Netflix Flick Pick: ‘Cabin in the Woods’

Well Halloween is here, which means the week long Halloween edition of Netflix Flick Pick is coming to an end. While my picks haven’t been done in any particular order I did put some thought into what film should end this list.  What I came up with is a film that has also been a Netflix Flick Pick previously but deserves to be revisited here on this list, Cabin in the Woods. On my previous post I was purposefully vague, in order to not give away anything important but now on Halloween night I think I can describe it in more detail.

Cabin in the Woods is not just a horror movie, it’s every horror movie. Both a love note to the legendary horror films that define the genre and a shot across the bow at its inability to do anything but remake the same movies (both actual remakes and films that just use the same plot). The film is an allegory that brilliantly makes the audience question why it continues to crave the same movie with the same rituals and even offering up characters who stand in for the audiences and the films producers who make sure we get the same movie.

As the title suggests Cabin in the Woods uses the genre’s most cliched plot but somehow uses it to tell a frighteningly original story. This becomes less surprising when you realize that Joss Whedon cowrote the script, he has literally made a career of subverting genre conventions. This is the guy who made Buffy, Firefly, and Dr. Horrible after all. There is so much going on here that you might just glance over the horror as you try to figure out what the hell is going on but horror is there in all its cliched original glory. Best enjoyed if you’ve seen every horror movie ever made, even the god awful remakes that include unicorns for reasons beyond my comprehension skills. I mean c’mon, UNICORNS, in a freaking horror movie! If you don’t know what I’m talking about then you won’t get the funniest shot fired at horror remakes but that’s okay, if you’re a fan of the genre there will be more than enough for you to enjoy.

Happy streaming and Happy Halloween!

Netflix Flick Pick: ‘Carrie’

The week long special Halloween edition of Netflix Flick Pick is winding down and for the penultimate pick we’re going with a film so good Hollywood has remade it twice in the last 11 years. I’m of course talking about the film that introduced American movie going audiences to telekinesis, Carrie. Based on the Stephen King book the film tells the story of an outcast teenage girl who gets asked out to the prom and well you know the story.

Brian de Palma brilliantly showcases the horrors of high school in Carrie, which despite two modern day remakes remains the definitive version of the film. While we all know the story, it’s become part of the shared American culture, the film still manages to make the well known climax tense and keeps you in suspense and hopeful that things turn out okay for Carrie. To be honest the film doesn’t turn into a full out horror until the last half hour. The moments up until the film’s climax are filled with some rather vicious bullying of Carrie. She gets tampons thrown at her in the shower, her mother locks her in a closet to pray, and she gets set up on a prank date to the prom.

When the horror does come it is really intense as the put upon Carrie has finally been pushed too far by the school’s sadistic bullies and murderously snaps in a frighteningly prescient cinematic moment. Turns out dropping pigs blood on a girl on her prom night is not a good idea. If you know the story but haven’t actually seen the film it’s time to start streaming, because mere words do not do the film justice. Religious fanatacisim, pig slaughtering, bullying and telekinesis are the ingredients for this horror film classic but one of the film’s lesser talked about elements is its visual style. de Palma delivers a film that is shot brilliantly, contrasting a dream like state with a darker more traditional horror atmosphere when the time comes making it all the more intense. So stay home and enjoy the original before you go out to see the remake, when you’re done you might not feel the need to.

Netflix Flick Pick: ‘Ghostbusters’

It’s day 4 of the special Halloween edition of Netflix Flick Pick and I think it’s time to shift gears a little bit. So far I’ve given you a selection of straight Rated R horror films but what if you wanted to watch something with the kids. Don’t worry tonight’s Netflix Flick Pick, Ghostbusters, has got you covered.

Written by Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramos, and directed by the legendary Ivan Reitman this paranormal comedy delivers ghosts, demons, gods and a giant monster intent on destroying the city. Best of all it does it all while staying family friendly so you don’t have to put the kids to bed in order to watch. Heck dress them up as Ghostbusters and turn it into a full blown Halloween party.

Starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Sigourney Weaver, the all star cast delivers even beyond lofty exoectations. Bill Murray especially delivers one of his funniest performances ever, which should be enough to make you run to your TV and start streaming immediately. It’s not just Murray though, Aykroyd and Ramis’ script allows for everyone to shine and Reitman deftly balances the inspired comedy with enough horror to make things tense and keep the stakes high.

