Top Netflix Streaming of the Week (streaming)
About a Boy: Season 1
A long time ago, when I used to watch the hit TV show “Ed”, I had a huge crush on Bonnie Hane (Rena Sofer). Then it sort of morphed into Rhona Mitra in “Boston Legal”. Now its gotta be Adrianne Palicki from “About a Boy”, but really the whole show is just plain lovable. I guess I’d want to believe that somewhere there’s a British hipster with a plucky underdog kid whose next-door neighbor is a cool guy “bro”, who dates a doctor played by Adrianne Palicki. In the show they call this magical place “San Francisco”, and nothing bad ever happens there. Like, the worrisome moments are when the kid is acting like a dink or the Hugh Grant character doesn’t take his life seriously enough. No wonder Vince is so gosh darned chipper all the time. He lives in a dreamland. Anyway, not as good as the movie.
Streamability: I actually do like it. I await your scorn.
Top Netflix Dancing of the Week (streaming)
Silver Linings Playbook
I came close to making this the top streamer, but the whole column was already going soft enough without inserting pill poppin’ Bradley Cooper into the equation. You could reasonably claim that this glosses over mental illness in the manner of a Zamboni at the “Mickey on Ice” show, but A Beautiful Mind took home Best Picture by telling people to just make pals with the voices – so I’m pretty sure that ship has sailed. Plus they got Chris Tucker to do some real acting again, it was nice to see him without Jackie Chan cold chillin’ beside him. And the dancing scene! You guys, yeeps, right? Just yeeps. [Editor’s Note: Laremy is so fired for not making Jennifer Lawrence the featured image. That girl could murder a puppy and I’d still love her. And by murder a puppy, I mean of course date the guy from Coldplay.]
Streamability: I don’t know who hasn’t seen it already, but sure, go for it.
Top Netflix Curio of the Week (streaming)
Stardust
Stardust is cosmically underrated, and let me throw it back to 2007 Laremy to tell you why:
It’s Labyrinth meets When Harry Met Sally meets The Birdcage meets The Wizard of Oz. It’s a giant jumble of ideas, but in a good way.
And guess what? I stand by those words I wrote. I’m still standing. But I’ll level with you for a moment. Here goes. Was this ever a good movie? Was 2007 one of those years where I was just passing everything, kidney-stone style? Hard to tell now, and the shadows of the past make each recollection a little murkier. Someone watch it again and confirm or deny my suspicious, and don’t do that thing where you rely on your memory (as I’m doing). Really give it a set of fresh eyes.
Streamability: Shipmate, you’ve got your orders.
Top Netflix Personal Story of the Week (streaming)
Beginners
Here’s a true story about Beginners. I was interviewing Ewan McGregor (college nickname: “McKegger”) and I pretty much ran out of things to talk about. I mean, I wasn’t exactly gonna bring up Jar Jar Binks (Binx?). Beginners is a nice little film, but there’s not a whole lot to ask about the film itself, or maybe I was just all nerves because he’s so handsome. Regardless, I was searching my brain for a question about his co-star in the film, she of Inglourious Basterds loveliness, Melanie Laurent, but I couldn’t think of anything, and Ewan (college nickname: “Screw’an”) was just staring at me, wondering if I’m having some sort of seizure so I blurt out, “Melanie Laurent. (Pause) How tall is she? She seems pretty short?” He stares at me, deadpan, and then asks if that was my real question. It was a nice moment for everyone I think.
Streamability: The dog in it was also in The Artist, so you can see him here before he sold out. It’s a pretty nice little film. I think I said that already.
Top Netflix Depression of the Week (streaming)
Defiance
Another true story, this one about Edward Zwick, the director of Defiance. We got to talking about books, and I’d just gotten done with one called “The Challenge: Hamdan vs. Rumsfeld”, and I recommended he check it out, because he’d gone off on this jag about some political books he’d been reading. Anyway, I thought it would make a great movie, still do, A Few Good Men meets Network meets The Kingdom. Fast forward, and he didn’t make the movie. Honestly, I don’t even think he read the book.
Streamability: No. It’s way too sad and unfocused. Which just makes it even sadder.
Top Streaming “Comedy” of the Week ($3.99 Amazon, Google)
Think Like a Man Too
The scene in here where one of the friends changes another’s bet on the roulette wheel is bonkers. I don’t think they’d even allow you to do that, but if they did, and it went down, you’d never talk to your buddy if he cost you $350k. That is if you didn’t murder him before you stopped talking to him.
Streamability: You could do worse.
Streaming of the Week ($3.99 Amazon, Google)
Godzilla
This film is sort of a farce packed into an homage. First off, saddling Aaron Taylor-Johnson with the lead role and “through line” for the film was madness, sheer madness. I get that you can’t go all monster, all the time (someone’s mom’s slogan) but at least show us a little leg over here. We’ve really got to follow around Cranston and then his idiot son? The only respite, if you can even call it that, is Ken Watanabe gesturing aimlessly out into the ocean, muttering Zen Koans such as “The arrogance of men is thinking nature is in their control and not the other way around.” I mean, c’mon. That’s screenplay by post-it note action. [Editor’s Note: Counterpoint, the lizard used an ICBM as a dildo. I almost did a BM in the theater out of joy. -Vince]
Streamability: Maybe, if your family is into lizards.
Actual Top Streaming Comedy of the Week ($3.99 Amazon)
Coffee Town
Guess who is in this film? Adrianne Palicki! See how I tied that all back together? This is the funniest movie all year, though admittedly it’s been kind of crap with movies like Neighbors and 22 Jump Street being the only game in town.
Streamability: This trailer isn’t very good, but the movie is better. Maybe just skip the trailer if you have the willpower. Watch it cold.
See you next week my fine feathered friends!
Laremy is on Twitter and does it like it need to be done.