Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

 ... you can learn from:

Desperate Living (1977)

Peggy: No, please not a kiss, I swear I'll gag!

Mount me if you must but not a kiss!

Mink Stole's every line delivery in this movie is ICONIC. Anyway Criterion really going above and beyond this Pride Month, dropping not just one but two John Waters movies onto 4K today -- both the above 1977 classic as well as his 11-years-later masterpiece Hairspray. Just realized there's a weird semi-factoid connecting these two films -- Desperate Living was Waters' first film without Divine in it, while Hairspray would be their last film together (since Divine died just eight days after that film premiered). I don't suppose that's why they're being released side by side liike this as that's a bit morbid, but it's there! 

Anyway besides having these two films on glorious 4K now there's one other reason we need to be celebrating -- this brings us two steps closer to John Waters getting a big beautiful box-set like the one that Criterion announced for Stanley Kubrick yesterday. With these two movies Criterion has now released six of eleven features -- we're over the halfway hump! I'm jonesing for Serial Mom the most out of what's left, but it strikes me that this makes for a good poll:

online polls

Five Frames From ?

What movie is this?

Fuck the Homo-Traitor Sam Altman

Did y'all see the news that broke over the weekend that Amazon, freshly in bed with homo-traitor Sam Altman's Open A.I. company to the tune of billions of dollars, has dropped Luca Guadagnino's movie about Altman called Artificial? The film stars Andrew Garfield as the tech charlatan and according to people who've read the script it doesn't skimp on showing Altman for the fucking phony he, and his bullshit product, is -- unfortunately we live in a society (I hate how that phrase has been ruined) where these ruinous corporations can toss around billions of dollars to kill anything that criticizes them now. Not that this is a new thing (film has always been polluted by its business side) but it feels particularly naked and brazen these days, what with a psychotic con-man currently smearing shit across our White Hosue walls. Anyway the latest news seems to be that Netflix and A24 (who just announced their own bullshit A.I. deal this week), WB's new label Clockwork, and Focus Features have all also passed on picking up the film, which I do believe isn't even quite finished filming yet. Bunch of chickenshit corporate cucks. Supposedly Mubi and Neon have both shown interest so all is not lost and fingers crossed -- use some of that Obsession money for good, Neon! Neon did just release Boots Riley's anti-capitalist delight I Love Boosters -- which P.S. hit VOD today, go watch it! -- so it seems like somebody over there has some decent politics. Whatever happens, however this movie gets out, we gotta support the shit out of it when the time comes. 

Good Morning, World

Well well well Mason Gooding half-naked three first posts of the day in a row? I will allow it. (Here is yesterday's and here's last Thursday's icymi.) Anyway normally I would flip these pictures around since the second one is more of a close-up and those are better to lead with and normally I would crop out the type as well, but there's a silly little progression to his captions (via) so whatever's getting him to exploit himself for our benefit, I'll accept it. I'll allow it, I'll accept it -- I'm in a very giving mood this morning. Should I say that twice to make sure Mason Gooding really hears me? He heard me. You heard me, Mason.

Leo Woodall Sixteen Times

When I was out of the city this past weekend there was a little movie theater we stumbled on and one of the movies they were showing was Tuner, which I haven't seen yet -- we didn't have time to go but I really thought about smashing up our plans to do it, all thanks to Leo Woodall's leading man role therein. Have any of you seen it yet? I do think it's kind of funny that like his series Prime Target it's another role that insists he's got heightened mental abilities that are always getting him into trouble...

... since I will admit that personally find it a little bit more believable that it's Leo's hot ass getting him in constant trouble like in The White Lotus, but what do I know? I don't have super-hearing or super-math on my side like some people. Anyway it's his hot ass that is out (not literally unfortunately) in force again for this new spread in Esquire Portugal so let's enjoy that after the jump...

Physical Media Ultraviolence

By now I'm sure you've heard that Criterion just dropped a bomb on us that only Slim Pickens could ride -- a massive box-set of every Stanley Kubrick movie on 4K, plus some shorts, plus all of those special features they're known for, will be landing on our heads come October 20th. You can pre-order it here if you're a person for whom money is no object (in which case hey there why don't you scooch a lil' closer, new best friend) although obviously I recommend you wait for one of the big 50% off sales that land in the fall at Criterion's own site or at Barnes & Noble. Because the price right now is four hundred and eighty bucks and goodness me that's a lot of money. Especially if you're a collector like me who already owns most of these movies in some format or another. (I suppose y'all who don't need or want 4K should be keeping your eyes on my eBay though because I will be buying this set so I will be selling off those discs at some point in the next few months.) But even if you're waiting to buy the set check the long long long list of specifics at the link -- this is really a staggering set; Criterion proving they're the gold standard yet again. And here's their trailer:

Five Frames From ?

