? ON THE TUBE TONIGHT-
(all times CLT)

A much-anticipated sequel to the 2020 hit, The Platform 2 returns to the dystopian world of concrete cells and floating food. It’s an interesting watch, but unfortunately, doesn’t quite capture the brilliance of its predecessor.

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The sequel follows the same structure. Taking place in the dystopian prison known as “the pit,” inmates are confined in individual cells on descending floors. Each day, a platform filled with food is lowered, and by the time it makes its way to the bottom levels, the food has run out — leading to starvation and desperation for those below. This time, we meet Perempuan (Milena Smit) and her cellmate Zamiatan (Hovik Keuchkerian) on level 24.

The inmates have implemented a new system called "the law," which dictates that each person can only eat the food they chose upon entering the prison. While this aims to create a sense of fairness, it quickly proves to be ineffective. As the plot unfolds, we see the inmates struggle to survive under “the law,” at the mercy of those above in a thinly veiled critique of capitalism and the class system.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can watch the movie on Netflix or watch the trailer on YouTube (runtime: 2:39).

⚽ Champions League nights are back with nine anticipated matches in the roster tonight kicking off matchday 3 of the group stage, headlined by Real Madrid’s game against Dortmund at 10pm.

The rest of the matches include:

• Monaco vs. Red Star Belgrade (7:45pm)
• AC Milan vs. Club Brugge (7:45pm)
• Arsenal vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (10pm)
• Juventus vs. Stuttgart (10pm)
• Sturm Graz vs. Sporting Lisbon (10pm)
• Paris Saint-Germain vs. PSV Eindhoven (10pm)
• Girona vs. Slovan Bratislava (10pm)
• Aston Villa vs. Bologna (10pm)

? OUT AND ABOUT-
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HAPPENING THIS WEEK-

Run for a cause. CairoRunners are hosting Run4Her on Friday, 25 October at ZED park to support breast cancer patients. The run will start at 8am. Pre-registration is required.

The celebration of music continues at the Arab Music Festival. The festival’s lineup includes Medhat Saleh, Ali El Haggar, Abeer Nehme, Wael Jassar, Lotfi Bouchnak, and more. The festival will run until Thursday, 24 October — tickets can be booked through Tazkarti.

For the love of tapestry. Today in History is Amsterdam-based Egyptian artist Dina Danish’s first exhibition in Egypt in nearly a decade. Composed of a collection of appliqué tapestries that resemble medieval banners, the exhibition is still open at the Gypsum Gallery till Saturday, 30 October.

The fourth edition of Forever is Now is approaching. This year, a lineup of 12 global visionary artists are ready to display their work at the iconic Pyramids of Giza — including two groundbreaking AI-powered projects. The exhibition will start on Thursday, 24 October and continue till Saturday, 16 November.

The largest collection of prints in the country. Cairopolitan is bringing together a collection of artwork from over 180 local and regional artists to display in the Cairo Prints Exhibition. The gallery will be open from tomorrow till Monday, 18 November in Garden City.

HAPPENING LATER-

Zawya goes to Gouna (again): Zawya Cinema is preparing to screen a selection of films submitted to the Gouna Film Festival 2024 starting on Sunday, 27 October, to Saturday, 2 November. You can find the screening schedule on Zawya’s official Instagram account.

Did somebody say cheese? The third edition of Egypt Cheese Festival will begin on Thursday, 31 October at Al Horreya Garden. This is the only dairy and cheese festival in Egypt and the Middle East so prepare to witness all the different sorts of this delicious delicacy. The festival will last till Sunday, November 3.

Prepare for the sixth edition of The Marakez Pyramids Half Marathon, organized by the TriFactory. Pick your race of choice and start training, because the marathon will take place on Saturday, 14 December. Note: Ticket prices will increase in a week, so get in line for early bird registration on the marathon’s website.

Egypt’s premier electro and dance music event. Witness immersive visuals and soundscapes with an electrifying lineup of international and local artists at the Aura Music Festival. The festival will take place on Friday, 13 December at Lac Du Caire. Tickets are available at Collard Tickets.

Enjoy some authentic Egyptian vocals with Saad Eloud. The live show will take place on Thursday, 7 January at Theatro Arkan. Grab your tickets through Ticketsmarche.

? EARS TO THE GROUND-

The darker side of the music industry. Disgraceland offers captivating stories about the scandals and controversies surrounding musicians, diving into musicians’ darker moments. Each episode features a different artist or story, spanning various decades and genres.

Not a gossip sesh. What’s interesting is that this isn’t a gossip podcast, each narrative is told with a level of respect that acknowledges the human experience behind the fame. Host Jake Brennan brings a certain charisma to the storytelling. His deep knowledge of musical history and thorough research on each story allows him to present these tales in a refreshing light, avoiding the cliché pitfalls and rumors.

We need to talk about Travis Scott. One episode that stood out was about Astroworld, a 2021 concert held by US rapper Travis Scott in 2021, during which at least eight people were killed and many more injured in a crowd crush. Brennan relayed the narrative in second person, immersing the listener into the scene. Backed up by sound effects and music, the episode made for a unique listen.

The bummer: You’ll have to subscribe. While some episodes are available for free, a large portion is locked behind paywalls on platforms like Amazon and Apple Podcasts. This limited accessibility lowers its appeal, especially considering that the free episodes include frequent segments advertising the paid versions.

WHERE TO FIND IT- You can listen to Disgraceland on Apple Podcasts, Deezer, AmazonMusic, iHeart, and Audible.