The Weekend Watchlist

Emma Greenleaf:

This weekend should be exclusively dedicated to the insane amount of homework I have. But if I know myself at all, I'm sure I'll fit in a few movies/tv shows! I've been completely obsessed with Big Little Lies since the first episode premiered a few weeks ago. This weekend is the finale and I just cannot wait. The whole series has been leading up to this one night that's finally arrived in this upcoming episode. If it follows the pattern of past episodes, I know it will deliver. I'm also planning on going to see the new French horror/coming of age film RAW this weekend. I've been reading countless reviews/thinkpieces and it seems absolutely crazy. One LA theater was actually prompted to provide barf bags to patrons after this vegetarian veterinary student turned cannibal movie caused physical sickness and even fainting!

**RAW is playing this weekend at Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor: http://www.michtheater.org/

Shelby Cadwell

With both Beauty and the Beast and Power Rangers still in theaters, my inner child is doing back-flips. These were both favorites of mine in my formative years, and I'm really excited to see big screen adaptations of both. I'll admit I'm keeping my expectations low - although I've heard good things about both films, 2015's Jem and the Holograms should serve as a cautionary tale for remakes of beloved childhood properties.

What I should be watching this weekend:

Since I'm working on an essay about melodrama and science fiction, I really should be re-watching Equilibrium and The Giver. Crowdsource request: if anyone can think of other science fiction dystopias where emotions have been somehow outlawed or have gone extinct, drop them in the comments!

Lisa Jane

This weekend, I plan on watching The Seventh Continent (1989) by Austrian director Michael Haneke. For the uninitiated, Haneke has a reputation for making some of the bleakest movies in cinematic history. His films are philosophical and raw, often examining social alienation, oppression, repression, and ethical meltdowns. The Seventh Continent was his first feature film. If you are like me & sometimes find yourself in the mood to open the window and stare into the darkest night in humanity’s collective soul, his movies will do the trick.

Here’s a trailer:

Otherwise, I might nibble at some more episodes of The Strange Eyes of Dr. Myes (2015). Created with no-budget by filmmaker Nancy Andrews in rural Maine, this zany web series follows the story of a female mad scientist who is obsessed with expanding human sensory perception. Inventive filmmaking. Unique. Fun. You can find it here: https://thestrangeeyesofdrmyes.com/episodes/

Lacey Skorepa

The majority of my weekend will be spent grading papers and doing course prep for the fairy tale course I’m teaching this summer (yay!). However, I have to agree with Emma on Big Little Lies (HBO). I was pretty stoked when this show premiered primarily because I wanted to see what the Witherspoon/Kidman combo brought to the screen. Admittedly, I found the show a little awkward and stilted in the beginning, but it has slowly grown on me (and I’m now convinced I know who dunnit). So, I will definitely be tuned into the finale on Sunday.

As far as television shows go, I’m also planning on checking out Hulu’s new original series Harlot, the first episode premiered this last week. In the film world, if you haven’t seen Miss Sloane (2016) yet, I highly recommend it, especially if you enjoy strong female leads. I loved it; it reminded me of The Big Short (2015) in some ways, which I also loved.

If I have some time, I may try to catch Elle (2016) which is a foreign film (French) directed by Paul Verhoeven—who is best known for Basic Instinct (1992). Elle is billed as a Crime Thriller. It’s worth noting that it hasn’t been getting the greatest reviews from the US audience, but there seems to be a lot of chatter about the film being too “French” (which I take to mean too sexualized), and I’m getting some Nocturnal Animals (2016) vibes from the reviews. So I think the film is worth a look.

Happy Weekend Watching!