Photo credit: Driving not Knowing
WHAT TO GET YOUR ASS OUT OF BED FOR:
- Because you couldn’t catch the premiere in Cannes, check out Todd Haynes’s latest film Carol. Rooney Mara tied for Best Actress, and the film went on to win the Queer Palm award at Cannes as well. Based on The Price of Salt, written by Patricia Highsmith, the romantic drama tells the story of what happens when a department store worker (Mara) falls in love with an older and married woman, Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett). Since it opened, it has been receiving Oscar buzz for months, and as Harvey Weinstein Co. has a strong track record in garnering Oscar noms, one can’t really be surprised if it shows up on the ballot more than once.
- Suffragette, another film with strong female protagonists and a killer cast (we're talking Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter and of course, Meryl Streep). This film tells to the true story of the early feminist movement. Distribution is limited and you can catch this film at Ritz Five (214 Walnut Street) and many other local theaters.
- The Peanuts Movie is another throwback to the good old days. While we may not be the target audience for this Pixar pic, there’s nothing like returning to our roots with some of our favorite characters: Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Peppermint Patty. This is one you have no excuse not to see. It’s playing at The Rave, so stop by and check it out when you’re walking back to your home on beige block. It’s just under an hour and a half, so consider it your study break.
WHAT TO BRING UP IN FILM CLASS:
- Driving Not Knowing, co-directed by three Penn grads (Jay Jadick (’14), Dylan Hansen-Fliedner (’14), Dan Mianella (’14)) and Temple alum Benjamin R. Davis, will be making its Philadelphia debut on Dec. 6. at 7 pm at PhilaMOCA. Driving Not Knowing has been on the festival film circuit, premiering at Outfest Los Angeles last July, and proceeding to win The Alternative Spirit Award from the Rhode Island International Film Festival along with recognition at several other film festivals. Semi-improvised and low budget, the movie tells the story of two men who attempt to rekindle a relationship out in the country. The camera work and sound strengthen the narrative; one could call it a LGBT mumblecore film. As they began the filmmaking process their Junior Year at Penn, be on the lookout for some recognizable sites including Penn’s very own Kelly Writer's House.
Tickets: $5 at the door
When: 7 pm Dec.6, 2015
Where: PhilaMOCA (531 N 12th St)
WHAT TO STREAM:
- Netflix hasn't announced whether Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp will be renewed for another season, but its series premiere this Summer has generated lots of talk. Starring some of our favorites, Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, and Penn alum Elizabeth Banks, the show follows counselors and campers on their first day at Camp Firewood. Throw on the camp shirt you still own and wear around the house when you go watch it; it’ll fill you with nostalgia and take you back to the good old days when summer was just play.
