Michael Phillips
@mrmichaelphillips.bsky.social
Past: Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, etc.
Present: Host and co-producer, “The Movie Racket,” part of the “Filmspotting” podcast commune; announcer, Classical WFMT Chicago, and weekly WFMT
“Soundtrack” contributor.
Present: Host and co-producer, “The Movie Racket,” part of the “Filmspotting” podcast commune; announcer, Classical WFMT Chicago, and weekly WFMT
“Soundtrack” contributor.
Well, we were all young once. Some oncer than others. You’re all-pro, my man.
This was a treat, chatting with a legend I once shared a cluster of desks with back in the ‘80s. #filmsky 📽
'Tis autumn! Also, it's ep 9 of "The Movie Racket"--
@aduralde.bsky.social and I get into Vincente Minnelli's "hundred or more hidden things" that make a film linger a while, be it Minnelli or Orson Welles or Barry Jenkins or Jane Schoenbrun's "Camp Miasma." www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
@aduralde.bsky.social and I get into Vincente Minnelli's "hundred or more hidden things" that make a film linger a while, be it Minnelli or Orson Welles or Barry Jenkins or Jane Schoenbrun's "Camp Miasma." www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
October 1, 2026 at 11:32 AM
Well, we were all young once. Some oncer than others. You’re all-pro, my man.
And bigger thanks to you, Marya!
Big thanks to @mrmichaelphillips.bsky.social for having me on The Movie Racket talking Alice Guy-Blaché
Listen: www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
Listen: www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
October 1, 2026 at 11:30 AM
And bigger thanks to you, Marya!
'Tis autumn! Also, it's ep 9 of "The Movie Racket"--
@aduralde.bsky.social and I get into Vincente Minnelli's "hundred or more hidden things" that make a film linger a while, be it Minnelli or Orson Welles or Barry Jenkins or Jane Schoenbrun's "Camp Miasma." www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
@aduralde.bsky.social and I get into Vincente Minnelli's "hundred or more hidden things" that make a film linger a while, be it Minnelli or Orson Welles or Barry Jenkins or Jane Schoenbrun's "Camp Miasma." www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
“A picture that stays with you is made up of a hundred or more hidden things” with Alonso Duralde | The Movie Racket — Filmspotting
God is in the details.
www.filmspotting.net
September 22, 2026 at 3:40 PM
'Tis autumn! Also, it's ep 9 of "The Movie Racket"--
@aduralde.bsky.social and I get into Vincente Minnelli's "hundred or more hidden things" that make a film linger a while, be it Minnelli or Orson Welles or Barry Jenkins or Jane Schoenbrun's "Camp Miasma." www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
@aduralde.bsky.social and I get into Vincente Minnelli's "hundred or more hidden things" that make a film linger a while, be it Minnelli or Orson Welles or Barry Jenkins or Jane Schoenbrun's "Camp Miasma." www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
Reposted by Michael Phillips
the literal position of the trump administration is that any school that has any more than a smattering of black students is engaged in illegal racial discrimination against whites www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/b...
Trump Moves to Strip Tax Exemption From Schools That Aid Minority Students (Gift Article)
The Treasury Department released rules that would prevent schools with race-based programs from qualifying for tax-exempt status, a threat to both higher education and other private schools.
www.nytimes.com
September 3, 2026 at 3:21 PM
the literal position of the trump administration is that any school that has any more than a smattering of black students is engaged in illegal racial discrimination against whites www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/b...
Much obliged, Ross!
Been absolutely loving The Movie Racket and this week’s episode has @812filmreviews.com on it!
Thanks so much to @812filmreviews.com for joining this week's ep of "The Movie Racket." Message movies! Call Western Union! www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
September 3, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Much obliged, Ross!
Thanks so much to @812filmreviews.com for joining this week's ep of "The Movie Racket." Message movies! Call Western Union! www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
"Pictures are for entertainment, messages should be delivered by Western Union" with Robert Daniels | The Movie Racket — Filmspotting
Every movie is saying something.
www.filmspotting.net
September 1, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Thanks so much to @812filmreviews.com for joining this week's ep of "The Movie Racket." Message movies! Call Western Union! www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
So many are likely to be killed.
ICE wants to spend tens of millions on electric shock gloves. The manual states the device should be deployed for 15 seconds. But a demo shows people falling to the ground almost immediately. @evystadium.bsky.social has more.
Story by @josephcox.bsky.social: www.404media.co/heres-the-ma...
Story by @josephcox.bsky.social: www.404media.co/heres-the-ma...
August 12, 2026 at 11:53 PM
So many are likely to be killed.
Reposted by Michael Phillips
A statement from AAP President Dr. Andrew Racine on today’s executive order on U.S. childhood vaccines: www.aap.org/en/news-room...
August 10, 2026 at 10:03 PM
A statement from AAP President Dr. Andrew Racine on today’s executive order on U.S. childhood vaccines: www.aap.org/en/news-room...
