I had the idea recently to share some hot takes on film history in the form of detailed, well-researched blog entries, because goodness knows I have plenty of opinions on it. My immediate circle of friends have been listening to these takes with politely feigned interest for years and I do not wish to burden them with that dubious responsibility any longer. You can expect hot takes, backed with logos and pathos. I really have no accreditation for film history other than my self-taught knowledge of this particular special interest. The focus will be on films of the Silent Age, as well as Hollywood’s Golden Age of Cinema. But should something else come up that sits further along in the timeline, I will absolutely take some time to discuss it.

A bit about me, René Spell, your editorialist:

I have a background in acting (another victim of the grand BFA scam still being perpetrated by Big Conservatory) but an unbridled truer passion for film history. I am a NYC transplant (*booing by native NYers in the distance*) living in Jackson Heights, where I have been since I moved from my childhood home in Massachusetts post-COVID quarantine. This city is a blessing to be a part of, and a sanctuary for queer people like myself.

I am a transgender man with a passion for uplifting and maintaining the rights of my community of queer and questioning siblings, whether I have met them or not. It is imperative that we hold each other close as we witness the fall of the modern Rome, and ensure the safety of the individuals who make up this city and this country. Protect your neighbors and if there is any privilege in your grasp, don’t hide behind it to protect yourself, use your position to protect others. I’ve decided that in these uncertain times, I need to be creating something to leave behind and this blog is that.

I think AI is incredibly dangerous and I resent that so many people have decided to outsource humanity to machines with the only effects being the immediately produced slop, human laziness, and the ever-approaching threat of water bankruptcy, which will leave the commodity most necessary to life only within the reach of elites, thereby furthering the divide between the poorest and richest among us. No, I don’t want to see what your Goldendoodle would look like as a human.

I am a very passionate person, and a pretty smart person, and a pretty loving person. Come on this journey with me, if you want.