What movie is this?

Today's Fanboy Delusion

Today I'd rather be...

... taking out Glen Powell's ballgame.

A Mann For All Beattys

It's just me doing my "me thing" using a picture of actor Nate Mann to go along with this post sharing my review of the Tribeca movie Act One -- Mr. Mann's role in the film isn't huge but he is very sexy in it so... it's me doing the "me thing" basically. The real stars of the movie are Ella Beatty (yes the daughter of Warren & Annette aww all growed up) and our beloved Ari Graynor, who play an acting student and teacher whose relationship is toxic as fuck. Nate Mann (previously seen in the Masters of the Air  miniseries and apparently he was in Licorice Pizza?) plays another student in the class who plays a crucial, sexy role in said toxicity. Anyway besides all of that the movie is a real return to form for Always Shine writer-director Sophia Takal, who went and made the real bad Black Christmas remake in between the phenomonal Always Shine and this -- read my Tribeca review right here at Pajiba. Love Always Shine! Really liked this movie. Best to forget that Black Christmas happened, though. 

Climbing Up the Walls

Hey! 'Scuse my tardiness -- forgot to mention last week that I had a lil' movie screening this morning that was delaying my return from the extended summer weekend. But much like Mason Gooding there, only without being at all in any way shape or form like Mason Gooding, I have now crawled out of my hole and voila, it's me. In all my resplendant glory. Which, a reminder, is not a whiff like Mason Gooding's resplandant glory. But it's what I got to work with! Anyway happy Monday. Let's try to be people again. We'll see how that goes. The life long project, that.

The Damned Do Dance

Well it's somehow that time again -- the place where Thursday evening meets Monday morning since I have every Friday in the summer off. So that's that for the week! And good riddance, I say -- not that this week was particularly more awful than any of the other ones these days; 2026 is all just a steady hum of awfulness really. But because... hey, a good thing? I'm going out of town for the three-day weekend! I am headed north-ward into the woods to levitate naked around a fire-pit while cursing the patriarchy et cetera, whatever it is that one does in the woods. Breathe air, I suppose? Anyway this city can suck it, I deserve a break for at least three damn days. But no worries -- I will be back Monday. (Actually if you pay attention to Pajiba I'll have another Tribeca review going up at some point in the next day or so, so it'll be like I'm here anyway! What a thrill!) 

All of that said the most important thing about this weekend though has absolutely nothing to do with me scribbling my name in blood into Black Phillip's big black book of delicious living -- the most important thing is that the queer horror movie Leviticus is coming out tomorrow and you need to go throw your money at it guldurnit. The three pictures seen here (via) are of one of the film's young leading fellas, Stacy Clausen (I recently posted some more of him here) -- once you've gone and seen the film then go read my review at Pajiba. Or read my review first. Do what you want really, who the hell am I to tell you? Well except for the part about going to see the movie -- you really should do that so a really good movie about gay people has a sliver of success in this shitty world. Then we'll have two good things! My trip and a successful gay movie. Next stop the world! Have a good one, everybody.

Pic of the Day

The fine folks over at Neon just shared this image of a shirtless, bloodied Charles Melton on their Instagram to celebrate Nicolas Winding Refn's Her Private Hell getting a R-rating for "STRONG / BLOODY VIOLENCE, SEXUAL CONTENT, AND LANGUAGE" aka all of my favorite things. Seriously if I were to re-write that song from The Sound of Music it'd be like "Blood drops on big pecs and whipping sex kittens" and so on (sorry I am not re-writing that entire song right now, that's all you're gonna get from me). Anyway point being gimme this movie! The baffled and hostile reactions at Cannes only made me more excited than I was before. I cannot wait. Click here if you missed the teaser trailer -- it's out on July 24th! (And yes I am really hoping there's a press screening nine nights before so it can be my birthday present.) 