Thanks to @thehighsign.bsky.social for
classing up “The Movie Racket” in general, and the subject of
Columbia Pictures mogul Harry Cohn’s ass in particular. www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
classing up “The Movie Racket” in general, and the subject of
Columbia Pictures mogul Harry Cohn’s ass in particular. www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
"If my fanny squirms, it's bad. If my fanny doesn't squirm, it's good" with Dana Stevens | The Movie Racket — Filmspotting
The Movie Mogul Posterior Test
www.filmspotting.net
August 10, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Thanks to @thehighsign.bsky.social for
classing up “The Movie Racket” in general, and the subject of
Columbia Pictures mogul Harry Cohn’s ass in particular. www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
classing up “The Movie Racket” in general, and the subject of
Columbia Pictures mogul Harry Cohn’s ass in particular. www.filmspotting.net/episodes-arc...
who’s the PR strategist on this, Ross Douthat?
The ONE NIGHT ONLY interviews just get weirder and weirder. “We wanted to show both sides” — of this dystopian fascist scenario that you made up? Why?
August 10, 2026 at 6:21 PM
who’s the PR strategist on this, Ross Douthat?
Is it that simple? A good movie=3 good scenes, and no bad ones? Give a listen to ep 3 of the new #filmspotting podcast interloper #TheMovieRacket, hosted by #me, joined by veteran story analyst Billy Mernit. And Walter Brennan gets the last hippity-hop with the exit music. omny.fm/shows/filmsp...
"A good movie is three good scenes and no bad ones” with Billy Mernit | The Movie Racket - Filmspotting
Examining the wisdom of Howard Hawks.
omny.fm
July 27, 2026 at 7:28 PM
Is it that simple? A good movie=3 good scenes, and no bad ones? Give a listen to ep 3 of the new #filmspotting podcast interloper #TheMovieRacket, hosted by #me, joined by veteran story analyst Billy Mernit. And Walter Brennan gets the last hippity-hop with the exit music. omny.fm/shows/filmsp...
Bedroom>living room! Dog>landscape? In the new ep of "The Movie Racket"-- #Filmspotting- produced, me-hosted -- @theamynicholson (a pip!) and I get into 11 Rules for Box Office Appeal, the (likely alcohol-fueled) memo Preston Sturges wrote circa 1941. We're in the #Filmspottting feed, friend.
July 21, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Bedroom>living room! Dog>landscape? In the new ep of "The Movie Racket"-- #Filmspotting- produced, me-hosted -- @theamynicholson (a pip!) and I get into 11 Rules for Box Office Appeal, the (likely alcohol-fueled) memo Preston Sturges wrote circa 1941. We're in the #Filmspottting feed, friend.
A brand new something to download, first thing Monday: “The Movie Racket,” the latest @Filmspotting podcast. Host, me; Ep 1 guest, Michael Shannon. Show intro explains the idea, but I’ll tease it with: Nobody knows anything. There’s gold in them thar axioms!
July 12, 2026 at 10:27 PM
A brand new something to download, first thing Monday: “The Movie Racket,” the latest @Filmspotting podcast. Host, me; Ep 1 guest, Michael Shannon. Show intro explains the idea, but I’ll tease it with: Nobody knows anything. There’s gold in them thar axioms!
Reposted by Michael Phillips
“The Justice Department’s senior leadership closed an investigation of Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery before career staffers who were concerned about the acquisition had an opportunity to object, according to people familiar with the matter.”
Exclusive | Justice Department Decision to Allow Paramount Deal Surprised Staff Investigators
Department staffers investigating the Warner acquisition were leaning toward recommending a challenge to the merger, people familiar with the matter say.
www.wsj.com
June 15, 2026 at 11:31 PM
“The Justice Department’s senior leadership closed an investigation of Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery before career staffers who were concerned about the acquisition had an opportunity to object, according to people familiar with the matter.”
Not just a blueprint for this moment, but THE blueprint. No going back.
June 3, 2026 at 8:47 PM
Not just a blueprint for this moment, but THE blueprint. No going back.
Mom, still sharp and amazing at 93, breezed through this 2023 interview, and I'll always love the image of a gang of first-year Catholic college girls in the middle of Nebraska, dancing back to the dorm after seeing "An American in Paris." www.chicagotribune.com/2023/05/12/c...
Column: For Mother’s Day, a critic, his mother and a screenful of memories
Who else am I going to interview for Mother’s Day? My barber?
Mom was up for it, so here it is. Name: Jean Gallagher Phillips, born in Racine, Wisconsin, raised in Kenosha. Age: 90. Disposition: excel...
www.chicagotribune.com
May 9, 2026 at 5:51 PM
Mom, still sharp and amazing at 93, breezed through this 2023 interview, and I'll always love the image of a gang of first-year Catholic college girls in the middle of Nebraska, dancing back to the dorm after seeing "An American in Paris." www.chicagotribune.com/2023/05/12/c...
Thoughts and prayers for the most heartless, brainless, headless presidential administration imaginable. It’s called PUBLIC HEALTH. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/07/h...
Hantavirus Response Shows How Trump Cuts Have Compromised U.S. Preparedness
www.nytimes.com
May 9, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Thoughts and prayers for the most heartless, brainless, headless presidential administration imaginable. It’s called PUBLIC HEALTH. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/07/h...
