They're Real and Spectacular

It doesn't seem right that this photo of Drew Starkey on the set of Luca Guadagnino's Queer only made itself known to me now, in 2026, two whole years after the movie came out -- actually you know what I just checked and it's been exactly two years and two days since I saw that movie at the NYFF for the first time! (Here is my review.) As I mentioned on Friday that was the 9th anniversary of when I saw Call My By Your Name at the same fest -- it's become a semi-annual tradition then, seeing the new Luca movie at NYFF. Which brings me to yesterday's bitch-fest by yours truly about how I didn't get into NYFF's World Premiere of Luca's latest Artificial -- and yes since that post is still up that is clearly how it ended up playing out. I didn't see the movie last night. But don't worry -- a whole bunch of straight dudes sure did! Everybody clear the way, straight dudes coming through. They'll all be dropping their super primo heterosexual reviews of the movie about a gay man that was directed by a gay man today, so make sure you go read the straight men's very important opinions on such. 

Okay so real talk, petty bitching aside -- I did manage to score, all on my own, a ticket to this afternoon's second screening of Artificial. What's new -- gays gotta look out for themselves. If I'd have known there wasn't going to be a press screening, for whatever bizarre reason that decision happened, I would have been online the second tickets went on sale to buy one anyway -- thankfully, in an absolute panic, I managed to eke this shit out on my own at the absolute last minute. I should try to be a little less pissy since I am seeing the movie now -- and there will be a Q&A with Luca himself at this screening, although unlike last night's World Premiere it won't include the entire cast as well as a live performance by the great Damon Albarn, who did the film's score. But I will calm down and situate my brain once I'm sitting there in the theater in a few -- I'm a damn professional (ish) and I won't hold this sordid ordeal against the movie itself. Indeed this is the last you'll hear from me whining about this, I promise -- I can feel the poison leaving my system as I finish this rant. Good to get it out so it doesn't fester! Okay anyway my ultimate point being -- that's where I'm gone to this afternoon! I am going to watch Artificial now, thank goodness. Surely stay tuned for my review to come. Oh and to bring us back to the start, in related Drew Starkey's Beautiful Tits news:

ONSLAUGHT is out on VOD today: link.amazon/B0arfO3I2 My review: www.pajiba.com/film_reviews... The best thing about it:

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— Jason Takes Man-Adams (@jamnpp.bsky.social) October 6, 2026 at 11:06 AM

Five Frames From ?

What movie is this?

Good Morning, World

When I go out of my way to make sure and mention that an actor is gay or "openly gay" even, it's really just for we homos' benefit -- it allows us a, what's the phrase from the Botox commercials? A freedom of expression, if you will. Oh he is one of us, I am now free to picture him in likely scenarios. If an actor's not "openly gay" I will probably still picture such scenarios but when they're out it gives it a thrill of genuine possibility, thereby making me feel a little less like the troll in my mother's basement that I so clearly am. Anyway on that note here are some images that out homosexual Fra Fee was kind enough to share on his Instagram this week -- the word on his Zach Snyder movie was very bad indeed out of TIFF but we're not holding that against him. Not that anyway. We'd hold plenty against him though, given the opportunity! See? Gay shit.

Fjorders

Time for yes yet another NYFF review -- this time we're talking Cristian Mungiu's Cannes-winner Fjord, which played my hometown fest this past weekend, and you can read my thoughts right here. It re-teams A Different Man duo Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as ultra-religious parents who find themselves targeted for their parenting techniques in Norway -- the film's been seen as conservative by some but I think that's a nonsensical superficial read, personally. Which is to say:

