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 from Vidsplay on Wikimedia Commons

No, it’s not a euphemism. I really mean films that use a lot of color in their cinematography. This might seem a bit niche, but with the popularity of HBO’s Euphoria and the rise of indie studio A24, colorful, aesthetically pleasing films with an emphasis on colorful cinematography are booming. What once was distinct for directors like Wes Anderson is now becoming a norm among many filmmakers, both indie and mainstream.

This weekend’s recs will help you appreciate films that pay special attention to color and its role in representing narrative and emotion.

If you have 28 seconds…and want to appreciate the spectrum of colors in film, watch this TikTok.

If you have 2 minutes and 53 seconds…and like pop music, watch Olivia Rodrigo’s music video for “brutal.” The video’s director Petra Collins is actually the creative behind Euphoria‘s distinct aesthetic, originally working as the show’s director until Sam Levinson was asked to take over. If you like this music video, Petra Collins and Olivia Rodrigo have also worked together on the music videos for “good 4 u” and “bad idea right?”

If you have 15 minutes…and liked Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, read this article about how it was so pink that it actually resulted in a pink paint shortage.

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

If you have 1 hour and 49 minutes…watch The Royal Tenebaums (or any other Wes Anderson film), available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. Wes Anderson’s films are known for their distinctive aesthetically pleasing color palettes. Although its color palette isn’t quite as recognized as The Grand Budapest Hotel, it’s still perfect for those who love visually stunning films.

Bonus: read this article from the New York Times about a past TikTok trend where people Wes Anderson-ified the world around them.

If you have 1 hour and 51 minutes…watch Moonlight, available to stream through Falvey. This queer coming-of-age (of sorts) film is beautiful both in story and in cinematography, in which color plays a large role. Plus, it has Janelle Monáe in it, which is always a win as far as I’m concerned.

If you have 2 hours and 20 minutes…and love expressive animation, watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Not only is the movie a total win for Spider-Man fans, the animation of this movie is absolutely stunning and plays around with several unique and colorful styles.

Bonus: if you want a live-action comedic action movie, watch Bullet Train, my personal favorite movie of 2022. It’s jam-packed with recognizable actors, creative fight choreography, humor, and, of course, colorful cinematography.

If you have 5 hours…and haven’t read it since middle school, read The Giver, available online through Falvey. It might seem contradictory to choose a book set in a society where people on see in black and white, but as Jonas’ story progresses, this book will make you appreciate color even more.

Annie Stockmal is a second-year 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 Jake Hills on Unsplash

If you’re someone who enjoys movies, you’ve probably heard a film, typically one that didn’t hit it off with mainstream audiences, get called a “cult classic.” While these films may not be everyone’s cup of tea, cult classics take off with one niche audience, a cult-like audience that turns into a passionate, loyal fandom.

While cult classics can come from any genre, it does seem that cult classics and Halloween sometimes go hand-in-hand, with the most famous example being The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This weekend’s recs will share some cult classic recommendations that might just get you ready for Halloween.

If you have 10 minutes…and want to read about a recent film that’s slated to be a “cult classic,” read this article about M3GAN.

If you have 15 minutes…and want to know what makes a movie a “cult classic,” read this article.

If you have 1 hour and 37 minutes…and like cheesy “scary” movies, watch The Lost Boys. While calling this vampire cult classic a “horror movie” might be a stretch, it’s just spooky enough to get you into the Halloween spirit.

If you have another 1 hour and 37 minutes…and like horror, watch the quintessential zombie film Night of the Living Dead, available to stream through Falvey. If you like contemporary zombie movies, this movie might be considered required watching.

Bonus: if you want to watch another horror cult classic (although it might just be an actual classic), watch Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, available to stream through Falvey. It may have come out in 1960, but it surprisingly still manages to be suspenseful and creepy today.

If you have 1 hour and 57 minutes…and Halloween movies aren’t your thing, watch The Big Lebowski, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. This movie features some recognizable faces, including Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, and Julianne Moore (among others).

If you have 4 hours…and you like musicals, go to a screening of the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Or, if you want to plan a night-in with some of your friends, you can host your own screening. If there’s one thing about Rocky Horror, it’s always better with good company.

If you have 8 hours…and prefer books, read satirical cult classic Fight Club, available at Falvey.

Bonus: you can also watch Fight Club, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection.

If you’re in the mood for even more Halloween fun, stop by DCDE’s Tricks and Treats from the Vault event this Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 12-2 p.m. in Speakers’ Corner for some festive treats and activities. 

Annie Stockmal is a second-year 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.

