Happy Friday, Wildcats! Falvey Library is delivering you another semester of Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Annie, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

Photo by Lorenzo Herrera on Unsplash

Whether they were your formative years or simply a blip in your life, the ’90s are a decade wrapped up in nostalgia, even if you weren’t born yet. Personally, I only spent a few months in the ’90s, obviously none of which I remember, but I still find the 90s to be influential today (even if the early 00s are replacing their vintage fashion status).

With finals approaching and burnout rearing its ugly head, these ’90s themed recs will hopefully give you a healthy dose of nostalgia without the pressing weight and anxieties about current events. So, (temporarily) forget about your stressors and turn off your brain for a short-while and enjoy some lighthearted nostalgia.

If you have 3 minutes and 48 seconds…and love pop anthems, watch the music video for “…Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears. Although it’s nearly impossible to narrow the ’90s down into one rec, as there are so many amazing choices, Britney has stayed relevant for nearly three decades, and this video is incredibly iconic.

Bonus: check out the ’90s genre on Spotify for playlists to fit your tastes. Personally, I think the All Out ’90s playlist has a pretty solid mix, and I’d totally recommend the ’90s Rock Anthems playlist (or simply any ’90s album from No Doubt, Nirvana, and Hole).

If you have 22 minutes…and are a fan of Friends, watch “The One with the Embryos.” It has the perfect balance between plotline and comedy to make it an overall enjoyable watch, even when you’re stressed out. (If you haven’t seen Friends, start from the beginning).

If you have 26 minutes…and miss the time when learning was fun, watch an episode of The Magic School Bus. My personal favorite was (the very unhinged) “The Magic School for Lunch.”

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels

If you have 1 hour and 37 minutes…and want to watch the quintessential ’90s rom-com, watch Clueless, available online through Falvey. This quotable classic is a perfect watch if you want to de-stress and enjoy a lighthearted movie (or if you just like Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd).

Bonus: if you like more serious romances, watch Titanic, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection.

If you have 1 hour and 52 minutes…and hate Sea World, watch Free Willy, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. This movie tells the story of Jesse, a troubled child in foster care, as he forms a bond with a lonely captive orca whale and sets out to release him back into the ocean. Fun fact: it was also one of my favorite movies as a kid.

If you have 2 hours and 6 minutes…and want to shed some tears, watch Good Will Hunting, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. As opposed to some of the film bro movies, this film is a beautiful depiction of a man coming to terms with his emotions and trauma with the help of a dedicated therapist. The platonic chemistry between Robin Williams and Matt Damon is enough to leave you (or me, at least) teary eyed.

If you have 5 hours…and want to read a 1990s and 2010s hit, read The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Yes, the movie that had a monopoly on semi-inspirational quotes for nearly a decade is based on a novel by Stephen Chbosky. Following Charlie as he navigates high school as a grief-stricken wallflower trying to find his place, this late 90s book is filled with friendship, trauma, and healing.

Bonus: for more ’90s book recs, check out this list.

If you have 10 hours…and like eerie horror-thrillers, watch the first season of Yellowjackets. Set between two time periods in 1996 and 2021, this show follows a soccer team that crash lands and ends up stranded for months in the Canadian wilderness and the aftermath of their gruesome ordeal. Not for the squeamish, the show contains some horror staples, such as gore, cannibalism, and cult rituals. Yet, it leans into ’90s nostalgia and features some recognizable faces from the 90s, including Christina Ricci, Melanie Lynskey, and Juliette Lewis. If you end up enjoying it, the second season is currently airing, with its 6th episode airing this Sunday.

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

Happy Friday, Wildcats! Falvey Library is delivering you another semester of Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Annie, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

Photo by Riley McCullough on Unsplash

Even to those who never played sports, there is something uniquely compelling and inspirational about sports fiction. Movies like Rocky, Remember the Titans, A League of their Own, and The Blind Side move us. They make us root for the underdog and feel the valor of the victory (or the crushing weight of their defeat).

As we quickly approach the end of the semester and (the dreaded) finals season, we could probably all use a little extra motivation to push us through. This weekend’s recs will feature some sports fiction recs to spark some positive thoughts and determination.

