Now Stream This: ‘The King Of Comedy’, ‘Creepshow’, ‘Burn After Reading’, ‘The Last Exorcism’, ‘Empire Of Dreams’, And More
(Welcome toNow Stream This, a column dedicated to the best movies streaming on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and every other streaming service out there.)
Here we go again. I get it: you don’t want to leave the house. You just want to veg out on the couch, and watch TV. But what the hell are you going to watch? There are so many options! Thankfully, I am here to help you, because I’m a generous soul. Some might even call me a saint. These are the best movies streaming right now. Let’s get streaming!
Now Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Release Date:1981Genre:Dark ComedyDirector:Martin ScorseseCast:Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Sandra Bernhard
Todd Phillips’sJokeris getting lots of headlines even though the film hasn’t even come out yet. So while you’re waiting to see what Phillips has cooked-up, why not check out one of the major influences on that film:Martin Scorsese’sThe King of Comedy. LikeJoker,King of Comedyis about a lonely loser who fancies himself a comedian, but he’s really just mentally disturbed.Robert De Niroas Rupert Pupkin, who wants nothing more than to be a guest on theTonight Show-like nightly comedy show hosted by Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis). Since he can’t get there through talent, Rupert decides to stalk and eventually take Jerry hostage instead. This was a flop when it opened in 1981, but time has been kind to Scorsese’s oddball movie, reappraising it as one of his best.
For fans of:After Hours,Jokeranticipation, terrible fashion.
Now Streaming on Shudder
Now Streaming on Netflix
Release Date:2008Genre:ComedyDirector:The Coen BrothersCast:George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, Brad Pitt
If you want to see the film that best reflects our absolutely ridiculous, confusing, downright stupid American political climate, look no further thanBurn After Reading, the darkly hilarious 2008 comedy from theCoen Brothers. A rag-tag cast of characters – played byGeorge Clooney,Frances McDormand,John Malkovich,Tilda Swinton,Richard Jenkins, andBrad Pitt, all get caught up in a ludicrous plot involving espionage. AsJ.K. Simmons' CIA character so perfectly sums things up at the end: “I’m fucked if I know what we did.”
For fans of:Fargo,A Serious Man, Brad Pitt playing total idiots.
Now Streaming on Hulu
Release Date:2010Genre:HorrorDirector:Daniel StammCast:Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr, Louis Herthum
Found footage gets a bad wrap, but there are some gems buried in the sub-genre. One isThe Last Exorcism, an effective creeper about reverend (Patrick Fabian) who has lost his faith. Rather than stay a man of God, he hopes to instead expose the hypocrisy of the church by pointing out that exorcisms are phony, bringing a camera crew along with him. Of course, since this is a horror movie, the allegedly possessed person – a seemingly sweet farm girl named Nell (Ashley Bell) – reallyispossessed. Bell’s performance is fantastic, violently changing from sweet kindness to demonic harshness in the blink of an eye.
For fans of:The Exorcism of Emily Rose,Grave Encounters, twisty, creaky bone sound effects.
Release Date:2019Genre:EverythingDirector:Jim MickleCast:Boyd Holbrook, Cleopatra Coleman, Michael C. Hall, Bokeem WoodbineJim Micklehelms this ambitious blend of genres that doesn’tquitestick the landing, but comes pretty damn close.In the Shadow of the Moonis a hybrid of sci-fi, horror, mystery, thriller, and action, telling the story of a mysterious killer (Cleopatra Coleman) who keeps resurfacing every 9 years. And every time she shows up, obsessed copBoyd Holbrooktries to bring her down. What are the killer’s motives? And why is she killing such random victims in such gruesome ways? All will be revealed…sort of. But one thing is for sure: you’ll never be bored.For fans of:Looper,Arrival, parts of Canada pretending to be Philadelphia.
Release Date:2004Genre:DocumentaryDirector:Kevin Burns and Edith BeckerCast:George Lucas and all of his flannel shirtsEmpire of Dreamshas been available in chunks on the officialStar WarsYouTube account, but now you can watch the entire thing at once on Amazon Prime. This in-depth look at the making of the originalStar Warstrilogy is filled with movie magic, showing the birth of ILM, and more. It’s a glimpse inside the creative process that went into crafting what would eventually become a billion-dollar franchise. And it’s a reminder that before all that happened, this was really a scruffy little pulp sci-fi flick with practical effects and a script no one really took seriously.For fans of:Star Wars– duh.
Release Date:1997Genre:Drama-ThrillerDirector:Lee TamahoriCast:Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin, Elle Macpherson, Harold Perrineau, Bart the Bear
To hell with Leonardo DiCaprio and his battle with a CGI bear inThe Revenant.Lee Tamahori’sThe EdgehasAnthony HopkinsandAlec Baldwingoing up against arealbear. This tight thriller, with a script fromDavid Mamet, has Hopkins and Baldwin as two men stranded in the wilderness following a plane crash. Hopkins’s character has read alotof books, so he knows many tricks on how to survive in the wild. But none of those tricks can stand up against a giant Kodiak bear out to devour them whole.
For fans of:The Revenant,The Grey, dudes getting eaten by bears.
Now Streaming on the Criterion Channel
Release Date:2016Genre:DocumentaryDirector:Jon NguyenCast:David Lynch
Want to know howDavid Lynchbecame David Lynch?David Lynch: The Art of Lifehas your answer. Think of this documentary as the David Lynch origin story, as it tracks his life up until the making of his first feature,Eraserhead. We learn about his childhood, his college years, and more. Lynch himself is on hand to guide us through it all, constantly painting, and constantly smoking, in his personal studio. It’s a unique insight into a unique mind.
For fans of:David Lynch, chain-smoking.
Release Date:Genre:Director:Cast:
It’s hard to picture Hollywood making a movie likeThe River Wildthese days. This was a major motion picture, folks! Now, it would probably go right to Netflix. This thriller starsMeryl Streepas a history teacher who isalsoan expert river guide. She takes her family – husbandDavid Strathairn, sonJoseph Mazzello– for a rafting trip down the Salmon River. Unfortunately, they’re soon taken hostage by a pair of fugitives, played byKevin BaconandJohn C. Reilly, who force Streep to take them upriver. Adventure ensues! It’s a rather silly premise, but director Curtis Hanson has fun with it, and it’s rare to see Streep in this type of thriller role.
For fans of:The Mosquito Coast,Deliverance, David Stratharin being an action hero.
Release Date:1996Genre:ActionDirector:Robert MandelCast:Tom Berenger, Ernie Hudson, Marc Anthony, William Forsythe, Raymond Cruz, Luis Guzmán
There was a weird period where Hollywood was pumping out movies about teachers who go into tough, inner-city schools and clean things up. Some were meant to be inspirational (Dangerous Minds), and then some were meant to be trash – likeThe Substitute. I say trash lovingly here, folks, because sometimes you just need to kick back with some junk food.Tom Berengerplays a Vietnam veteran who goes undercover as a substitute teacher at the school where his girlfriend, a teacher played byDiane Venora, was attacked. It’s kind of likeKindergarten Cop, but with a lot more violence and inappropriateness. Worth noting: this spawned an entire franchise.
