Just added today on Netflix: the coveted tradition of killing American leaders, a Barney parody gone hilariously dirty, and a suspiciously Canadian-looking New York City. This is what happens when it's all work and no play.
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THE PARALLAX VIEW
After the assassination of a leading U.S. senator, journalist Joseph Frady (Warren Beatty) notices that the reporters who witnessed the murder are inexplicably dying. Frady investigates and finds that the assassination was part of a conspiracy involving a shadowy therapy institute called the Parallax Corporation. Driven by curiosity, he infiltrates Parallax in an effort to uncover the truth. Hume Cronyn co-stars as Frady's editor.
A gold standard in political conspiracy thrillers. This is a film born directly out of an era that saw the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. The film's tagline chillingly suggests that assassinations are "As American as apple pie."
THE SHINING
On the wagon and out of lucrative work thanks to his alcoholism and family troubles, aspiring novelist Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) accepts a position as the off-season custodian at an elegant but eerie hotel so he can write undisturbed. But shortly after Jack, his wife (Shelley Duvall) and his young son (Danny Lloyd) settle in, the ominous hotel begins to wield its sinister power in this chilling horror classic helmed by Stanley Kubrick.
Is there anything to be said about this film that hasn't already been said? Classic horror, with director Stanley Kubrick tapping into a universal sense of dread, convincingly portrayed by Jack Nicholson. We're lucky to have this available on stream.
DEATH TO SMOOCHY
Danny DeVito directs this dark comedy set in the dog-eat-dog world of children's television, where kids' show star Rainbow Randolph (Robin Williams) gets fired over a bribery scandal and is replaced by Smoochy (Edward Norton) -- a puffy, idealistic purple rhinoceros. Randolph plots his revenge when he discovers that Smoochy is having an affair with Randolph's ex-lover, Nora (Catherine Keener), a top programming executive at the network.
A perennially underrated comedy—baffling given that Robin Williams plays a filthy hyperactive character that's about as close to his stand-up persona as you can get, while Edward Norton does what is probably my favorite performance from him, carrying a naturally goofy charm that's more convincing than his "harder" roles. This film is also often cited by Jon Stewart as his Hollywood peak ("The 4th male lead").
RUMBLE IN THE BRONX
Visiting the Bronx from Hong Kong, Keung (Jackie Chan) helps out at his uncle's grocery store. But when a gang terrorizes the store, the helpful visitor leaps into martial arts action, proving that Chinese imports aren't always cheap. Performing all his own trademark stunts, Chan quashes the thugs, only to confront a fresh round of bad guys looking for trouble. Bursting with action, Rumble gave Chan one of his first hits in the U.S. market.
The movie that finally introduced mainstream America to Jackie Chan's acrobatics. Better late than never. Sadly, it's also one of the few watchable Jackie Chan movies set in the West. It sports a B-movie plot and asinine situations, but the stunts are incredible. Extra laughs can be had by spotting the mountains gracing the Bronx skyline (the movie was shot in Vancouver).
