What to Watch this Week (3-10 Oct)
The best things to watch this week on the big screen, the small screen and your laptop screen, including John Malkovich playing characters from David Lynch films and Louis Theroux’s Scientology doc
What to watch online this week: John Malkovich playing David Lynch characters
Why has John Malkovich never been in a David Lynch movie? The veteran actor’s wild eyes, intense acting style and eccentric line delivery would have been a perfect fit for Lynch’s creepy worlds, as clips from new short film Psychogenic Fugue are proving. In the film, Malkovich can be seen playing several of Lynch’s most iconic characters, including detective Dale Cooper and the Log Lady from Twin Peaks, Henry Spencer and the Lady in the Radiator from Eraserhead, Frank Booth from Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man’s John Merrick and Lost Highway's terrifying Mystery Man. Most delightfully, Malkovich also plays Lynch himself. Each impression is spot on.
Over the last week, Malkovich's various vignettes have been made available to download and pay for to help raise money for the David Lynch Foundation. All scenes are now available to watch for free over at playinglynch.com complete with some new soundtracks, which include the likes of Zola Jesus covering In Heaven (for the Lady in the Radiator scene), Sky Ferreira doing a rendition of Blue Velvet (for the Frank Booth scene) and The Flaming Lips playing the score to The Elephant Man.
What to watch in cinemas: My Scientology Movie
Louis Theroux’s first documentary made for cinemas takes a comic spin on a subject that’s been well explored on the big screen, from PT Anderson’s The Master to Alex Gibney’s Going Clear.
The mischief-making documentarian opens his My Scientology Movie by saying it’s his “dream to see a more positive side of the church.” Suffice to say, with this muckraking look behind the curtain of L Ron Hubbard’s controversial religion, this dream doesn’t come to pass.
Much of the film takes the form of reenactments of alleged Scientology practices never seen outside the confines of the church, with Theroux bringing defrocked Scientologist Mark Rathbun in as a consultant and casting actors as key members of Scientology’s high command, including Tom Cruise and the organisation's current head honcho, David Miscavige. Some of these reenactment are hilarious, some explosive. Read our review.
Released 7 Oct by Altitude
Also worth a watch: The Girl on the Train
The massive bestseller about an alcoholic divorcee who thinks she's witnessed something terrible happen to the beautiful young woman who she spies on every day during her commute into London gets a glossy big screen adaptation from Tate Taylor, director of The Help.
The British tale has been moved to the States, which might take some of the sting out of the story: part of the fun of Paula Hawkins’ trashy thriller novel was in its details of British suburbia and commuter life. Emily Blunt, in the lead role, doesn't exactly fit the description of the book's overweight, binge-drinking protagonist either. We’re willing to take a punt, though.
Released 7 Oct by EOne
Also worth a watch: War on Everyone
John Michael McDonagh is back with a caustic comedy following two very bad lieutenants. Word of mouth has been mixed on The Guard and Calvary director’s first foray to Hollywood, but the casting of Michael Peña and Alexander Skarsgård, two of our favourite actors, as the misbehaving cops has more than piqued our interest.
What to stream this week: American Horror Story: Hotel
As , the sixth series of Ryan Murphy’s batshit horror anthology, heads to FX, the previous series, Hotel, comes to Netflix. There’s no Jessica Lange, who was the gloriously OTT heart of the first four series, in Hotel, but the award-winning turn by Lady Gaga as the titular hotel's vampiric owner reportedly makes up for the loss.