALIA, which was the first piece of Zappa music I ever learned how to play because I had a chart for it. I would play along in my bedroom 4/7

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

catch up with it and the doors it opened (prog, George Duke/ fusion, Firesign Theater, Adrian Belew's LONE RHINO, etc) than I did getting into the details of its history. I did read some of Zappa's autobiographical books, but they tended not to focus on production & history as much. 3/ 7

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

a listener & young musician. On a personal level, like everything I learned about older music/film/books as a kid, it fits into the context of my childhood & not necessarily into its own historical timeframe. By the time I got to Zappa's music, there was so much of it, I spent more time trying 2/7

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

The new episode of @andrewhickey.500songs.com 's @500songspodcast.bsky.social , #185 on PEACHES EN REGALIA by Frank Zappa, is such a especially valuable episode for me. As a kid in the 1980s, a friend's dad turned us on to Zappa's music and it was a very important part of my development as both 1/7

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

This is the subject of a tremendous film called BISBEE '17 which I encourage everyone to see.

watch.grasshopperfilm.com

Bisbee '17

A platform for watching independent films.

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

...at last. ❤️ Coming in October Into my collection forever

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

A generational tell is when people give directions by road & cardinal direction: “Go North on Old 136, then head West on Main St.” etc Like, what am I, Magellan with my compass? You might as well be telling me which constellation to follow.

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

In order to beat an elite team, you either have to be elite yourself or play an elite match. The US made multiple catastrophic mistakes at the back & the gulf in class between Belgium & the US was made absolutely clear. No way back from those against a superior team, & this is nothing new for USMNT.

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Folks here in the USA losing their minds over a red card that was predicated on the misuse of VAR by officials who have one job and should know better means we may finally have arrived as a footballing nation. 🤣

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

This one hit home for me in a very powerful way, and now, I need to deep dive Pabst’s work outside of what I have seen. It’s easy to stand back and judge others— look around and ask yourself what you are doing as the clouds are gathering around us all. 📚

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

by the Nazi regime during WWII, the book refuses psychological portraiture in favor of a detachment that exposes how every creative choice is a form of political compromise despite the delusions of the artist…

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

THE DIRECTOR- Unsparing portrait of the way in which art seeks to subvert fascism by “getting by” as the world descends into authoritarianism. A devastating fictionalization of the filmmaking career of G.W. Pabst after a series of catastrophic miscalculations finds him and his family co-opted…

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Congrats to Brad Lander here in NY-10

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Wow, it looks like the Chancellor of the Exchequer has called a Parliamentary vote of no confidence in the matter of this Amendment, which seems to require a 2/3 majority in order to surpass the conscripted minimum of the Prime Minister's proposal, which his own cabinet has-- *dies in American*

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Congrats to our Graduate! so proud of you, Nico! #Classof2026

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Congrats to Spike Lee, our 2025 Montclair Film Festival Honoree, on this Knicks title! He called it back in October at our festival! You define Knicks fandom... enjoy, king! 👑 (📸 by Neil Grabowsky for Montclair Film)

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Congrats New York City! Love this city, loving the joy that brought everyone together tonight. Knicks deserve this one, Knicks fans deserve it, Brunson GOATed in NYC 4ever. 🧡💙

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Someone bludgeon Jim Dolan with that trophy please?

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Best #USMNT performance that I have ever seen? Certainly in a World Cup! Tactics, positional discipline, circulating the ball quickly, passing forward into space, tackles, runs, finishing... what team was this? Amazing game, I've waited forever to see that, did not expect it! Poch delivered! 🙌

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

My 2026 World Cup Fantasy team Prediction: Portugal? Why is no one talking about them?

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

The city is absolutely buzzing. You love to see it!

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Fillmore East, June 1971 captures this era.

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Tom Hall @tomhall.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

First time out of the house in 2.5 weeks? New knee brace? Bought a seat just for my leg? Must be another Joe McGinty & The Losers Lounge show Joe's Pub, this time celebrating the music of Duran Duran! Amazing performances & arrangements, an absolutely great show! See you again soon, Losers!

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