JEWISH PUNK ROCK SUPERMAN
Reunion Newsletter [7.11.25]
Jewish Punk rock Superman...is...actually...good!? I can't believe I'm saying this. I haven't had less interest in a movie since...well since Jurassic Park 17 came out last week. But they got me when I figured out David Corenswet was an actual Jew playing the historically very Jewish superhero character. The marketing knows my niche. Bravo. So yeah. I'm blown away that I actually enjoyed it. Was invested in what happened. Felt it completely of a point of view and unafraid to speak on our current state of the world. Characters were not soft veil innocuous anonymous bad guys and good guys. They were clear analogues to real people both archetypal and specific. The movie forces the audience to reflect on their real world surroundings. It's what a superhero / comic book movie is supposed to be. The Superman speech about being human was actually excellent. I got psyched and emotional. I wish they'd actually given an extra breath before Luthor responds, let it set in. Like even a shot rev shot where Luthor is a little dumb founded, like he’s considering his own humanity…before he of course recoils back with his compromised self. Don’t get me wrong, this is still not my cup of tea. It’s just much better than what I expected and better than most of these are. This is no Afternoons of Solitude. While it’s nice they use Luthor to flag all the Musk / Thiel / Trump bad stuff, it’s not like they give him any dimension to provide deeper understanding, a solution, or a coping mechanism (other than bashing faces and eyeball laser beams and whatnot) those in the world these men influence. I probably got more insight from Superman though than Mountainhead (which hilariously autocorrected to Fountainhead just now), which felt more like they wanted to kinda brag that they understand certain aspects of these guys, but also fetishize them. The whole Justice Gang thing is so weird, all three characters feel like they’re in a different movie, and that that movie was a test-shoot done by some on-the-lot studio development teams. The Gen-Z dialogue is awkwardly forced in there, like the ‘eyes up here’ moment could have just been for the trailer, they didn’t need to keep it in the movie when the rest of that edit clearly got dropped. Or is that a thing? Do they need to keep the lines like that in the movie-movie in order to get them TikTok’d? Will the kids not viral themselves from the trailer alone? The Clark-Lois dialogue scenes were nice, not as bad as I thought, they kinda felt like real people. Much closer than I expected. I guess there’s just limitations with these things. They can have some humanness to em, but they have to be superficial enough for people to walk out unchallenged. The attempt I think is to modestly Venne diagram the exclusively mainstream ticket buyers with a liiiiitttttlllleeeee introspection. Like a little tiny pocket mirror. Not too much that they feel bait & switched by having to consider their existence, but just a little so they can be made aware that they do indeed exist. Really though, not a bad thing, right? We don’t need Superman to be the thing that tells us how to live as a society. It’s a dumb nothing thing that can make mass appeal audiences slightly more vigilant about the bad guys manipulating them. That’s a victory, and I think this movie achieves that.
I watched this at Southampton Playhouse on the smallest IMAX in the world, which feels like a treat. It’s like the inverse of going to Lincoln Square. There, it’s like your own clubhouse. The sound is insane and picture is massive, but the it’s also a tight living room vibe. I recommend checking it out if you’re in Hamptons.
A lot more on Superman’s Judaism and application to today’s Israel at bottom.
I mentioned it when it dropped but I don’t think I emphasized it enough. The event of last month was the Peter Thiel x Ross Douthat interview. Watch it on video. With popcorn. Great double feature with Superman actually. He talks about everything Lex Luthor says and does, and same with Mountainhead.
July 4th was hilariously owned by the UK. Oasis and the Ozzy Osbourne final show were both incredible. I spent the entire day after watching the clips. It was the most social media consumption I’ve done in a long time. They do a lot of things right. Fun to celebrate them instead of us on July 4th given what we’re doing with our independence.
This video is insane. Evolution of Beastie Boys doc.
Very emotional ending to Ozzy career. Way better than the Hamptons fireworks that got canceled for ‘birds.’
I write this as a guy with acne is no-hitting the Yankees through 7. Hopefully my typing this jinxes it. (UPDATE: SUCCESS!)
