FOLLOWING FILMS

In a world full of superhero flicks and post-apocalyptic thrillers, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie arrives like a breath of fresh (and very animated) air. This feature-length debut from Warner Bros. Animation marks a bold and hilarious new direction for the classic Looney Tunes characters—especially Daffy Duck and Porky Pig—who have rarely been so funny, so lovable, or so ready to save the world from imminent doom. Directed by Pete Browngardt, the film is an affectionate throwback to classic alien-invasion cinema while injecting every frame with the chaos, wit, and anarchy that made Looney Tunes legendary. From the moment the first frame hits the screen, it’s clear: this isn’t just a nostalgic revival. It’s a reinvention. The film opens with Daffy and Porky unexpectedly inheriting a rickety old farmhouse from a mysterious relative. Broke and in desperate need of income, they take jobs at a gum factory on the outskirts of town—only to discover that the chewable treats a...

Luca Guadagnino’s Queer is a daring, dreamlike exploration of unrequited desire, dislocation, and descent—part period drama, part psychedelic fever dream. Adapted from William S. Burroughs’ semi-autobiographical novella, the film is both an homage to its author’s troubled psyche and a contemporary reflection on queer longing, filtered through Guadagnino’s lush, maximalist style. It’s one of the strangest and most transfixing films of 2024—and perhaps the most vulnerable performance Daniel Craig has ever delivered. Set in the smoky bars and humid streets of 1950s Mexico City, Queer centers on William Lee, an aging American expat living in exile and chasing the ghosts of intimacy through drugs and fleeting encounters. Craig plays Lee with a quiet desperation, a man whose intellectual bravado masks deep insecurity and emotional decay. When he meets Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a younger and inscrutable fellow American, something inside Lee ignites—an obsession that spirals slowly into ...

Tucson Comic-Con is turning up the heat this summer with the addition of two major pop culture icons to its 2025 guest list: legendary actor Erik Estrada and acclaimed comic book creator Tony Fleecs. The convention, celebrating its 16th year, will take place August 29–31, 2025, at the Tucson Convention Center, promising fans a weekend packed with nostalgia, creativity, and community. A Legendary Lawman Rides Again For anyone who grew up in the golden era of late-70s television, the name Erik Estrada conjures one unmistakable image: Officer Frank “Ponch” Poncherello, astride a gleaming motorcycle in CHiPs. Estrada's high-octane charisma made the California Highway Patrol drama a pop culture phenomenon—and made him a household name. Beyond CHiPs, Estrada has kept busy across decades and mediums, showing off his versatility with voice roles in animated hits like Sealab 2021, Dora the Explorer, and Space Ghost. He’s also had a significant presence in international television, starring ...

In We Tell Ourselves Stories , Alissa Wilkinson offers a penetrating and original exploration of Joan Didion’s complex entanglement with Hollywood and the broader machinery of American myth-making. Rather than providing a conventional biography, Wilkinson presents a focused, critical study that repositions Didion as a central figure in the cultural feedback loop between literature, film, and national identity. Through this lens, the book invites readers to reconsider Didion not just as a literary stylist but as a cultural theorist deeply engaged with the stories that define American life. Wilkinson, drawing on her experience as a film critic and scholar, investigates how Didion's proximity to Hollywood—both geographic and professional—shaped her worldview and narrative technique. Didion’s relationship with Hollywood was not just one of professional involvement but of profound symbolic significance. Early in life, she was drawn to the American mythos epitomized by figures like John ...

THE WOMAN IN THE YARD  lingers in the space between psychological drama and supernatural horror, weaving a tale that is as much about the fragile human psyche as it is about eerie apparitions. Running a lean 87 minutes, Jaume Collet-Serra’s film teams a tight directorial focus with Danielle Deadwyler’s committed lead performance to deliver an experience that feels both intimate and unnerving. Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler) is a young widow reckoning with the aftermath of a terrible car accident that claimed her husband’s life and left her physically scarred. She and her two children, preteen Taylor and spirited Annie, have relocated to a remote farmhouse. Their isolation, intended as a balm for trauma, instead becomes the stage for a chilling encounter: a tall, silent woman in a flowing black dress who stands day after day in their front yard, motionless and unblinking. At first, the family presumes she’s just an odd local who’s lost her way. But as the woman edges ever closer—sometim...

Today’s episode of the Following Films Podcast is something really special — I had the chance to sit down with Renn Hawkey, a musician and producer you probably know from his work with Deadsy. But this time, we’re talking about something brand new: The Yagas, a deeply personal project that blends music, myth, and mood in powerful ways. Their debut album, Midnight Minuet, was just released — and it’s haunting, cinematic, and full of depth. Even more compelling, the band is fronted by none other than Vera Farmiga. Yes, that Vera Farmiga — acclaimed actress and now the spellbinding voice at the center of The Yagas. Her vocals bring a hypnotic, otherworldly energy to the entire record. In our conversation, Renn opens up about the creative process behind Midnight Minuet, collaborating with Vera, and how this project channels folklore, emotion, and atmosphere into something truly unforgettable. So whether you’re already listening to the album or just curious about this unexpected musical jou...