What to Watch on TV this Weekend: Chloe's Guide

July 8 –10, 2016

Here are a few suggestions for what to watch on the upcoming, post-Independence Day weekend.

The Matrix (1999)

Friday, July 8 – AMC – 5 p.m.

The first time I watched "The Matrix" was the summer before my last semester of college, and I binge-watched the entire saga in one sitting, including The Animatrix. Siblings Lana and Lily Wachowski – the driving forces behind Netflix's Sense8 and V for Vendetta, popularized the visual effect of "bullet time." "Bullet time" is represented by the slow-motion progression of a given action while the camera continues to film at normal speed. The Matrix, a neo-noir cyberpunk film, features Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano and Carrie-Anne Moss, leading the viewer through a story centered on computer programmer Thomas Anderson (Reeves), who leads a double life under the hacker alias of "Neo," and the journey on which his life is unexpectedly taken after he is entreated by hacker Trinity (Moss) and her partner, Morpheus (Fishburne). The film explores the subjects of existentialism, fate versus freewill and the blurred line between humans and machines.

Outcast

Friday, July 8 – Cinemax – 10 p.m.

Despite a very active and deep-seated interest in comics, specifically the DC Universe and even more specifically Catwoman, I am a newcomer to the comic book scene. I was introduced to it through Paul Dini's Gotham City Sirens during the fall of 2014. Films based on comic books (e.g. the X-Men saga, Deadpool and all things Batman), therefore, always catch my eye. Most recently, I have found myself captivated by supernatural horror drama Outcast, based on writer Robert Kirkman's (The Walking Dead) eponymous series. Outcast follows Kyle Barnes, played by Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous), a young man whose life has been plagued by possession since his childhood. He returns to his hometown after years of separation, only to discover that history is repeating itself. Outcast is creepy, raw, layered and has the potential to haunt the thoughts of its viewers with eerie fascination.

Men in Black

Saturday, July 9 – Freeform (formerly the Fox Family Channel) – 4:45 p.m.

Here they come!

A classic of its time and arguably the most successful of its trilogy, Men in Black paved the way for other films of a similar nature, such as R.I.P.D., Paul and Galaxy Quest, all of which comprise a cast of humans selected to work alongside alien beings or otherwise within a world that abnormal creatures exist among the human race. However, Men in Black makes it look good. The film, as it were, is loosely adapted from the Lowell Cunningham comics published in 1990. Starring actors Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, the story follows two agents of a secret organization who supervise extraterrestrial lifeforms, the latter of which who live on Earth while hiding their true appearances. Vincent D'Onofrio stars as the plot's main antagonist. I remember watching this film for the first time once it had been released to VHS during the days of video store rentals that have since died.

Preacher

Sunday, July 10 – AMC – 9 p.m.

A newcomer to AMC's Sunday-night lineup, Preacher is a rising star on a channel known for a roster of viewer favorites, such as Mad Men and Breaking Bad. Preacher, starring Dominic Cooper (Warcraft, My Week with Marilyn, Captain America), is an adaptation of a comic book series of the same name. First published by DC Comics's Vertigo imprint in 1995, it's a supernatural dark comedy centering on small-town preacher Jesse Custer. Custer is a man with a colored past and on his quest to find God discovers something far more anomalous. Actor and comedian Seth Rogen serves as one of the series' developers alongside Sam Catlin and Evan Goldberg.

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