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Hump Day Recommendations
Watch: “Flow.”OK so hear me out. It’s a 90-minute-long animated movie about a cat that gets caught in a flood. It has no dialogue. It has no people. But it does have a capybara, a quasi-magical bird, and some questionable dogs. It’s from Latvia and it was nominated for an Oscar, and it’s completely hypnotic. At some moments, the animals’ expressions and motivations feel vaguely human, at others they are veiled by a kind of basic and impenetrable natural mystery. You can watch it here. – Alex
Read: “The Cross of Redemption: Uncollected Writings,” by James Baldwin. First published in 2010, this collection of Baldwin’s previously unpublished work reveals again the elegantly expressed outrage and provocative musings of a great American writer. – Willis
Listen: "The Blueprint with Jen Psaki." If you’re a fan of Jack Schlossberg’s social media antics and have been wondering what on Earth is going on with him, you need to check out Jen Psaki’s latest episode, “Why are we so Cautious? With Jack Schlossberg.” JFK’s grandson tells Psaki about his social media experiments — he taunts, teases, and dances a lot, for the uninitiated — and compares his approach to how Republicans use social media while noting that Dems need to be far more daring. Did he really get dumped? Nope. Is he Justin Baldoni’s lawyer? Nah. Is he studying ballet? Yep, and he’s poking holes in the notions surrounding masculinity with every twirl. Does he have a bigger project brewing? Listen to find out. – Tracy
Read: “You Dreamed of Empires,” by Álvaro Enrigue. This book is an amusing and, at times, hallucinatory romp (magic tomatoes, anyone?) that reimagines Hernán Cortés’s arrival at the lake city of Tenochtitlan (present-day Mexico City) and the fall of the Tenochtitlan Empire under Moctezuma. — Alex Gibson, Senior producer, GZERO World
Read: “The Handmaid’s Tale,” by Margaret Atwood. Sure, you may have seen the series (now streaming on Hulu), but Atwood’s crisp prose brings home the full horror of a theocratic American autocracy where women’s rights have been stripped away, people of color are deported, and a wealthy elite lord it over everyone else. Atwood is my favorite Canadian author for many reasons, including that she is always ahead of her time (the novel was published in 1985). – Tasha
Read: “Gold Diggers,” by Sanjena Sathian. Having worked with Sathian, I can attest to her writing ability on everything from foreign affairs, pop culture, and now — thanks to her debut novel from 2021 — fiction. This is a coming-of-age tale peppered with magical realism starts in Sathian’s hometown, Atlanta, and centers on the Indian-American writer’s idea of belonging. Worth a read before it hits TV (comedian Mindy Kaling is reportedly adapting it). — TracyWatch: Groundhog’s Day. No, not the Bill Murray movie. But the actual livestream of the Groundhog’s Day ceremony at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Seeing the Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle (a bunch of men in top hats) speak Groundhogese and raise the majestic rodent into the air is well worth waking up early on Sunday morning. Plus, if you don’t, how will you know what season it is? – Riley
Watch: “Black Warrant.” Ever wondered about life inside India’s largest prison? Based on a book of the same name, this Netflix series revolves around stories out of Tihar Jail in Delhi, India, from the 1980s. An unlikely officer, Sunil Gupta takes up a job as a jailer (present-day correctional officer) to handle one encampment of the prison. While everyone around him is corrupt, Gupta is trying to improve the twisted system all while managing relations with his subordinates and his supervisor. Each episode recounts a different tale while the show builds on characters. The kicker: Each episode is based on a true story. – Suhani
Read: “Americans need to party more.” In a very clever article in The Atlantic, author Ellen Cushing offers a prescription for America’s epidemic of loneliness: a good old-fashioned party. It’s not as trite as it seems: Cushing notes that in 2023, only 4.1% of Americans attended or held a social event on an average weekend or holiday, a 25% drop since 2004. This decrease in get-togethers parallels the rise of smartphone use and the decline in mental health. The best part is that reversing it is within our control! So send out the invites, break out the bubbly, and open your home to your friends. Who knew therapy could be so much fun? – Tasha
Watch: “Nosferatu.” I am usually not one for horror films, but I make an exception for Robert Eggers. This beautifully shot remake of the archetypal vampire film recontextualizes the original German expressionist masterpiece to focus much more on Ellen’s agency, highlighting the ambiguity of her sexual relationship with the dark lord Nosferatu. As always, Eggers nails the period outfits and sets, but his real genius comes in setting the mood — a creeping sense of dread and doom. — Matt
Meet: The Monarchist. The controversial one-time blogger and intellectual Curtis Yarvin thinks democracy is a sham and that countries should be run by monarchs who act like CEOs. Hear him out, because he’s influential in right-wing and tech circles these days, and his work has been cited approvingly by none other than Vice President JD Vance. Whether you agree with him or not, his ideas and ambitions are worth understanding. This lengthy New York Times interview with him is a good place to start. – Alex
Listen: The Beaches are a queer indie all-girl band from my hometown of Toronto whose smart lyrics and cool vibe have propelled them to stardom both in Canada and around the world. This article details their rise to fame and how a catchy breakup song (uploaded to TikTok, of course) became the key to their success – and made the lead singer’s ex famous as well. Check out their latest single, “Jocelyn,” here. – TashaRead: A band of brothers, literally. In the early 1960s, two Dutch-Indonesian kids in Amsterdam boarded a boat bound for the US with their parents, a few suitcases, and an upright piano. They settled in Pasadena, California, and started playing music, first with their dad, who was an alcoholic jazzman, and then with their friends and classmates. They became one of the most spectacular and influential rock bands of all time. Alex Van Halen’s book “Brothers,” is a rollicking and insightful memoir of how he and his late brother Eddie (an absolute god among guitarists), reshaped rock music in the late 1970s (the last days before “video killed the radio star”) but also paid a steep price for it. – Alex
