Friday has arrived again which means it's time for the GeekTonic "Netflix Watch Now Movies Worth Watching" feature.
If you're looking for some inexpensive entertainment, Netflix's movie streaming service is a great place to start. All you need is at least a one-out-at-a-time Netflix subscription and a Netflix Watch Now
Playback device or compatible browser. Each Friday, I'll be highlighting a selection of newly added Netflix Watch-Now titles you can check out - I'll try to screen out the worst of the bunch & just leave the better quality ones or at minimum some of the "broader appeal" titles.
(Disclaimer: Not all of these will appeal to everyone - of course)
This one is a classic adapted from William Faulkner's novel. A dangerous blackmailer has targeted the wealthy Sternwood family, and while private eye Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) works on the case, he ends up falling for the fiery daughter, Vivian (Lauren Bacall).
The Whitest Kids U' Know 
New York funnymen Trevor Moore, Zach Kregger and the rest of the Whitest Kids U' Know comedy troupe turn out a collection of colorful sketches that are anything but bland. Highlights include a look at the darker side of presidential icon Abraham "Honest Abe" Lincoln, an unconventional rap by the one and only Adolf Hitler, and a simple man's attempt to shuffle his iPod -- with disastrous results.
Japanese master director Akira Kurosawa explores the vital relationship between man and his environment with this collection of eight enchanting short stories drawn from his personal memories and dreams. A feast for the senses, the luminous tales are distinguished by dazzling imagery, rich color and keen insight. Another famed director (and Kurosawa fan), Martin Scorsese, portrays Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh in one of the segments.
This one is definitely NOT my style, but many seem to enjoy it. Master mockumentarian Christopher Guest (Waiting for Guffman) is at it again with this snarky send-up of canine culture that traverses the galloping neuroses that surround one highly competitive dog show. Talented improvisers Parker Posey, Eugene Levy, Michael McKean and Catherine O'Hara elevate this satire to the stuff of genius. Fans of This Is Spinal Tap and television's "SCTV" will find much to love.
Mr. Wilson's (Walter Matthau) ever-present annoyance comes in the form of one mischievous kid named Dennis (Mason Gamble), but he'll need Dennis's tricks to uncover a collection of gold coins that go missing when a shady drifter named Switchblade Sam (Christopher Lloyd) comes to town. Nick Castle directs and John Hughes (Home Alone) penned this comedy based on Hank Ketcham's television hit and long-running comic strip. Lea Thompson co-stars.
Hard-edged cop John Kimble (Arnold Schwarzenegger) gets more than he bargained for when he goes undercover as a kindergarten teacher to get the goods on a brutal drug lord (Richard Tyson) while at the same time protecting the man's young son. Pitted against a class of boisterous moppets whose antics try his patience and test his mettle, Kimble may have met his match … in more ways than one. Pamela Reed also stars in this engaging action comedy.
William H. Macy stars in this irreverent comedy as a desperate movie producer who lands himself in hot water when the star of his big-budget biopic on British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli is kidnapped from the set. Based on Peter Lefcourt's novel of the same name, this outrageous look at the zany world of filmmaking also stars LL Cool J, Meg Ryan and Jason Ritter.
After a failed stint as an actor in Hollywood, Philip (Trevor St. John) returns to his hometown, where he's greeted like a conquering hero. He uses his fame to charm his old sweetheart, Dorothy (Mary Stuart Masterson). But Dorothy has a cheerless, boring life now and is stuck with her racist thug boyfriend (Jon Favreau). This overlooked indie gem features a tight ensemble cast, including Karen Black, Natasha Gregson Wagner and Rory Cochrane.
This Western stars Lee Van Cleef in a double role as twin brothers. Father John, one of the twins, is murdered by Sam Clayton (Jack Palance) in a calculated plan for Sam's gang of low-lifes to invade the town. Retired contract killer Johnny (Leif Garrett) heads to Mexico in hopes of convincing the deceased man's twin to gather his arsenal and help Johnny save the fated town.
Donna (Brittany Snow) has been looking forward to her senior prom for as long as she can remember, anticipating a night of magic surrounded by her best friends. But what she doesn't bargain for is a visitor from her dark past and a party that will end in murder. Donna and her friends find themselves fighting to escape the clutches of a deranged killer before the night of their dreams turns into their worst nightmare.
In this wrenching drama based on a true story, Meryl Streep plays Lindy Chamberlain, an Australian woman who finds herself under suspicion of murder after her infant daughter is carried off by a dingo during a family camping trip. Lindy insists that the animal killed her baby, but police note inconsistencies in her story and charge her with the crime. Meanwhile, the media proceeds to hound the distraught family at every turn. Sam Neill co-stars.
Jerry Fletcher (Mel Gibson), a New York City cab driver who moonlights as a conspiracy theorist, puts his life in danger when crooked government officials set out to silence him. An attorney named Alice Sutton (Julia Roberts) might be able to help him, as she tries to unravel a mysterious murder that could be connected to Fletcher's theory. Richard Donner directs and Patrick Stewart co-stars.
When drifter Clay Hewitt (Vince Vaughn) takes a job at Delilah Potts's (Kate Capshaw) ranch, he unwittingly sets up a dangerous love triangle in this tense drama. Taking up with local girl Kitty (Ashley Judd), Hewitt spurns his boss's advances. But Delilah doesn't like being rejected. Meanwhile, Hewitt develops a strong bond with Delilah's troubled young son, Flyboy (Jeremy Davies). Paul Rudd co-stars.