Saw Lester’s “Three Musketeers” for the first time since ‘74. Loved it at 13, current me didn’t. But amid this
US political and moral nightmare the key line now belongs to Heston’s Cardinal Richelieu: “Vengeance? An expensive luxury. Statesmen cannot afford it.” #Richelieu2028
US political and moral nightmare the key line now belongs to Heston’s Cardinal Richelieu: “Vengeance? An expensive luxury. Statesmen cannot afford it.” #Richelieu2028
April 14, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Saw Lester’s “Three Musketeers” for the first time since ‘74. Loved it at 13, current me didn’t. But amid this
US political and moral nightmare the key line now belongs to Heston’s Cardinal Richelieu: “Vengeance? An expensive luxury. Statesmen cannot afford it.” #Richelieu2028
US political and moral nightmare the key line now belongs to Heston’s Cardinal Richelieu: “Vengeance? An expensive luxury. Statesmen cannot afford it.” #Richelieu2028
Reposted by Michael Phillips
This is unconstitutional. Voting is a fundamental right for every American. Illinois will keep administering free and fair elections – and what Donald Trump puts on a piece of paper will not change that.
BREAKING: President Trump signs an order directing the creation of a national eligible voter list, a move expected to face swift legal challenges.
Trump signs order directing creation of a national voter list, a move sure to face legal challenges
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that creates a list of verified eligible voters nationwide.
bit.ly
March 31, 2026 at 10:21 PM
This is unconstitutional. Voting is a fundamental right for every American. Illinois will keep administering free and fair elections – and what Donald Trump puts on a piece of paper will not change that.
Every leader and every citizen, in fact
So now Democrats are more of an enemy than Russia or China. The evil that permeates trumps soul grows and grows.
Every Christian leader that does not speak up is complicit.
Every Christian leader that does not speak up is complicit.
March 24, 2026 at 3:28 AM
Every leader and every citizen, in fact
Reposted by Michael Phillips
Of course he does. Is this a joke? He defended the guy who killed Good. He’s told multiple people that he thinks protesters should be attacked. He told people at a rally to rough someone up. He’s said nothing as ICE has hurt people for months.
He doesn’t get to walk away from this now.
He doesn’t get to walk away from this now.
Leavitt: "Nobody in the White House, including President Trump, wants to see people getting hurt or killed in America's streets. This includes Renee Good, Alex Pretti, the brave men and women of law enforcement, and the many Americans who have been victimized by illegal alien criminals"
January 26, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Of course he does. Is this a joke? He defended the guy who killed Good. He’s told multiple people that he thinks protesters should be attacked. He told people at a rally to rough someone up. He’s said nothing as ICE has hurt people for months.
He doesn’t get to walk away from this now.
He doesn’t get to walk away from this now.
Thin on the page, but the all-pro duo of "Send Help" -- Rachel McAdams and dir. Sam Raimi -- rescues the movie from itself. It's "Cast Away" if Wilson the volleyball were a total a-hole. My review for the @sfchronicle: www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
‘Send Help’ review: Rachel McAdams saves Sam Raimi’s grisly ‘Survivor’ riff
Sam Raimi’s “Send Help” plays like “Cast Away” meets “Survivor,” elevated by Rachel McAdams, who brings humor, control and bite to a grisly premise.
www.sfchronicle.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:20 AM
Thin on the page, but the all-pro duo of "Send Help" -- Rachel McAdams and dir. Sam Raimi -- rescues the movie from itself. It's "Cast Away" if Wilson the volleyball were a total a-hole. My review for the @sfchronicle: www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
Reposted by Michael Phillips
Excellent overview of America's imperiled touring artist visa situation by @sisario.bsky.social.
‘An Unbelievable Mess’: Artists Are Stymied by Trump Travel Bans
www.nytimes.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Excellent overview of America's imperiled touring artist visa situation by @sisario.bsky.social.
Reposted by Michael Phillips
rare to see an american politician speak in these terms and it rocks
“When I speak about making our city more affordable, my vision is not limited to the homes that we live in or the child care that we’re making universal — it’s also a vision where we make it possible for working people to afford lives of joy, of art, of rest, of expression.”
Handing Out Free Tickets, Mamdani Says Theater Should Not Be ‘a Luxury’
www.nytimes.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:48 AM
rare to see an american politician speak in these terms and it rocks
Try it. You’ll like it. Also, volunteer. Help out at a food bank. Talk to people. Listen to people. Remember why we’re all here. And a good 2026 to you, friends.
In thinking about what you can do this year, keep this in mind: showing up at protests has real impact - -
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
How effective is protesting? According to historians and political scientists: very
From emancipation to women’s suffrage, civil rights and BLM, mass movement has shaped the arc of US history
www.theguardian.com
December 26, 2025 at 4:59 AM
Try it. You’ll like it. Also, volunteer. Help out at a food bank. Talk to people. Listen to people. Remember why we’re all here. And a good 2026 to you, friends.