Weekly watch and listen April 27 – May 3
May 3, 2020
As the world continues to stay home and quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has never been a better time to watch movies and television series and listen to music and podcasts.
Here are some recommendations on media to occupy your mind during lockdown.
Movies and TV Shows:
With SXSW being canceled this year, Amazon stepped in to give filmmakers the opportunity to show their films via an online film festival. The online film festival started April 27 and runs through May 6. The best part is you don’t need an Amazon Prime account, because they have elected to put almost all films in front of the paywall — all that is needed is a basic Amazon account.
This five-part documentary series explores the myths and legends behind some of Hollywood’s notoriously cursed horror film productions such as “The Omen,” “Poltergeist” and “The Exorcist.” From plane accidents to the use of real human skeletons to on set fires, “Cursed Films” explores all of the rumors and the truths. First released on the streaming service Shudder, the docuseries can now be viewed on Amazon.
Born from the internet, the phrase “TFW NO GF” was originally used online to describe a lack of romantic companionship. Taking its name from the infamous meme, the documentary follows a handful of people from the dark web. Alex Lee Moyer explores the dark side of the internet in her directorial debut. An Amazon Prime membership is required to view this documentary for free.
Documentary filmmakers Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova get out of their comfort zone and direct their first drama. “Cat in the Wall” is about a Bulgarian family who has conflict with their xenophobic neighbors due to an abandoned cat. While just as much a comedy, the foreign film is a good watch.
To view all of the online festival movies and shows being shown, visit https://www.amazon.com/adlp/sxsw.
“Rick and Morty: The Other Five”
The second half of “Rick and Morty” season four returns. The first five episodes of the season aired from No. 10, 2019 to Dec. 15, 2019. The Emmy-winning comedy series on Adult Swim follows Rick, a sociopathic mad scientist who drags his nervous grandson on dangerous quests across the universe.
“Rick and Morty” season four part two premieres May 3 at 11:30 p.m. on Comedy Central/Adult Swim.
Ryan Murphy’s second Netflix series “Hollywood” is finally here. While his first Netflix series “The Politician” isn’t as beloved as his other TV series, “Hollywood” hopes to be better. “Hollywood” is a seven-episode limited series set in late-1940s Hollywood, where various directors attempt to strike it big in the movie industry. The series stars Darren Criss, Patti LuPone, Dylan McDermott, Holland Taylor and Maude Apatow among others.
“Hollywood” arrives on Netflix on May 1.
Throwback:
“Inglourious Basterds”
“We’re gonna be doin’ one thing and one thing only … killin’ Nazis.”
Director Quentin Tarantino rewrites history — sort of. “Inglourious Basterds” has two stories going on at once. Basterds is a guerilla group of Jewish-American commandos led by Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) who wage war in Nazi-occupied France. A Jewish theater owner named Shoshanna (Mélanie Laurent), whose family was murdered by Nazis, gets a shot at revenge when the Germans decide to hold a movie at her theater. “Inglourious Basterds” is violent yet hilarious at the same time. Tarantino takes a serious topic and turns it on its head. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, and won Best Supporting Actor. It also has one of the best opening scenes of all time.
“Inglourious Basterds” is available on Netflix.
Music:
“The Scotts”
Debuting music through a real-time video game concert, crazy times. Travis Scott teamed up with his idol Kid Cudi to record the self-titled song, “The Scotts.” It debuted during a “Fortnite” concert on April 23 which over 12 million people attended. This wasn’t the first time that Cudi and Scott collaborated on a song together, as they linked up for each other’s 2016 albums. There are rumors that a full-length album may be on its way.
“The Scotts” is available on all music streaming services.
Podcast:
“Solve”
Have you ever wanted to be a detective and solve a murder mystery? Well, it is a possibility with “Solve,” an interactive true crime podcast. During each episode, the listener will be assigned a new case, based on real true crimes, that will test their skills as a detective.
“Solve” is available on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify and more.