If you have 4 minutes and 5 seconds…and need the perfect song to get you into game mode, listen to the quintessential “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor.

Bonus: for some more motivation, watch “Sweet Victory” from SpongeBob Squarepants.

If you have 9 minutes and 15 seconds…and want to watch a breakdown of the movie magic (and athletic feat) of the triple axle scene in I, Tonya, watch this Vanity Fair video.

Bonus: if you’re looking for a sports movie packed with dark humor, true crime, and drama, watch I, Tonya, my personal favorite sports film. Although it’s technically nonfiction, as it follows real-life world class figure skater Tonya Harding, the film plays with its dramatized nature and (somewhat) one-sided narrative.

If you have 10 minutes and 44 seconds…and need an end-of-the-semester motivation boost, watch this video ranking some of the best sports movie speeches. One of the best (and most cliche) aspects of sports movies are its motivating speeches, and these are some of the most memorable.

Photo from Carol M. Highsmith on Wikimedia Commons

If you have 1 hour and 47 minutes…and love 80s movies, watch Field of Dreams, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. This late 80s film stars Kevin Costner as a humble farmer who turns his cornfield into a baseball field to allow the ghosts of famed baseball players to play the greatest American past time.

If you have 1 hour and 48 minutes…and think race car driving is a sport, watch Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. Starring Will Ferrel and Sascha Baron Cohen, this racing film adds just the right amount of comedy to the inspirational, underdog narrative sports films have perfected.

If you have 2 hours and 4 minutes…and want to add some romance to your queue, watch Love and Basketball. This 2000s classic follows Monica and Quincy from childhood to young adulthood, bonding through their love of basketball. If that’s not enough, Love and Basketball also features an amazing cast, including Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps, Kyla Pratt, Alfre Woodard, Dennis Haysbert, Regina Hall, and Gabrielle Union.

If you have 7 hours…and prefer books, read Trophy Son by Douglas Brunt, available through interlibrary loan. This novel dives into the crippling perfectionism and high expectations placed on athletes through tennis prodigy Anton’s journey to navigating the pressure from his overbearing father and finding himself.

Bonus: for more book recs, check out this list of some popular sports fiction novels.

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Library.

By Anna Jankowski

Photo courtesy of https://angiethomas.com/

Welcome back to another edition of Flip or Flick! For this week’s post we will be discussing Angie Thomas’s 2017 novel, The Hate U Give, and the film adaptation released in 2018 starring Amandla Stenberg. 

This book is extremely powerful and has won several awards including the Coretta Scott King Award for its commitment to nonviolent social change. The story follows the life of sixteen-year-old Starr Carter and the relationships she has to navigate as both a young Black teenager and a key witness to a massive injustice. Thomas was inspired by the 2013 Black Lives Matter movement that was founded in response to the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. 

Thomas’s prose is relatable and easy to read. Starr’s innermost thoughts are relayed directly to the audience and we get an in depth look at how she struggles to make sense of the world around her and fights to find her voice. Among the difficult systemic societal issues Starr encounters, she also faces the typical fights with parents and friends that most teenagers can relate to. Thomas tells the story with unflinching honesty and a fresh perspective that speaks to today’s culture and the roots of discrimination that have plagued our nation for centuries.

In 2018 the novel was adapted into a film by George Tillman Jr. The stunning visuals evoke a strong emotional response and depict the raw intensity of racial conflicts in America. Instead of using our mind’s eye to imagine the differences between the city of Garden Heights and the preparatory school of Williamson, we see the stark contrast represented through the ambience of the two locations. The film has an eclectic soundtrack that includes Tupac (whose lyrics inspires the name of the story) alongside Travis Scott and Billie Eilish. The cast ranges from well established and respected actors to less experienced fresh-faced talent.

So, FLIP or FLICK?

FLIP! The original source material was critically acclaimed for a very good reason, and the end of the film differs in several key ways from the end of the novel. The movie is beautiful and brings a visual perspective to some key scenes throughout the story. However other scenes, and even other characters, are completely omitted. Both the novel and film are powerful in their own way, but I personally think Angie Thomas’s authentic voice is something not to be missed. The film packs a poignant emotional punch but the novel does a much better job at allowing the nuances of each character to be fully explored. I highly recommend this story to everyone in the Villanova community because the injustices Starr encounters are still just as prevalent today as they were in 2017.

Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS is a Senior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who ​​works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.

Welcome back to Flip or Flick! This edition will tackle Patricia Highsmith’s 1995 classic psychological thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley. The narrative follows the iconic character Tom Ripley through his adventures to Italy. Ripley is off to meet the wealthy Dickie Greenleaf and his travel companion Marge Duval. Tom has been hired by Dickie’s father to convince him to come back to America to run the family business. His time in Europe suddenly takes a turn as murder, theft, and a thick web of deceit ensue. The novel is written entirely from Tom’s point of view and readers are able to see his psychological unraveling as the events go on. It is difficult not to root for Tom as all of the interactions in the story are from his lens.

I’d compare the storyline to Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby as both include luxurious accommodations, an unreliable narrator, and a main character with dreams of mythic proportions. I loved analyzing the twists and turns in the novel and trying to evaluate what my perception of Ripley said about my own sense of self. The 1999 film adaptation stars Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow. It is extremely visually appealing with gorgeous actors and a picturesque setting. There are several characters added to the film that completely change some of the story arc and ultimately the conclusion. Dickie and Tom’s motivations are characterized a bit differently but the central themes of the story remain true to the original.

So, flip or flick? FLIP!

I loved both, but the book is a classic for a reason. Highsmith’s prose gives us intimate access to Ripley’s inner monologue that is difficult to replicate in cinema. To me, Ripley’s inner thoughts are what make this narrative so special from others in the same genre. I adored the movie and I highly recommend consuming both if you have time! Watching these extremely talented actors in their prime portray complex characters is definitely a special treat. The story has been adapted in several different ways throughout the years, most recently with a new limited series adaptation starring Fleabag’s Andrew Scott coming soon to Netflix. Falvey Library has the critically acclaimed French adaptation from René Clément available to stream for free which includes breathtaking visual scenes that give new life to the story.

Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS is a Senior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who ​​works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.

Happy Friday, Wildcats! Falvey Library is delivering you another semester of Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Annie, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

Happy Friday and Happy Women’s History Month, Wildcats! Over the past century, Hollywood has earned some well-warranted criticisms for its portrayals of women (among a host of other minority groups with lackluster representations, to put it incredibly lightly). While some films are outright sexist and misogynistic, others, whether intentional or not, center women’s stories around male characters and story arcs.

The Bechdel test, named after comic artist and writer Alison Bechdel, is a way to assess movies, on a pass-fail basis, for their bare-minimum portrayal of women. Passing the Bechdel test only has 3 rules: the film must feature (1) two named female characters (2) that talk with each other (3) about anything other than a man/men. These exchanges between female characters do not have to be long (or even positive).

With such a low-bar, it would seem nearly impossible to not pass the Bechdel test, and yet, movies, new and old, still manage to fail. In celebration of Women’s History Month, this weekend’s recs dive into the Bechdel test and shares some of my personal favorite Bechdel-passing content.

If you have 12 seconds…and need some humor in your day, watch the TikTok poking fun at how easy passing the Bechdel test is.

Photo by Mason Kimbarovsky on Unsplash

If you have 1 minute and 30 seconds…and want a surprising list of stereotypical “film bro” movies that pass the test (and why they pass), watch this TikTok.

If you have 1 minute and 45 seconds…and want a first-hand look at how silly the test can sometimes get, especially when filmmakers are purposely adding in dialogue simply to pass the test, watch this Rick and Morty clip.

If you have 12 minutes…and don’t know much about the Bechdel test, read this Backstage article. This article gives the basic rundown of the Bechdel Test and its limitations (and even explains some similar tests to score your favorite films on).

If you have 16 minutes…watch this video essay on why the Bechdel Test isn’t solving sexism in film.

If you have 1 hour and 38 minutes…and need to decompress from midterms with a good laugh, go see 80 for Brady in theaters. The film is a surprisingly funny film about a group of four women in their 80s (composed of some of the most iconic women in Hollywood, Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, and Lily Tomlin), who embark on a journey to get tickets to the Super Bowl. Although it features some pretty heavy Tom-Brady-centric conversations, at its core, it is a heartwarming narrative about female friendships and growing older.

