Friday, March 28, 2014

Netflix This Movie! Vol. 70

Hope you guys like Matthew McConaughey!

Adam Riske: Mud (2013, dir. Jeff Nichols) One of my ten favorite movies from 2013. Mud is a great coming of age story and further proof that director Jeff Nichols is the real deal. He seems to have picked up the baton from David Gordon Green in the subgenre of blue-collar character studies. I was dreading Mud when it first came out because I thought it would feel like work, but it's actually quite entertaining and very involving. The acting is exceptional, in particular from Tye Sheridan, who gives the best performance in the entire movie despite being a relatively inexperienced child actor. He's a natural. Give it a shot. You'll be glad you did.
Heath Holland: Mud (2013, dir. Jeff Nichols) I'm really excited that Mud is now on Netflix. It's one of the two performances from Academy Award winner (!!!) Matthew McConaughey that garnered attention last year and is the less "showy" of the two, but still a great showcase for the actor. This was one of my favorite movies from last year; I like that it takes its time and asks questions that don't really have answers. I've also learned from talking to other people that your mileage will vary with this movie and you might not find it quite as emotionally engaging as I did, but I definitely think there's a lot to think about and unpack. Some movies just hit you a certain way at a certain time. Mud was that way for me. I love it.
JB: Night of the Living Dead (1968, dir. George Romero) The grandfather, or should I say the father (the grandfather would be 1932's White Zombie) of all modern zombie films, this seminal horror film was recently added to Netflix Instant! Hooray! I would go so far to say that it is the father of all  modern HORROR films, period. Night of the Living Dead is one of my favorite examples of "fun on a budget." This film has a creepy, nihilistic atmosphere that few other horror films can match. While you are on the Netflix machine, you can also check out the 1990, Tom Savini-directed remake...

"They're coming to get you, Barbara..."
Patrick: Headhunters (2011, dir. Morten Tyldum) This Norwegian black comedy thriller is like a Hitchcock movie that goes to crazy extreme places. A short, insecure corporate raider (Aksel Hennie) lives the high life funded by his side gig as an art thief; when he learns that a new prospect (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, aka Jaime Lannister) is in possession of a priceless painting, he sets his sights. And then things get interesting. The violence is brutal, the humor pitch black and the plotting very clever. It also features one of the best supporting character introductions ever.

2 comments:

  1. Gosh guys! You really made things difficult this week! I can't decide whether I want to see Adam's pick or Heath's. ;) You're lucky I DO like McConaughey.

    (In all honesty, I've never seen and know nothing about Headhunters. Maybe I'll watch that today)

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  2. YES, to Headhunters. I just mentioned how much I like the character of Roger in the favorite characters post, but the movie itself is pretty great too.

    Night of the Living Dead is at the top of my queue now. Time to see where it all began( for better or worse).

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