It came at leisure. (Patreon)

Before I get to the poll stuff, though, a quick PSA. Most of you probably follow me on Letterboxd and/or occasionally stop by my website; links to my A.V. Club work can be found in both of those locales, so I don't generally bother posting them here—you're getting enough emails from me as is. Just in case, though, let me note that The Killing of Two Lovers, which hits theaters and VOD tomorrow, is my favorite new film since First Cow, which is to say the best thing I've seen since (right) before the pandemic. My review goes into considerable depth, but if you're the trusting sort I'd encourage you not to read that until afterward, as the film benefits significantly from a lack of foreknowledge about what it's doing. Currently has an 89 on Metacritic, but I sense a backlash coming. Anyway, wanted to be sure that nobody who values my opinion misses this one.

As for this week's request poll: The Speed freaks will have to try again. 53% of you opted instead for They Came Together, which I believe may have been the oldest active request; while it had logged fewer weeks than reigning ignored champ For Those in Peril, that appears to be due to Wain buff Ross Kroeber having withdrawn/replaced it for a while (quite some time ago). It shows up slightly earlier than Peril in my mostly chronological list, anyway. Just goes to show, once again, that if you hang in there long enough, the patronage at large may eventually come through for you. Film's streaming on Cinemax and readily rentable everywhere; just now checked and confirmed that I did not W/O at the time, though I did watch the first 10 minutes (true of most notable films released since 2012) and didn't feel compelled to continue. Means very little.

Speaking of "oldest," May's random draws are both downright ancient, having been retired at least 18 months ago, possibly closer to two years. Tourneur's Canyon Passage was around for 10 weeks, while Mike's Murder was in and out for 30; the latter seems as if it may be tricky to get my hands on (I'm not gonna pay Vudu $10 to buy a standard-def copy), so any leads appreciated. (As for the former: arrrrr. But it may take a while.) 

Oh, and to whoever once briefly requested Cure: I'm gonna watch that soon regardless, as it was released here in 2001 and I want to make sure that it doesn't merit a spot on the list I'll submit to A.V. Club's annual "it was 20 years ago today" poll. 

As always, many thanks to each and every one of you for your support, especially over the course of this yearlong nightmare. I'm fully vaccinated now, and while the two activities I most long to resume—seeing movies at the theater and playing poker—still currently require a mask here in California, I anticipate that restriction being lifted at almost any moment, given that Newsom's facing a recall (however unlikely it may be to succeed). Following newly relaxed CDC guidelines clearly seems in his self-interest. Only problem is that there's nothing I "want" to see at a theater near me right now except for the Guy Ritchie thing (which I'm obligated to watch per my goofy review rules, mostly because Matt Zoller Seitz gave it four stars out of four). Might drive down to L.A. and see Zhang Yimou's Cliff Walkers instead, if it's still playing.