What to watch while self-isolating

With the COVID-19 quarantine situation, people are staying at home with a curfew to prevent local contagion, and The Rider recommends solutions for those who are wondering what to do.

The Rider surveyed UTRGV students in a Facebook poll from last Sunday to today to share TV show and movie recommendations. In total, 56 recommendations were provided. In the top 5 are “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Stranger Things,” “Elite,” “You” and “The Office.”

For the full list, click here.

Ruben Garcia, a nutritional sciences sophomore, responded to the poll and gave three recommendations.

“‘The Masked Singer’ … I recommend it highly …  because I like the mystery of it,” Garcia said. “You don’t know who’s singing … in the competition and it is surprising when you get to know who that is.” 

The television series is an American reality singing competition aired on Fox and available on Hulu.

Garcia also recommended “Narcos: Mexico” and “Luis Miguel: The Series” which are available on Netflix. 

“I’m impressed with the acting, especially by Diego Luna,” he said about “Narcos: Mexico.” 

Garcia said watching “Luis Miguel: The Series,” is going to be nostalgic for those who grew up with the Mexican singer’s music. He added those who do not know the story will be surprised to learn about his life from his childhood until he became an adult.

Diego Boneta does a good job at portraying Luis Miguel as an adult, according to Garcia.

Theatre Associate Professor and Director David Carren advises students to have access to providers and streaming sites like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.

“Science fiction can be fun like the old ‘Star Trek’ episodes,” Carren said. “I’ve been watching those again lately.”

He suggested watching something that is life affirming and heartwarming or that is far away from reality. 

Asked about his favorite movie, Carren replied, “‘Seven Samurai’ is the greatest movie ever made in Japan. … It’s funny. It’s scary. It’s heartwarming, and it makes you cry all at the same time.”

He specified the movie everyone should watch is the 1954 version directed by Akira Kurosawa.

Ed Cameron, a literature and cultural studies professor, sent The Rider three movie recommendations available on the Kanopy streaming service.

Cameron said “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” is an independent film that functions as an homage to the city of San Francisco, through “breathtaking, extreme long shots … great images of its architecture.” He also mentioned the city’s gentrification problem is all wrapped into a compelling drama.

He said the movie “Midsommar” presents an interesting spin on the horror genre. Even though the movie takes place in and around the summer solstice in Sweden, the film is in English, Cameron said. Also, the movie takes place during the light of day adding a paradoxically eerie element.

Cameron also recommended the suspenseful film “The Hitchhiker” directed by Ida Lupino. It is an old classic film noir and is considered one of the border noirs as it takes place near and on both sides of the U.S. and Mexico border, he said.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary website, defines a film noir as “a type of crime film featuring cynical malevolent characters in a sleazy setting and an ominous atmosphere that is conveyed by shadowy photography and foreboding background music.”

Students, faculty and staff can access the Kanopy streaming service on the UTRGV Library database listings at utrgv.libguides.com. 

According to the Kanopy website, students can “find movies, documentaries, foreign films, classic cinema, independent films and educational videos that inspire, enrich and entertain.” The streaming service is offered on TV, mobile phone, tablets and online.

Linda Belau, a literature and cultural studies professor, also shared with The Rider her movie and TV show recommendations. 

Belau agrees everyone who is in self-quarantine should take advantage of this opportunity to engage with films that push their regular boundaries. 

She provided a list of her suggestions into six categories. 

Classic Hollywood Cinema: “Casablanca,” “Vertigo,” “Double Indemnity” and “Citizen Kane.”

Fun Romance: “Hope Floats,” “Say Anything” and “Lost in Translation.”

Comedy/Dramedy: “Midnight Run,” “In Bruges” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”

Uplifting: “Rocky,” “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Silver Linings Playbook.”

Horror: “It Follows,” “The Mist,” “Psycho” and “Midsommar.”

Television: “Sharp Objects,” “Bates Motel,” “Reprisal,” “Game of Thrones,” “Orphan Black,” “Twin Peaks,” “Twin Peaks: The Return” and “Big Little Lies.”

Belau recommended watching Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960s “Psycho” before watching “Bates Motel.”

Asked about how much time students should spend watching TV shows and movies, Carren replied, “I would hope that whatever their major is … I would hope that they wouldn’t lose track of that. That they spend at least a chunk everyday at their work, at their classes.”

There are many movies and shows anyone can watch on their corresponding sites. However, as Carren said, be careful not to lose track of classes.