Parasite 

Incomparable film, deft with a clear-eyed understanding of class warfare and the crushing brutality of wealth, as depicted through the characterization of architectural space. 

The Lighthouse

A sculptural richness to the cinematography carves a compelling, and surreal, tale of ego and obsession out of the primal and unknowable stuff of the elements. 

Midsommar

Millenial critique gives way to a lush cult horror, a floral fever dream staged with Swedish design cues and caressed by perpetual golden-hour rays of light.

Paradise Hills

A feminist critique of the princess trope, masquerading in flounces and makeovers.

Exit

The conceit is nonsensical but comes together quickly in this faced paced action, rock-climbing, romance, escape-rescue, story of an every man turned hero. 

Extreme Job

Loser cops turn, unexpectedly successful, fast food restaurateurs to catch their criminal. As hilarious as it sounds.  

Ash is the Purest White

A mobsters girlfriend finally gets out of jail and finds herself left behind, in this melancholy allegory of the jarring affect in China's hyperspeed modernization. 

Furie

Bad-ass mom takes on her child's kidnappers in this relentless chase and action thriller, played out almost solely through ferocious fight sequences. 

Diner

Insane visuals, wackadoodle plot, and campy performances somehow make this movie into a sticky treat, an overly saccharine toothache of crazy. 

Meanwhile, a veritable parade of great tv occupied the small screen. Below, the shortlist:

The Witcher

Raphael Saadiq - "Something Keeps Calling Me"

Hot Water Dough
5.5 cups AP flour
1.5 tsp salt
5 tbsp butter
1 cup shortening or lard
2-2.5 cups water, boiling

Whisk together flour and salt. Cut in chilled butter ad lard. Make a well in the flour and pour in water until the dough comes together. Texture will be soft but not wet. Divide into 12 flattened balls in cling wrap. Chill for a minimum 2 hours. Hot water dough is really easy to work with forgiving of holes.

Filling
5 waxy potatoes, peeled and diced small
2 small rutabagas, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced slightly
1.5 lbs ground chicken
1 large onion, small dice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
pepper, copious (freshly ground pepper is too punchy for this recipe)
butter, one small cube per pasty
egg or milk, for wash

Mix onions, garlic powder, salt and chicken until it turns into paste. Mix the vegetables in. Roll out dough into 12 circles and stuff how you will. Score and bake 325 for 60 min.

Chicken Gravy
2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken stock
pinch of thyme
salt

This recipe is very mild. I have no doubt that the flavor could get more dressed up so many ways, but the vegetable forward taste matches up with my memory of the pasty I enjoyed as a child. Always eat with a basic roux based gravy.

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