Today marks the first day of Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month. Running from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the diversity of Hispanic and Latine cultures globally and honors the honoring the contributions of Hispanic Americans throughout history. In celebration, this weekend’s recs will highlight some content to help get you into the spirit of the month.

Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash

If you have 4 minutes and 35 seconds…and love Pedro Pascal, watch this SNL sketch from when he hosted this year.

If you have 10 minutes…and want to better understand the differences between the labels “Hispanic” and “Latine,” read this article.

If you have 14 minutes and 2 seconds…and love America Ferrera, watch her TED Talk on her identity and representation in Hollywood.

If you have 1 hour and 46 minutes…and want to watch a Mexican film that made a big splash in the 2000s, watch Y tu mamá también, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. This film manages to perfect the formula for somewhat raunchy hijinks and emotional pull, everything you want in a road trip movie.

Bonus: if you’re interested in learning more about this film from the filmmakers and actors, read this article from the New York Times.

Photo by Adrian Dascal on Unsplash

If you have 2 hours and 3 minutes…and love historical biopics, watch Frida, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. This 2001 film follows Mexican artist and icon Frida Kahlo, famously known for her self-portraits.

Bonus: if you’re a fan of based-on-a-true-story films, you can also watch Roma, which follows an indigenous women navigating the political climate of 1970s Mexico while working as a live-in housekeeper and nanny for a wealthy Mexican family.

If you have 3 hours…and are a superhero fan, go see Blue Beetle in theaters. If you were a fan of DC’s Shazam, I think you’ll like this one. Featuring actors like George Lopez, Xolo Maridueña, Susan Sarandon, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Trujillo, and Becky G (among many others), this movie follows recent college graduate Jaime Reyes as he becomes Blue Beetle, a superhero located in the fictional Palmera City (that definitely seems to take inspiration from Miami).

If you have 8 hours…and are looking for a new book, read Neruda on the Park, available through inter-library loan. This book uses storytelling to highlight the impacts of gentrification on a Dominican family living in New York City.

Bonus: for more book recs, check out past GA Jenna’s Hispanic Heritage Month book list.

For more ways to celebrate, you can find a list of Villanova’s campus-wide Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month events here, including Falvey’s co-sponsored History of Puerto Ricans in Philadelphia event and sponsored Speaker: Dr. Irma Leticia Robles Moreno: “Peruvian Grupo Cultural Yuyachkani: Weaving Shared Memory Landscapes Through Theatre and Performance.”

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

Famous Hollywood Hills in California, USA. Hollywood Sign. California Photo Collection.

By Kallie Stahl 

This summer Falvey Library is going to the movies! Well, we’re using our beloved Library’s resources to research the coolest film scenes set in libraries. So grab a seat and a box of popcorn because the we’re going to look at when libraries go to Hollywood.

The Mummy (Universal Pictures). Image courtesy of IMDB.

Yes, the 1999 cinematic masterpiece starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz.

The Mummy has a bit of everything…adventure, horror, comedy, and romance. The film is one of the last “action-adventure” films produced before the rise of the superhero blockbuster. Not overly dramatic or serious, the show never gets too dark, offering audiences plenty of opportunities to laugh despite the ongoing conflict with the awakened mummy, Imhotep.

While The Mummy doesn’t feature an iconic library (like the University of Pennsylvania’s Fisher Fine Arts Library in the film Philadelphia), books play a crucial role throughout the movie. One of the main characters, Evelyn “Evy” Carnahan (Rachel Weisz), is a librarian and aspiring Egyptologist working in the Cairo Museum of Antiquities. The introduction to the character is a fun scene, as she accidently knocks over every bookshelf in the museum’s library.

Books drive the storyline, as Evy, her brother Jonathan (John Hannah), and Richard “Rick” O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) travel to the lost city of Hamunaptra to find the book of Amun-Ra. On their trip, Evy reads a page from the Book of the Dead, which resurrects the mummy. Not to spoil too much of the plot, but Evy’s ability to read hieroglyphs proves helpful in solving the mummy’s mystery (“Take that, Bembridge scholars!”) You can watch the movie using Falvey’s Interlibrary Loan service.

Looking for more libraries featured on film? Explore the resources below.

Libraries on film in Falvey’s collection:

• The Name of the Rose
• The Time Machine
• The Day After Tomorrow
• A.I. Artificial Intelligence
• All the President’s Men
• Harry Potter

More movies featuring libraries via Interlibrary Loan:

• The Music Man
• The Breakfast Club
• The Shawshank Redemption
• Se7en
• Clue
• National Treasure

Want to win a cool “Falvey Says Read” tee shirt? Email your favorite movie library to libraryevents@villanova.edu, and we’ll pick a winner at random!

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist 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 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.