Barry Lyndon (1975) with NY Times Bestseller Dave Itzkoff

It’s the return of NY Times Bestselling author Dave Itzkoff! He’s firmly established his Escape Hatch beat as gritty New York City movies from the 70s and 80s, so this week he leaves the subway behind for the candlelit drawing rooms of 18th-century Europe, as we FINALLY tackle Stanley Kubrick’s 1975 masterpiece, Barry Lyndon. Plus: our thoughts on the Skydance Paramount–Warner Bros. mega-merger, Digger’s disastrous opening weekend, and the Lanterns finale.