OUT NOW:
‘Dead & Beautiful’ (Shudder)
In Dead & Beautiful, five rich, spoiled Asian twenty-somethings (Gijs Blom, Aviis Zhong, Yen Tsao, Philip Juan, Anechka Marchenko) are suffering from upper-class ennui, unsure how to spend their days when so little is expected from them. In search of excitement, the five friends form the “Circle,” a group where they take turns designing a unique, extravagant experience for the others. But things go wrong when the privileged urbanites awaken after a night out, to find they have developed vampire fangs and an unquenchable thirst for flesh, blood, and adventure at any price.
‘It Follows’ (Netflix)
After carefree teenager Jay (Maika Monroe) sleeps with her new boyfriend, Hugh (Jake Weary), for the first time, she learns that she is the latest recipient of a fatal curse that is passed from victim to victim via sexual intercourse. Death, Jay learns, will creep inexorably toward her as either a friend or a stranger. Jay's friends don't believe her seemingly paranoid ravings, until they too begin to see the phantom assassins and band together to help her flee or defend herself. This 2014 horror from David Robert Mitchell (Under the Silver Lake) was one of the very best of the year.
‘Eyes Wide Shut’ (HBO Max)
Stanley Kubrick's daring last film is a bracing psychosexual journey, a riveting suspense tale and a career milestone for stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. At a Christmas party hosted by wealthy, unconventional Victor Ziegler (Sydney Pollack), provocative advances and innocent flirtations arouse suspicion as high-society physician Dr. William Harford (Cruise) and his sexy wife, Alice (Kidman) watch each other from a distance. Alone later, this seemingly perfect couple confront their intimate sexual fantasies -- which don't include each other. Caught between reality and illusion, jealousy and obsession, William struggles with his inner urges. Will he act on his erotic fantasies or keep them hidden deep inside? He discovers an underground sexual group and attends one of their meetings -- and quickly discovers that he is in over his head.
‘The Black Dahlia’ (Amazon Prime Video)
In this period thriller based on James Ellroy's novel, Los Angeles cops Bucky Bleichert (Josh Hartnett) and Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart) uncover corruption and conspiracy within the force while searching for the killer of Tinseltown hopeful Elizabeth Short (Mia Kirshner). In an effort to crack the high-profile case, Bleichert and Blanchard venture into Hollywood's darker side to piece together Short's secret life. Blanchard puts his marriage in jeopardy by obsessing over the crime, while Bleichert becomes involved with a woman (Hilary Swank) from a prominent family, who happens to have an unsavory tie to the victim.
‘Behind the Monsters’ (Shudder)
This brand new documentary series dives into the making of and cultural impact of some of the genre’s most recognizable killers. For any horror aficionados looking to learn more about a few of the most important films and characters to hit the big screen, or for any newer fans looking for an interesting history lesson, Behind the Monsters is guaranteed to be an insightful look into how these things were brought to life. Written and directed by Gabrielle Binkley and Anthony Uro, the series will comprise of six episodes that’ll feature interviews with experts, the writers, directors and actors from the original films, producers, and other documentary filmmakers and horror historians. The episodes will focus on characters like Michael Myers, Jason Vorhees, Freddy Krueger and more.
‘Animaniacs (Season 2)’ (Hulu)
Animaniacs ruled the cartoon world in the 90s with its animated mania and razor sharp sense of humor, and the series' revival over on Hulu last year was something to be celebrated. In the second season of the revived show, Yakko (Rob Paulsen), Wakko (Jess Harnell) and Dot (Tress MacNeille) return with big laughs and the occasional epic takedown of authority figures in serious need of an ego check. The new season of the Emmy award-winning series is packed with enough comedy sketches, pop culture parodies, musical comedy, and self-referential antics to fill a water tower.
‘Last Action Hero’ (Netflix)
Following the death of his father, young Danny Madigan (Austin O'Brien) takes comfort in watching action movies featuring the indestructible Los Angeles cop Jack Slater (Arnold Schwarzenegger). After being given a magic ticket by theater manager Nick (Robert Prosky), Danny is sucked into the screen and bonds with Slater. When evil fictional villain Benedict (Charles Dance) gets his hands on the ticket and enters the real world, Danny and Jack must follow and stop him. This 90s Schwarzenegger action flick was far ahead of its time, and has only recently begun to grow a sizable fanbase.
‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ (Hulu)
Evil Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) lusts for the beautiful wife of a London barber (Johnny Depp) and transports him to Australia for a crime he did not commit. Returning after 15 years and calling himself Sweeney Todd, the now-mad man vows revenge, applying his razor to unlucky customers and shuttling the bodies down to Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who uses them in her meat-pie shop. Though many fall to his blade, he will not be satisfied until he slits Turpin's throat. Tim Burton's adaptation of the famous musical is one of his best and most underrated films - it's undoubtedly his bloodiest.
‘Wait Until Dark’ (Shudder)
After a flight back home, Sam Hendrix (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) returns with a doll he innocently acquired along the way. As it turns out, the doll is actually stuffed with heroin, and a group of criminals led by the ruthless Roat (Alan Arkin) has followed Hendrix back to his place to retrieve it. When Hendrix leaves for business, the crooks make their move -- and find his blind wife, Susy (Audrey Hepburn), alone in the apartment. Soon, a life-threatening game begins between Susy and the thugs. This 60s thriller earned Hepburn a nomination for Best Actress at the Academy Awards.
‘Dracula’ (Netflix)
Count Dracula (Gary Oldman), a 15th-century prince, is condemned to live off the blood of the living for eternity. Young lawyer Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves) is sent to Dracula's castle to finalise a land deal, but when the Count sees a photo of Harker's fiancée, Mina (Winona Ryder), the spitting image of his dead wife, he imprisons him and sets off for London to track her down. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this 1992 adaptation of the immortal Bram Stoker novel earned a massive amount of praise and award nominations.
CONTINUED WEEKLY EPISODES:
‘Y: The Last Man’ (Hulu)
Adapted from the hit comic book series of the same name by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra, this series from Eliza Clark expands and even challenges the source material to create something even greater. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, a man named Yorick Brown (Ben Schnetzer) is the last surviving male human on the planet. The series follows Yorick as he traverses the new world, as its survivors struggle with their losses and attempt to restore world society—led by Yorick’s mother, who is the new U.S. President Jennifer Brown (Diane Lane). All ten episodes are now streaming.
‘Succession’ (HBO Max)
HBO has knocked it out of the park once again with Succession, a show that tracks the lives of the Roy family as they contemplate their future once their aging father (Brian Cox) begins to step back from the media and entertainment conglomerate they control. The first two seasons of the series quickly garnered praise for being one of the best new shows on television and has been showered with awards. The third miraculously looks like it’s only getting better as the Roys continue to vie for their father’s assets. The first three episodes of the new season are now streaming.
Also streaming now:
Netflix - ‘21 Jump Street’, ‘A River Runs Through It’, ‘Addams Family Values’, ‘Moneyball’, ‘Snakes On a Plane’, ‘Tagged’, ‘The Forgiven’, ‘The General’s Daughter’, ‘The Nightingale’, ‘Thir13en Ghosts’, ‘When a Stranger Calls’, ‘Lords of Scam’, ‘The Harder They Fall’, ‘Big Mouth (Season 5)’, ‘Narcos: Mexico (Season 3)’, ‘Yara’
Hulu - ‘10,000 BC’, ‘Borat’, ‘Boyz N’ the Hood’, ‘Dark Shadows’, ‘Fargo’, ‘The Fifth Element’, ‘The Fighter’, ‘The Fly’, ‘I, Tonya’, ‘Inception’, ‘The Legend of Zorro’, ‘The Matrix Trilogy’, ‘Minority Report’, ‘Resident Evil’, ‘Rush Hour Trilogy’
Shudder - ‘Blood on Satan’s Claw’, ‘The Dark’, ‘The Closet’, ‘Prom Night’, ‘Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II’, ‘Leatherface’
HBO Max - ‘Caddyshack’, ‘A Clockwork Orange’, ‘Full Metal Jacket’, ‘The Bourne Trilogy’, ‘The Wolverine’
Amazon Prime Video - ‘Alien’, ‘Alien 3’, ‘Alien Resurrection’, ‘Alien vs Predator’, ‘Children of Men’, ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’, ‘Jingle All the Way’, ‘Kung Pow: Enter the Fist’, ‘Predator 2’, ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’, ‘Vantage Point’, ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’, ‘Courage the Cowardly Dog’
Disney+ - ‘X-Men: First Class’
COMING NEXT WEEK:
Netflix - ‘Arcane’, ‘Animal’, ‘Passing’, ‘Red Notice’
Hulu - ‘Pain & Gain’, ‘Emperor’
Shudder - ‘Tailgate’, ‘The World of Kanako’, ‘The Visitor’, ‘Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer’, ‘Darlin’’, ‘Honeydew’, ‘Great White’
HBO Max - ‘Land’
Disney+ - ‘Jungle Cruise’, ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’, ‘Home Sweet Home Alone’
