Thrill rides.

There's an elegance to a pristine film print, whether it's new or kept in good condition, where you can lean in and see the grain and take in the depth and breadth of the color. There's also a wonder to an older print that's been seen many times before, where you see the scratches and the flecks and the flickers, and when it hits just right, it's almost a living thing breathing in the dark with you - and because you see the film stock itself, you understand it's all the more real because you know it's a story, and it's easy to fall in love with a story.

Miracle Mile was playing as part of Bleak Week at a local theater. I knew what kicked off the plot, so taking that with it being Bleak Week, I had a good idea of where the movie was going, but not how it'd get there. I'd had one too many cups of coffee today and took an electric bike over to the theater, which unintentionally put me in exactly the right kind of excited state to focus and let myself be carried along by a very tightly told story that knew how to keep me engaged the whole time.

There was still a bit of light in the west when I left the theater. I took a regular bike back, enjoying the smooth ride. On my way there, I'd passed by the Lincoln Center premiere of Disclosure Day, and some of the installations were still there hours later. I'm seeing that one later this week, too. I expect it'll make for a curious double feature. I don't think it'll be a Killer of Sheep/Sinners experience, but it looks like there's enough in common to work as a conversation.