death to smoochy (2002)

is it a little corny sure but it's funny, often sharp, amazing to see a young Edward Norton and Jon Stewart, fun to see Robin Williams in a different kind of role than usual, and features one of my favorite character archetypes (overly idealistic Rube who somehow succeeds anyway).

Cécile McLorin Salvant : Womanchild (2013)

This album blew my mind... it's fresh, it's old, it's bewitching, it's chill, it's energetic, it's great, go listen. 

Soul (2020)

there's a lot to unpack here; this struck me as a unique and very psychedelic story, which I appreciated (and of course as a pixar feature it's very entertaining!), but I'm not sure if I trust (trust in a "keep your hands off my brain" kind of sense) the underlying metaphysical assumptions the narrative's plot implied. 

bound (1996)

yes in terms of historical import it's great and hilarious to see the wachowski siblings pre-matrix doing their thing, and yes you can definitely see the influences and it rocks, but also this movie is, on its own merits, a ton of fun!

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)

I may not be the most qualified to write this review but I can certainly say that despite this being a bit more dramatic than the kind of entertainment I usually look for, I was hooked from minute 1 and loved every bit of it.

I heart huckabees (2004)

it was clever and different and interesting and weird, and Dustin Hoffman is a national treasure of course, but for some reason it also left me feeling empty and sad so take that as you will. 

ted lasso (2020)

there's something new and different about this show, something to do with the characters' combination of wit and earnestness, that really REALLY worked for me. 

nine to five (1980)

first half a bit better than the second but by god this is a fun movie, and seeing fonda and tomlin 40 years before grace and frankie is a total trip. 

the bourne supremacy (2004)

not only is this a great second entry in the series (dumb title and slightly jumpy action sequences aside), but if you manage to follow the twists and turns of the plot it really does almost cohere at the end. 

queen's gambit (2020)

on the plus side this was well acted, exciting, endearing, fun, enjoyable, so that overall really well worth the seven ish hours - but on the minus side the story was predictable and there wasn't enough actual chess in it. 

the spy who knew too little (1997)

haven't laughed this hard in a while 

the lady killers (2004)

wholly fun and entertaining, this was another classic coen brothers entry, but definitely doesn't hold up to their more classic entries in terms of depth and clarity of purpose. 

we live in a society by Gabriel Winint

this essay, which can be found at https://nplusonemag.com/online-only/online-only/we-live-in-a-society, is a very long, detailed, and well thought out look at the state of political organizing in relation to contemporary social groups and networks, though it has a very difficult and off-putting digression into theory in the middle sections. 

Esperanza Spalding - Emily's D+Evolution (2016)

I love everything about esperanza spalding, but I never stop returning to this jazz/rock album - for shear brilliance and replayability it can't be beat.

kahaani (2012)

This was a roller coaster ride of a thriller full of gorgeous shots of Kolkata, and characters, plot, acting and pacing were all superb.

burn after reading (2008)

this fun Coen bros drama/thriller/romance/spy/comedy  romp may defy categorization, but it has all their signature irreverent profundity, which is really all we ever want.