Welcome to WTI’s Weekend Streaming Recommendations where I recommend 4-5 films that under-watched, under-appreciated, or just plain old personal favorites. My goal is to take the hassle out of deciding which film to stream on the plethora of streaming sites that populate the internet. To make your streaming life easier, I include which platform each film is available on along with a link to the trailer. Now sit back, relax, and click on play!

Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2

Quentin Tarantino waited 6 years after Jackie Brown to release this epic 4 hour revenge film Kill Bill. The film is about a female gun-for-hire (Uma Thurman) who runs out on a assembly of globe-trotting assassins run by her mysterious boss Bill (viciously played David Carradine), after getting knocked up by her fiancé. Bill orders her death by the others in the group and they commence the attack on her wedding day. The Bride survives the shooting and sets out on a bloody path of vengeance after all her loved ones, including her unborn child, are murdered. Tarantino’s film (split in two volumes) has all of his trademarks that film fanatics will love. References to older films of the genre, witty dialogue (including a monologue delivered by Carradine near the end that is probably the best thing Tarantino has ever written), extreme violence, a soundtrack filled with all kinds of extraordinary pop songs; even an entire backstory sequence completely done in Anime. Thurman and Carradine both deliver career best performances while the likes of Michael Madsen, Lucy Lui, Daryl Hannah and Vivica A. Fox give solid supporting roles to back them up. Tarantino has made better films (Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds) but Kill Bill is easily his most entertaining. – Watch the trailer

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

John Carpenter is world renowned for his horror classic Halloween and his (many) other contributions to genre filmmaking. But many overlook this early action cult classic he made before all those other hits. In inner city Los Angeles, rival gangs have decided to unite against the police and somewhere in the city a young girl is murdered while getting a treat from an ice cream truck. The girl’s father kills a couple of the gang members and he flees to a police house which is a day away from closing for good. The gangs close in on the building (Precinct 13) and the police must hold off the mob until reinforcements arrive. The film is great at building a sense of dread throughout and Carpenter, of course, brings his excellent musical score along with his great panache for action. This is a must for genre fans. – Watch the trailer

The American

George Clooney is one of biggest movie star on the planet, so it doesn’t surprise me that a lot of movie goers overlooked Anton Corbijn’s slow burning, icy cold European spy thriller. An American assassin (Clooney) hides out in a small hill side Italian town while he begins his last assignment. It is after all, a far cry from the universally watched Ocean’s series; but this is one of Clooney’s very best films. As hiding out in the stunning Italian countryside, he begins a quiet friendship with a priest and also takes solace with a local prostitute. Clooney is of course great as an aging hit man whose level of trust is tested at every turn. Stunning cinematography, supplied by Martin Ruhe, along with Corbijn’s music video background, make The American a gorgeous film to look at. The film moves at a snail’s pace and will require some patience, but those who stick with it will be rewarded with a film that pays off immensely by the time the credits roll. The American is a severely underrated thriller. – Watch the trailer

Americano

When I planned my trip to TIFF three years ago, I had a list of about 40 films I wanted to see. Americano was very close to making it to my final list of 17 or so films that I would eventually see. I instead chose to see Melancholia; a decision I do not regret. But I was still dying to see Mathieu Demy’s film about a young Frenchman, Martin, who returns to his childhood home (in Los Angeles oddly enough) after his mom dies. She left a specific note in her will for a mysterious younger woman that Martin has never met. Now he must seek her out to deliver the message. Demy pulls triple duty as writer/director/star and succeeds at all three. He is excellent at capturing lost moments of Martin’s childhood and then reintroducing them at key moments in the film to add a little more weight. By the time the film hits its third act, we are in a dirty and rustic Mexican town where Martin meets up with Lola (Salma Hayek looking as vivacious as ever), the mysterious woman in question. Her entrance is a highlight of the film as Moderat’s magical track “A New Error” carries an unbroken tracking shot through a seedy strip club while Lola reveals herself to a crowd of lonely souls. Americano is at times sublime and magical and at others, sometimes in the same moment, melancholy and heartbreaking. While many films are made in Los Angeles, very few are able to capture how beautiful the city truly is like Demy’s film does. – Watch the trailer

Welcome to WTI’s Weekend Streaming Recommendations where I recommend 4-5 films that under-watched, under-appreciated, or just plain old personal favorites. My goal is to take the hassle out of deciding which film to stream on the plethora of streaming sites that populate the internet. To make your streaming life easier, I include which platform each film is available on along with a link to the trailer. Now sit back, relax, and click on play!

