Creepy Movies, Life Updates, and other Consumables
The Sixth Sense is a masterpiece and Robert Eggers will make one too someday. Plus, good twists vs. bad twists, paid subscriber perks, and a new podcast ASAP.
Movies
The Sixth Sense (1999, USA)
The Sixth Sense isn’t just a great horror movie; it’s a great movie. When the American Film Institute included it in their 2007 “Best American Movies Ever” list, I remember rolling my eyes, thinking they picked it because it set the “twist at the end” trend. But, 25 years later, after my re-watch last week, I think the AFI was right. The acting from the three leads is top-notch, but what’s most admirable is the flawless story structure. Every scene, symbol, and line supports the movie the way joists, struts, and rafters support a roof. It would’ve been easy to drag the movie out — Haley Joel Osment could have, say, saved more ghosts — but Shyamalan was economical in his use of narrative lumber. I’m sure it’s been said before, but the film didn’t even need a twist; it was already great. Yet, the twist is still the greatest there ever was, not just because it was so well foreshadowed and hidden, but because of the intricate craftsmanship behind it. Keeping with my construction metaphor… From afar the film is a builder’s sturdy-looking roof, but step closer and you’ll also admire the fine details of an artist. A
The Blair Witch Project (1999, USA)
Another horror film I hadn’t seen since 1999. I was impressed with how well it held up. The acting by the three leads is terrific. B+
The Witch (2015, USA)
I admire director Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse, The Northman) for his sets, atmosphere, attention to historical detail, and how he gets the most out of his actors. And because he excels in these areas, it’s doubly disappointing when his films don’t quite work. The scripts he works with feel unfinished. Instead of crafting a coherent, satisfying conclusion, Eggers seems to cram in as much creepiness and myth as possible (also relying on some fathomless ambiguity), hoping he’ll happen upon something transcendent and, maybe-just-maybe, it’ll be a masterpiece. But it doesn’t work. The Witch was terrific until the end, which means it wasn’t truly terrific to begin with. I don’t say this about many directors, but I’ll still go out of my way to see every Eggers’ film in theaters, hoping he’ll one day match his scene-setting brilliance with a solid script. C+
Poltergeist (1982, USA)
Although Spielberg is only credited as a producer, it’s said he directed much of this film, and his influence is felt throughout. Spielberg excels at portraying messy, realistic family dynamics in suburban settings. That works in this one too, but unlike E.T. or Close Encounters, the movie feels tonally off, blending too much humor with the horror. The special effects alternate between “Wow, how’d they do that in 1982?” and “Couldn’t they have done better than that in 1982?” Quietly, it’s a strong female-led movie without ever overtly stating it. C
No Way Out (1987, USA)
One of the ways I find my movies is through The Rewatchables podcast. This is a bad movie with an amazing twist. (You won’t be able to predict it, even if you know there’s a twist coming.) But it shows that even a great twist can’t save a bad movie. With dated music, cringey romance, and clunky action, this was a rare “bad pick” by The Rewatchables team. C
Thelma and Louise (1991, USA)
I watched this to cross off one of those classics I’d never seen, and it left me thinking it’s one of the most beautifully shot films I’ve watched. B+
Syndromes and a Century (2006, Thailand)
I found this on Sight and Sound’s “Greatest Films of All Time” list. These off-the-radar films usually go one of two ways: 1. Irritatingly avant-garde or 2. Exceptionally good, making you wonder why you’d never heard of it. I’m not sure where this one falls. I didn’t really get it, but I’m happy to have watched my first Thai movie. B-
TV
Couples Therapy Season 2 (2021, USA)
This is reality TV that doesn’t feel like a “guilty pleasure,” but an enlightening, edifying, and heartwarming pleasure. A-
Ludwig (2024, UK)
I’m halfway through this miniseries, which is receiving a lot of acclaim in the U.K. It’s about a puzzle-loving man who finds himself having to pretend to be a homicide detective. (Naturally, he’s good at it). The show is competent, occasionally funny British comfort food. I say that with a bit of scorn because the U.K. churns out too much of this kind of entertainment. Think of movies like Phantom of the Open, Eddie the Eagle, or Pride, or the endless Victorian dramas—stories all about overcoming class or internal restraint. It’s as if Britain, through its media, is always giving itself a cheesy pep talk. This isn’t entirely fair to Ludwig, which is fine, but it’s also safe, never straying from its tonal palette of awkward humor, self-deprecation, and feel-good moments. Anna Maxwell Martin steals every scene, though. C
Life Updates
I’ve had back pain for almost two months now. I thought the pain came from lifting my 4-year-old onto my shoulders, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s because I’m sitting in front of my computer too much, and usually in the most un-ergonomic fashion. I sit with a rightward and paraplegic lean to my torso, which has caused my fingers and toes to go numb.
I don’t want to sit this much, but I spent a fair bit of the summer in the usual posture, pitching schools for a fall and spring speaking trips. It doesn’t help that I live in a small house. In the corner of my bedroom, I crammed a small desk, underneath which I have a printer, which doesn’t improve my posture.
On top of this, I’m now a counseling and psychotherapy Master’s student, attending weekly online classes, which means even more time spent sitting. (One of my most popular essays was about my mid-life career pivot and I’ll write a sequel to that post, perhaps after the New Year.)
Meanwhile, I’ve been preparing to fund a major house renovation—adding a bay window to our dark living room and converting our garage into a living space. The costs of this project have caused more financial stress than I anticipated. My speaking gigs are drying up faster than expected, leaving me concerned about how I’ll pay the bills until I get my counseling certification in three years.
As I write these updates down, I see how their all interrelated:
I need to make money, so I sit at the computer. But I don’t have much space, which has hurt my back. To make more space, I need to fund a renovation. To fund the renovation, I need to train for new work. I need to retrain because my speaking career is slowing down...
One temporary solution to this was buying a standing desk — a FLEXISPOT electric desk for £105 ($130) that I find extremely helpful.
Lastly, my Scottish community purchase article should be published in NYT sometime soon. And I’m pitching a spicy culture war article to publications, so it feels good to be wheeling and dealing and getting into print again.
Thank you to paid subscribers!
I’m up to about 22 paid subscribers which gives me a small revenue stream. I’d love to boost that up to $10K annually someday, so that I could consider this Substack page more of a part-time job than a hobby.
To take this page to the next level, I’ve decided to start a podcast, since I noticed that there just aren’t enough podcasts out there. Over email, my paid subscribers helped me choose our favorite podcast logo created by ChatGPT. There was a clear front-runner, but my wife, a professional illustrator, has tsk-tsked me from using technology that could put her industry out of business (and she wasn’t quite aesthetically taken by the AI-generated logo), so she’s using the chosen image as inspiration for a logo now in the works.
Paid subscribers can see my monthly podcast recommendations below, plus a few more creepy movie recommendations.