A DREAM OF KINGS (1969)

(VOD) Recently watched A DREAM OF KINGS which I found notable for its use of Chicago. There’s a short scene where Anthony Quinn (playing a Greek again) riproars away from the old Lakeview Treasure Island — my local market when I moved to my Roscoe apt in Chicago — which absolutely delighted me. Quinn here feels like a proto-Tony Soprano, partially because of his bullying and selfishness, but also because of how Quinn carries himself, breathily lumbering through scenes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0VyBaf8vCs

THE CLEANSE (2016)

(VOD) A surprisingly thoughtful take on the ‘things aren’t what they seem like at this therapeutic retreat’ horror film, always managing to zig when you think it’ll zag. I identified with the leads far more than I’d like to admit. While there’s a link to the trailer below, I recommend going into the film blind.

STARFISH (2019)

I’ve been watching STARFISH (2019, AMC+/fubu/VOD) in intervals over the past week; it’s visually intense, with a haunting soundtrack, yet still hard to grasp. Has a melancholy that’s like catnip to me, and so goddamn relevant right now. “I wonder if the world still exists if I choose to ignore it.”