TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL

TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL
4/5 Stars
Now Streaming on Netflix

     Horror has a rich history with comedy. Shaun of the Dead and Idle Hands are high-spirited hybrids. Return of the Living Dead, An American Werewolf in London, and Gremlins all have pretty overtly comedic tones. Even the first third of The Birds is almost indistinguishable from a romantic comedy, and that was after Abbott and Costello had some interesting meetings. By comparison the notoriously gory "slasher" sub-genre has only recently begun to flirt with humor. Perhaps something about humans killing other humans just doesn't lend itself to laughs. Nevertheless, over the past few years several slasher films have taken tentative first steps into comedy. From Jason X's holographic Crystal Lake tribute to Hostel's gum gang, horror helmers have been experimenting with genre crossover pretty regularly since the self-referential boom of the 90s. In fact, this trend has been so ubiquitous that Hatchet's ad campaign promoted it as "classic" horror simply because a disfigured mute was allowed to kill college kids without winking at the audience.
     If the last decade and a half have been the courtship between slasher and slapstick, one could view Tucker And Dale vs. Evil as the consummation: a comedy that successfully embraces the bloodshed of the dead teenager films while retaining its sense of humor. Tucker and Dale is a comedy of errors that finds our hapless titular heroes mistaken for cabin-dwelling homicidal psychos. If that premise doesn't already have you smiling, you'll probably find the whole exercise tiresome. The lengths to which the writers have gone to keep this farce going are alternately side-splitting and suspension of disbelief-straining, much like watching a Fawlty Towers marathon. Ultimately the movie works. It's bloody. It's funny. It's a comedy hyphenate. No, wait- a slasher slash.

Triple Dog

TRIPLE DOG
3/5 Stars
Now Streaming on Netflix


     Just as Panic Room is like the best Lifetime movie ever made, Triple Dog is like an ABC Family Original gone wrong- in a good way.
     Most teen melodramas fail to capture much of the bite of the suburban high school experience. The problem lies mostly in the language. Cool slang is a chimera screenwriters can never manage to get their qwerty little hands on, and failed attempts only stand out as square red flags. Onscreen teens often come off sounding like undercover cops posing as high schoolers. (Ooh, I just had an idea for a TV show! They did? Really? Well, how about a movie reboot? They are? With Jonah Hill? Seriously?) Besides being mercurial, teen language is far from subtle- another aspect often absent in the cruel words of teen films. Somehow, being called a "dorkwad" just doesn't hold the same stigma for kids who regularly hear "slut", "bitch", and the perennially popular "faggot".
     Triple Dog is not 100% successful in its treatment of teen dialogue (it still comes off a bit like a cutesy cell phone commercial at times), but it does attain an uncommon level of viciousness in its words and actions. Considering the youth of the characters involved, I think you can chalk up the language as a small victory. Ironically, the R-rating keeps out the obvious demographic, so I'm not exactly sure who this movie is for. But if your 13-year-old sister thought The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants was bullshit, I might have a recommendation for her.

PS- For true success in teen language, check out these other classics currently streaming on Netflix:
Heathers
Angus
Brick

SHADE

SHADE
Now Streaming on Netflix.com

Shade is a little-known film with a very well-known cast. Stuart Townsend, Gabriel Byrne, Jamie Foxx, Sylvester Stallone, Melanie Griffith- it seems like every role is filled by a familiar face, and they all do an excellent job in the film. But the standout performances come in the opening credits sequence, which by itself is worth the price of admission.
Simply put, Shade is about grifters using sleight of hand to cheat at poker. Right off the bat, let me state that the poker in the film is as erroneous as you have seen on screen; it is sure to infuriate the more hardcore fans out there. But the sleight of hand is as real as it gets. Not a shot of close-up magic in the film is faked, either digitally retouched or done with stand-in hands. It’s all done in camera, an incredibly impressive feat by the actors. But the film puts its best foot forward from the start: the opening credits feature the actors’ sleight of hand trainers showing off, stretching our ideas of what is possible. Whether you stay for the rest of the fairly enjoyable film or not, you MUST take six minutes to watch these human special effects do their thing.

