Chris Yogerst
Writer, media historian, recovering professor.
Columns at The Hollywood Reporter, Time, Washington Post, LARB, LA Times, etc.
Author: The Warner Brothers; Hollywood Hates Hitler; Liberty Valance
www.chrisyogerst.com
chrisyogerst.substack.com
- Cutting the books section at WAPO is, well, odd given how much Bezos has made selling....books.
- In case you missed it - some thoughts on the new Black Dahlia book 👇
- Some additional thoughts on the new Black Dahlia book, which is certainly worth reading for how it treats Elizabeth Short like a real person and not a headline. chrisyogerst.substack.com/p/the-woman-...
- The Days of Heaven @criterion.bsky.social 4K looks incredible, in case anyone was curious.
- It appears that the Senators are not on board (both R and D), so what does that mean for the DOJ? Probably the same thing.
- Some additional thoughts on the new Black Dahlia book, which is certainly worth reading for how it treats Elizabeth Short like a real person and not a headline. chrisyogerst.substack.com/p/the-woman-...
- This was the most striking part of the film for me. It felt all too real, because I knew it was. These people exists, so of course these kinds of organizations do as well.
- This sounds like more of a teacher problem than a student problem. They key is how the film is set up. We cannot expect students to easily connect to whatever cinema a professor presents. The film must be set up properly, with historical and cultural context, in order to get students to engage.
- In addition, we must get the students to connect with us as trusted guides through film history. Too many professors simply expect students to genuflect to the Great Films. Appreciation takes time, patience, and an understanding of where the younger audiences are.
- I've won students over with I, Tonya so that I could get them to dedicate to a screening of Sunset Boulevard and Sherlock, Jr.
- "With so many hours to fill and so little attention economy real estate to grab, political shock-jockery becomes the only trick to reach for. This is also, one perhaps must add, the inevitable endgame of a party that has allowed in provocateur bigots." Bingo.
- Some thoughts on the new Black Dahlia book by William Mann. It’s already causing a stir in some circles but I found much to appreciate. More 👇
- If anyone is looking for a solid list of film/media/history folks 👇
- It's been a while since I've shared my film/media history starter packs. Still adding more people! Feel free to make suggestions, share, and keep building the community! (Part II below) go.bsky.app/12Wo3y5at://did:plc:iwvawtca3t5vxcb4j5bvmzmd/app.bsky.graph.starterpack/3laksr6zuvw2w
- Well, 2026 was already the worst year since forever.
- Journalists arrested, let's remember Dorothy Thompson who said of Hitler in 1933, “I still believe he is a little man, but I see that he is really a great demagogue." Thompson didn’t take Hitler seriously because she could see through his fascist facade. chrisyogerst.substack.com/p/dorothy-th...
- For those who want a mini deep dive on Thompson, check out my essay below. It's one of the most-read column on my website: chrisyogerst.substack.com/p/dorothy-th...
- One of her most celebrated columns was published the same year by Harper’s called “Who Goes Nazi?” Her experience showed her who would become Nazis, either those born into hatred, others turned off by democracy, or easily duped fellow-travelers.
- ..."Who Goes Nazi" was published in 1941. I was copying from later in my column (sorry for any confusion)
- Reposted by Chris YogerstAmy Homma, who has served as the @academymuseum.bsky.social’s director and president since 2024 and will now also oversee the Academy Collection, made up of some 52 million film-related items, gets candid with THR… www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
- An absolute banger.
- Once a box-office flop, Joe Dante’s celebration of B-movie magic “Matinee” (released on this day in 1993) now gets the restoration and appreciation it deserves. crookedmarquee.com/the-cinemati...
- Plato’s Cave Analogy in the Republic reminds us that we must beware of the shadows being cast that are meant to appear real, therefore trapping us in a false sense of reality. In addition, those casting the shadows are actively manipulating those shackled to the ground. Some books that can help--
- Fun memory. 8 years ago I got my first *print* column published in a national paper. A review of Vanda Krefft's fantastic book on William Fox. @awolverton.bsky.social was kind enough to send me a physical copy because I couldn't find the Washington Post in Milwaukee.
- Not a good way to show vested interests you will grow the company. They say they will cut duplicative jobs, but usually this just means less money to attract talent by cutting production. Just like in higher-ed when they say they need to cut, it always starts in the classroom and not admin suites.
- If you haven’t seen Nuremberg (2025) yet, do so. Also, make sure to look into Douglas Kelley, who argued after interviewing Nazis that this can happen anywhere. Read more 👇
- Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, yet not enough media outlets are making substantial note. Recent months have found reference to the Nuremberg Trials with many suggesting that a similar domestic tribunal will be in order following the past year’s reckless ICE activity in the United States.
- This recent film, Nuremberg (2025), which was criminally shut out of the Oscars, is worth noting for bringing history to life in the present. Especially the work of Douglas Kelley, who staunchly argued that it could easily happen here. chrisyogerst.substack.com/p/it-can-hap...
- In the coming months and years we’ll see how strong we really are as a nation, if we’re really better than those who came before, or if Douglas Kelley was right, we may never become stronger than Nazi Germany unless “we, as a people, individually develop beyond our present emotional adolescence.”
- Also of note, this 1940s education film titled "Don't Be a Sucker," which I discuss in the column above. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU1f...
- And I didn’t realize last night that today is #holocaustremembranceday
- Will be interesting to see how the first hearing goes. I've long thought there is a possibility that after all of this posturing, nothing will happen. Just like it did in the late 20s and early 30s the first time Paramount tried to buy WB (my story in the first comment)
- Here's the story I wrote for @thr.com about the first time Paramount tried to buy WB: www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...
- Reposted by Chris YogerstIt's been a while since I've shared my film/media history starter packs. Still adding more people! Feel free to make suggestions, share, and keep building the community! (Part II below) go.bsky.app/12Wo3y5at://did:plc:iwvawtca3t5vxcb4j5bvmzmd/app.bsky.graph.starterpack/3laksr6zuvw2w
- Probably a good time to recommend this great PBS documentary from a few years ago.
- The film flubs the Hollywood stuff, which I offered a kind corrective in The Hollywood Reporter. The rest of the doc is so incredibly important. www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politic...
- It would really be wonderful if, after all of this, the thing that implodes and destroys MAGA ends up being the Second Amendment.
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