Missed out on entertainment news this summer because you were out of the country or your office manager was big brothering your Internet usage? Turn back the clock on summer with my recommendations for summer 2011.
Album of the Summer: “Torches” by Foster the People
If you haven’t already gotten your hands on breakout band Foster the People’s debut album, put on those pumped up kicks and go get it. Danceable, light and fresh, “Torches” is the perfect album to put you back in a breezy summer mood when the mid-quarter deluge of midterms starts to get you down.
Jaunty tracks like “Pumped Up Kicks” and “Helena Beat” are sure to please fans of Passion Pit and Matt & Kim while remaining more pop palatable for those who are less indie-inclined. My personal favorite is the springy, albeit corny, song “I Would Do Anything for You,” which puts me back into the beach tripping, cocktail sipping mindset of summer.
Movie of the Summer: “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”
Directorial team Glenn Ficcarra and John Requa’s film may be missing a conjunction, but it’s certainly not lacking in heart. “Crazy, Stupid, Love” is the epitome of a summer movie light enough to leave you feeling cheery and deep enough to make you feel good about recommending it to your friends. The film draws you in with its fresh humor and honest rendering, while maintaining all the indulgent optimism you want in a romantic comedy.
An undeniable strength of this movie is its cast. Steve Carell anchors the movie, although its minor characters are the funniest: Marisa Tomei and Liza Lapira bring some of the loudest laughs. Emma Stone’s trademark quirky charm and candor, which won audiences over in “Easy A,” will draw you in if Gosling’s Abercrombie model-shaming abs haven’t already.
Substance-wise, the film delivers, almost allowing me to forgive Steve Carell for leaving “The Office” to do movies. I like how the film self-consciously flirts with cliché, ultimately escaping it. The dowdy dad is transformed into a sleek heartbreaker, but really remains dowdy all along; the cheating wife is undeniably blameworthy, but is humanized rather than vilified; the misogynistic player is reduced to a lovesick boyfriend, but not excessively so. The magic is in how the characters are hilariously and tumultuously brought together.
TV Show of the Summer: “Weeds”
If you haven’t been watching “Weeds” for the past seven seasons, don’t worry; the show has spiraled off in so many different directions that it almost doesn’t matter where you start watching. But be warned, once you do, it might be hard to stop. A multitude of colorful characters, outrageous plot lines and the writers’ fondness for maddening cliffhangers are more than enough to keep you addicted to “Weeds.”
In this season, suburban housewife-turned-pot-dealer Nancy Botwin is released from prison and relocates to New York City, where she attempts to rebuild the broken pieces of her family and business. “Weeds” had grown disappointing in previous seasons, as plot-lines grew darker and more outlandish, inciting talks about cancellation. However, this season has improved considerably as Nancy and the gang are back to their hell-raising selves, ensuring another season of “Weeds” next summer.
Natalie Friedman is a Weinberg senior.
She can be reached at [email protected].
