I read Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, but it took me a while. When it’s good, it’s great. When it’s not, it’s a wispy, ambiguous snoozer. Seems like a book you really have to just vacuum up in one fell swoop… or save it and nibble every now and then. I took the slow route.

I re-read Crucial Conversations, a book I’d read for a previous job years and years ago. It’s proven its worth many times over. It’s all about creating safety when you need to hold people accountable, or have other awkward conversations where your counterpart’s defenses (and your own!) are going to be on high alert.

Predestination. The brisk opening especially felt a little 1990s-ish, in a good way. I wish that pace had kept up. Reminded me of Dark City a bit. Love the costume and set details that keep you oriented. As with many labyrinthine movies, I’m curious about what the experience would be like if they told it straight, in one chronology. There’s so much story in this story that it sort of spoils itself, but… I liked it. How wrong can you go with time travel?

The Insider. It’s awesome, like all the rest of Michael Mann’s stuff. He’s got such a great handle on momentum within and across scenes. Great cast across the board. Love the mini-breaks just to gaze and reflect and get in their heads a bit. (Filed under: Michael Mann).

Pitch Perfect. A perfectly average and enjoyable modern musical comedy. So much of the humor is non sequitur. Anna Kendrick is a delight, as always. I won’t go out of my way to watch the sequel, though.

Grizzly Man. Second viewing. (The first.) I found myself less sympathetic and more disturbed and saddened the second time around.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. Thrives more on effective mood and style and ambiance than narrative strength. Too cool for its own good, in both sense of the word (for my tastes), but it’s fresh, and I like the genre-blending across western, noir, and horror. Soundtrack.