Now Streaming: Big Screen Commandos, A Spielberg Classic, Tigers, Dragons, Cannibals, and Families

     I know it's been a while since I've written a post about Netflix but when you have a full-time job, it's difficult to keep up with movie streaming but I'm back at it and I think this company just keeps getting better! With television shows like House of Cards, Orange Is The New Black, and Hemlock Grove added in with the movies that are added to their expanding library, Netflix is definitely a hobby now for binge watching movies when you are home alone.

     If you are tired of watching the same movies over and over again or your list needs to be refreshed with fresh flicks, I'm going to present some films for you to watch whether to pass the time or something you have waiting for Netflix to have in order to watch it.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation : Starring Channing Tatum, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and Bruce Willis, this sequel finds the Joes are on their own when the U.S. Government, controlled by COBRA, frames the heroes as traitors against the country. The Joes then go on the offensive to clear their name and save the world once again.

Amistad : Steven Spielberg directs the unforgettable classic that tells the story based on the mutiny in 1839 by newly captured slaves who took control of the ship, La Amistad, off the coast of Cuba. After being captured by a U.S. revenue cutter, they are brought to America and sparks an international legal battle that later became a United States Supreme Court case of 1841.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon : This international classic is hailed as one of the greatest and most influential foreign language films in the United States. Two warriors (Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh) are in pursuit of a stolen sword and a fugitive. Their journey leads them to physically skilled adolescent nobleman's daughter. I highly recommend this film for fans, both new and old, of martial arts films.

The Silence of the Lambs: This 1991 classic thriller stars Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins as the sadistic and eccentric Hannibal Lecter. In this film, A young Foster plays FBI trainee, Clarice Starling, who seeks the advice of the imprisoned Dr. Lecter (Hopkins) in order to stop another serial killer, known as "Buffalo Bill".

The Family: Starring Robert De Nero, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Tommy Lee Jones, this action comedy film pokes fun at the seriousness of being in a mob family. De Nero and Pfeiffer play the parents who has their family under the witness protection program and must change their lives but that is easier said than done.












     I hope you all enjoy these movies. If anyone has any other suggestions, please pass them on! Enjoy the Netflix binge watching!

Now Streaming: Olympus, Alien Invaders, Spies, Pirates, and Sharks, Sharks, SHARKS!

     Netflix just keeps getting better and better. Who needs television besides watching sports? With recent news that they will be bringing some of Marvel's lesser known heroes to life on the small screen and the movies and TV shows that continue to be uploaded (I finally get to watch Dexter!), it's hard to keep track of what's good on the instant streaming website/app.

     So here are my top five recently uploaded movies on Netflix:

   
Olympus Has Fallen - Starring Aaron Eckhart, Gerard Butler, and Morgan Freeman, the film focuses on a disgraced Secret Service agent (Butler) who must come to the rescue when Korean terrorists descend on the White House and take the president (Eckhart) hostage.

The Host - Believe me, I'm not a fan of this novel adaptation. I refused to see it in theaters but this does count as a new movie on Netflix. Staring Saoirse Ronan and Diane Kruger, when an alien race implants a parasite soul named Wanderer into Melanie Stryder's (Ronan) body, she resists the takeover and the two become reluctant allies in this romantic science-fiction movie.

Skyfall - The twenty-third film in the James Bond film series shows our favorite spy at his absolute best in the Daniel Craig commanded spy film.When a serious menace threatens MI6, James Bond (Craig) is on the case -- putting aside his own life and personal issues to hunt and destroy the perpetrators.





Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl - This is the first film in Disney's successful franchise and highly recommended as the best of the Pirates films. Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and Geoffrey Rush, this swashbuckling film focuses on a young man (Bloom) recruits pirate Capt. Jack Sparrow to help rescue a maiden (Knightley) from rival buccaneers, he finds he's up against supernatural forces.

   

Sharknado - I didn't know whether or not to add this in or not since it premiered on Syfy Channel but it's gained a cult following so I made an exception. This ridiculous film stars Tara Reid, and Ian Ziering. When a hurricane swamps Los Angeles, thousands of sharks are swept up in tornadoes and deposited all over the city, where they terrorize residents.

   





     Enjoy the movies!!!

Now Streaming: Halloween Edition

     I promise all of you that I have meant to update this part of my blog for a while but, of course, I've been obsessed with catching up on Breaking Bad and other shows on Netflix. As all of you know, Halloween is just around the corner so Netflix has chosen to be holiday themed once again and unleash their horror movies on their viewers to help prepare them to get into the spirit of ghouls, frights, and, occasionally, murders. There are other movies on here besides the Scream movies. 

