I watched David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive yesterday, for the second time, and it made a bit more sense this time, but the strangeness was ever present. Earlier this year I also watched Lost Highway and Dune. I like the way he depicts scenes as vignettes. I think this is because, contrary to typical straight arc storylines, it’s a truer reflection of how some of our own minds work.

With my sister, we recently watched Promising Young Woman and The Green Room, both of which were good, intense, and likely not movies I would watch again. There are certain movies where the quality of writing and acting is good, the storyline is engaging, and the visuals are stunning, but that have scenes that are a bit too intense, and remind me of the sensation of hearing certain items drag against styrofoam or chalkboards. I have not yet rewatched American History X or Requiem for a Dream because of the memory of such scenes.

I also finished La peau de chagrin, and have decided it’s a book to reread at some point, hopefully when my French level is more advanced, enough to pick up on more of the nuances. I liked its slightly gothic and fantastic elements. I had also read Pere Goriot a couple of years ago and don’t have the same inclination to reread, as some of the storylines regarding the old man and his daughters were a bit depressing.

To continue with the gothic theme, I’m currently on a reread of The Picture of Dorian Gray, and am very much so enjoying Wilde’s droll and pithy observations regarding art, beauty, and a hedonistic lifestyle.