The weather outside is brutal. Any grocery store that isn't already shut down is so stripped of things to eat and drink it might as well be. Meanwhile, museums, movie theaters, major attractions — they're either closed or not worth potentially getting trapped for hours on an icy road to get to.
So let's face it: You're gonna be inside for much of the next few days. We've already given you some ideas of how to keep kids amused during Atlanta Snow 2017 . . but what about some entertainment options for adults?
RELATED: Alanta Snow: Georgia Aquarium and other attractions close early
No, not that kind of adult entertainment! Get your mind out of the gutter, and instead, make good use of these next few days to do some binge-watching, listen to music or even — gasp! — read a book. Everything here can be streamed, downloaded or seen via a simple click of the TV remote, so there’s no need to venture outside until spring returns.
You know, like on Tuesday.
WATCH THIS:
"Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds." 8 p.m Saturday, HBO. Filled with candid interviews, archival footage and family videos, this brand new documentary wasn't supposed to air until later this year. But with Fisher's and Reynold's deaths on two consecutive days in late December, the air date has been pushed up.
Want to see more of the mother-daughter acting team oncsreen ? Then rent or buy all the “Star Wars” movies on Amazon or iTunes — you can catch Fisher in her debut role as a teen in “Shampoo” as well. As for Reynolds, consider ordering up the movie that made her a star, “Singing in the Rain,” or the one that made audiences appreciate her all over again decades later in Albert Brooks’s hilarious “Mother.”
"Atlanta." Season One, Amazon Video. Catch up on the brilliant FX comedy series created by and starring Atlanta's own Donald Glover. You can buy Episode 1 for $1.99 - $2.99 (HD) or opt to gorge on the entire first season for $16.99 or $19.99 (HD). Find information here. Also available for purchase on iTunes, Google Play, YouTube and Vudu.
"Being Mary Jane" marathon. 9 a.m. Saturday - 2 a.m. Sunday, BET. With Season 4 set to debut on Tuesday, here's a chance to catch up on the hit show or see it for the first time. Seventeen episodes from Seasons 1 and 2 air back-to-back — with the added benefit that the action was set in and shot in Atlanta (Season 4 will see Gabrielle Union's character, Mary Jane Paul, relocated to New York City, sniff!)
Stallone-a-thon. Noon Sunday - 2 a.m. Monday, AMC. It starts with "First Blood," then is followed by all the "Rocky's" — from the original Oscar-winning film that introduced the lovable lug all the way through "Rocky V."
"One Day at a Time," Season One. Netflix. Not so much a remake of the beloved 1970s series that gave us a very young Valerie Bertinelli and Schneider the super as a reboot for a diversified America in the year 2017: Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado) is, again, a single mom raising two kids, but in this version, she has the fabulous Rita Moreno as her frequently underfoot Cuban born mother. The 13-episode series is getting great reviews.
"Homeland." First four seasons now streaming on Hulu. Because how better to spend a weekend inside than becoming immersed in this Showtime series about all the people "out there" who want to hurt us?
E! Live from the Red Carpet. 6 p.m. Sunday, E!. Oh, sure, you can and probably will watch The Golden Globes starting at 8 p.m. Sunday on NBC. Because after a weekend of lying around in your ratty old sweatpants, watching stars get dressed up and pretend it's an honor just to be nominated actually sounds like fun this year, right? But the best part of any Hollywood awards show is the pre-game show on E!, which has raised the "what are you wearing" ritual to an embarrassing art form that began with Joan Rivers and Kathy Griffin and has just become more over the top ever since. Two words: Mani-cam.
READ THIS
"Born to Run," by Bruce Springsteen. If you've been meaning to read The Boss's well-reviewed autobiography, there's no better time. Download it instantly from Amazon, Barnes and Noble.com or in the iTunes store, where you can also get the audiobook version or some Bruce tunes as well.
"The Art of the Deal" and "Great Again: How to Fix Our Crippled America" by Donald Trump. The first book arguably started the whole Trump phenomenon when it was published in 1987; the second one came out last summer, just a few months before the political outsider swept to victory on Election Day. With President elect Trump set to be inaugurated in a little over two weeks, a wintry weekend is an ideal time to find out more about what makes him tick. Without having to read through a bunch of Tweets, that is! Available everywhere you can download books.
Personal Journeys. www.myajc.com/living/personal-journeys. It ain't bragging if it's true, right? Every Sunday, this award winning feature from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution introduces readers to fascinating, inspiring or just plain unique people all around them. These longform narrative stories are deeply reported and beautifully illustrated with photographs and videos. Go to this page and lose yourself in them for awhile.
LISTEN TO THIS
Nothing, but nothing fills the hours like a good podcast. Or a deliciously "bad" podcast (we're looking at you, "In the Limelight," a weekly podcast from the folks at Vanity Fair that's mostly about pop culture and celebrity. The most recent episode "analyzed" Mariah Carey's train wreck New Year's Eve appearance, and previous ones have dug into Prince Harry's latest romance with a co-star of "Suits" on USA Network).
You can't go wrong with the somewhat more elevated "Wait Wait … Don't Tell Me" podcast from NPR. And how can you resist "Crimetown," a new podcast series from the creators of HBO's "The Jinx," that each season looks at "the culture of crime" in a different American city. Right now Providence R.I. is getting its unflattering closeup.
And don't forget about "Breakdown," the fascinating legal affairs-based podcast from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution which just wrapped up Season 2. That focused on Justin Ross Harris hot car death murder trial — through the ups and downs of a last-minuted surprise change of venue decision that moved the action ahead months and hundreds of miles to the Georgia coast. Only to be suprise delayed again by a hurricane evacuation. You can't make this stuff up, folks. Season 1 also is available. Find out all about it here.
CELEBRATE THIS
David Bowie would have turned 7o on Sunday — and Tuesday will mark the first anniversary of his death. Instead of being sad, why not celebrate the multifaceted artist's genius by downloading or streaming some of his best music ("Heroes," "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust," "Changes One," just to name a few), videos, or and movie and TV appearances ("The Hunger," "The Man Who Fell to Earth," "Twin Peaks Fire Walk with Me," and — last but certainly not least — "Zoolander.")
How good are your Atlanta Falcons this season? Good enough to have won the NFC South and gotten themselves a playoff bye while lesser teams battle in the Wild Card games this weekend. Are the Birds good enough to make it to the Super Bowl LI on Feb. 5? That remains to be determined — along with their opponent at home in a divisional round game next weekend. In the meantime, immerse yourself in Falcons world at www.atlantafalcons.com/media-lounge, where you'll find interviews, clips and video channels devoted to everything from game highlights and indepth features on players and coaches to the team's cheerleaders and what went on months ago during training camp.
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