Christopher Reeve stars as a daredevil pilot in this exhilarating tale that takes place during the heyday of early flying. Rosanna Arquette is his feisty (and unwilling) passenger, immobilized because of a broken leg from a mountain fall. After surviving an airplane crash into a mountain range, the two must battle the extremes -- and each other -- to survive.
Alfred Hitchcock's Oscar-nominated classic thriller.
Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) comes home in the terrifying sequel to one of Alfred Hitchcock's most suspenseful movies. After years of rehab in a mental institution, Norman returns to the family home, but is he really free of the henpecking from his "mother"? Vera Miles reprises her role from the original movie, still haunted by Norman's brutal murder of her sister years before. Meg Tilly and Dennis Franz co-star. Richard Franklin directs.
And you thought it was safe to go back in the shower! Anthony Perkins recreates his most famous role and makes his directing debut in this second sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's legendary thriller. Once again, the Bates Motel is the site of nasty doings as rehabilitated psychopath Norman Bates (Perkins) attempts to help a vulnerable ex-nun (Diana Scarwid). As usual, Norman turns to Mother -- still propped up in her bedroom window -- for assistance.
Calling up a radio show about boys who murder their mothers, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) recounts his tortured experiences as the son (Henry Thomas) of an incessantly abusive mother (Olivia Hussey) and announces his intentions to kill again. As his story unfolds, it becomes clear that Bates's threat should be taken quite seriously. The fourth installment of the famed horror franchise also stars CCH Pounder as the talk-show host.
Set to be married on the same day he gets out of the slammer, Jesse (Luke Wilson) enlists tuxedo-clad pals Teddy (Andy Dick), Buzz (Dean Cain), Billy (Sean Patrick Flanery) and Sol (Mitchell Whitfield) to help him rob his father's bank -- and then drive him to the church. This quirky hybrid of ensemble comedy and hostage thriller also stars Drew Barrymore as Jesse's fiancée, Hope. Tamra Davis directs.
Director Peter Hyams transplants High Noon to outer space in this sci-fi thriller starring Sean Connery as William O'Niel, a cosmic lawman on a Jupiter moon outpost who conducts an inquiry after three miners go mad and die in rapid succession. But his probe doesn't sit well with the mine manager (Peter Boyle), who's boosting worker productivity through dangerous drugs … and he promptly dispatches a pair of thugs to get rid of O'Niel.
When the entire royal family is electrocuted in a freak accident, it leaves Las Vegas lounge singer Ralph Jones (John Goodman) the lone heir to the English throne. Aided by a family servant (Peter O'Toole), boorish slob Ralph does his best to rise to the occasion. John Hurt plays his scheming adversary, Percival Graves, a British lord who plots the new monarch's downfall in this genial comedy from director David S. Ward.
At the urging of his car salesman Uncle Leo (Jerry Lewis), fish-obsessed Axel (Johnny Depp) reluctantly journeys from Manhattan to Arizona, where Leo pressures him to take over the dealership. Meanwhile, Axel forges an unlikely bond with rich widow Elaine (Faye Dunaway) and her accordion-playing stepdaughter (Lili Taylor). The overlooked, absurdist comedy won the Silver Berlin Bear award at the 1993 Berlin International Film Festival.
George Orwell's eerie tale follows the "reeducation" of two people who break the law in a totalitarian state by falling in love while Big Brother is watching. Not only was this highly watchable movie adaptation filmed during the year it's named for, but specific scenes were also shot on the exact date the novel specifies. An intriguing touch in what turned out to be Richard Burton's last film.
When vacuous stock analyst Nick Halloway (Chevy Chase) is rendered invisible as the result of a nuclear fusion experiment gone wrong, he becomes the target of ruthless government operative David Jenkins (Sam Neill), who plans to exploit Halloway's spy potential. After escaping from Jenkins' clutches, Halloway finds an ally in shapely film documentarian Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah). Michael McKean rounds out the cast in this comic sci-fi yarn.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, this affecting remake of A Guy Named Joe stars Richard Dreyfuss as brash Pete Sandich, a firefighting pilot who dies in the line of duty but returns as a guardian angel to fledgling aviator Ted Baker (Brad Johnson). Pete's task takes an unexpected twist, however, when Ted begins falling for Dorinda Durston (Holly Hunter) -- the girl Pete left behind. Audrey Hepburn plays a seraph in her final big-screen appearance.
Kidnapped by an escaped convict (Shea Whigham) and his young accomplice (Rachel Kerbs), Seth Belzer (Paulo Costanzo) and Polly Watt (Jill Wagner) are thrust into the fight of their lives when the four of them become the prey of a bloodthirsty splinter parasite. Trapped inside an abandoned gas station, the foursome is forced to band together to thwart the monster's vicious attacks and make it out alive.
Other New Netflix Streaming Movies for this week:
- Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
- The Wiggles: Dorothy the Dinosaur
- Hit and Run
- Walking the Walk
- Witchcraft IV: The Virgin Heart
- The Butchers
- Flip a Coin
- Tales from the Crapper
- Noah's Arc: Season 2
- Beyond Desire
- Robbery Under Arms
- Puff, Puff, Pass
- Robin Hood: The Movie
- Romance of the West
- Robin Hood: Quest for the Crown
- Rootin' Tootin' Rhythm
- Babymother
- Revenge of the Nerds 2: Nerds in Paradise
- Meatballs 4
- Some Girls
- Class Act
- Lucky 13
- Man of the East
- DJ Spooky's Rebirth of a Nation
- Redbelt
- The Toughest Gun in Tombstone
- Vatel
That's it for this week. Let us know in the comments if you loved or hated any of these.
Remember, you can now subscribe to the GeekTonic Netflix Watch Now Movie Recommendations RSS Feed