Netflix: Halloween Edition

Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) - In this installment in the legendary slasher Halloween films, serial killer Michael Myers once again returns from the dead once again (how many times will that happen?), this time to terrorize his niece and her newborn child.

     

Rosemary's Baby (1968) - This popular classic has provided a legacy for other horror movies to be made that involve black magic and Satan worshippers. Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) is a woman who is excited to discover that she is pregnant but as her pregnancy progresses, Woodhouse fears that her unborn child is in serious danger.

     

Carrie (1976) - Not to be confused with the most recent remake (which I plan to still see), this is the original classic based on the novel from Stephen King. Sissy Spacek plays the outcast teen with telekinetic abilities lashes out with her power when the popular crowd at her high school play a terrible prank on her at the prom.

     

Stephen King's Children of the Corn (1984) - Another horror classic based on Stephen King's written works, a couple (Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton) gets stranded in a rural town where the children have murdered all of the town's adults at the command of their leader, known as "He Who Walks Behind The Rows".

     

Hellraiser (1987) - This horror classic comes to us from Great Britain but has an established following here in America. After an undead man (Andrew Robinson) loses his earthly form to demons from another dimension, he asks his ex-mistress for human sacrifices to rebuild his body.

     I hope you all have a fun Halloween, whether you are watching movies, going out to costume parties, or getting candy.

Now Streaming: Rundowns, A wannabe Van Helsing, and a team of superheroes

I've been thinking of adding a new attachment to my blog and I think I have it. When I took my literature and film class, analyzing the work of directors Howard Hawks and Alfred Hitchcock, I began my free trial with Netflix. My plan was to use Netflix for the duration of the class and then stop my Netflix subscription.

As time went on and I delved deeper into the Netflix instant streaming library, I knew that I couldn't just quit. So, ever since seeing "Rio Bravo", Netflix and I have been inseparable. 

So, here we are. I introduce to everyone: 

Now Streaming On Netflix!

Everyone knows about the line-up of movies that Netflix presents its subscribers that has been recently added, popular, new releases, etc. I'm sure everyone has a Netflix account and knows these movies or shows are up but I'll give you the top five recommended movies on Netflix right now. 

The Rundown (2003) - One of Dwayne "The Rock"  Johnson's first movies, he plays a bounty hunter named Beck. While he is looking to retire, he is sent on one last assignment to Brazil to recover his employer's rebellious son (Seann William Scott). While in Brazil, Beck comes up against a greedy mining operator, Hatcher (Christopher Walken), and it makes a last easy assignment more difficult than it seems.A movie that help solidify Dwayne Johnson as a bankable movie star, this film is definitely worth a look when you have nothing else planned.  

Solomon Kane (2009) - This origin story film, based on the pulp magazine character, tells the redemption tale of Solomon Kane (James Purefoy), a former privateer who is traveling back to his home to try and save his soul. On his journey, he meets a Puritan family but are attacked by followers of an evil sorcerer. Solomon goes after the young daughter of the family to redeem himself. A film that had delayed theatrical release in the U.S., the film was uploaded to Netflix and has gained a positive following. Purefoy's performance along with the atmosphere of the film has helped its positive buzz and given it a strong following in the U.S. The only problem I had was that Kane looked a lot like Van Helsing but that's just me. 

The Road (2009) - This film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's stars Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of the Rings) and Kodi-Smit-McPhee as a father and son pair in a post apocalyptic wasteland. McCarthy's book is truly haunting and will keep you up if you have read it before. The visual look of the film along with the performances helped make the film strong but it's marketing worked against the movie. It definitely had the potential to be Oscar-worthy but you can watch this haunting film on Netflix anytime you want. 

Arbitrage (2012) - This independent movie has received a lot of praise, despite not being presented with the fanfare of a typical big-budget, box office film. Richard Gere plays Robert Miller, a sixty-year-old magnate who manages a fund with his daughter to sell for a huge profit. However, Miller is not what he seems and an accident involving himself and his mistress triggers Miller's drive for self-preservation as he teeters on the line between right and wrong in this tense thriller. Gere's performance has been hailed as one of his best so I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of Richard Gere and loves a good thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. 

The Avengers (2012) - The culmination of Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brought us the highest grossing movie of last year. When Nick Fury (Samuel. L. Jackson) and S.H.I.E.L.D. come up against Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the unlimited energy of the Tesseract, he recruits Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Captain America (Chris Evans) to stop an alien invasion of Earth. Marvel fans waited years for this movie to come to fruition and went into a frenzy when it was released. As someone who saw the movie many times, if you are a fan of any of the Marvel films, you will be ecstatic at the first ensemble superhero film, led by the genius direction of Joss Whedon (Firefly).

I hope everyone looks into one, two, or all of the movies I listed. I'll be back again soon with another update! Enjoy the Netflix movies!