Though some students may be jetting off toward booze-filled horizons this Spring Break, plenty of the UB population will be wrapped up in the warmth of their comforters, settling in for a long week of doing nothing.
But lying around can only last for so long - idle thumbs will start to twitch, and you're going to need something to keep you entertained. Make sure all charging equipment is within reach, load up the snacks and make Netflix your best friend for the week.
"Breaking Bad"
If you somehow missed the "Breaking Bad" phenomena of the past few years, Netflix can help you mend the error.
The show follows the transformation of Walter White (Bryan Cranston), who turns from a middle class, high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with cancer to a meth-cooking drug dealer who goes by the name "Heisenberg."
Not surprisingly, White and his ex-student and new drug partner Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) face a multitude of violent and dramatic challenges as they embark on their lives of crime.
The acting is phenomenal, the storyline is in-depth and twisted and the emotions run high - it's a must watch.
If after a few episodes, "Breaking Bad" doesn't seem to strike you as an interesting show, "Orange Is The New Black," "House of Cards"and "American Horror Story"are all credible dramas on Netflix that offer hours of suspense-filled entertainment.
"Sherlock"
If you only have a few days to devote to Netflix, the BBC drama "Sherlock" will have you on the edge of your seat (or bed) as Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Dr. Watson (Martin Freeman) try to keep the London's law and order in check from the ever-manic 221B Baker Street.
Writer Steven Moffat has modernized the traditional Sherlock Holmes tales for a 21st century audience. It's witty, clever in its complexity and utterly addictive.
Netflix has the first two seasons for your viewing pleasure, which clocks in at nine hours of viewing time. What's nine hours in a 216-hour Spring Break?
Unfortunately, the cliffhanger at the end of series two may send you into a state of Sherlock mania - which will mean that the next few days will be spent furiously searching the Internet for answers.
Like Crazy
Like Crazy is a beautiful film. It follows the relationship of an English exchange student in the United States (Felicity Jones) and her American boyfriend (Anton Yelchin) as they try to make their long distance relationship work.
There's no urgency to this movie - the audience walks alongside the couple through their ups and downs. But on that stroll, you feel the insane desire to take them both by the shoulders and shake some sense into them. But they're young; they have to figure it out themselves.
The film offers an intimate look into a couple's problems. The audience is let into their struggles and their hesitations. Who knows what the ending means - it's sad and it's hopeful all at once.
The Breakfast Club
A Netflix list wouldn't be complete without a classic and The Breakfast Club is '80s America at its best.
A weekend detention begins the perhaps short-lived breakdown of the infamous high school clique system. The word "perhaps" is important in that sentence - you never find out if the characters talk again. It's one of those films that gets the audience thinking about themselves in high school, now and in the future.
The characters' innocence, contrasted with their complexity and education, makes for hilarious dialogue. There are quotable scenes aplenty, quirky '80s dancing and heartwarming problems exposed - all topped off by the empowering, end-scene fist pump.
Now, what if you want another taste of the '80s? Ferris Bueller's Day Off is another classic, with fewer tears and a few more laughs. This film will give you an idea of why both films were an integral part of the decade.
Raging Bull
Sports movies may not be everybody's favorite - but Raging Bull gets inside the athlete's head, not the game. This film's deep.
Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, this boxing film explores gender stereotypes and the ugliness of the stereotypical masculinity of the '70s and '80s.
Alongside its social complexes, Scorsese's direction is something to be marveled in this picture. It's a sports film shrouded in art.
The Avengers
If New York City was your unfulfilled Spring Break destination, Marvel Studio's The Avengers will raise your NYC and give you the city equipped with an all-star lineup of superheroes.
Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) team up to save the planet from Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his deluded plans of destruction.
It's 143-minutes of funny, action-packed entertainment that will make you want to don a mask and save the world.
But you won't - the motivation will probably start to dwindle after you've tidied the food wrappers from around your bed.
email: arts@ubspectrum.com