If you have 1 hour and 54 minutes…and like campy, colorful action flicks, watch Gunpowder Milkshake. Featuring actresses such as Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Carla Gugino, Michelle Yeoh, and Angela Bassett, Gunpowder Milkshake is a visually stunning, female-led film perfect for those who like ridiculous action.

Photo by cottonbro studio

Bonus: If you prefer more traditional action movies, watch Black Widow. Although it is an MCU film, Black Widow can act as a stand-alone film that centers the story of two sisters who set out to topple an empire of corrupt men in power.

If you have 2 hours and 5 minutes…and want to watch a biopic about one of the bravest women in American history, watch Harriet. A perfect bridge from Black History Month to Women’s History Month, as she was absolutely pivotal to both, this film follows Harriet Tubman’s fight for her freedom and the freedom of hundreds of other Black people in the South. Harriet boasts an amazing performance from Cynthia Erivo (and, as with every film she’s in, Janelle Monae) and beautiful cinematography.

Bonus: If historical action-dramas are your thing, watch The Woman King. Starring the astounding Viola Davis, this based-on-a-true-story film follows General Nanisca, leader of the Agojie, an all-female group of warriors in the West African kingdom of Dahomey.

If you have 2 hours and 8 minutes…and haven’t seen this absolute classic yet, watch A League of Their Own, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. Set during World War II, this film follows a team of female baseball players as they set out to boost morale during the war through an American past time while combating sexism.

If you have 11 hours…and prefer books to movies (and love period pieces), read Little Women, available at Falvey. Written by Louisa May Alcott, this absolute coming-of-age classic follows the story of four sisters, Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth, living during the Civil War. Although the novel contains its fair share of romance, at its heart, the story is of the March sisters and their (sometimes very chaotic) love for each other.

Bonus: If you haven’t already seen it, watch Greta Gerwig’s Little Women adaptation, a film that centers complex (albeit white) female characters that feel real. (Plus, it features some outstanding women in Hollywood including Laura Dern, Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan, Eliza Scanlen, Meryl Streep, and Emma Watson).

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Library.

Happy Friday, Wildcats! Falvey Library is delivering you another semester of Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Annie, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

As most of us are aware, homelessness is a humanitarian crisis that has existed for decades (and centuries) in the U.S., and the incredibly high rent and real estate prices have not made things any easier. In addition to the economic and logistical hardships, people who experience homelessness can often be dehumanized in society. This weekend’s recs will share some pieces that shine light on the diverse stories and experiences of homeless people.

If you have 10 minutes…and want to debunk some of the common misconceptions about homeless people, read this NYU piece.

Photo by Matt Collamer on Unsplash

If you have 15 minutes…and aren’t aware of how inefficient the system is, read this New York Times piece chronicling a college student’s struggle to find an apartment that would accept her Section 8 housing voucher.

If you have another 15 minutes…and want to learn about a potential solution to high housing prices, read this article about tiny homes, as an alternative to large, exorbitantly priced houses.

Bonus: if you want to learn about another solution to the housing crisis, check out this article that details the Marcy Lab School program spearheaded by Restoration, an organization with goals of aiding and developing low-income areas in New York.

If you have 20 minutes…and want to hear from homeless people, read this New York Times profile of 30 people who have experienced homelessness. This piece follows a Q&A format to share the diverse experiences of people without homes.

If you have 40 minutes…and want to watch a recent documentary on homelessness, watch Lead Me Home. This Netflix documentary shares the stories of homeless people living on the West Coast.

If you have 1 hour and 48 minutes…and are interested in the trials and tribulations of van-life, watch Nomadland. Directed by Chloe Zhao, this film follows the adventures of a 60-year-old woman who travels across America in a van after her life is upended by the 2008 recession.

Bonus: listen to the book the movie is based on, available as an audiobook through Falvey.

If you have 8 hours…and want to read one of the most popular books that shares the stories and shines humanity on homeless women, read Elliot Liebow’s Tell Them Who I Am: The Lives of Homeless Women, available at Falvey.

