Each week within this column we strive to pair the latest in theatrical releases to the worthwhile titles currently available on Netflix Instant Watch.
This week Mel Gibson tries to win back the love of moviegoers by returning to theaters, where he and his hand puppet will do battle with a vagrant whose armed to the teeth, a Viking whose wielding a mighty hammer, and a wavering pair of lovers. If you want to fill your weekend with superheroes, imaginary friends, cheating partners and exploitation action stars, we’ve got you covered!
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Thor
Marvel continues their Avengers franchise with this fish-out-of-water adventure that posits the Viking warrior in modern-day America. Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings co-star.
Superman: The Movie (1978) Arguably the first superhero movie of note, this Richard Donner-directed adventure pits the Man of Steel (Christopher Reeve) against the nefarious Lex Luther (Gene Hackman). Margot Kidder co-stars as whiz reporter Lois Lane.
Hellboy (2004) If you like your superhero with a chip on his shoulder, try this tale of the ultimate outsider. Born to literally raise hell, Hellboy (Ron Perlman) rejects his infernal birthright in favor of following the path of his adopted father (John Hurt). Of course his brand of heroism entails a disrespect of authority and massive property damage. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, this superhero flick is ripe with striking visuals and offbeat characters. Selma Blair co-stars.
X-Men (2000) If you’d rather stick to the Marvel cannon – revisit the Bryan Singer ensemble-piece that resurrected the superhero genre. Hugh Jackman stars as Wolverine, the adamantium-boned, mutton-chopped mutant with a heart of gold who launched a franchise. Anna Paquin, Ian McKellen, and Patrick Stewart co-star.
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Hobo With A Shotgun
Rutger Hauer plays the eponymous tramp with unbridled glee in this campy action-comedy that revels in all the goofiness and gore the grindhouse genre has to offer.
If you like your movies with a taste of exploitation, try out this trio:
Surviving the Game (1994) In this ultra-violent midnight movie, Ice-T plays a shotgun wielding homeless man to Hauer’s horrifying hunting enthusiast. See, Mason (Ice-T) thinks he’s finally caught a break when he lands a job working on a rich man’s hunting expedition. But things turn grisly when he finds that he is their prey! John C. McGinley, Gary Busey, and Charles S. Dutton co-star.
Black Dynamite (2009) “He’s supa’ cool and he knows kung-fu!” Michael Jai White stars as the badass brother man whose all about action and putting jive turkeys in traction! This blaxploitation parody is sharp, blisteringly funny, and co-stars such comedy all-stars as Arsenio Hall, Tommy Davidson, and Nicole Sullivan. You’d be a fool not to view.
The Hebrew Hammer (2003) In this indie comedy, blaxploitation goes Kosher. Adam Goldberg stars as the Chosen People’s answer to Shaft: The Hebrew Hammer. This unorthodox detective/Orthodox jew is reluctantly enlisted by the Jewish Justice League when Hanukkah’s very existence is threatened by a deranged son of Santa. Judy Greer, Mario Van Peebles and Andy Dick co-star. In the words of the Hammer, “Shabbat Shalom, motherf-cker.”
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The Beaver
In this Jodie Foster-directed dramedy, Mel Gibson stars as a man gone mad whose only friend is a British beaver puppet. Foster, Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence co-star.
Harvey (1950) In this classic comedy James Stewart stars as an affable eccentric with an off-putting affliction: he believes his best friend is a pooka – a 6-foot tall invisible rabbit named Harvey. This madcap adventure won co-star Josephine Hull an Oscar, and scored Stewart his fourth Oscar nod.
Arrested Development (2003) This cult-adored sitcom is full of zany antics performed by the sometimes wealthy and always wild Bluth family. Among their members is eldest brother Gob (Will Arnett), a magician whose bag of tricks illusions includes a ventriloquism act with a crass puppet named Franklin, who often seems to have a life of his own.
Cloak & Dagger (1984) If you like tales of imaginary friends saving the day, check out this ’80s adventure. This Tom Holland-penned feature stars a teeny Henry Thomas as a boy who discovers a military secrets hidden in his favorite video game. When his busy father (Dabney Coleman) ignores his warnings, he turns to his imaginary friend, secret agent Jack Flack (also Coleman) to help him save the day and the U.S.A.!
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Last Night
This drama, which drew praise at TFF and the Tribeca Film Fest, stars Keira Knightley and Sam Worthington as a married couple struggling with monogamy as they spend a pivotal night apart.
The Freebie (2010) Mumblecore’s leading lady Katie Aselton makes her directorial debut with this improvised sex comedy. Asleton and Dax Shepard co-star as a long-married couple who allow each other one night to step out on their vows. But they soon find this night of frivolity and infidelity has dramatic results neither predicted.
Humpday (2009) Another mumblecore comedy, this one stars Aselton’s real-life husband Mark Duplass as Ben, a married man whose life is turned upside down when his old pal (Joshua Leonard) rolls into town, leading to an odd tale of machismo-fueled one-upmanship. During a drunken night out, these two bro dudes dare each other to co-star in an amateur porn for a local erotica festival. Now Ben just has to break the news to his wife (Alycia Delmore). Lynn Shelton directs.
Chloe (2009) In Atom Egoyan’s mind-bending drama Julianne Moore plays a woman who suspects her husband (Liam Neeson) may be unfaithful. To test her suspicions, she hires a sensual young escort (Amanda Seyfried) to test his fidelity, but the women’s relationship soon develops in a way she never anticipated.
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Wild Card Pick
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Since this Sunday is Mother’s Day, this week’s Wild Card Pick is in honor of my mom, who has a soft spot for classic comedies. The little known Heaven Can Wait (1943) is a winsome tale of a lovable cad. At the film’s start, a sharply dressed senior citizen stands before a debonair devil, insisting a mistake has been made. Henry Van Cleve (Don Ameche) was a master manipulator and lustful ladies’ man from day one, and so he’s convinced he belongs in hell – not heaven where he was sent upon his death. To plead his case, Cleve unfolds to Satan his life story, which is full whimsy, romance, and old-school charm. It’s a movie I caught on TCM years ago, and when I told my mom about it she promptly tracked it down (on VHS!) for a special Christmas morning surprise. Gene Tierney and Charles Coburn co-star.
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Can you think of a connection/suggestion we missed? Share them in comments.