MAD MEN

MAD MEN
Now Streaming on Netflix.com

If you still haven’t seen AMC’s breakout hit Mad Men, what about nearly unanimous critical praise is keeping you away? Perhaps you have the same misconception of the show that I did. I saw the slick ads with the smoking, the chauvinism, and the vintage couture and mistook the sizzle for the steak. I assumed that viewers were drawn to the show because of some kind of misplaced 60s nostalgia and decided that it was not for me. But as adulation for the show reached a critical mass, I eventually decided I would at least watch an episode or two, if only to prove myself right.
I was not right.
Mad Men’s retro backdrop is not what makes the show special. What stands out here is what always should: story and character. Mad Men is what drama should be. The show is written with the richness and verisimilitude of a good novel. It may in fact be the first show to declare that TV can be literature. The acting is remarkable and is rightfully making stars of almost everyone onscreen. The characters feel real and whole. Don Draper’s story is both epic and relatable. It’s quintessentially American.
If you still haven’t seen Mad Men, there’s a good chance you’re wrong about what the show is. But at least now you can stream it for free to prove yourself right.

INTIMATE INDISCRETIONS

INTIMATE INDISCRETIONS
Now Streaming on you tube.com
5/5 Stars

This fledgling series of 5-minute shorts is a spot-on parody of the late-night Cinemax softcore porn shows we all had to sit through before the Internet. Jacquelyne Dyamond’s Intimate Indiscretions is about a sexy radio host that reads letters, a send-up of the loose framing device that makes the sex depictions a “show” and an emotional voiceover that makes it “erotica”.
All the comic actors are fantastic, the music cues are impeccable, and the direction is hilarious. There are several jokes at play in both streaming episodes, keeping this from being a one note sketch. Most importantly, everyone here avoids the parody pitfall of recent years by playing it straight, not winking constantly at the audience.
Go turn this viral. Maybe they’ll make more.

Trailer Itch: CHRONICLE

Trailer Itch:
CHRONICLE
Now Streaming on mtv.com
5/5 Stars

SPOILER ALERT:
The following contains spoilers. So go watch and come back.

Whoa. I am not usually a fan of found footage films, but juxtaposing amazing-looking visual effects with the banality of a home movie is a really fun idea. It grounds the big sci-fi action, making it feel less like the expected events of a magical onscreen world and more like something truly amazing that is happening to your friends.
And for a comic book fan like me, the promise of actually getting to see teens experimenting with superpowers at length, rather than immediately suiting up to fight the Big Bad has me excited every bit as much as that shot of police cars being tossed like dice. This is one home movie I will be staying awake through.

Double Feature Friday: THE LAST EXORCISM and S&MAN

Double Feature Friday:
THE LAST EXORCISM and S&MAN
Now Streaming on Netflix
5/5 Stars

Two of the most unsettling films in recent years are both on Netflix streaming. One is a horror film about a documentary, and the other is a documentary about horror films. Both attempt to blur the lines between reality and fiction. Both succeed at disturbing.
The Last Exorcism is one of a slew of recent horror movies filmed in “documentary” style. The camera operator is a character in the world, and the cast know they are being filmed. This stylistic choice serves two purposes. First, it dramatically reduces the budget. Second, if used properly, the format can heighten the reality, an essential ingredient in scaring an audience. The Last Exorcism makes good use of the device, showing us just enough to keep us guessing, even eking out a ludicrous PG-13 rating by keeping anything too explicit just out of frame. And unlike many “found footage” films that explain the cameras by having a character near the beginning say something like “someone should be filming this”, the faux doc actually has a thesis. It feels like a real documentary. For awhile.
S&Man is an actual documentary about underground horror. Filmmaker JT Petty interviews actors and auteurs of B horror past and present. The independent productions use cheap effects that get really disgusting and sometimes a little too real. The film delves deeper than other docs on the subject as Petty wonders about the existence of actual snuff films. Some of the creepier filmmakers featured make you wonder if their onscreen violence extends to the real world. And there’s nothing scarier than reality.

