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Zach Vasquez

@zvasquez.bsky.social

Writer. Bylines: Guardian, Crooked Marquee, Noir City Fangoria, more. Fiction: Vautrin, Tough, Mystery Tribune, more.

117 Followers  |  93 Following  |  16 Posts  |  Joined: 19.03.2025
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Posts by Zach Vasquez (@zvasquez.bsky.social)

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a rainbow colored shooting star with the words the mo you know above it ALT: a rainbow colored shooting star with the words the mo you know above it

The killer in Maniac was originally supposed to be the same as the killer in Maniac Cop 2, so if you count it as a spin-off you can do your 5 film franchise draft.

13.02.2026 03:16 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

β€œBy the berserk third act, both they and the motel where they’ve holed up have undergone monstrous transformations, and they find themselves trapped in a tinfoiled hell more frightening than anything in β€˜The Exorcist,’” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes of William Friedkin’s β€œBug”:

12.02.2026 00:15 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

β€œLynch, who passed away one year ago at the age of 78, was not as prolific a producer as, say, Martin Scorsese,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. β€œBut the films he attached his name to are a fascinating if mixed lot, each one reminiscent of or directly connected to his own filmography.”

16.01.2026 16:05 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

β€œLynch, who passed away one year ago at the age of 78, was not as prolific a producer as, say, Martin Scorsese,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. β€œBut the films he attached his name to are a fascinating if mixed lot, each one reminiscent of or directly connected to his own filmography.”

15.01.2026 02:26 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The San Gabriel Valley has a long history with Hollywood, but it rarely finds itself the subject of films shot within its borders. For the release of the dark new indie drama β€œRosemead,” SGV local @zvasquez.bsky.social argues that it’s overdue for its closeup. crookedmarquee.com/the-other-va...

08.01.2026 00:15 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The San Gabriel Valley has a long history with Hollywood, but it rarely finds itself the subject of films shot within its borders. For the release of the dark new indie drama β€œRosemead,” SGV local @zvasquez.bsky.social argues that it’s overdue for its closeup. crookedmarquee.com/the-other-va...

09.01.2026 16:03 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The characters brought to life by Benicio Del Toro β€œfeel guarded in a way that lends them mystery,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes, β€œeven as we never get the sense that he’s holding anything back.”

18.12.2025 16:04 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Wrote about my favorite living actor for @crooked-marquee.bsky.social

17.12.2025 22:50 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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β€œNebraska,” the album at the center of the new β€œSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” is β€œalready deeply connected to American cinema, perhaps more so than any other album in the annals of rock n’ roll,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. crookedmarquee.com/springsteen-...

24.10.2025 15:08 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE stinks but it inspired this very good piece by @zvasquez.bsky.social!

23.10.2025 00:43 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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β€œNebraska,” the album at the center of the new β€œSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” is β€œalready deeply connected to American cinema, perhaps more so than any other album in the annals of rock n’ roll,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. crookedmarquee.com/springsteen-...

22.10.2025 23:15 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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BOTD Jim Thompson!! MCCT5 JT/film 5)SΓ©rie noire 4)Getaway 3)Coup/Torchon 2)After Dark, My Sweet 1)Grifters
@fantomas2go.bsky.social w/key bio
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@mollsotov.bsky.social: nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news...
@zvasquez.bsky.social / @crooked-marquee.bsky.social: crookedmarquee.com/inside-the-f...

28.09.2025 00:37 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

David Fincher’s brilliant serial-killer dramaΒ β€˜Seven’ debuted 30 years ago. But @zvasquez.bsky.social doesn’t want to write about that. He wants to write about all the movies that ripped it off:

20.09.2025 20:01 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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β€œGiven how indebted β€˜Saw’ is to β€˜Seven,’” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes, β€œI think its more than fair to say that the former is the true progenitor of torture porn, loathe as those of us who love it but can’t stand that category are to admit it.” crookedmarquee.com/copycat-kill...