We Are What We Are

Jim Mickle has been gaining a lot of fans over the past decade and is being heralded as one of the next big things in horror. He debuted with Mulberry St. and then blew audiences away with Stake Land. Now we have Mickle’s remake of the Mexican hit of the same name. I’m going to tread lightly here with how I describe the plot because watching this moody, dread drenched film unfold is finger-licking fun. Two young sisters are forced to go beyond their normal everyday tasks to help provide for their reclusive family who live by ancient and diabolical means. I know it doesn’t sound inviting, but trust me; Mickle’s film is chilling at times while his relaxed, yet, fixated filmmaking captures the cruel violence that is expunged upon the innocence. We Are What We Are has a good, small following; now it’s your turn to see what all the fuss is about. – Watch the trailer

8 Million Ways to Die

Hal Ashby’s (Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Being There) final film before his death has Jeff Bridges as Matt Scudder, an alcoholic detective whose mental state worsens after he shoots someone during a police raid. With his marriage ruined and job lost he turns to Alcoholics Anonymous to turn his life around. Then he meets a mysterious woman who asks for his help in solving a murder. Will the mounting pressure of trying to solve the brutal crime turn Scudder back to alcoholism? Ashby’s film, based off an Oliver Stone screenplay, is ferociously violent but endlessly fascinating to watch. Bridges, who has been one of the best actors for over 40 years, is a delight to watch in one of his most underrated roles. There are 8 million ways to die; chose one. – Watch the trailer

Charley Varrick

While The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three will always be my favorite Walter Matthau film from the 70’s, I can’t help but throw some love Charley Varrick’s way. Don Siegel (Dirty Harry, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Beguiled) directs this gangster thriller that has Matthau playing the title character; a leader of a trio of bank robbers who knock off a bank owned by the mob. The mob isn’t too happy with this and sends out Molly (Joe Don Baker), a mob enforcer, to unleash vengeance upon Varrick. Baker is, as far as I’m concerned, one of the best character actors that has ever worked in film and is sensational here. The final 30 minutes of Varrick are insanely preposterous, but who cares? The cat and mouse game between Matthau and Baker across the American Southwest is a delight to watch and you’ll have a big grin on your face as the film ends with bang. – Watch the trailer

Poolhall Junkies

Mars Callahan stars (as well as writes and directs) as Johnny, a former pool hall hustling master who gave it up for the girl he loves. Johnny’s younger brother soon starts to follow in his old footsteps by trying to out hustle the other sharks that circle the local halls. But when he gets into trouble with a very dangerous local gangster (the scintillating Chazz Palminteri), Johnny must revert to his old lifestyle to help is brother out. The film is endlessly entertaining from beginning to end as the cast has a blast with the material. Christopher Walken shows up a few times to provide a little bit of weight to the action and even has an epic monologue near the height of the film that’ll send the audience into frenzy. Poolhall Junkies is far from setting the cinema world on fire, but it’ll have you laughing and cheering loudly by the time Callahan throws down the gamut in the final act. – Watch the trailer

All the Boys Love Many Lane

The story behind the film is probably more interesting than the film itself, but All the Boys Love Many Lane is still a rarely seen gem. Completed in 2006 and shown at various film festivals around the world in 2007, the film wasn’t released in the U.S. until 2013! This was due to the complicated ownership of the film, but thankfully it’s out there and available for audiences to finally see. Mandy Lane (Amber Heard, who should be a bigger star than what she is presently) is the good girl at her high school, still a virgin and somehow got extremely hot over the summer. The popular kids invite her to a secluded ranch where they throw a party while many of the young men do their best to be her suitor. As the party rages on, guests at the party start disappearing and film becomes a “who dunnit” with slasher appeal. Mandy Lane is definitely a solid horror movie. – Watch the trailer

Welcome to WTI’s Weekend Streaming Recommendations where I recommend 4-5 films that under-watched, under-appreciated, or just plain old personal favorites. My goal is to take the hassle out of deciding which film to stream on the plethora of streaming sites that populate the internet. To make your streaming life easier, I include which platform each film is available on along with a link to the trailer. Now sit back, relax, and click on play!

The Hunt

This Danish melodrama, by Thomas Vinterberg, about a school teacher wrongfully accused of sexual misconduct at the school he teaches at is tense throughout. The acting is considerably strong by all involved, but everyone is outdone by an exceptional lead performance by Mads Mikkelsen. The Hunt will leave you shaken to your core by the time the end credits roll – Watch the trailer

Into the Wild

Sean Penn’s true life story about free spirit Chris McCandless is a love letter to everyone who is fed up with the monotonous daily routines of everyday life. The film is beautifully shot and is backed by a gorgeous soundtrack from Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder. Penn lets his film promenade from one exquisite scene to the next as McCandless meets a whole bevy of people who shape his life. Into the Wild is mesmerizing. – Watch the trailer

From Beyond

Stuart Gordon has made a few movies based on HP Lovecraft source material. The most famous two are Re-Animator and this film, From Beyond. In my opinion, From Beyond is the far better of the two. Scientists are working on a device that will stimulate the pineal gland to access other dimensions. When the experiment works, the scientists are immediately attacked by ungodly life forms that are seemingly around us at all times. The film is fantastically disgusting and revolting. Gordon lets his film revel in its excesses; which are essentially lots of gore and oodles of sticky goo that is brought upon by the otherworldly life forms. Both are bountiful here. Horror fans will love this underappreciated gem. – Watch the trailer

