The Square (Ruben Ostlund, 2017): 4/5

Captivating, enjoyable Toni Erdmann-like absurdist, dry comedy about a museum curator and the art world. Loved the slow-burning eccentricity. 

Shoah (Claude Lanzmann, 1985): 5/5 

"If you could lick my heart, it would poison you." 

Berlin Alexanderplatz (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1980): 2/5 

For RWF completionists only, otherwise don't bother because it's neither a game changer nor a masterpiece. Oh jeez and the epilogue is batshit craaaazy and comes out of leftfield.  Took me like, two weeks to finish watching all 16 hours. 

Gook (Justin Chon, 2017): 2/5

Hollow and simple-minded movie about Koreans v. Blacks during the Rodney King riots. Clearly the work of an inexperienced cineaste with financial restrictions. Though images are starkly beautiful at times, the whole thing's a tonal mess. 

re-watched The Sopranos (David Chase, 1999-2007): 5/5 

Two things: 1) I miss James Gandolfini and 2) I still have a thing for Dr. Melfi. 

Columbus (Kogonada, 2017): 3/5 

Another tranquil, slice-of-life film about thwarted dreams and father/son disappointments, but this time with added discourse on architecture and not-a-hair-out-of-place perfectly composed shots like, non-stop as a cinematic technique. (Wow who the heck knew about the existence of Columbus, IN btw?) 

Dementia 13 (Richard LeMay, 2017): 1/5

Reimagining of the 1963 Francis Ford Coppola horror film of the same name. (I haven't seen it.) The immediate threats terrorizing the Halorans in their haunted castle are, get this: a group of robbers AND an evil doll AND their dead sister AND an insane masked axe murderer; yet, the most terrifying aspects of this remake is its complete lack of originality and rampant cliches. 

Blair Witch (Adam Wingard, 2017): 1/5 

This is roughly the movie that most people expected in 1999, which only amplifies my love and appreciation of what we got instead. 

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (Joss Whedon, 2008): 4/5 

Hilarious/clever/smart 45-minute musical (only 45 minutes! *kisses fingers, chef-like*) about a super villain (Dr. Horrible, played by Neil Patrick Harris) and his archnemesis (Captain Hammer, played by Nathan Fillion). Great fun. 

1408 (Mikael Hafstrom, 2007): 2.5/5 

Another Stephen King adaptation.Watchable because of the solid atmosphere and tension. The last act fails to satisfy though and comes off as half-cooked. 

The Electric Horseman (Sydney Pollack, 1979): 2/5 

An O.K. Horse Movie.