This week on The Movie Gourmet – Previewing the Nashville Film Festival and Much more overlooked neo-noir, with the addition of twelve more films, including To Live and Die in L.A.
And, remember – I’ve just entirely refreshed my most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE.
CURRENT MOVIES
- Fremont: self-discovery and a fortune cookie. In theaters.
- Oppenheimer: creator of a monster controlled by others. In theaters.
- Barbie: a marriage of the intelligent and the silly. In theaters.
- The League: untold stories. Amazon.
- Past Lives: a profound and refreshing romance. In theaters.
- Theater Camp: show people in the making. In theaters.
- Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed: leading man in the closet. HBO Max.
- No Hard Feelings: an amusement with Jennifer Lawrence. Amazon, Vudu YouTube.
WATCH AT HOME
The most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE:
- Kimi: an adequate REAR WINDOWS ends as a thrilling WAIT UNTIL DARK. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
- Undefeated: an Oscar winner you haven’t seen. Amazon, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
- Lune: funny, searing, and richly authentic. Amazon.
- Summertime: no longer invisible and unheard, giving voice through verse. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
- Phoenix: riveting psychodrama, wowzer ending. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
- I’m Fine (Thank You for Asking): a desperate dash for dignity. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
- Making Montgomery Clift: exploding the myths. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
- Our Kind of Traitor: Skarsgård steals this robust thriller. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
- ’71: keeping the thrill in thriller. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube, redbox.
ON TV
On September 24, Turner Classic Movies will air the 1984 film that was Oscar winner Frances McDormand’s first screen credit, Blood Simple. That was also the storied Coen Brothers’ first feature film (and sparked McDormand’s 35-year marriage to Joel Cohen). Since their debut, the Coens have gone on to win Oscars for Fargo and No Country for Old Men, and their True Grit and the very, very underrated A Serious Man are just as good. Along the way, they also gave us the unforgettable The Big Lebowski.
It all started with their highly original neo-noir Blood Simple. It’s dark, it’s funny and damned entertaining. The highlight is the singular performance by veteran character actor M. Emmet Walsh as a Stetson-topped gunsel. The suspenseful finale, when Walsh is methodically hunting down the 27-year-old McDormand, is brilliant.
