“She’s So Funny” (January 29)
Director Peter Bogdanovich’s latest narrative film is a deliberate return to his earlier screwball comedies, replicating the giddy energy of his 1972 hit “What’s Up, Doc,” the New York setting of his ravishing rom-com “They All Laughed’ from 1981 and the quicksilver pace of his underrated 1992 reworking of “Noises Off”. Owen Wilson stars as a Broadway director with a soft spot for call girls, whom he occasionally offers financial assistance to help out of “the life”; Imogen Poots is delightfully giddy as the recipient of his latest gift. It’s not quite close to Bogdanovich’s early efforts, but it’s hard to charmingly resist a movie like this, and its cast (which includes Jennifer Aniston, Will Forte, Kathryn Hahn, and Rhys Ifans) is amazing.
Stream it here.
“Addams Family Values” (January 31)
One can’t help but question the timing of this particular exit as Netflix is enjoying the buzz of its “Wednesday” original series – a show that takes its inspiration from the Charles Addams cartoons and the old TV sitcom “Addams Family”. “, but especially from Barry Sonnenfeld’s darkly funny ’90s movie adaptations. And in putting together this 1993 sequel, Sonnenfeld and screenwriter Paul Rudnick clearly realized that Christina Ricci’s Wednesday was the scene-stealer, building much of the story around her bone-dry wit (including an unforgettable summer camp portion). The result is a “Godfather Part II” of black comedy, a rare sequel that surpasses its predecessor.
Stream it here.
‘Rambo’/’Rambo: Last Blood’ (January 31)
The first two sequels to “First Blood,” starring Sylvester Stallone as Vietnam veteran John Rambo, were quintessential Reagan-era films, a heady brew of 1960s backlash, social conservatism, and nuanced foreignness. policies typical of the time. Stallone waited 20 years to make the fourth film, simply titled “Rambo” (2008), which he also co-wrote and directed, presenting his character as a man out of his time, brought back into action by the prudence of his government. The final film of the series, “Last Blood” (2019), was firmly rooted in the Trump era, capitalizing on the fear and paranoia surrounding the border crisis. Both movies feature brutal but effective action sequences with a seemingly ageless Stallone still doing what he does best. But they are most fascinating as snapshots of their cultural moments and reminders of the political power of mass entertainment.
Stream ‘Rambo’ hereand ‘Rambo: Last Blood’ here.
‘The Borgias: Seasons 1-3’ (January 31)
This historical and pedigree Showtime drama – created by Oscar-winning writer and director Neil Jordan and starring Jeremy Irons as Pope Alexander VI – had the misfortune of premiering in April 2011, the same month HBO” Game of Thrones” debuted. But now, with more than a month to binge the 29 episodes, “Thrones” fans may find it’s a new source of lavish action and sex, of grinning drama and ruthless political play. Irons is on fire as the driven preacher who ascends to papal power, and the show’s intelligent, well-researched scripts draw effective parallels between the Borgias and later families who sought and wielded political power.
Stream it here.