THE WALKING DEAD

THE WALKING DEAD
Now Streaming on Netflix
5/5 Stars

Before Season 2 premieres on AMC this Sunday, you can catch up on Season 1 of The Walking Dead on Netflix streaming. Even the conservative TV viewer can finish the 6 episode mini-season in three days.
The show, based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, stays fully faithful to the tone of its origin if not the details. New characters and subplots have been added, but the story is thematically untouched. TWD is ultimately not about monsters but rather about character development under the harshest of circumstances. The show’s heroes are forced to examine their own morality and humanity in a lawless landscape filled with abject horror- those who survive, anyway. This focus is what elevates the book to great literature and makes the show one to watch for fans of genre and high drama alike.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Now Streaming on Netflix, New Episodes on HULU
*/5 Stars *varies Season to Season

Saturday Night Live has been the first name in sketch comedy for over 30 years. More than any other variety show it has entered the American zeitgeist, becoming a household name, a staple, and a tradition. But the show began as an upstart, with the “not-ready-for-primetime-players”, the rebels poking fun at the status quo. Now that the show is The Man, can we really count on it for the irreverent comedy we need? SNL has been accused of late as being stale, irrelevant, and worst of all, unfunny.
But there is hope for SNL, and that hope is the Internet. That’s right. YouTube is making Saturday Night Live funnier. Thanks to the efforts of thousands of amateur sketch comedy groups, anyone looking for a quick laugh can find it any time they want. It won’t have the production value of NBC/Universal, but it will be something you haven’t seen before. And that is the gauntlet laid down at the feet of SNL’s writers and performers. They have to step up their game to justify their existence in a world with FunnyOrDie, The Onion, and Derrick Comedy, a world where any college kid with a cell phone and a script can deliver big laughs. SNL doesn’t just have to be funnier; they have to be edgier. Most importantly, they have to be more original. Discerning comedy fans with long memories have been tired of the “recurring character in new location” formula for years, but now that people can watch their favorites whenever they want, putting on the same sketch week to week is coming off as more repetitive than ever. And it’s becoming clear from the past couple years that the writers are aware. So leave your prejudice at the door and give tradition another try. SNL is getting better. Because it has to.

SCREAM

SCREAM
Now Streaming on Netflix
5/5 Stars

There are two halves of Scream.
The first half is a perfect little 13-minute short film celebrating the slasher film. Drew Barrymore is a wonderful victim, and she and the phone gimmick are executed very well. When people remember Scream, they remember the opening sequence, and rightfully so. It’s strength and scariness carry us through the second half of the film.
The second half is just a solid 90-minute slasher film in which a few characters reference other horror films. Although this convention was pretty new in 1996 (but not unprecedented- see: 1992’s There’s Nothing Out There), it doesn’t make the film revolutionary.
Scream still holds up as a fun, well-paced ride and is especially rewarding if you watch with the ending in mind. The movie spawned three sequels of varying quality, but its great contribution to horror will always be 13 minutes long.

A Couple of Docs

Double Feature Friday:
JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK and 
MR. WARMTH: THE DON RICKLES PROJECT
Now Streaming on Netflix
4/5 Stars

Each of these documentaries gives remarkable insight into the long and storied career of a comedy legend. You’ll finish both feeling like you know much more about the history of comedy in general and the subject in particular. The big difference between the two is the perspective.
MR. WARMTH tells the story of Don Rickles mostly in the words of his friends and admirers, with only a few moments of interview with the man himself. A PIECE OF WORK practically gives Joan Rivers herself the camera. The documentarians follow her around practically 24/7 for months as she continues to tour, giving history lessons every few minutes. WARMTH feels like the final honor of a life of accomplishment. It is a retrospective of a man who seems to have found contentment. WORK, on the other hand, paints a portrait of a woman that will never be satisfied, that always wants to reach the next echelon, that wants to go on forever. This makes it the sadder of the two films, but also the more affecting.

BETWEEN TWO FERNS

BETWEEN TWO FERNS
Now Streaming on funnyordie.com
5/5 Stars

I love Conan. Ferguson has great conversations. Fallon’s energy is infectious. But the funniest late night talk show host is on the internet. Zack Galifianakis gaffs, pouts, and blubbers as the host of Between Two Ferns, a low-budget talk show parody exclusive to FunnyOrDie.com. Guests such as Natalie Portman, Ben Stiller, Jon Hamm, and Conan O’Brien play along to their comic strengths as Galifianakis insults and ignores them. New episodes are released sporadically, so every hilarious sketch is an event- a can’t-miss event for fans of Galifianakis, comedy, and ferns.