We love a movie that believes lesbians have magical powers

— Jason Takes Man-Adams (@jamnpp.bsky.social) September 22, 2026 at 9:26 AM

The Word is Fake

Luca Guadagnino's Artificial is having its World Premiere at NYFF tonight and Neon just dropped that, the first poster -- i don't really like that poster very much. I get the gist but it's kind of ugly? They should have brightened up the crowd, I think. Anyway as I mentioned on Friday (and as remains true still as I type this) I am unsure if I'll be able to see the film tonight, so I am needless to say, as the saying goes and such, tender to the touch right this moment. Since the axe hasn't entirely fallen on my head just yet I'm keeping my feelings bottled up until 5:01pm, after the screening starts -- after that I pre-apoogize to anyone who happens to be standing near me because my wrath will be quick and oh let's say outsized. For real though. It feels homophobic at this point. And no I am not kidding. I didn't get invited to the party for Club Kid either, and only learned about it from a straight dude -- I really feel like I need to have a talk with my LGBTQ critic's guild about the pressure that's being exerted upon PR people re: prioritizing queer critics for queer media. But see -- I'm airing exactly the dirty laundry I said I wouldn't haha. I cannot help myself. I literally have this one pulsing stress-vein pushing at my left eyeball right now that is screaming No More. (And yes I'm aware that part of this is an ego-trip but I'm allowed once in awhile -- I'm so non-aggressive in real life just let me mouth out my damned id here in this safe space, at least.) Anyway! Point being I can't wait to see all the straight critics from bigger outlets who did indeed get invited to the Luca Guadagnino Movie tonight before I did. That will be fun. (And yes I will delete all of this if a ticket happens to pop up in my inbox in the next three hours. What of it!)

Me watching my inbox as the Artificial screening barrels towards us and I still don't have a ticket

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— Jason Takes Man-Adams (@jamnpp.bsky.social) October 5, 2026 at 1:10 PM

Jeremy Allen White Twelve Times

These photos of Jeremy Allen White for M Magazine were obviously taken before he got the little makeover that he's been rocking for the past couple of weeks as he's done press for The Social Reckoning , and that's a shame because I honestly think he's been looking the best he's ever looked since he got his hair cut and grew out some sexy blond scruff. He looks really hot right now! Which isn't to knock these photos -- I wouldn't be sharing them if I wanted to knock them -- but just to suggest that these would've been all-timers if these had been taken post-haircut. 

Anyway I don't know about you but there aren't many movies coming out this fall that I want to see less than I want to see The Social Reckoning -- it's the same reason a screener of Alex Gibney's Musk doc is going to rot in my inbox and why I still haven't watched Sebastian Stan in The Apprentice. I have really had my fill of these assholes. If we're still a functioning society in ten years in the wake of how they've ruined us then maybe I will be able to bring myself to watch them but right now, in the thick of their bullshit? I'm good thanks. But I'll still stare at Jeremy, divorced from all that, so hit the jump to join me...

Big Daddy Firstman

I was listening to my friends Chris & Joe on their "This Had Oscar Buzz" podcast a couple of weeks ago talk the movies of TIFF and laughed very hard when they got to Club Kid, Jordan Firstman's extremely buzzy movie out of Cannes -- they both liked it but they both were wary of the "Jordan Firstman" of it, explaining that gay men have a very different and oh-let's-say complex relationship to Firstman's whole schtick than the rest of society. I think gays have all known assholes like the one Firstman had positioned himself as all too well -- if you go watch Sebastian Silva's very funny and meanspirited Rotting in the Sun  and see who Firstman's playing there you'll get it. That seemed to be his whole persona and it was never clear if that was really him or if that was a character he was playing. Anyway I get into all of this in my own Club Kid review which just dropped on Pajiba over the weekend, as the film premiered to much fanfare at NYFF -- read that here. I think the movie does prove it was more of a put-on than it had seemed. I did laugh at the comments on my review though because someone seemed confused by me saying he'd put the whole "Jordan Firstman" thing behind him -- isn't that still his name, they asked? The point was the scare quotes, hun! Anyway Club Kid is a little broad but very good, a total crowd-pleaser, and I'm real curious to see if A24 can make a hit out of it. It's real gay!

Five Frames From ?

What movie is this?

Good Morning, World

Happy Monday and Good Morning to you, to me, to David Jonsson and his deeply incredible torso here (via) -- to one and all good tidings. Listen if the world isn't gonna treat us nice we can at least be good and generous to one another (and David Jonsson's abs) while the world goes off and fucks itself. Yes this is optimism! My flavor anyway and that's what keeps y'all coming back for more. Anyhoo -- sidenote: has that word stopped being embarrassing and circled back to adorable yet? I really overuse "anyway" and like having alternatives, you see -- I am here on site aka on blog this day; a full day indeed! No NYFF getting in our ways today (unless... no we shall not speak of that) from me serving up Classic Entertainment a la the whole "anyhoo" thing that just happened. Listen man, they all can't be gold. In fact it's more likely that none of them will be. But I just took a minute out of our infernal lives to say all of that and for you to read it and that's not nothing. Yay for Monday!

