In Reply to: did your choice for Best Movie win? posted by ClockBlocker on March 16, 2026 at 14:42:26
1. I watched Bugonia on Peacock over two nights. The violence was a turn off. Bigly. But watching Jesse Plemons face and Emma Stone's face as they worked their craft was worth it...and taking the break reminded me that this isn't real. But the high stakes conversations were riveting. Who hasn't encountered a completely whack-a-doodle nutjob spouting utter gibberish and yet try to talk some sense into said nutjob?
All in all, Bugonia were a delight. I was quite pleased with the experience. I haven't seen The Secret Agent and some others yet (don't hold your breath, Train Dreams), but I'll say that Buggy was my #2 on the year.
2. I wonder if Sean Penn decided to no show as a way to repudiate the zeitgeist of the character he embodied. I personally wouldn't want to crawl inside the skin of a racist, sexist, fascist like Colonel Kilgore, or whatever the character is. SP decided to go there. Maybe it was for the artistic challenge. Maybe it was for the money. Or any combo of reasons. But maybe once he wrapped the performance, he wanted nothing more to do with anything that might glorify the character and what the character symbolizes.