If you have 9 hours and 5 minutes…and want to watch an emotional series that grapples with homelessness and domestic abuse, watch Maid on Netflix. This series, following young mother Alex who escapes an abusive boyfriend with her 3-year-old daughter Maddie, balances the heart-wrenching hardships that come from domestic abuse and homelessness with moments of finding joy in unsuspecting places.

Bonus: if you want to read the memoir that this series is based on, read Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, available through Inter-Library Loan.

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

Happy Friday, Wildcats! Falvey Library is delivering you another semester of Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Annie, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

Whether it’s nuclear fallout, zombie outbreak, pandemic, creature mutation, alien invasion, or environmental decay, the apocalypse looms large in our cultural consciousness. Thus, it comes as no surprise that apocalyptic fiction is such an enduring and imaginative staple in media and literature. Most recently, the popular apocalyptic video game turned HBO series The Last of Us has been garnering praise from hardened TLOU fans and new audiences alike. Inspired by this recent resurgence, this weekend’s recs will dive into the apocalyptic fiction genre.

Photo by Daniel Lincoln on Unsplash

If you have you have 3 minutes and 20 seconds…and need an epic score to accompany your apocalyptic survivor fantasy, listen to this song.

If you have 12 minutes…and need some quick apocalypse survival tips, check out this New York Times article.

If you have 24 minutes and 25 seconds…and are a fan of the horror-comedy apocalyptic classic Shaun of the Dead, watch Dead Meat’s “Shaun of the Dead (2004) KILL COUNT.” Ever wonder just how many people died in your favorite scary movies? Dead Meat’s got you covered with meticulous counting and plenty of fun facts.

Bonus: If you haven’t already seen it, watch Shaun of the Dead, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection.

If you have 1 hour and 48 minutes…and are looking for an upbeat apocalypse movie, watch Love and Monsters, a film that follows Joel Dawson, played by Dylan O’Brien, as he travels across California to reunite with his pre-apocalypse girlfriend. An end-of-the-world movie perhaps suitable for the faint-of-heart (and not so much horror fans), this movie blends elements of rom-coms and coming-of-age movies with an apocalyptic twist: the world’s cold-blooded creatures have mutated into giant, grotesque monsters.

If you have 1 hour and 58 minutes…and are looking for a classic zombie apocalypse horror, watch Train to Busan. This South Korean zombie flick became an instant classic for horror fans, as it is relatively simple but effective.

Photo by cottonbro studio from Pexels

If you have 4 hours and 12 minutes…and haven’t already tuned in, watch the first four episodes of HBO’s newest series, The Last of Us, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. The series takes place in the U.S. 20 years after a fungal mutation turns people into zombies and follows grumpy dad Joel Miller as he is begrudgingly tasked with taking care of Ellie, a tenacious 14-year-old with a gift.

Bonus: if you have a free weekend and want to experience the emotional roller coaster for yourself, play (or watch a playthrough of) The Last of Us, the story-driven video game the series is based on. Warning: there will (obviously) be spoilers for the series, and it might emotionally crush you.

If you have 7 hours…and want to get well versed in apocalyptic fiction classics, read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. This novel depicts a father’s love and desperation for his son on the backdrop of nuclear holocaust and environmental ruin.

Bonus: check out this list of some of the best apocalyptic novels for more recs.

If you have 8 hours…and want to read (or re-read) one of the most iconic (and genuinely good) young adult dystopian novels of the 2010s, read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, available at Falvey. Although it’s easy to forget, The Hunger Games takes place in post-apocalyptic America, in the dystopian nation of Panem. It may be a nontraditional choice for apocalyptic fiction, but the series is well deserving of its acclaim. (And, the love triangle is pretty easily ignored, if that’s a trope you dislike).

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Library.

Happy Friday, Wildcats! Falvey Library is delivering you another semester of Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Annie, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

Photo by joshua herrera on Unsplash

Christmas is a little over a week away, and this means that Christmas specials will begin (if they already haven’t) filling the airtime of most cable channels and streaming recommendation lists. In the spirit of the season, or simply as a way to bring some merriness into the bleak week of finals, this weekend’s recs will share some Christmas specials for festive enthusiasts and Grinches alike.

