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 in theaters girls go gross-out in the latest Apatow comedy, Paul Bettany dons vestments to vanquish vampires, and the world of indie cinema unleashes a nihilistic loner and a homeless homeowner. But if these new releases aren’t enough to satisfy your movie-viewing cravings, we’ve got a selection of streaming features full of laughs, madness and mayhem.
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Bridesmaids
Kristen Wiig stars as a lovable loser whose life goes from bad to abysmal when her best gal pal’s approaching nuptials threaten their longtime friendship. Full of fiercely funny females like Maya Rudolph, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, and Melissa McCarthy this sassy and sharp feature proves comedy knows no gender.
Fill your weekend with female-fronted comedy:
Easy A (2010) Emma Stone stars in this cheeky spin on The Scarlet Letter that brazenly takes on slut-shaming and the treacherous terrain of teen girl friendships through the lens of a smart and outspoken heroine. One of my favorites of 2010, Easy A proved Stone’s box office prowess and secured her status as a leading lady worth watching. Patricia Clarkson, Stanley Tucci and Thomas Haden Church co-star.
Wet Hot American Summer (2001) Janeane Garofalo heads up this ensemble-parody that is full of raunch and comedy stars like Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, H. Jon Benjamin, Elizabeth Banks, and Ken Marino. Here at Camp Firewood the demented minds behind The State gleefully revel in ’80s nostalgia while parodying the goofy subgenre of summer camp comedies. David Wain directs.
My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) Make a wedding-blues double-feature with this Julia Roberts comedy in which she famously battles with a bubbly Cameron Diaz for the undying devotion of her former beau (Dermot Mulroney). Roberts is downright hilarious here, and of course Rupert Everett is divine as her loyal but lady-ball-busting bff. Plus, keep an eye out for Paul Giamatti’s brief appearance which is shamefully absent from the film’s TV edit. P.J. Hogan directs.
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Priest
Paul Bettany and director Scott Charles Stewart reunite to bring to life Min-Woo Hyung’s graphic novel, which centers on a downtrodden holy man’s quest to recover his kidnapped niece from a nest of bloodthirsty vampires.
Legion (2010) If you somehow missed Bettany and Stewart’s first collaboration, here’s your chance to check out an Armageddon tale that is absolutely bonkers. Bettany stars an angel seeking to save humanity by battling off avenging angels that take the form of a blood guzzling grandma, a long-limbed ice cream man, and a knife-wielding ginger kid. Yep, it’s batshit crazy. Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson and Adrianne Palicki co-star.
Blade 2 (2002) If you’d prefer to view some badass vampire fighting, we recommend this souped up sequel directed by Guillermo del Toro. Wesley Snipes plays Blade, a half-vampire assassin who must put his slaying on hold to join forces with the Vampire Nation to prevent a world-ending plague that will affect man and monster alike. Ron Perlman and Kris Kristofferson co-star.
Night Watch (a.k.a. Nochnoi Dozor) (2005) This Russian import kicks off a vampire-centric trilogy inspired by sci-fi novels of Sergei Lukyanenko. The battle of good and evil are unleashed on the streets of Moscow as a group of superhuman “Others” strive to protect the masses from vicious vampires.
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Everything Must Go
In this recession-set comedy, Will Ferrell plays a man who loses his home, job, and wife and is left to rediscover himself while living on his lawn. Rebecca Hall co-stars in this adaptation of Raymond Carver’s short story Why Don’t You Dance?
If you like books about men maturing through mentoring, try these adaptations:
About a Boy (2002) Will (Hugh Grant) is an unabashed man-child of leisure, spending his days playing video games and his nights bedding single moms. That is until he meets a socially awkward boy in desperate need of a father figure. To Will’s surprise this unlikely friendship pulls him out of his arrested development. Based on a novel by Nick Hornby.
Wonder Boys (2000) Professor Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas) is flailing in attempts to finish his novel when he befriends a meek but odd student (Tobey Maguire) who’s got a masterwork of his own. Robert Downey Jr. and Frances McDormand co-star in this adaptation of Michael Chabon‘s novel.
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) In this adaptation of Avery Corman‘s controversial book, Dustin Hoffman stars as a father fixated on his work until his wife (Meryl Streep) abruptly walks out, leaving him alone to care for their young son. Together the two manage to build a new life for themselves, which is threatened when momma returns with a custody suit.
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Hesher
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a grim metalhead in this dark meditation on death and grief. Natalie Portman and Rainn Wilson co-star.
You like your directorial debuts gritty? Or course you do.
Brick (2005) The breakout debut of writer/director Rian Johnson starred JG-L as a high school-set shamus who dives deep into the seedy underbelly of his California town in search of his missing ex-girlfriend. Combining a biting sense of humor with a keen awareness of noir conventions, Johnson crafts a detective tale as dark as it is daring. Lukas Haas and Nora Zehetner co-star.
Afterschool (2008) This deeply twisted drama investigates the growing nature of voyeurism in modern society by centering on a boy’s dangerous compulsion to film his classmates. Bullied and ostracized, Robert (Ezra Miller) finds himself the center of a firestorm after he films a pair of popular classmates on campus overdose. Afterschool was writer/director Antonio Campos debut feature.
Mala Noche (1985) Indie auteur Gus Van Sant made his debut with this sensual and raw drama. Based on Walt Curtis’s gutsy autobiographical novel, the film centers on Walt (Tim Steeler), a painfully lonely man who becomes deeply enamored with a teen-aged illegal immigrant (Doug Cooeyate). The two don’t even share a common language much less a shared affection, but the very act of feeling love for someone transforms Walt.
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Wild Card Pick
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The Producers (1968) Now available on Instant Watch is the classic Mel Brooks comedy that inspired the hit Broadway musical (that later resulted in the horrendously bland movie musical.) Notably, this was Mel Brooks’ directorial debut and his first collaboration with the wonderful Gene Wilder, who plays the nebbish and neurotic accountant that gets entangled in a two-bit Broadway producer’s (formerly blacklisted comedian Zero Mostel) get-rich-quick scheme. Together this deeply strange duo swindles investors to mount a show that’s sure to fail: Springtime for Hitler! Mostel and Wilder are hysterical in this wild and witty showbiz comedy that boldly declares, “If you’ve got it – flaunt it!”
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Can you think of a connection/suggestion we missed? Share them in comments.