Weekend Watch: September 15, 2023
Trailblazing Black models, a migrant farmer's stellar voyage, Venetian hauntings, and the epic journey of a literary genius...
Hey there, TueNighters! As you all know, the TueNight team compiles a fantastic list of movie releases, series drops, and TV shows in our weekly TueDo List newsletter.
Here in the Weekend Watch, we get to dive even deeper into our recommendations and chat about what we're watching ā ready? Let's do this!
Here are this weekās picks:
Joyce Carol Oates: Body In The Service Of Mind (Theaters, Amazon, Apple TV): Literary icon Joyce Carol Oates is the author of more than 100 books, including Them, We Were the Mulvaneys, and Blonde. In this acclaimed documentary, JCO provides insight into her life, creative process, and the events that have shaped her writings, including the 1967 Detroit Riot, the Chappaquiddick incident, and the tragic life of Marilyn Monroe. Featuring readings by Oscar winner Laura Dern.
Don't miss out on the chance to experience this extraordinary documentary: Head over to the official website now to uncover where you can catch this incredible journey.
Donyale Luna: Supermodel (HBO Max): The documentary chronicles the remarkable life and career of Donyale Luna, the first Black model to grace the cover of both Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. Born Peggy Ann Freeman in Detroit, Michigan, Luna became a larger-than-life character who broke barriers in the fashion industry, challenged the prevailing ideals of beauty, and influenced culture ā all before her untimely death at age 33.
Via the press release: In revealing moments in the film, Lunaās daughter Dream Cazzaniga reads from Lunaās journals and a poetic portrait emerges of one of the first Black models to change the beauty paradigm, breaking down the doors of the white modeling world, inspiring generations to come, and leaving a far-reaching legacy.
Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction (Netflix): This period drama, based on famed Danish author Karen Blixen's book (published under the pen name Isak Dinesen), is set in the fairytale kingdom of Babenhausen. Cazotte (Mikkel Boe FĆølsgaard), a self-proclaimed love expert, is hired by the Grand Duchess (Sidse Babett Knudsen) to secure an heir. While searching for a future Princess, he teaches the introverted Crown Prince the art of seduction (Emil Aron Dorph). Their plan goes awry when an heir is conceived out of wedlock, forcing the royal family to seek refuge in Rosenbad Castle. Amidst royal family rivalries, Cazotte falls in love with the maid of honor, Ehrengard (Alice E. Bier ZandĆ©n), and realizes he's not the love expert he thought he was.
It's like Jane Austen stepped into the world of Bridgerton: where totally on board for the romance, scandal, and dry wit.
A Million Miles Away (Prime Video): Inspired by the real-life story of NASA flight engineer JosĆ© HernĆ”ndez and starring Michael PeƱa, the biopic follows HernĆ”ndez and his devoted family of proud migrant farm workers on a decades-long journey, from a rural village in MichoacĆ”n, Mexico, to the fields of the San Joaquin Valley, to more than 200 miles above the Earth in the International Space Station. With the unwavering support of his hard-working parents, relatives and teachers, JosĆ©ās unrelenting drive & determination culminates in the opportunity to achieve his seemingly impossible goal.
Based on JosĆ© HernĆ”ndez's memoir, āReaching for the Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut,ā acclaimed writer and director Alejandra MĆ”rquez Abella has created a dazzling tribute to the loyalty and tenacity of the entire HernĆ”ndez family, as well as anyone who dares to dream.
Invisible Beauty (Theaters): An essential memoir by fashion pioneer Bethann Hardison shines a spotlight on the singular and unapologetic figure she is ā one of the fashion industry's most influential icons. As a pioneering Black model, modeling agent, and entrepreneur, she has continually pushed the boundaries of fashion culture and remained at the forefront of progress throughout her career.
Throughout her lifetime, Hardison has seen the pendulum swing back and forth in the representation of Black models. In the face of every setback, she fearlessly spoke up and rallied her industry colleagues and clients to advance change. Now in her 70s, this Brooklyn native is authoring her memoir, reflecting on her own legacy at a time when the fashion industry shaken by discrimination.
Featuring intimate interviews with luminaries including Iman, Tyson Beckford, Tracee Ellis Ross, Zendaya, Fran Lebowitz, Pat Cleveland, Naomi Campbell, and Stephen Burrows: the documentary is an absorbing record of the racial evolution of fashion and an original contemplation on the life of an unparalleled trailblazer.
A Haunting in Venice (Theaters): Inspired by the Agatha Christie novel, Halloweāen Party. In this eerie post-World War II Venice tale, directed and starring Kenneth Branagh as detective Hercule Poirot, the celebrated sleuth is lured out of retirement by a brash mystery writer (Tina Fey). She challenges him to attend a sĆ©ance in a decaying, haunted palazzo, and determine if a psychic (Michelle Yeoh) is truly able to communicate with the dead, or how she achieves the ruse. But when a guest is murdered, Poirot is plunged into a world of shadows and secrets.
Critics Consensus via Rotten Tomatoes: A darker and spookier spin on Branagh's Poirot, A Haunting in Venice is a decent Halloween snack whose undemanding mystery gets a lift from nifty visuals and an all-star cast.