Movies, TV, music and books we're into this week

Surface Laptop on desk
Surface Laptop on desk (Image credit: Windows Central)

The workweek is winding down. For many of us, that means it's almost time to chill out. And even if you work on Saturdays or Sundays, you still need a good movie, show, book or album to decompress with after your shift, right?

We can help. As always on Fridays, the good writers and editors from Windows Central rounded up all the media we're into right now.

And if this isn't enough to sate your thirst for quality material to consume, hit the link below to see all our past recommendations.

More media recommendations from Team Windows Central

Movies

Mid90s

Recommended by Al Sacco, managing editor

Mid90s is a film about a bunch of stoner skateboarders in New York in the middle of the 1990s. Having been a stoner skateboarder American in the '90s, this one immediately called out to me. And for the most part, it captured the era effectively. The music in particular, from hip-hop groups such as The Pharcyde and The Wu-Tang Clan, really brought me back to 'the good ol' days.'It's not a light film, though it is funny at times. In fact, it's pretty heavy, and it deals with issues like race, class, gender and coming-of-age sexuality. It kind of feels like a rip off of Larry Clark's popular film 'Kids,' but it's original enough that it doesn't seem like an exact clone.If you lived in the '90s at all, chances are you'll appreciate some of the nostalgia factor. And even if not, it's a good film with likable, if imperfect, characters and a great soundtrack.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Recommended by Rich Edmonds, Staff reviewer

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a classic comedy movie set in the dark and grim Middle Ages, based on the Arthurian legend. Starring the excellent Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, Monty Python parodies King Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail.This movie is as hilarious as it is outrageous. The material is fantastic and the Monty Python crew perform to create a continued flow of laughs. One of my all-time favorites, you absolutely have to see this film if you enjoy a giggle and have yet to witness classic British humor.

Fargo

Recommended by Dan Thorp-Lancaster, news editor

I've been catching up with the Fargo TV show lately, which made me want to go back and watch the original movie from 1996.Starring William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, and Steve Buscemi, Fargo is a story of a crime gone wrong in the snow-covered land of North Dakota. When William H. Macy's character relies on two bumbling criminals to execute a kidnapping of his own wife, hoping to collect a healthy ransom from his father-in-law, the scheme is gradually unravelled by an exceptionally perceptive policewoman played by Frances McDormand.Despite the serious drama of Fargo's plot, it's full of oddball humor and quirkiness, largely thanks to its small-town setting. If you've never given Fargo a watch, the dead of winter is a great time to do so. And if it strikes your fancy, the TV show, which is related in name and setting only, is definitely worth checking out.

TV

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

Recommended by Cale Hunt, staff writer

I'm a big fan of Charlie Brooker (and his good pal and documentarian Adam Curtis) and his Black Mirror TV project, the latest installment being Bandersnatch. Instead of being a normal show, it involves the viewer in a sort of choose-your-own-adventure deal that ties itself into the plot itself.Bandersnatch is about a young programmer attempting to break into the 1984 video game industry by creating an adaptation of a fantasy book his mom had read before her death. It's clear that the main character isn't quite mentally stable to begin with, and once you start messing with his life, he only spirals deeper. There are a bunch of different real and false endings you can arrive at, warranting more than a couple of playthroughs.

See at Netflix

Music

ONEPOINTFIVE — Aminé

Recommended by Matt Brown, Staff Writer

As its title alludes, ONEPOINTFIVE falls between the debut album and impending follow-up from Portland-based rapper Aminé. Building notoriety for his upbeat, "genuine" identity, this latest project melds self-aware lyrics with his signature style. Personal highlights include WHY, REEL IT IN, and the heartfelt DR. WHOEVER.

Recommended by Richard Devine, reviews editor

Coming after Enema of the State was always going to be a big ask, but fast forward from my teenage years and I probably prefer listening to this album more now than I did back then. I actually recently snagged a copy on vinyl which has rekindled a love I'd almost forgotten for this quite silly, but enormously fun album. The video for "The Rock Show" is pretty fantastic, too!

Books

Duma Key — Stephen King

Recommended by Al Sacco, managing editor

Mobile Nation (MoNa), Windows Central's parent company, is about to embark on its semi-annual team offsite extravaganza, which we call MoNaCon. And this year, we're all headed to the Florida Gulf Coast for a week of teambuilding, strategizing and general shenanigans. So I kind of have Florida on the brain this week.When I was looking for my next book to read, Stephen King's Duma Key, which takes place on a secluded island just off Florida's Gulf Coast, came to mind. It's the story of a construction mogul critically injured in an accident on a building site. He loses an arm, much of the use of a leg, and it totally messes up his head, to the point that he can't maintain a relationship with his family and he needs to get away from everything. So he rents a massive house on a Florida "key," or island, called Duma Key.Everything seems great at first; it's quiet and peaceful and just what he needs to rehab. However, when he starts painting pictures that seem to be predicting the future, things get a little … weird. It's not King's best book, but it's one of the few that are set in Florida. And it's definitely working for me right now.

WC Staff