If you have 4 minutes and 18 seconds…and need some (violent) humor in your day, watch this SNL “A Christmas Carol” sketch. If you’re a fan of old SNL, you’ll be happy to know it features prior cast members, Steve Martin and Martin Short.

If you have 22 minutes…and need some Michael Scott cringe (or hilarity), watch “Christmas Party” from The Office‘s 2nd season, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. Although The Office has quite a few Christmas episodes, “Christmas Party” was the first and, arguably, one of the best.

If you have another 22 minutes…and look forward to another Belcher family Christmas each year, watch the most recent Bob’s Burgers holiday special, “The Plight Before Christmas.”

If you have 51 minutes…and are a fan of the family-friendly classics, watch The Year Without a Santa Claus. If you have cable, you will likely have ample opportunities to catch this old-timey Christmas special, and it is, in my opinion, one of the bests. (I mean, the Snow Miser and Heat Miser songs earn their iconic status).

If you have 1 hour and 28 minutes…and have a chaotic family that keeps the holidays interesting, watch Four Christmases. An ode to children of divorce and emotionally immature parental figures, this Reese Witherspoon/Vince Vaughn comedy might just make you feel a bit better (or at the very least, validated) about your Christmas-time family antics and woes.

If you have 1 hour and 45 minutes…and want to watch a slightly newer “classic,” check out the ultimate Jim Carey holiday film, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. In all honesty, this is my favorite Christmas movie of all time, so I might be a bit biased when I say it is worth a watch, but…it’s worth a watch.

Photo by Samira Rahi on Unsplash

Bonus: this recommendation practically goes without saying, but watch Elf this holiday season, also available in Falvey’s DVD Collection.

If you have 2 hours and 7 minutes…and are tired of re-watching old Christmas films, watch Spirited. Released over Thanksgiving, this film updates Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with a comedic twist. Plus, as a bonus, it stars Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell.

Bonus: For all the MCU fans, Iron Man 3 and Hawkeye are both set around Christmas time and are perfect for those who want something only tangentially related to the holidays.

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Library.

Happy Friday, Wildcats! Falvey Library is delivering you another semester of Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Annie, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

The MCU and Marvel’s host of extended content have garnered a lot of passionate attention and fandom. With the MCU’s range and staying power, this popularity, and arguable supremacy, is unsurprising. However, although I admit it often takes a more comic-book-like approach, the DCEU and other DC film and television adaptations seem to get a less enthusiastic treatment. Yet, DC has some film and television adaptations that are worth giving a chance, especially if you’re onboard with Phase Four of the MCU. This weekend’s recs delve into the DC adaptation universes and highlight  a variety of DC adaptations that range from dark and gritty to heartfelt and fluffy.

Photo by Dev on Unsplash

If you have 58 seconds…and are new to the DCEU, watch this TikTok explaining the canon timeline of the DC Extended Universe and what DC movies are outside this universe.

If you have 19 minutes and 10 seconds…and are a fan of the Arrowverse, watch this video comparing the DCEU’s Justice League character portrayals, as owned by Warner Bros., with the Arrowverse’s portrayals of these characters, as owned by the CW. This video helps outline some of the differences between the DCEU and the Arrowverse, both DC comic adaptation film and television “universes,” and gives a glimpse into some of the main DC superheros.

If you have 1 hour and 49 minutes...and want to watch a girl-group movie filled with camp and Margot Robbie, watch Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey. A film that arguably takes the best aspects of Suicide Squad (i.e., Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn) and improves upon them (i.e., being less male gaze-y and a lot more fun), Birds of Prey is an enjoyable watch.

If you have 2 hours and 12 minutes…and are a fan of the found family trope, watch Shazam! Although its release wasn’t very hyped-up, this film is a truly endearing superhero movie with a good cast of child actors and lots of heart.

If you have 2 hours and 56 minutes…and prefer your movies to be dark and gritty, watch The Batman. Robert Pattinson embodies the brooding, loner side of Batman and is complemented by a host of other great performances, including a truly discomforting Paul Dano.

Bonus: If you want to watch the DC supreme, watch The Dark Knight, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection.

