We’ve been wishing and hoping that Netflix would step it’s game up and give us a little more than the fifteen new episodes of TEDtalks that they decide to release every damn week, but no such luck. This week take your pick from the lot of so-so action movies, a twisted foreign flick, or an over-watched and overly-quoted standup performance.
“Machete Kills” (2013)
We all remember the intentionally corny prequel “Machete,” during which the seriously gruff looking Danny Trejo kills and maims anyone in his path as he tries to escape his own assassination. In “Machete Kills,” Trejo is at it again when the US government hires his character, Machete, to kill a Mexican revolutionary that has threatened the USA with a missile. Fans of the exploitation genre – think “Sin City” or “Grindhouse” – look no further for a weekend flick, “Machete Kills” delivers all the action, gore, nudity, and corny lines reminiscent of cheap B-list movies from the ’70s that you can take.
“Cocaine Cowboys Reloaded” (2014)
Ever wonder what it would be like if the episodes of “Miami Vice” were actually true stories? Well speculate no longer because “Cocaine Cowboys” is like a look into the real “Miami Vice,” as the stylized documentary takes us into the world of drug-run Miami circa 1970-80. “Cocaine Cowboys” shows the immense changes Miami went through as it discovered the drug cocaine, primarily interviewing three of the biggest characters during this drug and blood soaked era.
“Much Ado About Nothing” (2012)
In this modern transposition of Shakespeare’s play, well-known director Joss Whedon curates an entire acting ensemble that is consistently engaging and funny throughout. Having been filmed entirely at Whedon’s house, which is a beautiful location and is made all the better in glorious black and white film, “Much Ado About Nothing,” will have even the biggest Shakespearean novices engaged and entertained.
“Pain & Gain” (2013)
Another faintly hilarious action movie where Mark Wahlberg acts like a tough guy, and The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) can be seen almost ripping through his overly tight t-shirts as he takes care of business, kicking down doors and shooting huge guns.
“In the Name of” (2013)
Polish screenwriter, producer, and director Malgorzata Szumowska’s fifth feature film was inspired by an article she read in a newspaper, and tells the story about a Polish Catholic priest named Adam who has been moved from his position in Warsaw and transferred to a rural village where he, in addition to practicing and performing his duties as a priest, manages a center for disadvantaged young boys with his friend named Michal. Adam starts becoming friendly with a woman named Ewa while he is living there, but as Adam’s colleagues, the young boys he is working with, and the people who live there, she is unaware that Adam desires men and that his embrace of the priesthood has been a flight from his own sexuality.
“The Story of Luke” (2012)
This feel good movie tells the story of an autistic man named Luke, who, abandoned by his fearful mother at an early age and having grown up in a sheltered world, is thrown into a spin when his grandparents pass away over a cruelly short period of time. It quickly dawns on Luke that in order to carry on, he must start to take chances and live his life in the face of his underlying feeling of not being capable of doing so.
“Frozen Ground” (2013)
This flick was inspired by a real murder case about a man named Robert Hansen. Nicholas Cage plays an Alaska State trooper believes Hansen (John Cusack) is a serial killer who abducts young girls, tortures and sexually assaults them, then kills them. But Cage’s character doesn’t have enough evidence to get a search warrant for Hansen’s premises and seeks out a survived victim to help him close the case.
“Eddie Murphy: Delirious” (1983)
If you haven’t seen this, you do not know what you are missing. It’s classic Eddie Murphy; all the reasons and hilarity that made him a household comedic name. So many classic one liners, stories, and segways, from his infamous bits about the drunken uncle at the BBQ, GI Joe, Mr. T, Goony Goo Goo, and the ice cream man. This is one of those classic standup recordings that no matter who you are talking to and mention any of these bits to anyone who has seen this performance before they either won’t be able to keep a straight face and will burst out in laughter, or will recite the rest of the dialogue from the act. And that red outfit….
