James Barcomb

Let the Demogorgon do an anti-drug PSA

It’s very funny to me that in the new trailer for the Stranger Things animated show, the Duffer Brothers say they wanted to evoke the feel of an ‘80s cartoon, and then the shiny “What If”-style CG *immediately* betrays that image. Give us actual crappy 2D animation where barely anyone moves, COWARDS

this is a reminder that we dont have to settle for newsom in 2028

RIP to Dick Cheney and congrats to Mayor Zohran

Poster for The Naked Gun (2025)

It’s fun to check the Letterboxd page for Naked Gun ‘25 and see that there really isn’t a consensus on the movie’s best joke, because 90% of the jokes are just *that* good. Quaid Army DOES. NOT. MISS. #RighteousKill

(For the record, Paul Walter Hauser vs. Drunk Kids is currently my favorite moment)

High-end fish... no doubt

I wish the musical numbers were better, but the film really works as a meaningful exploration of what it means to be genderqueer (there’s a moment near the end where Tonatiuh changes their outfit that had me fully tearing up).

Had “Kiss of the Spider Woman” been more than just pretty good or if anyone was actually aware of its existence, Tonatiuh would be getting so much awards attention right now. Incredible performance.

Was completely on purpose

Gonna be real hilarious if my roster flops because I picked the wrong Safdie

“Smashing Machine” was worth one-fifth of my entire roster. So, uh, not doing too great so far!

Welp

One FOMO After Another

Nobody remembers this sketch, but I think about Kenan with his face smushed on the ground screaming “LEAVE ME” at least once a month

I don’t usually post about my acting work on here, but I’m gearing up to play Pozzo in “Waiting for Godot” next month, and it’s a lot of fun because I get to spend most of Act 2 doing this:

Like, KPop Demon Hunters seems to have a real strong shot at Animated Feature (and Original Song), but is there a Flow still lurking around, ready to strike? Can the new Palme D’Or-winning Jafar Panahi movie take on a wide-open race of international contenders? Hell if I know! 🤷‍♂️

Outside of maybe my first five picks (and a handful of others that were too pricey for my roster: Wicked, One Battle After Another, Sinners, and Sentimental Value), I genuinely have no clue how the awards race is gonna play out this year. It’s still anyone’s game!

Vulture Movie Fantasy League roster, featuring the titles Avatar: Fire and Ash, Hamnet, The Smashing Machine, It Was Just an Accident, KPop Demon Hunters, Sorry Baby, Sirat, and The Voice of Hind Rajab

Vulture Movie Fantasy League, 2025 edition, baybeeeeeeee

Tbh, not feeling as confident in my picks this time around, partially because the good folks at @vulture.com made sure rostering was especially tricky this year, and also because THERE’S SO MUCH.

THERE’S. SO. MUCH.

Anyway, Final Destination ‘00: pretty good start to the whole shebang! Maybe a slightly spicy take, but the lead probably should’ve been cast with someone who could really sell the character’s crazed, paranoid turn. Tony Todd shows up for like 30 seconds and blows everyone else out of the water.

I remember being extremely pissed off at Final Destination 3 for invoking 9/11 in its story, and yet I somehow forgot that the original movie references the Princess Diana and John Denver tragedies, both of which happened THREE YEARS PRIOR TO THE MOVIE’S RELEASE, JESUS CHRIST

Would love to see the movie with a crowd just to see how many people walk out after that one shot of the dog. It’s pretty horrifying! (And then you go back and pause it, and you’re like, “Aw, wait, that dog’s just acting and having a good time! Good for him!”)

I’m a sucker for over-the-top ‘80s villains, and Bozo might be one of the very best:

Toxic Avenger (1984) poster

It’s fun to watch something like the OG Toxic Avenger knowing that 2010s me would’ve haaaaaaated it. Bonkers movie that’s so gleefully crass and mean that it tips over into charming and wholesome! A smorgasbord of gonzo character actor performances! So many silly little details! I had a good time 👍

What Robert Redford contributed to American films via Sundance is genuinely immeasurable. He was also an extraordinarily talented director--Ordinary People and Quiz Show are two of the best American studio movies of their eras--and an actor who somehow wore his incredible charisma almost shyly. RIP.

Not even an full hour in, and this “donation based on speech length” thing is maybe one of the worst things I’ve ever seen on an awards show. Awful, awful, awful. #emmys

I’m, uh, starting to think this N*te B*rgatze guy’s not all he’s cracked up to be #emmys

Anyway, fun movie! Wish it didn’t rush through some of the big emotional beats (like, Celine should have had a MUCH larger presence for that one third act scene to really hit). The whole demon metaphor feels a little muddled, maybe? The Jinu storyline is great, though, probably the strongest part 👍

On the Lonely Island & Seth Meyers podcast, Andy Samberg mentioned he watched “K-Pop Demon Hunters” and took umbrage with the fact that the version of “Takedown” played over the end credits isn’t the revised one Rumi’s been working on throughout the movie

AND YOU KNOW WHAT, HE’S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT

YouTube video by Very Important People How's Bill Cosby?

On the subject of Dropout/SNL crossovers, a number of SNL alumni have popped up on Dropout shows recently, arguably the highlight of which is Bobby Moynihan’s incredible “VIP” episode:

youtube.com/shorts/r3FKC...