Do you feel winter on its way yet? The Arts & Entertainment section is here with another list of media to make your next week a little more colorful. If you’re looking for visual entertainment, we’ve got you covered with our film picks in the “To watch” section. If you’re on the hunt for exciting new reads, look no further than the books we’ve included below. For listening material, please turn to our selection of album releases to listen to, and for live events stick around till the very end.
The movie world will see the release of at least two blockbusters this week: Wicked featuring Ariana Grande, and Gladiator II featuring Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal. What I’m personally most excited to see, though, is Never Look Away which tells the story of wartime photojournalist Margaret Moth. Look, I know it’s a documentary, and those are supposedly boring, but this one looks like it will be genuinely thrilling. It will feature journalist Christiane Amanpour — an icon in her own right. Plus, the subject of this documentary is definitely pertinent to today’s times, in which we must grapple with how conflict is represented in the media. If you get a chance to see this film, please do!
There will be a new Haruki Murakami book! Yes, you heard me right. The famous surrealist Japanese author plans to release his new novel The City and Its Uncertain Walls on Tuesday. Like many of his other books, this one centers on a man who feels lost in the world and follows his thoughts into a fantasy situation which proves to be equally profound and strange. The story opens on a pair of young lovers whose names we do not know. When the girl suddenly vanishes, the boy is left behind to be haunted by her departure. We watch him grow older and older in search of what he feels is missing until he eventually moves into a mystical town with unicorns and an enigmatic past. There, it seems he can finally understand things. I’m fascinated. Aren’t you?
As for upcoming albums, my pick for the week would have to be Mahashmashana by Father John Misty. From the indie artist who brought us “Real Love Baby” and “Nancy From Now On” (and featured in a well-known song by Lana Del Rey) comes an all-new tracklist. Set for release on Friday, this relatively short album features the same borderline-bleak lyrics as his previous work with instrumentals that move from soft to loud in a matter of moments. I think his music is the perfect media for wintertime — the type of stuff you listen to when you can smell snow in the air.
Finally, we have many interesting live events and performances happening this week, and most of the ones listed are free to the public. My personal recommendation for you is the Peabody Institute’s production of L’enfant et les sortilèges & The Classical Style: An Opera (of Sorts). This quirky take on opera imagines what it would be like if Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven could see the state of classical music today. Taking place on three different nights downtown, this event is free and definitely worth checking out!
We hope you are able to experience some of the art and entertainment on this list, especially during a busy academic week. Without further ado, here is what you should watch and watch for in the coming days. Please enjoy!
To watch...
Interior Chinatown, directed by Taika Waititi — Nov. 19 (streaming on Hulu)
Never Look Away, directed by Lucy Lawless — Nov. 22
Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu — Nov. 22
Gladiator II, directed by Ridley Scott — Nov. 22
Armor, directed by Justin Routt — Nov 22
To read...
The City and Its Uncertain Walls, by Haruki Murakami — Nov. 19
Tooth and Claw, by Craig Johnson — Nov. 19
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, by Robin Wall Kimmerer — Nov. 19
Citizen: My Life After the White House, by Bill Clinton — Nov. 19
To listen...
Mahashmashana, by Father John Misty — Nov. 22
The Party Never Ends, by Juice WRLD — Nov. 22
Nobody Loves You More, by Kim Deal — Nov. 22
Glass Half Empty (Part II), by VOILÀ — Nov. 22
Live events...
Gertrude Stein Exhibit Talk at the Peabody Library — Nov. 20 from 6–7:30 p.m.
(This event is free; registration is required).
David Mills: BONEYARD Poetry Reading at Bird in Hand Cafe — Nov. 20 from 5–7 p.m.
(This event is free; registration is required)
L’enfant et les sortilèges & The Classical Style: An Opera (of Sorts) at Miriam A. Friedberg Concert Hall — Nov. 21 and 22 from 7:30–10 p.m.
(This event is free; registration is not required).
Sketching Sessions at the Walters Museum — Nov. 21 from 6–7:30 p.m.
(This event is free; registration is not required).
Lush Life: Ellington and Strayhorn Concert at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall — Nov. 22 at 8:00 p.m., Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 24 at 3 p.m.
(Ticket prices range based on seat; check the link for more information.)
