You Need to Check Out 'Game of Thrones' and More This Weekend

Looking for some stuff to catch up on this weekend? Whether it's TV, movies, books, or anything in between—VICE has you covered. Read on for our staff recommendations on what to take in during your downtime:

It's back! You know what it is: Game of Thrones. The big dragon show with the people who have swords and sometimes very little clothes. The seventh season of GoT swoops in like a big old dragon this Sunday, and there are lots of questions on enterprising fans' minds: Will Farstia save the kingdom of Jibberwidth from total annihilation at the hands of the Melkensteins? Is King Diptherdamus really dead? And what of the mystical land of Capcordia, home of the generous and patient Capcordian peoples? Is it obvious I don't watch the show? Why don't you just watch it for yourself if you love it so much, then? —Larry Fitzmaurice, Senior Culture Editor, Digital

The lesbian romance in 1986's Desert Hearts still feels remarkable, even in 2017. When uptight professor Vivian (Helen Shaver) heads to Reno to get a divorce from her husband, she mets a younger, free-spirited casino worker/artist Cay (Patricia Charbonneau) and the two are quickly drawn to each other. But, of course, there are issues: Vivian doesn't think she's gay and certainly doesn't want her peers to find out; Frances (Audra Lindley), owner of the divorce ranch is a mother figure to Cay but still doesn't approve of her sexuality—or her attraction to Vivian. But Viv and Cay still embark on a hesitant, awkward, and loving relationship—albeit one with plenty of bumps. The result isn't exactly the best movie ever made, but it stands out for its quiet and passionate tenderness. But Donna Deitch's film has reached cult status, particularly in the queer community, and IFC is celebrating the film by screening it in new 4K resolution next week. —Pilot Viruet, Associate Culture Editor

A new hour-long special from the same brilliant minds that brought us 2015's 7 Days in Hell, Tour De Pharmacy is basically nonstop jokes crafted around the ridiculous premise of a Tour de France in which almost every rider (except five) is disqualified due to drug use. It sounds stupid, and it is stupid—gloriously so. There's John Cena swinging a naked man around on his shoulders, a Finnish credit card commercial focusing on oral sex, Andy Samberg as a white guy riding for Africa, and a Lance Armstrong cameo. (Really!) If you find yourself bummed out by the world (who doesn't?) and need to just laugh until you have a headache, reach for this immediately. —LF

The most recent iteration of the long-running Planet of the Apes franchise has been one of the strongest blockbuster film trilogies in recent memory, and it all comes to a head with Matt Reeves's War for the Planet of the Apes (in theaters today). The titular "war" in question refers to the ongoing post-apocalyptic struggle between the apes and the humans to regain and retain some semblance of control over the state of the world—a bleak concept, and big-budget Hollywood films have certainly been in no short supply of bleakness as of late. But doom and gloom isn't necessarily the main draw of War for the Planet of the Apes. Reeves's films in particular—War and 2014's Rise of the Planet of the Apes—have paired some spectacular photography with absolutely captivating scenes of CGI apes communicating with one another, largely non-verbally. The visual effects that go into creating such a mesmerizing spectacle are impressive in their own right, but it's impossible to forget that there's a flesh-and-blood human being behind our ape protagonist Caesar: veteran actor Andy Serkis, who previously (and iconically) portrayed Sméagol/Gollum in the Lord of the Rings franchise. Read my interview with Serkis here. —LF