In the aftermath of Valentine’s Day, there is much preparation to be done for the coming year. The snow is melting as the weather warms up for springtime, and although Punxsutawney Phil cast a different omen for us, we’re beginning to see the grass again. If you celebrate Lunar New Year, look forward to the prosperous Year of the Horse and the influx of red envelope stimulus checks! Maybe you’re spending this week single and recovering from the onslaught of cute couples’ posts. Maybe you’re hunkering down for a week of midterms. Maybe you’re procrastinating calling your parents back home. Regardless of what it is you’re looking for, this week’s To Watch and Watch For has something for you.
If you’re looking for an action-packed, high-budget adventure, then Hong Kong martial arts veteran Yuen Woo-ping’s adaptation of the hit manhua Blades of the Guardians (Biao Ren) is sure to excite. Despite the movie’s former lead actress, Nashi, becoming embroiled in an internet scandal resulting in her removal from the movie, the Guardians’ star-studded cast is full of talent that is sure to more than make up for the last minute finalizations. For any fan of action movies, from Western epics to vintage Hong Kong martial arts classics, Blades of the Guardians is sure to make the must-watch list this week.
Even if you’re ruthlessly single, the cozy romance of Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter is sure to warm your heart. Although the prospect of a perfectionist, ruthlessly organized cat shelter manager and an egotistical, potentially evil wizard-landlord falling in love admittedly sounds slightly outlandish, Heather Fawcett manages to paint such vivid characters that you just can’t resist falling in love with them — even the cats!
Ever since Baby Keem made a splash in the rap scene with his debut album, The Melodic Blue, fans have been wanting for more of the braggadocious rapper’s hard-hitting verses for nearly five years. This Friday, the wait comes to an end with a tracklist featuring rap legends like Keem’s cousin Kendrick Lamar and West Coast pioneer Too $hort. Be sure to tune in to the long-awaited return of one of rap’s most entertaining acts!
If you’re looking for even more art this week, consider these additional recommendations:
To watch...
- Blades of the Guardians, directed by Yuen Woo-Ping — Feb. 17
- Scare Out, directed by Yimou Zhang — Feb. 17
- How to Make a Killing, directed by John Patton Ford — Feb. 20
- Psycho Killer, directed by Gavin Polone — Feb. 20
- The Dreadful, directed by Natasha Kermani — Feb. 20
To read...
- Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter, written by Heather Fawcett — Feb. 17
- Time for a Change, written by Questlove — Feb. 17
- When I Kill You, written by B.A. Paris — Feb. 17
- Where the Wildflowers Grow, written by Terah Shelton Harris — Feb. 17
- As I Grow, written by Elle Rivers — Feb. 20
To listen...
- Ca$ino, by Baby Keem — Feb. 20
- DISCOMBOBULATED, by Hen Ogledd — Feb. 20
- luck… or something, by Hilary Duff — Feb. 20
- Deface the Currency, by the Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis — Feb. 20
- No Lube So Rude, by Peaches — Feb. 20
Live events...
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Carl Phillips: Turnbull Lecture — Feb. 18 from 6–7 p.m. at Gilman Hall 50
- This event is free.
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The Great Escape! A Broadway Journey — Feb. 20–21 from 7:30–9:30 p.m. at Baltimore Theatre Project
- This event is $10 for students and $25 dollars for the general public.
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Shriver Hall Concert Series: Angela Hewitt, Piano — Feb. 22 from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Shriver Hall
- Hopkins students receive two complimentary tickets each.
