May'25 Obsessions

• I can't believe I've skipped early Wayne Wang movies for so long. I mean, I love Smoke and Brooklyn Boogie a lot, but his early movies are above amazing, they're deeper than Jarmusch's, funnier than Scorsese's, and, while they dissect the specifics of late 70s/early 80s Chinatown, they're so profoundly... American. Chan Is Missing's main theme resonates strongly with our current society's obsessive "identity crisis", and we could learn a thing or two by showing it to our current leaders. Brilliant stuff.
• Another must-read on the list that I can finally cross: Ricardas Gavelis's  novel Vilnius Poker. What a crazy, bone-chilling, hair-curdling ride. Think Kafka meets Clean, Shaven meets Chekist, and you'll sort of get in the mood. Only in Lithuania! I've read it as an excellent French translation in this beautifully-designed book edited by the always fantastic Monsieur Toussaint Louverture.