Abre Los Ojos

This Spanish film, which was later remade as Vanilla Sky by Cameron Crowe, is a film whose details I dare not reveal. The film is dazzling from beginning to end. Eduardo Noriega stars as a young, rich man whose life changes when he meets the woman of his dreams and the next morning gets in the wrong car. You never know which way is up or down, or left or right, and you will be on the edge of your seat until the very last shot as the film comes to a sensational climax atop of a skyscraper overlooking the majestic Madrid skyline. ‘Glued to the screen’ is an understatement. – Watch the trailer

Strange Days

Before she conquered the Oscars with The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow made this epic two and a half hour science fiction film about a former cop Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes) who buys and sells data discs that contain people’s memories and experiences. People buy them to experience things they might not be able to and are willing to pay top dollar for them. When one of the discs turns out to contain the murder of a controversial music figure by a couple of L.A. police officers, everyone starts gunning for Lenny. All this leads to an intense finale that also happens to coincide with the final hours of the 20th century. Strange Days is criminally overlooked. Do yourself a favor and have your mind blown by this special film. – Watch the trailer

With the slew of movies Netflix cut at the close of 2013 (Brick, Requiem For a Dream, Being John Malkovich especially hurt to see go, though there were many others), and an influx of equally awesome films rushing in to fill in the gap, I’ve decided to highlight four of the best ones added to the streaming service for the new year. And as an added bonus, I’ve listed the rest of Netflix’s New Year’s additions at the bottom of the page. You lucky dog, you.

The Apartment

Billy Wilder’s blueprint for countless star-vehicle dramedies that followed, The Apartment is a near-flawless picture that speaks to audiences in 2014 just as well as it did in 1960. Jack Lemmon is irresistibly likable as doormat office worker C.C. Baxter, and Shirley MacLaine puts every subsequent manic-pixie-dream-girl that followed her to shame as quick-witted elevator operator Fran Kubelik. The film is sweet, intelligent, and perfectly casted (Fred MacMurray is incomparable as Lemmon’s boss). Everything about Wilder’s masterpiece fits like a glove, and if you haven’t seen it, hurry up and do yourself a solid–it’s a movie you’ll treasure for years. – Watch the trailer

Play it Again, Sam

Written by and starring Woody Allen (though oddly, he didn’t direct; Herbert Ross took the helm), Play it Again, Sam, based on Allen’s Broadway play of the same name, is perhaps one of his funniest works. The film follows Allan Felix (Allen), a neurotic (surprise), hopelessly unattractive (surprise, surprise), recently divorced film critic on his hopeless quest to find a new mate. He’s aided by married friends Diane Keaton (wonderful) and Tony Roberts, and his idol and imaginary mentor, Humphrey Bogart (played by Jerry Lacy). While the plot is admittedly predictable and uninventive, Allen’s classic dialog (“I could use a three-foot bandaid”) and anxious tics still make me laugh until my ribs ache. – Watch the trailer

American Psycho

It may be a little difficult in 2014 to separate Christian Bale from his recent string of turns as the growling Dark Knight Gotham, but Mary Harron’s wickedly wacky (and bloody disturbing) 2000 adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ novel is an excellent reminder of the breadth of Bale’s talent. Embracing the same nuttiness Jack Nicholson embraced in The Shining, Bale holds nothing back (remember the bicep flex mid-coitus!?), keeping our nerves on high alert throughout the film’s duration. An über-smart satire that looks great, still feels fresh, and harbors the coolest chainsaw death scene EVER (I’ll defend that with my fists, if I have to), American Psycho should perk your ho-hum weekend right up! – Watch the trailer

Drinking Buddies

Drawing terrific performances out of some previously less-than-terrific actors, Joe Swanberg’s casual dramedy (hey…that’s four for four! American Psycho counts, right? Right?!) utilizes his razor-sharp sensibilities to overwhelming success. Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, and Anna Kendrick shine brighter than they ever have before, exuding an effortless naturalism likely imbued by the “Mumblecore King” himself. Swanberg has the rare gift of being able to make the most ordinary moments and smallest conversations more interesting than most other movies’ climaxes. He’s as grounded to earth as filmmakers get, and this is arguably his best picture (Dustin loved it). WARNING: Before viewing, you’re gonna want to grab a cold one or two out of the fridge. Trust me. – Watch the trailer

Raging Bull (1980)
Thelma And Louise (1991)
West Side Story (1961)
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Big Trouble In Little China (1986)
Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961)
Bull Durham (1988)
Red Dawn (1984)
Mouse Hunte (1997)
Spaceballs (1987)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
The Chinese Connection (1972)
Amelie (2001)
Grapes Of Wrath (1940)
Planes, Trains, And Automobiles (1987)
Children Of A Lesser God (1986)
Scrooged (1988)
Days Of Thunder (1990)
The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
The Talented Mr Ripley (1999)
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
Death Race 2000 (1975)
Ghost (1990)
Good Burger (1997)