And Luca All Over

While I sit here extremely tense that I won't be able to see Luca Guadagnino's Artificial on Monday at its World Premiere at the NYFF (no comment for the time being) a great new chat with the man himself has dropped at Vulture -- read it here. I love that, any interview you read with Luca, the talk swings from Olivetti Typewriters to "Twunks" in a split second; I know my parasocial relationship with Luca post-CMBYN skirts all the lines but I don't care, he and I would so clearly be good friends. Every movie he makes is so dialed-in to my wavelength that it's odd, frankly! Anyway I won't be a weirdo (for the rest of this post, is all I can promise) but I will literally die if I don't see Artificial on Monday. (Okay I won't be a weirdo after the rest of that sentence.) In related news -- tomorrow is the 9th anniversary of me seeing speak-of-the-devil Call Me By Your Name at the NYFF! That it will be a decade next year is impossible to contemplate right now -- thaankfully I have a year to deal with that. But if you'd like to read my first piece on CMBYN again (or for the first time!) -- the one that dumped out of me right after that first screening -- click here. Probably still the most personal thing I've written.

Dig Dug Dog

Do not hold Digger against Riz Ahmed -- even though I only briefly mention him in my scorch-the-planet review of the movie that dropped on Pajiba yesterday Riz in no way embarrasses himself therein. Believe me that's some kind of magic armor he must've been wearing because everybody else, from the great John Goodman to the great Sandra Huller is not so fortunate. But then that's Alejandro G. Iñárritu's whole deal -- sucking, I mean. Him and Tom Cruise are actually perfect for one another in that sense -- they should go make twenty movies together for the remainder of their careers so I can from here on out avoid them both like the fucking plague. 

Anyway, in better news -- I am back here at my desk! Actually that's not good news, what the fuck am I talking about -- I'd much rather be in bed. My brain hurts. SO MANY MOVIES. NYFF has been keeping yer boy busy busy busy. But I guess it's good for you bvecause maybe I will do some posts or whatever. We'll see what happens. It's entirely possible I could just crumble to dust. And not (just)  because I just sat ten feet away from Pedro Pascal:

PEDRO PASCAL IN PURPLE (with bonus Eva Victor) talking “Behemoth!” at #NYFF @filmlinc.bsky.social

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— Jason Takes Man-Adams (@jamnpp.bsky.social) October 2, 2026 at 12:09 PM

Minus Zero Equals Plus Two Times Infinity

Hey fellow monster lovers, have I got a treat for you -- well two treats actually. The first one is the news that Godzilla Minus Zero rules. RULESSSSS. And the second treat is my review of the movie, wherein I talk about how Godzilla Minus Zero rules -- you can read it over at Pajiba! Okay yes I guess those are too connected to be "two" full treats -- call it one and a half monster-sized treats, if you've got to be such a stickler. Jeez. You'd think I stomped on your loved ones or something. 

The Tiger Has Spoken

I am just realizing that I've been so busy with NYFF that I haven't posted much in the way of NYFF photos, which is a weird loop to be stuck in -- anyway here I will give you two of the photos I took from last week's Paper Tiger press conference as I also share with you the link to my NYFF review of Paper Tiger. Read my review right here. I quite unexpectedly liked this movie a whole lot -- I've never been a big fan of James Gray as a filmmaker if we're being honest, but this one really worked for me. Everyone is giving really good performances -- ScarJo might get dragged for how big her work is but I found it entirely accurate to the kind of woman she's playing -- and the tension Gray mines from this material is palpable and surprising. They really don't make movies like this anymore -- until they do, and James Gray just did. 

Five Frames From ?

What movie is this?

Good Morning, World

Mike Faist isn't just sweating it out in a sauna with Christopher Abbott this week -- he's also on the cover of this month's GQ (or British GQ at least) and there are a lot more photos (plus words!) over there. But I was really only drawn to the three photos of him in a tank so that's all I am sharing. This interview is, as have several this week, pushing the narrative that he went and disappeared from our lives post-Challengers, but honestly -- doesn't it feel a little early in his career, as much as I like him, to be acting like some gigantic gaping hole (hey, minds up here) was left in his absence? I mean no offense and I get the "strike while the iron's hot" mentality but I feel like Comeback Narratives should be reserved for people my mother could name, or at least recognize. Anyway that's what his people are pushing so whatever, go with grace. I look forward to East of Eden anyway. When I have time to watch the damn thing.