Dan Aykroyd is working on a script for a third installment in the franchise but it’s been confirmed that Bill Murray will not be a part of any such endeavor. Not sure that it can be done without the legendary actor and star of the first two films but here’s hoping it turns out well. Until then enjoy the original classic with all four members of the Ghostbusters that taught you the lesson to one of life’s most important questions, “Who you gonna call?”

 

Netflix Flick Pick: ‘Scream’

Day 3 of the special Halloween edition of Netflix Flick Pick brings us a major turning point in horror history. The film that made meta cool, tonight’s Netflix Flick Pick, Scream. Directed by horror legend Wes Craven and written by the sometimes brilliant Kevin Williamson, Scream changed the rules of horror in the 90s. It was no longer enough to be scary or gory, you had to be funny and self referential.

What makes Scream so endearing is the fact that it was clearly written by someone who loved and grew up with horror movies. It’s not just the film nerd in the movie who knows the rules of the horror genre but all the characters have passable knowledge. Even the characters who hate the genre know enough to point out its cliched flaws. This referencing of horror films also serves as the main, though not the only source of humor in the film and the fact that everyone knows so much about horror films leads to some interesting developments.

Scream is still technically a slasher film but it adds the extra layers of meta and whodunit mystery to it. The film offers several feints, unsuspected twists and turns and famously unsuspected deaths. (Spoiler Alert) For those who don’t know Drew Barrymore was originally billed as the film’s star but was immediately killed off, leaving audiences anxious and in great suspense as it was made clear that no one was safe. While Scream is no longer marketed in this way it was quite an impressive bit of dedication on the parts of everyone involved to keep this lie up through the film’s initial run.

Drew Barrymore describes it best, “I loved that it actually got tongue and cheeky but it was still scary and it was this great game that sort of described genres and revived them at the same time and redefined them all in one script.” This continued with Scream 2 and 3 (also available on Netflix) and countless other copycats but it’s the original that still shines brightest.

 

Netflix Flick Pick: ‘Evil Dead’ ‘Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn’

Day 2 of the special Halloween edition of Netflix Flick Pick continues with a 2 for 1 special. These films clearly have fans of blood and gore in mind but sacrifice nothing in terms of pacing and horror. I’m talking of course about the films that made Bruce Campbell a cult icon, tonight’s Netflix Flick Picks, The Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn. I’ve already written about The Evil Dead as the subject of an earlier Netflix Flick Pick and you can read that in its entirety here. If not enjoy this snippet:

“The film is steeped in lore. As the story goes the film got financing after being shown as a short before The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Then, the extremely low budget independent film got made but couldn’t get US distribution until Stephen King saw it and wrote a rare review that raved it was the ‘most ferociously original horror film of the year.’ This of course led to one of the most iconic horror franchises of all time and oh yeah it launched the careers of the Cohen brothers who worked as editors on the film.”

The Evil Dead is an intense, horrifying, bloody gorefest but Evil Dead 2 is the rarest of things, a sequel that is actually better than the original. Dead 2 tells essentially the exact same story as the original, only it does everything better. Better script, better directing, better acting, better special f/x, more horror, more blood, more gore, more action and it even throws in some fantastically dark comedy throughout the movie to balance out the intensity of the horror. It also wins the award for best use of a chainsaw ever. What am I talking about? Just watch and find out.

In fact watch them both, back to back even. It’ll take less time than watching a Lord of the Rings movie. No knock on Tolkien, I’m just saying these films are a good investment of your time as director Sam Raimi is at his creative best in these films, showing an incredible combination of resourcefulness and visual mastery the likes of which have rarely ever been seen. While the franchise has just been rebooted, it appears Raimi will be bringing the fourth installment of the original franchise, Army of Darkness 2 to theaters. Here’s hoping it’s as good as Evil Dead 2.

Netflix Flick Pick: ‘Rosemary’s Baby’

With Halloween just days away you might be scouring Netflix for some horror movies to watch. Unfortunately every year around this time stacks of horror movies seem to disappear off of Netflix Instant and all those horror movies you’ve added to your My List (formerly Instant Queue) to watch now, just aren’t there anymore. This year The Omen, The Thing, and Night of the Living Dead are among the horror movie classics to have been removed. No need to panic like a sex craved teen about to be taught a lesson in modesty by a serial killer that’s impossible to kill (or his mommy) there’s still some great movies to watch on Netflix for Halloween. I’ll be doing a special Halloween edition of Netflix Flick Pick from now until the 31st starting with today’s pick Rosemary’s Baby.