If you have 6 hours…and are interested in Gender and Women’s Studies, read Hot Pants and Spandex Suits: Gender Representation in American Superhero Comic Books. The book discusses gender and LGBTQ+ representation in comics books and is definitely worth checking out.

Photo by Pascal Bernardon on Unsplash

If you have 9 hours…and want to watch a relatively stand-alone DC series, watch The Sandman. This Netflix series, based on a DC comic, takes on a magical and gothic Tim Burton-esque style and follows the King of Dreams on his quest for lost power.

If you have 10 hours…and are a fan of the teen coming-of-age genre (with bonus found family), check out the first season of DC’s Stargirl. The show follows  Courtney Whitmore, as she takes on Starman’s mantle and bands a team of teen misfits turned superheros together to protect the small town of Blue Valley, Nebraska. If you end up liking the show, you’ll be happy to know that Season 2 has already been released, and the final episode of Season 3 airs in the near future.

If you have 11 hours…and are curious how superheros have come to (seemingly) dominate our media sphere, read The Superhero Symbol: Media, Culture, and Politics.

Bonus: If you prefer video games to film and television, check out Gotham Knights, a recently released RPG game that allows players to play as Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, and (Red) Robin as they solve and fight crime in Gotham.

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Library.

No subscription required!

Villanova students, faculty, and staff can check out DVDs from Falvey Library for up to 30 days. Falvey’s collection includes a wide variety of feature films, international films, TV series, documentaries, theatrical productions, and science and educational videos.

Don’t have a DVD player in your dorm? No problem. Portable DVD players can be checked out from the service desk to watch DVDs. Players are USB and USB-C compatible, and can be checked out for 1 day with 1 renewal. Visit the Library website for additional information on equipment loans.

The DVD collection is located right inside the door to the Falvey West book stacks, on the first floor. With the holiday season quickly approaching, now is the perfect time to host a movie night with friends, or enjoy a quiet evening watching one of your favorite films. Explore some recommendations below and search for more titles on the Library website.

Hispanic Cultural Heritage Month

• Real Women Have Curves (online video)
• Y Tu Mamá También
• También la Lluvia
• El Norte
• Like Water for Chocolate
• Maria Full of Grace
• In The Time of The Butterflies
• Frida

Halloween

• Get Out
• The Exorcist
• Frankenweenie
• Psycho
• The Sixth Sense
• Frankenstein
• The Witches
• Alien
• Cujo
• The Birds
• Dracula
• Let Me In
• The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
• Vertigo

Oscar-Winning Films

• Moonlight
• Argo
• The Artist
• The King’s Speech
• The Hurt Locker
• Slumdog Millionaire
• The Departed
• Crash
• Million Dollar Baby
• American Beauty
• Shakespeare in Love
• Schindler’s List
• Rocky
• Forrest Gump
• No Country for Old Men

Binge-Worthy Favorites 

• Harry Potter
• The Lord of the Rings
• The Office
• The Wire
• Seinfeld
• Doctor Who
• Buffy, the Vampire Slayer
• House M.D.
• Star Wars
• The Matrix

Musicals 

• Chicago
• Annie Get Your Gun
• Singin’ in the Rain
• Moulin Rouge
• Grease
• West Side Story
• The Wizard of Oz
• All That Jazz
• Cabaret

Staff Favorites

• Shawn Proctor: Layer Cake
• Gina Duffy: Field of Dreams
• Ethan Shea: Across The Universe
• Annie Stockmal: Mamma Mia!; 10 Things I Hate About You; Do the Right Thing
• Kallie Stahl: Casablanca; Pride and Prejudice; A League of Their Own
• Joanne Quinn: Titanic
• Michael Foight: Restless Heart
• Christoforos Sassaris: Pulp Fiction
• Luisa Cywinski: Doctor Who (The Complete First Series)
• Darren Poley: An Introduction to the Eastern Catholic Church; Introduction to Theology of the Body Discovering God’s Glorious Plan for Your Life
• Michael Sgier: Yojimbo; The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
• John Banionis: Persepolis
• Roberta Pierce: Oliver!; The Lives of Others; Clueless; Fiddler on the Roof
• Laurie Ortiz Rivera: Balseros

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Memorial Library.