Welfare (Frederick Wiseman, 1975): 5/5

A series of episodes in a banal purgatory AKA the welfare office. Wiseman's structure places us in media res on sisyphean struggles toward equity and hope, the only thing standing between the poor & disenfranchised and their entitlements is an unseen enemy referred to only as "the law" or "the state," his agents AKA caseworkers speaking for him in his stead--some misbegotten and sorry at their lack of ability to help people, others dull brick walls at which all the downtrodden hurl their sorrows and furies. Welfare is mundane by definition yet epic in accumulation. Staggering, devastating, unforgettable - a film that captures America perfectly.

Blockers (Kay Cannon, 2018): 2/5

By glancing at the poster I thought the main characters were John Cena, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Mark Wahlberg. But only John Cena is in this.

Life is full of surprises.

rewatched Mulholland Dr. (David Lynch, 2001): 5/5

LA LA LAND'S evil twin.

Submergence (Wim Wenders, 2017): 1/5

Why these straight people insist on flaunting their inability to be anything but boring, I’m sure I don’t know. And that fucking sound design, jesus christ - where someone decided that the score was so good it should be played at a level so high you can't even hear what the characters are saying half the time.

The Eel (Shohei Imamura, 1997): 2/5

Offbeat would imply that The Eel should follow a rhythm. Instead, it's as slippery as its title. Part bloody thriller, part redemption drama, part surrealistic clusterfuck, part quirky comedy, and part character study, starring Koji Yakusho as a psychologically broken businessman/wife-killer released on parole who then opens a barbershop on a coastal town.

National Gallery (Frederick Wiseman, 2014): 3/5

A look at the inner workings of London's monolithic National Gallery. Terrific when it's showing you things you wouldn't see if you just showed up at the museum; docent scenes here are just too numerous and too prolonged though. But special shoutout to the guy telling a bunch of kids that art is cool because, unlike math, there's a lot of right answers.

rewatched Borat (Larry David, 2003): 3/5

Second viewing, 15 years later. Rewatch inspired by SBC's new Showtime series. Despite being so firmly rooted in and representative of Bush era America, the film's humor and social satire remain just as effective and, ironically, timeless. Not hard to re-contextualize for 2018 at all - the Borat character literally takes a shit in front of Trump Tower.

Murder on the Orient Express (Kenneth Branagh, 2017): 1/5

Nothing about this will leave a lasting impression. Script is the main culprit while Branagh's direction is missing the required creativity, and the sum of it results in an adaptation that's faithful yet mediocre & unstimulating. I think Christoph Waltz would make an amazing Poirot.

The Barbarian Invasions (Denys Arcand, 2003): 2/5

A Canadian going to the United States for healthcare reasons? That must be a first.

The Red Badge of Courage (John Huston, 1951): 2/5

Underdone with an insipid voice-over narration all thanks to MGM studio heads fucking everything up.

Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee (Nanette Burstein, 2016): 3/5

W I L D story. Now, anytime anyone asks me if they should download McAfee anti-virus I will only think of someone shitting in John's mouth.

At Berkeley (Frederick Wiseman, 2013): 3/5

 I wonder if I can transfer this viewing experience into course credits?

rewatched A Brighter Summer Day (Edward Yang, 1991): 3/5 

Yeah, Yang's always been out of reach for me; his films simply fail to elicit a strong reaction from me one way or another. I also had a hell of time keeping up with the gang dynamics in this opus. Who is with which gang and, additionally, with which factions within those gangs? Keeping all the characters, secrets, lies, allegiances, and double-crosses straight...such a chore.

Evil Dead (Fede Alvarez, 2013): 2/5

*Unwraps the trash bag and barbed wire covering of the necronomicon to actually discover Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged.*

Running on Empty (Sidney Lumet, 1988): 2/5

A low-tiered Lumet drama about a family constantly moving from town to town and evading the law. Very meh. Only standout was River Phoenix.

Mirror (Andre Tarkovsky, 1975): 3/5

Introspective and limited. As far as cryptic art films go, this wasn't boring, but it wasn't enthralling either. Entrancing images and elegiac poetry floating together incongruously, making it visually breathtaking but narratively impenetrable.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle (Peter Yates, 1973): 3.5/5

A fine crime drama set in Boston that has a mature and complicated heist tale at its core, transcending the era. Sporting one of the most appropriate yet ironic titles around. Because with friends like these, who needs enemies?

Hour of the Wolf (Ingmar Bergman, 1968): 2.5/5

Poe by way of Lynch by way of Bergman. Its carefully built dread and oddball imagery feel like skin and viscera in search of a skeleton, a spine, anything to hold on to. I do admire though how committed it is to making no sense whatsoever.

Logan Lucky (Steven Soderbergh, 2017): 4/5

Incredibly simple, yet highly entertaining comedic crime caper that doesn't have a mean bone in its soul, with characters you want to hug and invite to dinner.

rewatched Ordet (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1955): 4.5/5 
Or, GOD IS NOT DEAD 3

Favorite line:
Morten: “Go to hell!”
Peter: “No, I won’t block your entrance.”

Game Night (John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein, 2018): 3.5/5

A refreshing studio comedy. Slickly directed, edited and penned, with a ridiculously charismatic ensemble cast, and a narrative that while going somewhat needlessly extra at the very end, keeps everything hugely engaging throughout the whole film.

River's Edge (Tim Hunter, 1986): 3/5

Harmony Korine's Blue Velvet. Also, Crispin Glover sports a mullet here.

rewatched Diary of a Country Priest (Robert Bresson,1951): 5/5

I dare say that Claude Laydu as the Priest of Ambricourt is as sublime as Renée Jeanne Falconetti's Joan of Arc. Favorite moment is when M. Cure finally smiles, on the back of a bike going really fast, a performative turning point that's small but explosive. And then he realizes God wanted him to experience that rush before he dies so he knows what he's leaving. "Just enough for my sacrifice to be total."

Unsane (Steven Soderbergh, 2018): 2.5/5

An aggressive assault on one's limbic system. Honestly, this is the most annoyed/repulsed I've felt during a film since Mother, but like way worse because it's about pathetic sadboi beta male entitlement fantasies/nice guy culture. Claire Foy and Jay Pharoah are great though. iPhone cinematography is slick, never bothersome. Watch out for Matt Damon and Juno Temple's waist-length corn rows.

Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977): 2/5

Gaudy delirium where plot is incidental. Looking forward to seeing the remake nonetheless. Hoping for another Goblin score. 

Double Lover (Francois Ozon, 2017): 3/5

Come for the eros...stay for the pegging!