It’s Friday. Looking for something to switch up your weekend, or to give you an excuse to relax a little? That’s what the Weekend Reset is for. Each week we’ll pull together five things to get your weekend started. Could be something to read or watch, something to eat or listen to, or even something to do. Enjoy the weekend fellas.
SEE: The Green Knight
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight has always been one of my absolute favorite Arthurian legends. It’s a remarkably resonant story for a tale that’s close to 700 years old, with themes of of lust, power, and honor that are deeply relevant today. David Lowery’s film adaptation has garnered some of the best reviews of any film in 2021, and based on the trailers, this film looks. Absolutely. Gorgeous. Could be the first fantasy film since The Return of the King to be a Best Picture contender. In theaters this Friday.
LISTEN: Welcome 2 America
Five years after Prince’s death, we’re miraculously still getting new music from him. Based on early reviews, it’s clear that this album is no mere posthumous cash-grab — this is an album full of socially conscious funky jams, a record that some are even calling his best album since Sign ‘o the Times. If the early single is any indication, this is an album that will be on repeat for me for the rest of the summer. Out today on Spotify and Apple Music.
PLAY: Volleyball
Even for those of us (read: me) who aren’t the sportiest types — there’s something about summer that makes me wanna go out and play volleyball. Even if you’re not near an actual beach, plenty of community centers and gyms have beach-style sand volleyball courts for rec games. Maybe this weekend, you band together with a few friends, your family, whomever, and go play a casual game of volleyball or two. And for those of us (read: me) with questionable hand-eye-coordination: the point here isn’t about being “good” — the point is to jump around and dive in the sand and spend an hour or two having a good time with friends. Plus, there’s nothing quite like going out for ice cold beers after a sweaty game of volleyball. Photo by Jannes Glas on Unsplash
MAKE: Pesto
It’s easy to settle for store-bought pesto sauce — it’s just so convenient. But once you make your own, you’ll never go back to the store-bought stuff. Homemade pesto is both incredibly easy to make — and so, so tasty. Further, the beauty of pesto is that it’s 100% no cook: you don’t have to worry about heating up your kitchen at all. All you need is basil, garlic, salt, pine nuts, olive oil, parmesan, and pecorino — mix ’em up in a mortar and pestle, or with a food processor, and you’ll have a gangbusters pesto that you can use on everything from sandwiches to big bowls of yummy pasta. And don’t worry about making “too much” — if you have extra, you can always freeze it in ice cube trays for use later. Photo by Vika Aleksandrova on Unsplash
READ: The Big Sleep
Raymond Chandler was an absolute master of noir detective fiction. His novels are riddled with the most glorious pulpy similes, with the kind of hard-bitten potboiler noir style that evokes smoky black-and-white rooms and men with fedoras holding revolver pistols. The Big Sleep, his first novel featuring Philip Marlowe (famously played by Humphrey Bogart in the absolutely gangbusters movie adaptation) is the perfect summer read — fast-paced, well-written, full of twists and turns. (Interestingly, it’s also heavily inspired by Arthurian legends.) An all-time classic.
About the author: Michael Robin is an LA-based television writer and tutoring company co-Founder. When he’s not working away on his latest pilot script, you can find him scuba diving, hosting Shabbat dinners, or goofing off with his goldendoodle, Biggie Lebowski.