If you’re like me, that new-school-year excitement is probably beginning to wear off and that wtf-this-school-stuff-is-really-hard-work feeling is settling in. You don’t really have time to go to the movies, but…you’ll probably do it anyways. Check out this week’s picks if you’re in need of a quick break from midterm review and essay writing. They’ll still be there when you  get back.

Gravity

I saw this movie in 3D earlier in the week and let me tell you, it’s one you don’t want to miss. The special effects are mind blowing and the landscapes (spacescapes?) are absolutely breathtaking. “Gravity” is one of the most visually stunning films I’ve ever seen, but be warned, its not for the high of blood pressure. This movie is really stressful to watch — what with the constant threat of being impaled by Russian shrapnel or the fact that Sandra Bullock’s character is almost always moments away from suffocation — but the payoff is worth it.

Harold and Maude

The PFA is hosting a free outdoor screening of the 1971 cult comedy, “Harold and Maude,”  this Friday at 7:30 on the Crescent Lawn. Grab your blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy the story of a death-obsessed teen who falls for a seventy-nine-year-old anarchist. The film was shot in the San Francisco Bay Area, so keep an eye out for familiar scenes.

R.Kelly Trapped in the Closet Sing-Along

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFosUj6A22c

I didn’t make this up, although I wish I had. Hip-Hopera fans can sing along to the melodrama that is R.Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet” music video saga this Saturday night at Oakland’s New Parkway Theater. Expect a “Rocky Horror Picture Show” experience, only about 100 times funnier.