Dino Fetscher One Time

 Okay, Dino's just trying to hurt us now. (via)

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Boys Meets Girl (1984)

Alex: I'm going to wind up a loser. Yet I 

stood a chance. I wanted to be someone outstanding: 

flyer, traveler, musician... Can't I be reborn?

A banner day for Criterion lovers as they've just dropped a beautiful box-set of three Leos Carax movies -- the above alongside the also-stellar Mauvais sang and The Lovers on the Bridge. All of them great and worth seeing -- especially if you love Denis Lavant and/or Juliette Binoche. I mean if you say that you love Denis Lavant and/or Juliette Binoche I don't know how you couldn't have already seen these three movies, but crazy things happen. Anything's possible! Anyway what I am going to need next is for Criterion to give us a 4K of my favorite Carax movie Holy Motors, that's what I am going to need next.

Five Frames From ?

What movie is this?

Good Morning, World

Believe it or not -- and don't be distracted by Manu Rios' whole upper torso situation so long that you can't think at all! -- I am actually here this morning, on blog, for the first time in what feels like ages. Whoopee! Today AND tomorrow morning actually. Let's hope I can pound out [ahem] some more NYFF reviews because while I've got several locked and loaded at Pajiba as I linked to yesterday I got several more I got things to say 'bout. Anyway my ever-oft-delayed point is -- hello, g'morning, let's make this Tuesday our bitch, shall we...

NYFF Comin' In Hot

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I was prancing excitedly across the full spectrum of the social-media landscape this weekend as I not only attended both the Opening Night party of the New York Film Festival (aka Film Prom) once again this year but also got to go to the World Premiere of the new Godzilla movie! I've long made my Godzilla-Nerd status well-known so this was what the kids are calling a "bucket list" item for me -- and it wasn't just the screening itself but also the after party as seen above! By the time the weekend was over I'd seen Scarlett Johansson perched on Colin Jost's knee; I got to tell Mike Leigh 'Thank you" for his movies to his face (he just serenely nodded), and...

I just screamed I love you at Andrew Haigb I should probably go home now

— Jason Adams (@jamnpp.bsky.social) September 25, 2026 at 11:20 PM

Well okay I was really drunk at that point in the evening and I am a little bit embarassed about it now. But he did smile back so hopefully he took it in good stride. (And I'm seeing him do a Talk at the fest tomorrow night so god I hope he doesn't recognize me lol.) Anyway honestly my fest could end right now, I'm flying cloud-nine-style from those two beauties -- but not just the parties. I've now seen two dozen NYFF movies and there's barely been a bad apple in the bunch. (You can keep track of what I'm screening as ever on the Letterboxd, with a list dedicated entirely to NYFF movies.)

All that said I have had two NYFF reviews drop over the weekend but I haven't linked to them here yet! And that's no good. So let's. First up -- and I hate to start out negative but hey, let's get the bad vibes outta the way up front I guess -- you can read my thoughts on Ira Sachs' disappointing latest called The Man I Love right here. Y'all know I love Ira Sachs's movies but I did worry when Rami Malek was cast in this that might prove be its death knell, and... well it's not entirely that dire, as everything that's not Rami Malek works. Tom Sturridge is phenomonal, for one. But I found every single moment of Malek's performance phony, inexplicable, and often downright embarassing. I was willing to give him a chance after the horror show that was Bophemian Rhapsody but this performance is D.O.A. in all of the same terrible and hammy ways. Somebody stop him!

Thankfully the other review that's now dropped is much more favorable (and just as queer!) with my thoughts on the incredible Sandra Hüller's work playing a woman living life as a man in 17th century Germany in Markus Schleinzer's film Rose -- read the review right here. Hüller is tremendous in it -- completely captivating even at her most still, but what I think most people will underrate when it comes to this movie is its sly humor. Given what this movie is about you'd be right to anticipate terrible things, but Schleinzer doesn't make this movie a bog of miserablism you have to endure in the slightest. And thank goodness -- we've had enough of those. Hell every morning we wake up to a bog of miserablism so thank the lord (by which I mean Sandra Hüller of course) for a light touch. Anyway more reviews are already turned in and set to drop this week, with my thoughts on the new James Gray that opened the fest as well as yes indeed my thoughts on the return of that great big green lizard coming shortly. Stay tuned! It's coming!!!