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The Rundown (9/29/2025)

September is on the verge of ending. It’s been bittersweet to see one month fade into the next, even if it’s going to be October. I have attempted to get into the spirit of Halloween by watching some old reliables. In this case, I revisited It: Chapter Two for the first time since theaters. What’s interesting is that I’ll always admit that it’s a flawed little beast, but there is something about its ambitions that I can’t fully shake. A large part of it is because the 2017 original was one of the most successful Stephen King adaptations in my lifetime. I want to embrace the self-indulgence to get to the bigger point. I still hope that Andy Muschietti goes through with his plan to edit into a book-appropriate version of the larger narrative.

Which is all to say that It: Chapter Two isn’t a great movie, but I think it’s a perfect soft-launch of my next month. I need to get back in the habit of watching horror movies. Maybe this will be the year I watch the Terrifier series, or even discover what the big deal is with Hellraiser. With that said, that’s all on the horizon. For now, I need to get through the next two days and end this month on a satisfying note.

Like all month, the final week is full of trying to fit in last-minute projects. My flaw is that I often reserve writing my Failed Oscar Campaigns column until the last 10 days. This includes doing laborious research and attempting to make a larger narrative that, on average, spans 10 pages and has a few dozen links that need to be properly cited. This month was centered around Don’t Look Up, which ended up having a decent amount of topics to cover, and I like to think that I did a good job of covering my bases. For those interested in reading what I have to say, please go over to my Patreon and see for yourself. There’s a great mix of titles to choose from. I’m currently 15 deep and proud of it. My hope is to not procrastinate next month, if just for my own sanity. The plan is to cover my most recent title yet… The Substance! Figured it was a good month to do so.

Other than that, I am proud to say that I have released ANOTHER short story. It’s my second of September, which puts me a little ahead of the once-a-month average that I’ve maintained for roughly 12 months now. I still plan to get one out in the next four weeks, but no word on that timeline. For those interested, “Except Change” came out at the beginning of the month, and the most recent is “Sitting in a Tin Can.” I hope you enjoy.

Before signing off, I want to mention that I’m currently a fan of the FX series The Lowdown. It stars Ethan Hawke and is created by Sterlin Harjo, most renowned for his work on the great Reservation Dogs. While I don’t know that it has an immediacy, it has that Oklahoma personality down pat, and I am loving the way it’s establishing environment. Everything about it feels alive with purpose, and I am curious to see where the story goes. 

Other than that, my most recent thoughts have been summarized in The Memory Tourist’s monthly entry of How I Live Now. I do worry that I got a bit preachy about current events, but it’s been a trying time for those who want to see change and civility. The fact that we had a significant assassination and our first idea was to attack hypotheticals shows that there’s no interest in solving the problem to keep future examples from occurring. More than any disagreeable point that the subject handled, I am bothered that the takeaway was that we needed to attack free speech over jokes. It doesn’t bode well for the future disasters of this country. But hey, what a year 2025 has been. It’s not as catastrophic as 2020, but it’s more diverse in what targets are being hit.

Anyway, I am going to submit this and call it a night. I am currently watching a box set of Futurama and having a good start to my week. Fingers crossed that things get better. The WNBA Finals are on the horizon, and I’m rooting for The Aces to make it. Nonstop drama so far. Very entertaining. There’s not much else that I want to share right now. I’m game for buying more candy corn because, you know what, it’s good stuff. Stop acting like it’s not. I hope to write more essays on here very soon. I’m sorry for not being more expedient. Until next time. Hope all’s well and I’ll see ya when I see ya.

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