Friday, December 16, 2016

I Stream, You Stream Vol. 12

by Patrick Bromley
You've gotta have something to watch when you get home from seeing Collateral Beauty Rogue One.

I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016, dir. Billy O'Brien) One of my favorite horror movies of the year hit Netflix this week! Max Records plays a sociopathic teenager who takes it upon himself to investigate a string of murders taking place in his town. I don't want to say anything else. I love the '70s-inspired, shot-on-16mm beauty of this film, and both Max Records and Christopher Lloyd give amazing performances. This movie is so good. (Watch on Netflix)
O.J.: Made in America (2016, dir. Ezra Edelman) Speaking of so good, this five-part 30 for 30 documentary (which has been reedited into three parts for Hulu, but nothing appears to be cut out) is one of the truly great cinematic achievements of the year. Not only does it go into O.J. Simpson's murder trial in painstaking detail -- going all the way back to Simpson's rise to celebrity and his position as maybe the first post-racial figure in popular culture -- but also brings in years' worth of police brutality and civil unrest to paint a picture of just how so many factors conspired to create the media circus and subsequent acquittal. Seriously, this documentary is so comprehensive and so eye opening that I can't imagine there being a better one this year.  (Watch on Hulu)
Vigilante (1983, dir. William Lustig) This is available to stream on Brown Sugar, but I don't know if I would categorize it as "blaxploitation." Yes, Fred Williamson is in it playing the badass leader of a team of vigilantes who reach out to Robert Forster when his family is killed, but the Hammer is just a supporting character in Forster's story. William Lustig knows his way around this kind of gritty, New York-based violent sleaze and the film is incredibly entertaining when you're in the mood for it. I almost always am. (Watch on Brown Sugar)
Stories We Tell (2013, dir. Sarah Polley) This sort-of documentary about the family and lineage of actor/director Sarah Polley was on my list of favorite movies when it came out a few years ago. What reads like a vanity project on paper is actually a fascinating, funny and incredibly human treatise on the nature of storytelling -- the fictions that we pass down and the ways in which we do it. I can't think of another movie quite like it. (Watch on Amazon Prime)
Black Christmas (1973, dir. Bob Clark) 'Tis the season for the best Christmas horror movie ever made (sorry, To All a Goodnight) and a movie that's quickly becoming one of my favorite horror movies period. Debates about its role in helping create the slasher genre will continue for years, but none of that matters; what matters is that this movie is atmospheric and scary and brilliant and everyone needs to watch it this weekend for reasons to be revealed soon. Just saying. (Watch on Shudder)

5 comments:

  1. Does anyone else get turned on by Olivia's sweater in Black Christmas

    Those perfectly positioned hands

    You just want to put your hands where those hands are, or is it just me?

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    1. Been through this last year, my man. #sweaterboob

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  2. Yes! Thank you! I forgot about getting around to see Sarah Polleys project when it came out. I wonder if she does voiceover. I love her voice. Also thank you for the Too Late rec last week (and Chaybee). I watched it in the airport yesterday while my flight was delayed 14 hours and really enjoyed it. Then I rewatched most of it a bunch. I love that Australian actress (who've I've never seen before). She's unforgettable and she and John Hawkes even had some sweet chemistry despite the semi-natural dialogue.

    Oh then I rewatched Nice Guys. The kid kind of annoyed me a little more this time, but Gosling was still super impressive. Great movie. And then I watched Michael Clayton. Once on a plane I watched Michael Clayton four times in a row. That movie just doesn't break.

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  3. Watching black christmas for the first time ever tonight...

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