Glenn Martens’ Margiela debut somehow entirely maintained the energy, awe and prestige of his predecessor John Galliano’s legendary artisanal collection. Nothing is more cinematic than these shows. Give a look. Absolute beauty. Lotsa big shows, like Demna’s closing his arc at Balenciaga before he moves to Gucci. Mixed Jonathan Anderson reactions. The story is Glenn Martens. Check it out.
They booked Leos Carax and one of the most underrated NYC cult movies Night of the Juggler on my birthday at IFC Center. Pretty cool.
Had two great screenings last week with Abby Harri + Geraldine Baron, and Daryl Freimark, Justin Bartha and co.
Coming up, I’m hosting a talkback after July 20 7pm performance of Dilaria. Use code REUNION for discount tix.
July 21 shorts + live at Neuehouse. Ben Zimmer will show a short and perform a scene from one of our favorite movies. Arthur de Larroche and Micaela Wittman will preview their feature. Nick Canfield, Fredgy Noël and Morgan Gruer will play films straight from Tribeca. And I’ll show a short film from my friend David Ling whom we lost last month.
July 22 we’re doing a memorial for David Ling. All are welcome.
July 23 shorts + live at Salmagundi. Shorts from Grace Rex, Sam Roebling, and Isabel Perry. Jonah Feingold and Tess Tregellas will preview their new feature. We’ll do a reading of David Ling’s unproduced short film. Peter Rinaldi will direct a scene from his Matt Gasda adaptation By Morning, performed by Mia Vallet, David Garelik, James Padric and and Patrick Callahan. That play is being put on right now too, so check it out full length. They’re also shooting the movie version later this summer after this theatrical run.
— Sean Glass @sdotglass
EVENTS (reunion.eventive.org )
JULY 14: Reunion + Broey Deschanel presents Eternal Sunshine and the Spotless Mind BOOK LAUNCH + Screening [RSVP]
JULY 20: Dilaria Aftershow Talkback Presented by Reunion [Tickets] USE CODE REUNION.
JULY 21: Reunion presents Shorts + Live @ Neuehouse NYC [RSVP]
July 22: DAVID LING MEMORIAL. @ Casa Thirteen. 6pm doors. 7pm speeches. All welcome. Please get in touch if you knew David and would like to speak.
JULY 23: Reunion presents Shorts + Live @ Salmagundi NYC [RSVP]
NEWS
The important stuff on the important stuff. TL;DR + links if you want more.
‘Duster’ Canceled By HBO Max After One Season [Deadline] I choked a little reading this. It's funny that something like this needs to be "canceled". Like why can't they just position it as a one off. It feels disrespectful to the players like as if they failed. This was a result of the hilarious Bad Robot deal failure and never should have existed. Glad some people got paychecks. I'm sure there exist audience who watched this and enjoyed. Let it be respectfully forgotten.
Neon’s ‘Next Wave of Horror’ Comic-Con Panel to Feature Together Stars Alison Brie and Dave Franco, Osgood Perkins, Tatiana Maslany and More [Variety] So funny that this is Comic-Con now, the studios abandoned it, and Neon's Next Wave of Horror featuring the movie they bought at the film festival is the main draw of the entire convention, I guess.
Can the New York Times Turn Its Writers Into Video Stars? [Vulture] In other ‘news’, NYT put out a story about themselves, telling stories, and questioning if they’re going to be successful at telling stories in a way they’re attempting to tell stories. Ok technically it’s supposed to be another outlet putting the story out but come on
A24 Partners With Legendary Photographer Gregory Crewdson on Image for Ari Aster’s Eddington [Variety] Very nice.
Gregory Crewdson x Ari Aster [A24 Store] Oh they’re selling it. It’s not marketing, it’s revenue generating. Cool considering the alternative. But sad that this is the entry point. I thought it was a cool thing to do to expand the world of the movie to connect audiences deeper and engage in the wider art cognoscenti. But its a way to create another revenue vertical mainly I guess. not that generating revenue is a bad idea or bad thing morally. Just sucks that the way we get this cool collaboration that should be about depth and breadth of connection...comes to fruition through business plans, not even marketing plans.
Official One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest Spinoff Series In The Works From The Point Of View Of Chief Bromden [Deadline] How do these people sleep at night?
Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell and Avan Jogia Join The Backrooms From A24 and Chernin Entertainment [Variety] This will either be the coolest thing ever and it will change everything…or, well, I guess, or it’ll be another A24 bleh thing. Hopeful though.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith Season 2 Cast Sophie Thatcher and Mark Eydelshteyn [Collider] This is kinda one of those so crazy it just might work ideas.
Peter Jackson Says ‘I’m Not Retired’ When Asked About Not Directing a Feature Film in 11 Years; He’s Focused Now on Bringing a Giant Bird Back From Extinction [Variety]
Larry David & Barack Obama Team For HBO Sketch Comedy [Deadline] why
Nadav Lapid Explains The Thinking Behind His Controversial Cannes Hit Yes!: “I Don’t Understand The World Anymore” – Karlovy Vary Film Festival [Deadline] Yeah, but who’s distributing Imad Aqel? That’s the real test.
The AI Backlash Keeps Growing Stronger [Wired] Someone asked to make an AI of me. Actually.
NYC art schools see record-high application numbers as Gen Zers clamber to enroll [Gothamist] Very cool.
Producer Scott Rudin Sets Broadway Return With New Play Starring Laurie Metcalf And Micah Stock; Joe Mantello Will Direct [Deadline] All the opinion trigger warnings aside, of course there’s skepticism and danger here, but one thing to note is that it’s coming with a bunch of longtime collaborators who remained loyal, which I think is nice.
SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATIONS
Good breakdown of Couture. Agreed that Glenn Martens is the MVP.
WATCH
Superman [Wide] Thoughts in intro.
Sorry, Baby [Wide] See previous posts we’ve linked a bunch if you haven’t looked by now you don’t want to so I’m not gonna link again time is a flat circle.
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight [Film Linc + Angelika]
New York Asian Film Festival 2025, through July 24 [Film Linc]
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse U.S. Premiere of the new 4K restoration + New introduction by Francis Ford Coppola and Sofia Coppola, recorded for Film Forum! [Film Forum]
Pulse in 35mm [IFC]
Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story [IFC]
Apocalypse in the Tropics [IFC]
Little, Big, and Far with filmmaker in person [IFC]
Naked Lunch, Vampyros Lesbos (4K restoration), She Killed in Ecstasy (4K restoration) [Quad]
The Leopard, Scarface, 2046, Singles, Key Largo, The White Balloon, The Circle, Punch-Drunk Love—in 35mm and more [Metrograph]
Out of the Inkwell: The Silent Cartoons of Max Fleischer w/ live musical accompaniment [MoMI]
JULY 17:
License to Live, archival 35mm with introduction by Kiyoshi Kurosawa [Japan Society]
Part of Japan Cuts 2025 [Japan Society] I’ll be at both Serpent’s Paths
JULY 18:
Kurosawa in 4K series [Film Forum]
Cloud with Kiyoshi Kurosawa in person [Film Linc + IFC] Very fun and prescient / timely movie. Check it out.
Death & Taxes w/ special guests [IFC]
No Sleep Till w/ the filmmaker in person [Metrograph]
JUL 20-AUG 1:
An Evening with Francis Ford Coppola and Megalopolis Screening [Tickets]
Sun Jul 20 – Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank, NJ
Wed Jul 23 – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
Fri Jul 25 – The Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL
Sun Jul 27 – Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
Fri Aug 01 – Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco, CA
AUG 1:
Leos Carax: Modern Loves series featuring a new 4K restoration of Lovers on the Bridge [IFC]
AUG 8:
An Officer and a Spy U.S. premiere [Film Forum]
STREAMING
The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye [Le Cinéma Club]
Ghost Trail [VOD]
In the Lost Lands [Hulu]
Invention [MUBI]
Pavements [MUBI]
The Phoenician Scheme [VOD]
The Shrouds [Criterion Channel]
ON OUR MIND
Ari Aster & Bill Hader on the A24 Podcast. What are these now? What is there to be said in talks? I feel like I could do a q+a for Eddington now without having seen the movie nor read any press. I could just BE Ari Aster, you could AI his voice onto my words, and put it out on the A24 podcast. I mean, who even would know the difference of the voices actually. what if I just put out a Reunion podcast right now between Max and I, and called it Bill Hader and Ari Aster talk about A24's Eddington? Who would even care enough to report it? Would we get a cease and desist? Would anyone care one way or another? As I type this, I think it's actually such a fun idea. We should put out a podcast with just entirely invented impersonated guests, but entirely sincere conversations. Don't satire it. Like actually talk about the inspiration for the movie, whether we know it or not. We do. Everything is recycled so much at this point. We all lived through pandemic, so we know Ari Aster's Eddington talking points. There'll be the story about a political thing. A small town in chaos thing. People getting internet crazy thing. He ended up at some point spending months in an unexpected isolated place with unexpected people and really saw them differently...which in turn lead to him seeing himself differently...and ya know, one day, he just started typing, eventually realized he had some characters he really wanted to live with, and eventually it took enough shape to share with Lars Knudsen, Lars told him to really lean on X and follow Y thread, and boom, here we go, Eddington. Anyway, what is life. Time is a flat circle. The world is not enough. Die Another Day.