Rosemary’s Baby isn’t a slasher film. It doesn’t deliver a lot of death, blood, or gore. What it does deliver is arguably the creepiest movie experience ever, one that will linger with you long after you’ve watched the movie. And if you’re brave enough to watch it again the creep factor only increases as the timeline of sickening events that unfold and reasoning behind certain characters’ actions become abundantly clear the second time through. To add to the creep factor, the depravity isn’t confined to the film. Rock legend John Lennon would later be shot and killed in front of “Rosemary’s building” by a deranged man and the film’s director would flee the country wanted for rape. He is still at large.

The 1968 film holds up better than most films released last summer, that is to say it hasn’t aged one bit. Fantastic acting, a wonderfully twisted story and masterful direction and cinematography never go out of style. Those who haven’t seen the film should just watch it but if you need a synopsis a married couple moves into a building where historically, bad things tend to happen. That’s it, I’m not saying any more. Take solace in the fact that visual master, legendary director and wanted rapist Roman Polanski delivers what is without a doubt one of the best horror films ever made.

Netflix Flick Pick: ‘Marvel’s The Avengers’

We are in the midst of a golden age of superhero movies, so much so that when one is merely good it is deemed a disappointment. Well tonight’s Netflix Flick Pick is no disappointment, becoming the 3rd highest grossing movie of all time it may just be the best of the superhero genre. I’m of course talking about Marvel’ s The Avengers, the superhero team up movie that delivers on the hype of several years worth of buildup.

 

A film with so many stars could be extremely difficult to pull off but Disney made a brilliant move hiring Joss Whedon, a Marvel comicbook writer and fanboy who is also known for writing great ensemble shows, as the film’s writer/director. The result is the closest thing to seeing a comic book on the big screen that we’ve ever seen. Every hero gets to shine and their disparate personalities and egos clash as one would expect resulting in spectacular hero vs. hero battles that make the eventual team up all the more impactful. Of course Joss Whedon’ s trademark playfulness is apparent throughout, making a film filled with superheroes all the more fun and entertaining to watch.

As one would expect from a movie about an all-star team of superheroes there is plenty of action but there is also plenty of depth to these characters. The film gives us the girl with red on her ledger, the man out of time, a man whose always angry, estranged brothers and yes there is even something worth avenging. The best representation of this balance between action and character is the Bruce Banner/Hulk character as we not only get the most impressive Hulk to ever grace the screen but also the best Bruce Banner thanks to a fantastic performance from Mark Ruffalo.

The rest of the cast delivers in spades too. Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man Man is as charismatic as ever and the material he has to work with is the best since the first Iron Man. Chris Hemsworth’ s Thor and Chris Evans Captain America shine as well but what may be a bit of a surprise is the performances of the plain old humans. Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg all get to stand out even against the backdrop of their larger than life superhero cohorts.

There is a lot more that could be said about Marvel’ s The Avengers but you’ve probably already heard it all or more likely seen the movie once or twice before and if you’re one of the few that hasn’t well what are you waiting for?  Get to streaming.

Netflix Flick Pick: ‘Chinatown’ (1974)

Tonight’s Netflix Flick Pick is one of the all time classics, Chinatown (1974). Directed by the legendary and wanted Roman Polanski and starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway the film earned 11 Oscars nominations winning the award for best original screenplay.

The film makes it clear from the opening title sequence that it is paying homage to the long passed era in Hollywood that birthed the noir genre it so skillfully replicates and perhaps even surpasses. Nicholson’ s Jake Gittes is a revelation in this film and would easily stand amongst the great flawed heroes of the short lived film noir era in Hollywood. Faye Dunaway also gives a haunting performance and her character adds a new twist on the would be femme fatale Evelyn Mulwray. The rest of the cast all deliver when given the opportunity but the film really revolves around these two stars.

