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.
BINGE: Only Murders in the Building
Thanks to Serial, true crime has quickly become perhaps the most popular genre of narrative podcast. From S-Town to Dirty John to My Favorite Murder, there are a zillion phenomenal, twisty podcasts out there about curious characters who may or may not have killed one of their neighbors. In the delightful new TV series Only Murders in the Building, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez play a bunch of true crime podcast obsessives who form their own true crime podcast when someone is murdered…. in their building. A fun, playful romp that pokes fun of the true crime genre’s many clich©s while also telling a wonderful true crime story of its own. All episodes stream on Hulu.
READ: Bad Art Friend
Speaking of intrigue: here’s a true story that lit the internet on fire the last few weeks, a story about two writers who ran in the same circles — but whose relationship devolved into lawsuits and acrimony when one accused the other of plagiarizing her Facebook posts and using them in a short story. A tale of betrayal, theft, and kidney donation, this is a remarkable piece of long form journalism that’ll have you questioning which side of this thorny creative debate you’re on. Photo by camilo jimenez on Unsplash.
MAKE: Chicken Soup
With the weather cooling off and with the leaves falling off the trees, we’re in the thick of fall. And for me, there’s nothing more delightful on a crisp fall afternoon than cozying up with a delicious bowl of warm soup. And chicken soup, for whatever reason, is the most comforting soup of all. It also may be one of the few foods almost ever single culture has in common: wherever you go, you’ll find a delicious regional variant. Love a classic chicken soup? Try this recipe. In the mood for bright southeast Asian flavors? Try this one. Feeling more in the mood for the warming spices of north African cuisine? Here’s your soup. There are a zillion wonderful ways to chicken soup. Photo by Stacey Doyle on Unsplash.
SEE: Dune
Denis Villeneuve is one of the greatest working film directors, a master at wringing tension out of even the subtlest scenes in films like Prisoners, Arrival, and the gorgeous, hypnotizing Blade Runner 2049. This weekend marks the release of what may be his biggest film yet: his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic Science Fiction novel, Dune. Met with a rapturous reception at the Venice Film Festival in September, there’s a sense that Villeneuve’s Dune may be the beginning of film’s next great science fiction series. Out Friday in theaters and on HBO Max, but Villeneuve shot this film in IMAX… so I’d suggest skipping the streaming version, and going out to see Dune on biggest screen you can.
LISTEN: Let it Be (Super Deluxe Edition)
As a certified Beatlemaniac, I’ve been LOVING this new release of Let it Be. Let it Be’s mix has been tinkered with quite a few times through the years, but the Giles Martin remix of the original album here sounds fantastic. The real treasures, though, are the bonus material/alternate takes. There is an overwhelming amount of music here; it’s not the kind of release you can sit down and just listen to. You gotta give it time. I’ve found it most interesting to pick a favorite song and listen to all of its many different versions. It’s a remarkable, inside window on The Beatles’ creative process, one that makes me even more excited for Peter Jackson’s upcoming The Beatles: Get Back documentary, a film that was quite literally over fifty years in the making.
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.