July 15th, 2025 // Vol. XXXIX // Chalk Full

Feeling fine with Volume 39. Happy:

• National Pet Fire Safety Day (the promo pic for this is a dog in a fire hat, and that’s just awesome. I mean look:

• Social Media Giving Day/National Give Something Away Day (If you’re feeling charitable, you can always give to The Daily Boofy Fund. It’s very similar to George Costanza’s Human Fund, but at least you get a mid-tier newsletter out of it.)

• National I Love Horses Day (I like horses as much as the next guy, but love is a strong word. What I do love is this jockey race at a Peruvian horse track. Need this at Churchill Downs next year.)

Will it rain in Houston today? Who knows, but if I were a betting man, I’d probably gamble on “yes.” Rain or shine, let’s have a day:

New Showing in:

Superman (2025)

Ok, I finally got around to watching this not in 3D. I definitely was not just being lazy last week.

DC (and, to a degree, superhero movies as a whole) were in a rough spot. Fans grew fatigued, and DC was basically firing miss after miss, digging themselves deeper into a hole. They needed something big to save them. Something super, you could say. Entrusted with the reigns to arguably the world’s most famous hero, James Gunn delivered.

The box office numbers don’t lie: Superman is a hit. After years of speculation and debate about whether David Corenswet could live up to the performance of Henry Cavill, fans were served a wholesome rendition that embodied the best values of the character.

But I wanted more of that. I wanted more of Superman saving kids. More helping out the little guy to show that there’s still good out there. More small-level struggles rather than massive kaijus and hero team ups.

I understand Gunn is trying to set up a universe, to do what DC has failed to do for the past 15+ years. I didn’t even dislike Mr. Terrific or Guy Gardner as characters. I just wanted a little more of Superman, of Superman and Lois, of Clark Kent in a standalone Superman film.

On the whole, the performances were what made the movie. Corenswet clearly understands the Man of Steel and what he stands for, making me excited for future appearances. Rachel Brosnahan played a snappy but caring Lois Lane, and I think they left a lot on the table for her character. As a duo, their chemistry was off the charts, hence why I was left wanting in their on-screen action. But neither of them quite stole the show like Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luther.

Casting a guy who auditioned and failed to get the role of Superman as his arch nemesis was masterful work. Hate seeped from every pore on Hoult’s shiny head as he sought to crush Superman. He exuded pure vitriol, which is exactly what Luther does. I can’t wait to see how he continues to build on that going forward.

Now for the minutiae: The score was great. A mix of composed pieces with a couple of hits from Gunn’s playlist thrown in worked without becoming the centerpiece (Loved the Lex Luther Theme). The cinematography, however, wasn’t always my favorite. I thought it was just because I saw it in 3D, but my second viewing confirmed that some of the distorted fish-eye lens shots just weren’t for me. That’s a nitpick though.

Ok, I’ve rambled enough. This is definitely a movie I recommend seeing if you’re into Superman/superheroes in general. Even my sister liked it, which is a stronger recommendation than I could ever give.

Needed more laser eyes/5

QOTD 39: Gummi Bears or Gummi Worms?

I didn’t mention it earlier, but today is also National Gummi Worm Day. There is a correct third answer to this question, but if you know it, you’ll have to answer on Instagram. The only hint I’ll give is that it starts with the same word.

Yesterday’s Results

Chick-fil-a (43%) barely surpassed McDonald’s (40%) for best Fast Food French Fry, despite one call out of them being overrated. While I love a waffle fry, it’s a little too niche to be the go-to, all-encompassing best fry. When McDonald’s fries are right, they can’t be beat. There were a few responses of Five Guys: While they give you a shit ton of fries, I always find that they’re never crispy enough. Steak n Shake and Culver’s also both got some love from my midwestern respondents, and both are very underrated.