This neo noir story is darker than anything that could have gotten through in Hollywood during the original film noir era. Set in late 1930s Los Angeles, the film tells the tale of P.I. Jake Gittes as he is hired to follow Mrs. Mulwray’ s husband and deliver proof that he is having an affair but by doing so stumbles upon a large scale conspiracy involving the city’s water supply. Filled with twist and turns Chinatown delivers an unforgetable experience for the engaged viewer. Like most noir’s the story is dark and complex, constantly revealing a new detail that adds a new layer to the story.

I won’t go into any more detail about the story because frankly I shouldn’t have to. The film’s universal legendary status alone should be enough to pique the interest of any movie fan. Chinatown is a masterpiece and it’s available on Netflix Instant streaming. A great choice to watch for those who haven’t seen it yet and for those that have you should know the film actually benefits from multiple viewings.

Netflix Flick Pick: ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’

It’s Memorial Day and instead of dealing with the crowds at the beach or fighting through traffic on the highway you decided to stay home and watch Netflix. Unfortunately you’ve already burned through all 15 episodes of Season 4 of Arrested Development and don’t know what else to watch on your day off. Lucky for you I’m here to offer a special Memorial Day edition of my Netflix Flick Pick.

Today’s Netflix Flick Pick is Captain America: The First Avenger. Really there are better movies on Netflix but what else would you rather watch on Memorial Day than a movie about a soldier named Captain America.

The story takes place during WWII and is about Steve Rogers, a 90 pound weakling unfit to serve in the military but who is representative of the best qualities of a soldier as he is all about bravery, perseverance, and honor. His reason for joining the army is not to kill Nazis but to protect innocent people from bullies. It’s perhaps hokey by today’s standard of the dark anti-hero, but it certainly works well in the film and gives you a character to root for while also serving as the reasoning for him being chosen for the super soldier serum that turns him into the titular superhero. The villain is Johann Schmidt who is part of the Nazi regime but runs and operates his own personal army of loyal followers. He too was given an earlier version of the super soldier serum but it had some serious side effects, earning him the nickname The Red Skull. Johann Schmidt is the antithesis of Steve Rogers, seeking to destroy the world to prove his supremacy over it and the rest of its inhabitants.

This of course sets up the main conflict of good vs. evil in the film but there are plenty of other subplots of romance and friendship that work very well and perhaps even better than the main action plot as they lead to some heart wrenching moments in the film. There is plenty of technically proficient action to be found in the movie as well but unfortunately at times it just doesn’t work. This leads to the main issue of the film as it does drag on a bit in the middle in order to squeeze in a montage of action sequences that adds little more than technically proficient action that lacks the fun or substance of some of its better action sequences.

Captain America: The First Avenger works well enough as a stand alone movie but certainly works much better if you have seen and understand that Marvel is building a universe of interconnecting stories and superheroes. There are plenty of references to other Marvel franchises in the film and this film itself was referenced in other Marvel franchises that lead to some fun knowing moments for longtime fans who who are able to make the connections. Of course the most obvious connection is to Marvel’ s The Avengers as there is even a teaser offered at the end of this movie for the superhero team up film.

Happy Memorial Day 🙂

 

 

 

Netflix Flick Pick: ‘Safety Not Guaranteed’ (2012)

Tonight’s Netflix Flick Pick is a little indie film that only cost about $750,000 to make. To put this into prospective it is estimated that Robert Downey Jr. received $50 million just to appear in ‘Marvel’s The Avengers’. This is reason number one why parents should never discourage their kids from reading comics or using their bed sheets as capes. One day, they just might be able to buy you a private island with that skill set.

But I digress.

Tonight’s Netflix Flick Pick is Safety Not Guaranteed. The film stars Aubrey Plaza of Parks and Recreaction fame as an intern at a magazine who is sent out to do a story on a man who placed an ad in the paper seeking a companion for time traveling. I won’t spoil anything for anyone but I will point out that time traveling is actually an allegory for something else and a clever one at that. The film also deals heavily with regret as each of the main characters are defined by their past, so much so that it becomes the impetus for wanting to create a time machine.

Safety Not Guaranteed is witty and has a quirky sensibility, winning an award at Sundance for its screenplay. The movie itself does an excellent job of bringing the script to life flowing effortlessly from comedy to romantic comedy to thriller to science fiction all the while dealing with an underlying truth of the human condition. The film is original and accessible to an audience beyond the indie scene simply because the film is genuinely funny and sweet. For these reasons and more Safety Not Guaranteed deserves a spot on your Instant Queue. Or better yet just watch it now.