Weekly Roundup #15, 2026

Hello! And yes, for the eagle eyed among you, that is the 15ᵗʰ week of the year and not the 15ᵗʰ blogpost–this is actually the first blogpost I’ve ever written 😱 If you have better ideas for a name, they’re very welcome—if you just reply to this email, it should get delivered (untested!).

So… what is this newsletter for?

Well, one thing it’s ALWAYS going to be about is my ill-defined, quixotic and ultimately foolish year-long attempt to watch four films a week in an actual cinema, which as of this week has passed three months! I’m doing shockingly well, sometimes averaging one a day (!); as a treat, I’ve started rating films this week.
I‘m using a sliding scale partially inspired by Vince:

• ★ is a film I didn’t like (though it should be said that I’ve seen vanishingly few bad films, far and away the worst being A Luta Continua)
• ★★★ is a film that I liked, but didn't resonate with me so much I would watch it again. This is a good score!
• And ★★★★★ is a film I loved and would rewatch.

But I don't just watch movies! I also go to plays, gigs, art exhibitions... and anything that particularly stands out, I want to highlight in my Social Calendar section.

Finally, though my photography will ultimately live somewhere else on this website, I want to post what I've been shooting recently, with the intent to create with consistency.

So: here's what I saw this week!

Four-Film Challenge (better name needed for this as well)

Wednesday 1ˢᵗ April - Breathless (1960, ★★★)

Was good to get this out of the way given how influential everyone says it is. There were indeed still one or two shots that I really enjoyed! But overall it's been a victim of its own success–everything that should have felt shockingly fresh I had seen ripped off a thousand times, so it didn't leave me breathless. Har har.

Friday 3ʳᵈ April - Rocco and His Brothers (1960, ★★★★★)

This was the same year as Breathless, which is crazy, cause it's so hypnotic (in every sense of the word). Breathless seems to be trying it's best to shock you or wake you up; so many of the scenes here feel like dreams (the snow falling over Milan) or nightmares (a sexual assault that's shot from the vantage point of a guard post). Some really beautiful telephoto work in this. Highly recommend going in without knowing it's three hours long, but, oh, wait, I guess you can't now...

Saturday 4ᵗʰ April - Project Hail Mary (2026) & The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974,★★★★★)

I woke up too late to see a two-and-a-half hour movie (I'll probably catch it tomorrow), but I did sneak down to the Nickel to see maybe the most New-Yourk movie to ever be made. Hilarious, and I want to sleep with and also be the sleazy English villain. Must seek out the remake now!

Social Diary

My trip to the theater was a little disappointing, but I did get this really neat souvenir!

Also, presumably owing to the anniversary, there were lots of famous people there. Famous person pick of the week though has to go to Toby Jones, who I buttonholed outside NFT1! Very nice guy.

Track of the Week

I saw these guys in Brighton last year and I was minded to put this track on today. Never knew how good the video was! This other track from them has an amazing video, too.

Okay, until next time it's goodbye from me, and goodbye from my ceanothus...

...which might be in bloom by next week!