What I'm working on - September 2025 (Patreon)

Hi Patrons!

My biggest news is that I recently shot my Secret Eaters video, so that's now officially on the way! I feel like I had a very healthy relationship with the writing of this vid. I would just work on it a little at a time whenever I had time, without being dangerously obsessed with the material but also never losing interest in it. Imagine that! Here's my talking head frame, and look who's back:

I'm so bad at framing these that I somehow managed to make myself look tiny and my gay skeleton look huge. But maybe that's how it should be.

I'm hoping I can get the video out this month, or maybe early October if it ends up taking a while to edit. I haven't done my first pass yet, but I'm guessing it'll be 40-60 minutes or so.

After that, I may try to make a review of Bollywood movie War 2, which I saw in theaters a while back and do have thoughts on. Not really a coherent hot take, maybe more like script doctor-type stuff. I might give it a rewatch whenever it comes out on streaming and see if I can organize my thoughts, in which case I'll try to make a video about it.

But my other big news is that I'm going back to the London Film Festival this October! I wasn't able to afford it last year, but this year I've got that sweet sweet part-time organic grocery store deli money supplementing my income. I mention this at the end of my Secret Eaters video, but assuming it doesn't come out for a while, let me know if there are any films at the festival you'd like to hear my thoughts on! I'm making my list of what to prioritize seeing, and woke up in the wee hours of the morning today to get in on the BFI members presale. I'll be able to see most of the films at press and industry screenings, but there are some things I like to try to get tickets to, like screen talks, gala screenings where cast/crew I'm interested in might be present, and special presentations that might not get press screenings (this year they're showing a restored director's cut of '70s Bollywood classic Sholay at the BFI IMAX, and you know I'd rather die than miss it.)

When I attended the festival in 2023, I made that unscripted best-and-worst-of video to recap some of my thoughts on films I'd seen there, and I'm honestly not proud of that video. To be completely transparent, that was during a period where I was under contract to make a sponsored video every month, and while most of the time that worked out okay for me, in October, I was busy at the film festival and had to kind of rush that video out. It never felt like a great product of my time there, and I'm embarrassed that I rushed it due to financial reasons. That's part of the reason I've stepped away from sponsorships; I haven't sworn them off completely, but I really don't want to end up in another situation like that where I feel like I have to compromise my work to make a deadline. SO, that being said, I want to come up with a better post-festival video this time around. It may well still be a best-and-worst-of, but perhaps a scripted one, maybe individual review videos, or maybe one where I do some vlogging of my experience at the festival intertwined with all my reviews. Just something I can feel more dedicated to and proud of.

Again, let me know if there's anything in the program you'd like me to see/review, even if it's just something you want me to hate watch. I have tickets reserved for Bradley Cooper's next directorial venture, Sydney Sweeney biopic Christy, and the silly-looking Bruce Springsteen biopic, so I'm definitely interested in getting my thoughts on controversial or polarizing films. Most big festival films of the season will be there, and you can also explore the program here. If you're in or around London, consider stopping by! It's always a really fun experience and there are cheap tickets for students and people aged 25 and under.

Thanks for all your support this month and stay tuned!