Watch: “Mosul” Set amid the battle to retake the ancient Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State terrorists who overran it, this masterpiece of war cinema follows Kawa, a young Kurdish police officer recruited to the Nineveh SWAT team, as they attempt to rescue a family from the warlord who enslaved them. The pervasive sense of fear and aggression are masterfully interspersed with emotional sequences displaying the deep toll that decades of war have taken on ordinary Iraqi families, with Kawa’s loss of innocence parallelling his entire generation’s experience. – Matt
Watch and listen: “Weapon of Choice.” Christopher Walken is just not like you and me. Don’t believe me? Set aside three minutes and 52 seconds to watch him take inspiration from Fatboy Slim. – Willis
Watch: A heart break. If you’re a fan of Rosalind Eleazar from “Slow Horses,” be sure to check out the “Missing You” series on Netflix. Inspector Kat Donovan is left heartbroken by the murder of her father — and then by the disappearance of her fiancé. Years later, she’s still struggling to move forward as she begins to unravel the truth behind both mysteries. – Tracy
Go see: “Six” on Broadway or on tour. It’s a hilarious, modern take on the fates of the six wives of Henry VIII that turns historical drama into an electrifying girly-pop concert. – RileyRead: A band of brothers, literally. In the early 1970s, two Dutch-Indonesian kids in Amsterdam boarded a boat bound for the US with their parents, a few suitcases, and an upright piano. They settled in Pasadena, California, and started playing music, first with their dad, who was an alcoholic jazzman, and then with their friends and classmates. They became one of the most spectacular and influential rock bands of all time. Alex Van Halen’s book “Brothers,” is a rollicking and insightful memoir of how he and his late brother Eddie (an absolute god among guitarists), reshaped rock music in the late 1970s (the last days before “video killed the radio star”) but also paid a steep price for it. – Alex
Watch: “Mosul” Set amid the battle to retake the ancient Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State terrorists who overran it, this masterpiece of war cinema follows Kawa, a young Kurdish police officer recruited to the Nineveh SWAT team, as they attempt to rescue a family from the warlord who enslaved them. The pervasive sense of fear and aggression are masterfully interspersed with emotional sequences displaying the deep toll that decades of war have taken on ordinary Iraqi families, with Kawa’s loss of innocence parallelling his entire generation’s experience. – Matt
Watch and listen: “Weapon of Choice.” Christopher Walken is just not like you and me. Don’t believe me? Set aside three minutes and 52 seconds to watch him take inspiration from Fatboy Slim. – Willis
Watch: A heart break. If you’re a fan of Rosalind Eleazar from “Slow Horses,” be sure to check out the “Missing You” series on Netflix. Inspector Kat Donovan is left heartbroken by the murder of her father — and then by the disappearance of her fiancé. Years later, she’s still struggling to move forward as she begins to unravel the truth behind both mysteries. – Tracy
Go see: “Six” on Broadway or on tour. It’s a hilarious, modern take on the fates of the six wives of Henry VIII that turns historical drama into an electrifying girly-pop concert. – Riley
Watch: “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.” Yes, the boys are back in town, and this time they’re struggling with an “emerging technology.” It’s been a few years since Nick Park’s last installment in the continuing adventures of daffy inventor Wallace and his loyal and absurdly inventive dog Gromit. I won’t spoil the plot for you. You can find it at your local cinema or streaming on Netflix. – Willis
Check out:The tattoos of Özge Kul. I’m on a real Turkish culture kick these days, and I have been enchanted by the work of this Istanbul-based artist. Her stunningly detailed linework on animal and plant motifs contrasts brilliantly with bold streaks of bright, saturated color, usually in just one or two tones, to emotional effect. Her work often reminds me of Japanese traditional tattoos and the tulip designs of Ottoman-era Iznik tiles, reimagined through a cubist lens in a style that is unmistakably unique. In Istanbul and interested in a piece of your own? Contact her here. – Matt
Read: “James.”This novel by Percival Everett grips the imagination with its retelling of the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (by Mark Twain, of course) as seen through the eyes of James, aka Jim, the slave. I need to go back now and reread the original Twain, but Everett’s version – complete with vivid scenes and dialog that challenges the racist philosophies of Enlightenment figures like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, and John Locke – will be hard to beat. – Tracy
Sit down: with Putin’s Rasputin.We are now in the 26th year of Vladimir Putin’s reign. What makes him tick? To answer that question, Giuliano da Empoli, an Italian political analyst, wrote a novel. “Wizard of the Kremlin” imagines a lengthy conversation with “Vadim Baranov,” a late-Soviet theater kid who becomes a TV producer in the 1990s and is recruited as a Putin aide. Baranov is modeled on the real-life character of Vladislav Surkov, an immensely powerful and famously cynical adviser who shaped Russian politics and media in the early 2000s. Da Empoli’s depiction of the chaos and rush of post-Soviet Russia, his grasp of the country’s culture and history, and his insights into Putinism are all superb. So too are his warnings. – Alex
Watch: “Black Doves.” The Netflix series with Keira Knightley is a spy romp through the corridors of power at Westminster, replete with murder, lust, and duplicity. Set in London at Christmas time, “Black Doves” follows Knightley as Helen, a devoted mother and secret spy, who teams up with suave assassin Sam, played by Ben Whishaw, to unravel a conspiracy after her lover and the Chinese ambassador to England are both murdered. Love, betrayal, and geopolitical chaos are all on the menu – and a second season is in the works. – Tasha