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This year’s TCM Classic Film Festival marked two milestones, the 25th anniversary of the classic movie channel, which bowed on April 14, 1994, and the 10th anniversary of its namesake annual event. ” Held April 11-14 at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre complex, Egyptian Theatre, Cinerama Dome and the Roosevelt Hotel and the newly renovated Legion Theater of Hollywood Post 43, the classic movie marathon featured more than a hundred films and events, with most programmed to reflect the festival’s The midnight screening of the cult/camp classic “Santo vs. the Evil Brain” quickly turned into spectacle as two fans in lucha libre garb swarmed the theater, tossing out treats and trinkets, including El Santo masks on sticks. As portrayed by actor Rodolfo Guzman Huerta, El Santo appeared in more than 50 films, including the first in the series, “Santo Contra el Cerebro del Mal” (1961, “Santo vs. the Evil Brain

I think what eventually won them over was they came to understand I wasn’t interested in trying to do a “Satanists! The Satanists have an allegorical, mythological framework that is very meaningful to them, with symbols and art that have meaning and power, with rituals meant to access something bigger than themselves, and they have tenants with very affirmative values, not separating themselves from other people but confirming their commitment to science, justice, and compassion. They just don’t believe in invisible people in the sky and obedience and blind faith in archaic texts that don’t change, and it’s increasingly untenable to continue to believe in that in this rational, individualistic age. But you also can’t have a good society without some Satanists around who say, “I don’t care if my existence is offensive to you; I’m going to ask some tough questions.

Maybe it’s a form of Video Game Stockholm Syndrome, but I can’t stop returning to the world of this game, one that the developers promise will keep changing and updating all year long. One of the reasons for that first wave of frustration (other than playing a fast-paced game like this and a slow-paced one like “Sekiro” at the same time can lead to whiplash) is that this is an undeniably repetitive game. It’s a traditional open-world game, in that it’s broken up into “Main Missions” and “Story Missions” with a bunch of optional things to do in between, like taking control points from the enemy or just wandering the streets looking for people to have target practice on. You’re always looking for a new weapon or new way to present yourself to fellow gamers, and that’s an interesting, relatively new dynamic in the world of gaming in that it makes your experience distinctly your own.

It’s easy to see why the long-delayed “Under the Silver Lake” has been something of a conundrum for A24, a film distributor that typically knows how to handle projects that may not appeal to a mass audience. They’ve become very successful through supporting ambitious projects from young filmmakers, but I picture them watching “Under the Silver Lake” and having absolutely no idea how to sell it. Sam (Andrew Garfield) could be talking about how much entertainment seems to be designed purely for escapism and films like “Under the Silver Lake” are striving for something more, but he’s also going on one of his conspiracy-fueled rants about how naïve we all are about pop culture. Under the Silver Lake” may not come together completely, but it’s the only film I’ve seen this year that reminded me of both David Foster Wallace and Raymond Chandler.