The Poodle Breeder Horror Movie

Another Tribeca review from yours truly for y'all to consume this afternoon -- this time we're talking Breeder, the horror movie about a... poodle breeder? Yes, a poodle breeder. It sells itself really. That said I did overall like this movie while also having some issues with it that I get into -- read my review right here. I know I'm beginning to sound like a semi-hysteric on this front but there seems to be a lot of straight white men making horror movies right now where they think are dissecting this moment's straight-white-manhood when they are really just falling into tropes of othering people who are not straight white men. And I don't so much like this aspect of horror right now! Call me crazy but that bit's not so cool! Anyway IFC and Shudder snatched this movie as it premiered at Tribeca because "The Poodle Breeder Horror Movie" is the easiest fucking sell in the world, so you'll all get to see this movie this fall. Then you can decide if I am indeed a hysteric. (I am sure most of you already decided "yes" on that but whatever.)

RSVP Hell Yes

I don't know why I thought I was embargoed with regards to sharing my opinion on Olivia Wilde's upcoming comedy The Invite -- which stars her and Seth Rogen as a married couple who invite their neighbor couple, played by Ed Norton and Penelope Cruz, over for dinner and, uhh, it goes wild -- but I just realized now that I am not embargoed, and so I feel the need to immediately shout from the rooftops that this movie is the funniest movie I have seen in a movie theater (or not in a movie theater) in a very long time. I honestly haven't openly unreservedly guffawed inside a theater like this movie had me going in I don't know how long -- I honestly don't remember the last time. I'm not tasked with writing a review so I'll probably leave it this simple -- go see this movie, go make this movie a hit, so we can get more smart silly adult comedies in movie theaters please. Below is the first look at the film from A24 -- it's out in "select theaters" next Friday and then wide on July 10th. With this and Gregg Araki's I Want Your Sex coming later in July Olivia Wilde has officially completely flipped around that rough patch her career was going through circa the Harry Styles mess -- good for her.

Five Frames From ?

What movie is this?

Gooding, Mason, World

This photo of Mason Gooding (via) is as close as I'm going to be getting to his upcoming comedy 72 Hours since I'm a deeply anxious person and Kevin Hart's constant screaming in all of his movies makes me have to run for the exit. But I am happy to have this photo of Mason! Hopefully there will be more and I can eventually see all of those online, silently, removed from all of their context. I admit I'm feeling particularly high-strung this morning -- I figured I'd be fine, coming in to work this morning, since the Knicks Parade that's happening downtown literally ends fifteen blocks from where my office is. Reader, I was mistaken. My subway was slow, crowded, and getting off was even worse -- trying to just get my coffee and get to my building's front door was some "Nam shit. I am shook. I mean listen, as much as I loathe sports I've been generous with this basketball stuff in NYC for the past few weeks -- I liked seeing my city celebrating and excited. But those were night-time things! Don't come between me and my Dunkin at 8:30 in the morning, yo. 

 

Josh Heuston Two Times

This gorgeous man's reign of terror on me personally continues on unabated with these new photos from GQ Australia -- there are a couple more at this link if you think you can summon the strength to not tear your own face off for its inadequacies once you've done so. I myself have not the willpower! My face has already been ripped off five times today, and now it's just loosely stapled to my skull, half flapping in the breeze. Wow this post took a turn didn't it? It's a good thing nobody reads what I write here -- not when there's Josh to be stared at anyway. I could say anything! And I love that, much like Ray Stantz before me, when pressed to think of something random I immediately thought of marshmallows. I have been dying for a marshmallow lately. I think it is that when I was visiting upstate home a few weeks back I was momentarily offered s'mores but then said s'mores never came to fruition. How cruel is that? To renege on s'mores? What kind of a monster does such a thing? I will never get over that. Never. Anyway good night. 

Gay Sex & Murder Ships, Oh My

Every gay story shouldn't be sad of course but y'all know I can't resist the ones that are -- my masochism, well-earned, runs deep. And with that I send you over to my Pajiba review of Labrador: Autopsy of Silence, a wonderful and yes sad and yes gay and yes Canadian movie that just premiered at Tribeca last week. It's a beautiful little heartbreaker of a thing, and its leading man Christopher Angatookalook gives one of the best newcomer performances I've seen in quite awhile. And for once it's not just me saying this -- he won an award at the fest for his work! The movie also won best International Feature (as well as Best Cinematography) and I think it was more than justified doing so -- it's a really special movie. I do recommend! Oh and since we're talking here at MNPP right now I will add, in a slutty whisper, that there is a crazy hot gay sex scene included as well. Bonus! Tuck that info away for future reference. 

