Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970) **

It looks great but the lack of any substance behind the fantasy images mutes the overall effect.

Intermezzo (1936) **

Overacted weepy notable for being able to hear Ms. Bergman in her native Swedish.

White House leakers leak about leaking - Axios

"Otherwise," the official added, "you have to realize that working here is kind of like being in a never-ending 'Mexican Standoff.' Everyone has guns (leaks) pointed at each other and it's only a matter of time before someone shoots. There's rarely a peaceful conclusion so you might as well shoot first."

Henry Siegman: Two Terrorisms LRB 24 May 2018

The invocation of Israel’s ‘sovereign right’ is the big lie at the heart of America’s responsibility for the collapse of the peace process. In Gaza, as in the West Bank beyond the pre-1967 armistice line, Israel is acting not in accordance with its sovereign right to protect itself, but to protect its occupation. What Israel’s military restores when it quells Palestinian protests is not law and order, but illegality and repression, reinforcing its theft of Palestinian territory in order to preclude the possibility of a Palestinian state, a goal it has achieved.

Je t'aime, je t'aime (1968) **

Interesting attempt at trying to tell a story with a different narrative structure, done more successfully in other films.

I Feel Pretty (2018) **

Amusing rom-com teases about stretching the genre's parameters but returns to the tried and true formula.

My American Uncle (1980) **

The stories are not compelling enough to overcome the heavy-handed setups describing the theories of M. Laborit.

All the Money in the World (2017) **

Overlong, very Scott-like directed flick becomes a lesson in how to carry a picture by Mr. Plummer.

Once-Adventurous Salmon Can’t Believe She Ended Up Moving Back To Birthplace, Having A Bunch Of Kids

“I was carefree and always up for going wherever the sea current took me, so never in a million years did I ever think I’d be back in this old stream starting a big family,” said the expecting mother of 2,133, noting that returning to the place where she grew up and settling down was the furthest thing from her mind while she was young and daring, traveling thousands of miles across the sea and risking the dark, seal-infested waters off Greenland in search of a little excitement. “Growing up seeing salmon after salmon give up their independent lives in the ocean to come back and have babies, I vowed to never let that happen to me—but I guess things change. Maybe after my children leave the nest, I’ll take a trip to Newfoundland and get into some trouble like I did in the good ol’ days.” At press time, sources confirmed that the salmon had died less than a week after spawning.

I Know Which Country the U.S. Will Invade Next

This leaves only one question: Who will be next on the list of U.S. illegal invasions cloaked in bullshit justifications? Well, last week, Iran finally did it: It switched from the dollar to the euro. And sure enough, this week, the U.S. military industrial complex, the corporate media and Israel all got together to claim that Iran is lying about its nuclear weapons development. What are the odds that this news would break within days of Iran dropping the dollar? What. Are. The. Odds?

Sacramento coroner releases Stephon Clark autopsy, disputing he was shot mostly in back - SFGate

The March 18 death of the 22-year-old Clark in his grandmother’s backyard has sparked weeks of protests and called into question the officers’ tactics and decision to shoot. A central point of contention, which could be critical to prosecutors weighing whether to file criminal charges against the officers, is whether Clark was in fact advancing toward officers, as police have said.

And of course, as we are all fully aware, advancing toward officers unarmed is punishable by death.

The Big Sleep (1946) ***

You can't beat Bogie, Bacall and Chandler. Straight noir fails to transcend its genre though.

The Edge of the World (1937) ***

Director Michael Powell hones his visual flair and knack for casting in this lean tale of a remote Hebridean people coping with modernity. Some stunning images.

Fracture (2007) **

Slick and engaging how-dun-it but it's over art directed and designed. The lighting becomes very distracting instead of illuminating or even beautiful for its own sake.

Man from Reno (2014) ***

Well executed mystery makes good use of San Francisco locations and an adept, mostly non-white, cast. Refreshing.

Isle of Dogs (2018) ***

A little overboard with the extreme closeups, but enjoyable homage to Japanese pop culture from the 50's and 60's.

Barbara Ehrenreich: Why I'm Giving Up on Preventative Care | Literary Hub

So I grudgingly conceded that undergoing the test, which is noninvasive and covered by my insurance, might be preferable to immobility and institutionalization. The result was a diagnosis of “osteopenia,” or thinning of the bones, a condition that might have been alarming if I hadn’t found out that it is shared by nearly all women over the age of 35. Osteopenia is, in other words, not a disease but a normal feature of aging. A little further research, all into readily available sources, revealed that routine bone scanning had been heavily promoted and even subsidized by the drug’s manufacturer. Worse, the favored medication at the time of my diagnosis has turned out to cause some of the very problems it was supposed to prevent—bone degeneration and fractures. A cynic might conclude that preventive medicine exists to transform people into raw material for a profit-hungry medical-industrial complex.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) ****

Another odd fable from director Yorgos Lanthimos in his inimitable deadpan style. Always interesting and thought provoking if at times difficult to watch.

UPDATE 01/24/2024: This is a masterpiece in every aspect.

I, Tonya (2017) ****

Upfront about its shaky veracity, this biopic offers outstanding performances, fine casting, and crisp direction. The skating sequences are done exceptionally well.

The Breadwinner (2017) **

Earnest, well-intentioned animated tale of survival in Taliban controlled Afghanistan. Well-made but the relentless oppression makes for difficult viewing.