NYC ranked #1.
Crash screening hosted by Violet Lucca + book signing.
Rocky Horror Picture Show book incoming.
Total Eclipse of the Heart music video.
More Superman Judaism
Just to review Superman's Judaism. Created in America by children of European diaspora Jews pre-WWII. American Jews weren't able to get published by traditional labels so they created comics as an industry they could get their work out in. Superman is Moses, child of oppressed people sent by his dying parents from his threatened land to save him, brought to and raised by adoptive parents in new land (America), grown to lead being taught to use powers for good. Superman paralleled Jewish split identities. Clark Kent posed as passive and weak...like the Jews who had to role play and bow down to those who would stereotype and suppress them. Jews don't value the display of force nor ego, for example it's a Jewish value to do charity in silence. Nazis warped these ideas to stereotype Jews as conspirators, when really it's more about the values. It's not about displaying strength, but being strong. It's not about announcing your plans, but about getting things done. Superman was not only used as a literal superhero saving the world from evil Nazis in the actual storyline, but his character archetype was to illustrate to Others how Jews were as people. Where their sensitivities lie. Why their temperament comes off the way it does, different. Apply the idea of "Tikkun Olam" (which I have issues with actually that are directly addressed in this James Gunn Superman intentionally / knowingly or not). Superman directly grapples with his difficulty in trying to repair the world, between the prescribed approach by his Kryptonian parents, vs the values of humanity he learns from his humble Kansas parents, Lois Lane, and the hot dog salesman. There are Jews who say we know best and need to lead because we’re the best and it is our birth right, chosen people, etc. And there are Jews who use the power they have to create harmony in the world. What is cool is I don't believe they thought about Judaism nor Israel while making this Warner Brothers x new DCU studio incarnation Superman. The analogue is clear because it's embedded in the DNA of the original character and story. There is no way to write Superman today without falling into conversation with Jewish life today. Superman speaks about Israel whether we directly say it or not. The war he intervenes with is meant to be Russia vs Ukraine, not Israel vs. Gaza. But he certainly makes clear his application. He defends the underdog. He defies immorality and that which is unfair. I feel what primarily drives Superman is harmony though. He doesn't want to dominate and doesn't want anyone else to either. He uses his power as a check against those being attacked--defense which sometimes needs to be aggressive. I basically think Superman would have done everything Israel did after October 7, but he'd stop quickly. He'd go in and get the hostages back. If he had to destroy Hamas to do so, he would without hesitation. But if he hit a wall and was no longer getting the hostages back with aggression, he would certainly stop attacking. That's basically how I feel about Jewish life today. Jews gotta defend themselves and must have the ability to in all ways that maintain our existence. But there is a line where we cross from defense to offense, and at that point we must shift. I think it’s time we shift. Time to reposition the way we have conversations. Do not let our guard down, and do not bow to people villainizing us. The manipulative narrative is still out there attempting to kill us, just like how Lex Luthor attempts to generate public rage against Superman to turn civilization against him. But there’s a lot of adjustments we need to make and humble pills we need to take amongst ourselves. We need to refocus our goal on maintaining harmony.
