Looking for some stuff to catch up on this weekend? Whether it’s TV, movies, books, or anything in between—VICE has you covered. Read on for our staff recommendations on what to take in during your downtime:
Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri
Martin McDonagh has been doing the good-writing thing for a minute now. He’d already established himself as a top-tier playwright before striking out into filmmaking with 2008’s In Bruges, and his third film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, has garnered awards buzz and anticipatory chatter from strong festival showings and dynamite trailers. Plus, Frances McDormand apparently kicks ass in it. Why wouldn’t she? —Larry Fitzmaurice, Senior Culture Editor, Digital
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Thelma
If you liked Carrie for the coming-of-age quarrels but wish it cut back on the camp, consider checking out Thelma this weekend. The new film from Norwegians Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt is something of a queer horror revelation, featuring breakout performances from newcomers Eili Harboe and musician Kaya Wilkins, and the kind of horrific cinematography that’ll haunt you long after its supremely satisfying finale. Read our interview with Trier and Vogt here. —Emerson Rosenthal
Kurdish Film and Cultural Festival
In September, Turkey-born British Kurdish filmmaker Mehmet Aksoy was killed while filming soldiers fighting ISIS in Syria. If you haven’t heard of him until now, scratch your plans and head instead to the Kurdish Film and Cultural Festival, a collaborative effort between the North America Rojava Alliance (NARA) and New York DIY-er incubator, 8 Ball Community. Come for the films, including the “Kafka-esque” Come to My Voice, and stay for traditional music and dance performances, talks on the philosophy of Rojava, and a sampling of Kurdish “smuggler’s tea.” The festival kicks off on Friday with a celebration of Aksoy’s life, including screenings of the films he was killed for creating. Festivities take place at Alwan for the Arts. Click here for more info. —Beckett Mufson
Dylan Kraus – Night Light
Opening Saturday night at Entrance in the Lower East Side is Night Light, a show of paintings by the New York-based multi-hyphenate artist Dylan Kraus. New York by way of Ohio, Kraus is an outlier of the highest order: a psychedelic shaman with a stick ‘n’ poke flash sheet; a Rorschach inkblot that looks like Alfred E. Newman; Fragonard on extra-strength Blue Dream. Sure, it’s a downtown art opening on a weekend, so you can fully expect “emperor’s new clothiers” to be out in droves—but you’re not going an art show for the people… are you? Either way, you’re likely to meet a lot of characters in New York, but you’re not gonna meet anyone who doesn’t believe in Dylan. Click here to learn more. —ER
The Summoning
Fans of Adventure Time and Steven Universe should know Cartoon Hangover. The YouTube channel dedicates itself to cranking out imaginative, diverse, and emotionally-intelligent miniseries like Bravest Warriors and Bee and Puppycat. This week’s offering is called The Summoning, and it follows the goofy antics of a feline witch on the hunt for potion ingredients. Created by Australian animator Elyse Castro and directed by Natasha Allegri, The Summoning marks the debut of a new anthology series called GO! Cartoons, produced by Sony Animation Studios and Frederator. Each week, a different creator and director will team up to tell a story in a unique universe on YouTube (did I mention it’s free? It’s free!). If you click with The Summoning, the next episode, Alison and David Cowles’s Boots, airs November 21. —BM
Joey Frank & Daniel Kent – Peas and Carrots
Chances are you’re not working from 9 to 5 this evening, so why not head to a Bushwick gallery called Orgy Park to shoot some pool and get your fill of late era high-conceptualism? Peas and Carrots is a show by Joey Frank and Daniel Kent that bills itself as a continuation of “the duo’s thematic exploration of man’s relationship with the terms of engagement, rules, and bureaucracy: being the good member of society,” which is basically just a fancy way of saying “pushing the limits until you’re not really sure they exist anymore.” Anarchy? Better! It’s (overnight) art. Click here for more info. —ER
No Vacancy III
A building full of empty studio spaces will be transformed into a massive popup art show this weekend. No Vacancy III is the third (duh) in a series by curator duo Alison Sirico and Irina Makarov, a.k.a., ALT ESC. Their specialty is finding cool, affordable spaces to show off art, and throwing wicked parties to pay for it all. On Friday night, Bushwick’s Studio 929 will be open until at least 3 AM, with DJs including Bearcat (Discwoman) and Basque industrial/melodic darkwave DJ Ne/Re/A. Come to check out work by luminaries like Rachel Rossin and Pussykrew, and stay to discover the artists who will be on everyone’s lips in a year or two. There are also curatorial projects by MSHR and Stephanie Hier, which you won’t want to miss. No Vacancy III runs November 10–12. Learn more here. —BM