HOT GAY COUPLE IN A MOVIE ALERT: Christopher Angatookalook and Alexandre Landry in LABRADOR: AUTOPSY OF SILENCE at Tribeca are absolute SCORCHERS tribecafilm.com/films/labrad...

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— Jason Adams (@jamnpp.bsky.social) June 6, 2026 at 11:57 PM

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

 ... you can learn from:

City of the Living Dead (1980)

Blonde gravedigger: Will you check her out? 

Talk about a "box lunch". 

Gravedigger: I'm telling you, you'll end up a dirty old man 

reading that stuff. A pervert. A peeping tom. I saw this 

porno flick once. This guy in the audience got so carried away 

with it, he humped himself to death. 

Blonde gravedigger: Yeah, but what a way to go.

Just a heads-up to all of my Fulci Freaks out there that today marks the 99th anniversary of the great gore-maestro's birth! That means you've only got one year to create your centennial maggot-masks and wood-shard-eye-sockets and cow-intestine-tongues with which to celebrate! Get to goring! Okay actually now that I think about it, maybe starting a year early with half of that stuff is a bad idea -- it will start to stink real fast. Especially the intestines thing. Check out your refridgeration situation first I guess. Anyway yes here's to 99 years of Fulci -- I love several of his movies a lot but I do think City of the Living Dead will probably always be my favorite, and that discussion above, bringing Shakespeare into the age of Italian sleaze, is a good reprsentative moment why. To be or not to be, to jerk off to death or not to jerk off to death -- ehh what's the difference? What a king. 

Couple Quick Capsules

As I've said about thirty three thousand times this week I've been busy writing reviews of films I saw at the Tribeca Film Festival, which ended on Sunday, and that's why it's been a wee bit quiet in here. A couple of those will be dropping this afternoon (I think) but I do want to take a moment anyway to jot down some very fast off-the-cuff thoughts about a pair of new-ish horror movies that I watched on my own (i.e. not for the fest) in the past couple of days. Because they both ruled and I should say so!

Mārama (dir. Taratoa Stappard) -- It's not often you see an entire new sub-genre of horror film present itself these days, but if we could get about one hundred more "Gothic Maori" horror movies in the coming years I wouldn't side-eye askance at that. I'd be in heaven after this here unexpected meeting of flavors burst in my mouth in the most incredible of ways.  Ariana Osborne (who often seems a dead ringer for Lily-Rose Depp in Nosferatu) plays "Mary", a Maori girl who finds herself shipped off to not-so-jolly-ol Victorian England by a colonialist dickhead (Toby Stephens) whose got a fetish for her people (enslaving them, mostly) and wants to have Mary teach his own daughter about their ways. What Mary is faced with in quick succession is a bunch of upper-crust British assholes play-acting racist tropes -- thankfully she's got some will of her own and is no wilting Bronte gal, but damn this movie slaps. Visually and thematically a feast. Stappard is clearly one to watch.

Is God Is (dir.  Aleshea Harris) -- A tale of blistering revenge that will probably, and purposefully, make you think of Quentin Tarantino (tcasting Vivica A. Fox as the mother being avenged will do that), but writer-director Aleshea Harris along with her two incredible lead performers Mallori Johnson and Kara Young (as twin sisters Anaia and Racine) hand in something all their own here. A lot of Southern Gothic, dripping with moss and heat, with a real fire burning in its belly -- its heroines, who sink into the moral morass of their parentage no matter how hard they fight against it, are to my eye immediate movie icons, like nobody you've ever seen on-screen before and completely impossible to look away from. Oh and Sterling K. Brown should only play villains from now on. Anyway this is completely spellbinding stuff -- I absolutely cannot wait to see what Harris drops next. 

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Oh and as an aside I just realized that both of these incredible movies are debut features and holy shit does that make me optimistic for our movie future. Hey, websites and entertainment magazines, how about some cover-stories that talk about the British-Maori man and the black woman who just dropped two of this year's truly great horror films, instead of just slobbering obvious praise all over the two straight white YouTube dudes who made the most financially successful yet nevertheless mediocre ones? Just a thought! Puttin' it out there!