15.09.2025 23:15 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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David Fincher’s brilliant serial-killer dramaΒ β€˜Seven’ debuted 25 years ago. But @zvasquez.bsky.social doesn’t want to write about that. He wants to write about all the movies that ripped it off: crookedmarquee.com/copycat-kill...

15.09.2025 16:36 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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For its ongoing re-release, @zvasquez.bsky.social looks back at β€˜Who Killed Teddy Bear?’, a little-known but highly influential '60s cult classic neo-noir of psycho-sexual menace.Β crookedmarquee.com/classic-corn...

12.09.2025 23:15 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

So good! I’m a really big fan of Bogosian in these types of roles (any role, really). And Lund, of course. Particularly liked the subversively dark happy ending.

Also, was dying at the random Tootsie reference and choose to believe they exist in the same universe.

15.08.2025 06:28 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Some essential film critics/writers to read/follow: @katiewalshstx.bsky.social @aheartofgould.bsky.social @bilgeebiri.bsky.social @roxana-hadadi.bsky.social @brndnstrssng.bsky.social @jasondashbailey.com @812filmreviews.com @oldfilmsflicker.bsky.social @carlosfilm.bsky.social @zvasquez.bsky.social

13.08.2025 18:01 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Guess I’m watching Special Effects tonight.

13.08.2025 05:15 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Fascinating Provocations of Stuart Gordon's American Trilogy β€” Crooked Marquee The late filmmaker was best known for horror and sci-fi, but his final three films straddled the line between horror, noir, and pitch-black comedy.

The late, great Stuart Gordon was born on this day in 1947. @zvasquez.bsky.social pays tribute to his late period: crookedmarquee.com/the-fascinat...

11.08.2025 19:04 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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β€œMixing the more traditional murder mystery elements of gialli with the supernatural drama of his Three Mothers trilogy, Argento creates a movie that, even by his usual batsh*t standards, flies by the seat of its pants,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes of PHENOMENA: crookedmarquee.com/classic-corn...

01.08.2025 23:15 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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β€œOne month after β€˜Back to the Future’ hit theaters, audiences were treated to back-to-back teen comedies that similarly focused on beleaguered eggheads and blended teenage comedy with science fiction,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. crookedmarquee.com/everybody-wa...

06.08.2025 23:15 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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β€œWhat makes β€˜Dirty Work’ stand out from the pack, what ensured its status as a cult classic even as it was bombing at the box office, was the singular comedic stylings of its star and co-writer,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. crookedmarquee.com/dirty-work-a...

01.07.2025 23:15 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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β€œWhile less ideologically shaky than the β€˜Dirty Harry’ movies, β€˜Walking Tall’ is still very much a reactionary and authoritarian film,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. β€œIt is also, as with so many cop/vigilante movies of its day, completely awesome.” crookedmarquee.com/walking-tall...

26.06.2025 01:26 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The print edition of @noircitymag #43 is now available from Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FBX91D66
Zach Vasquez breaks down David Lynch’s seminal neo noir contributions; Eddie Muller revisits, and reconsiders, "The Big Heat", and much more!
@eddiemuller.bsky.social #noiralley @tcmparty.bsky.social

06.06.2025 00:28 β€” πŸ‘ 23    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0
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With the release of his latest feature, "The Phoenecian Scheme," Wes Anderson continues to follow in the footsteps of the greatest of all auteurs, Federico Fellini. crookedmarquee.com/the-unexpect...

04.06.2025 16:36 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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NOIR CITY Magazine 43 NOIR CITY Magazine 43 [Muller, Eddie, Smith, Imogen Sara, Kronenberg, Michael] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. NOIR CITY Magazine 43

Printe edition also available to order: a.co/d/bgP55mk

04.06.2025 20:27 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Now available: digital version of the latest Noir City magazine, featuring my cover story on the noir legacy of David Lynch. It was a great honor to write about my hero’s work in my favorite genre.

Print edition coming soon. surl.li/zxbglk

@noirfoundation.bsky.social

04.06.2025 18:21 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

To me, that sentiment hits harder the more it’s held back.

03.06.2025 07:44 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

When we doing the Renner draft?

03.06.2025 06:44 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0