Since Wisconsin is showing staggering COVID-19 numbers at the moment, we strongly suggest you stay inside and/or keep distance from others for the time being. Fortunately, the Milwaukee Film Festival is here to help brighten up a particularly dark time in history…and there’s also a ton of other things to watch, read, and listen to at home while waiting for things to (probably never) get better. Here are some recommendations for October 19-25.
Milwaukee Film Festival
We were going to include one or two detailed Milwaukee Film Festival recommendations in each daily listing, but since this year’s fest is entirely virtual, titles can be streamed any time between now and October 29. So rather than risk confusing people by putting certain films on specific days, we’ve decided to just plop a bunch of suggestions for films (or programs) we’ve either watched/liked already—we can’t say enough great things about Golden Arm by the way!—or that we plan to watch before Milwaukee Film Festival is through.
• Billie
• Black Bear
• Chuck Berry
• Cicada
• Dark City: Beneath The Beat
• Dinner In America
• Dramarama
• Finding Yingying
• Golden Arm
• Growing Up Milwaukee
• Kuessipan
• Never Too Late: The Doc Severinsen Story
• Real Soul: A Gospel Music Story
• Shorts: The Best Damn F*#@ing Midnight Program Ever. Sh*t.
• The Capote Tapes
• The Donut King
• The Last Out
• Two Of Us
You can find the full 197-film lineup HERE. Want it in a printable PDF format? Click HERE. As for how to watch the films (what apps to use, time windows, etc.), please check out an incredibly handy guide HERE.
Other Movies Or TV Shows
Fargo on FX
One of the best shows on television is back, this time with a season based in Kansas City in the year 1950. The fifth episode aired last night (and is available on Hulu today) and things are really starting to get exciting. The fourth season features Chris Rock, Jason Schwartzman, Timothy Olyphant, Andrew Bird, Jessie Buckley, and an Italian guy that kind of looks and sounds like Jack Black doing the Nacho Libre voice. It’s good!
The Undoing on HBO
This Sunday (October 25), HBO will premiere a new series called The Undoing. Here’s the synopsis of the star-studded drama:
“Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, and Donald Sutherland star in this psychological thriller about a woman whose seemingly perfect life is upended by a very public disaster.”
Sounds pretty good, right?
Unsolved Mysteries Volume 2 on Netflix
The second volume of the newly-revived mystery show from the ’90s can be streamed on Netflix starting October 19. Call us when Hulu or Prime brings back Rescue 911.
Supermarket Sweep on ABC
Speaking of old shows that have been dusted off thanks to nostalgia (and the country’s abysmal response to a pandemic that makes game shows and reality TV the only new things that can be safely made), Supermarket Sweep is back. Leslie Jones is the host. Watch people run around a grocery store and compete to see who is the best consumer.
The Great British Baking Show Season 11 / Collection 8 on Netflix
When shit sucks as much as it does right now, we could all use the soothing serenity that only a British baking show can offer. The 11th season on The Great British Baking Show started streaming on Netflix in October. New episodes are available every Friday.
Podcasts
If you’re anything like us, you’re probably way behind on your podcasts. If that’s not the case and you’re looking for some to add to your arsenal, here are some we listen to when we have time:
• Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
• Comedy Bang Bang
• Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
• Doughboys
• Dumb People Town
• Entry Level with Brooks Wheelan
• High And Mighty
• How Did This Get Made?
• Off Book: The Improvised Musical
• Office Ladies
• Reply All
• The Dollop
• The Hard Times Podcast
• The Three Questions With Andy Richter
• Unspooled
• Vinyl Emergency
• Why Won’t You Date Me?
• WTF Podcast
• You Made It Weird
Oh, and if I may plug our own thing, we release a new podcast each and every Friday called My First Band. I’m very proud of it and it would mean a lot if you listened to it. Also, we have a Patreon-exclusive podcast called “From The Archives” in which Matt Wild and I talk in-depth about memorable articles from Milwaukee Record’s history. It’s fun!
New Music
At least COVID-19 can’t take recorded music away from us…yet. There are dozens upon dozens of new releases coming out Friday, October 23. Milwaukee’s own Soup Moat will be releasing its great Be Brave, Run Away. Chicago-based country artist David Quinn is releasing his awesome new record, Letting Go, this Friday as well. Beyond those two records we’ve heard and can personally endorse, you can also get new music from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Clipping., Jeff Tweedy, The Mountain Goats, PUP, among others.
Other
Still need some entertainment or other socially distant distractions from the modern day hell we can existence? Okay! Well, the Packers play the Houston Texans on Sunday. Saturday is the last day of the South Shore Farmer’s Market. You can (and really should) get carryout from a local restaurant and/or pick up beer from an area brewery. Do whatever you want, so long as you stay safe, keep your distance, and wear a goddamn mask. Good luck making it though another week, Milwaukee.