REVOLVER

REVOLVER
Now Streaming on Crackle.com
4/5 Stars

Guy Ritchie’s least known effort may also be his most ambitious. After the debacle of a departure that was Swept Away, Ritchie returned to form with a vengeance. Revolver features several Ritchie staples: Jason Statham, tough-guy talk, gunplay, and a supporting cast of quirky characters (including excellent turns by Mark Strong as a hawk-eyed hitman and Outkast’s Andre Benjamin as a chess-playing con man). The film is also as visually striking as we’ve come to expect from the experienced director.
The difference here is that Ritchie attempts to infuse this film with a deeper message about the ego and conception of the self. Does the movie effectively communicate its meaning or fly off the rails? Is it insightful or muddled? The answer is up to you and will likely affect how you remember Revolver, but there’s no denying the flick is 100% Ritchie.

CLAY PIGEONS and ZERO EFFECT

Double Feature Friday:
CLAY PIGEONS and ZERO EFFECT
Now Streaming on Netflix
5/5 Stars

Dark comedy? Quirky drama? Bloody mystery? Today’s double-shot can be described in all these ways. Each film is a well-plotted, ever-deepening murder mystery with lethal danger around every corner. Each is populated with zany characters and snappy dialogue. Each subverts expectation with plot twists from out of nowhere. Each of these films is a unique script masterfully helmed by a first-time director. They take chances. They bend genre. They’re two great little movies that you may not even have heard of, and they’re streaming now.

PSYCH

PSYCH
Now Streaming on Netflix
5/5 Stars

Television has a long history of eccentric detectives: Columbo, Jessica Fletcher, one of the Simons. But the funniest and oddest so far is Shawn Spencer, the hero of USA Network’s PSYCH. For the uninitiated, a brief explanation of the show. Shawn pretends to be psychic because despite his remarkable detection skills, he is too lazy to go through police training or do paperwork. His best friend and unwilling business partner Gus joins Shawn as he out-thinks criminals, outmaneuvers the cops, and drops more pop culture references than the writers’ room on Family Guy.
The show is usually pretty light fare, retaining its silliness despite the ever-increasing body count (seriously, do they live in Santa Barbara or Santa Carla?). However, the show does have its moments of intensity, in which the audience feels the danger mostly due to their pure love they have for the characters. The supporting cast is top notch, the guest stars are classic, and the writing remains as quick and funny in season 5 as it was in the pilot. If all procedurals were this lovable, the success of CBS’ primetime lineup would make a lot more sense to me.

SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER

SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER
Now Streaming on Crackle.com
5/5 Stars

Before The Love Guru, before Austin Powers, before Mike Myers was a household name, he starred in a little known gem called So I Married An Axe Murderer. This is one of those rare little films where every aspect comes together in a perfect combination. The pace accelerates well, Robbie Fox’s script is colorful, and Thomas Schlamme does a great job directing an exceptional acting ensemble.
Myers mugs a bit, but is more cute than annoying (and is hilarious playing his own father). The supporting cast is charming, but it’s actually the cameos that push the laughter into the stratosphere. Phil Hartman, Michael Richards, Steven Wright, and Charles Grodin provide four of the funniest bit parts ever put on film, and all in one movie. Also make note of the fun, upbeat, hip 90s soundtrack.

MASTERS OF HORROR

MASTERS OF HORROR
Now Streaming on Netflix
3-5/5 Stars

Rather than a television series, it’s easier to think of the Masters of Horror anthology as a wave of new horror films. Netflix seems to agree, organizing each under its own title (You can find them all by typing “Masters of Horror” in the search bar.). Every one-hour “episode” is directed expertly by a different veteran director, each with his own vision. The consistency is in the crew, particularly the makeup effects of Greg Nicotero, which means that there is no shoddy craftsmanship here. However, the only other consonant element is the genre. The end products are so varied in tone, style, and content that any fan of horror is certain to find some episodes they love- and some not so much.
Some that are already largely considered classics (5 stars from me): Deer Woman, Cigarette Burns, Dreams in the Witch House, The Screwfly Solution, and Incident On and Off a Mountain Road. Also be sure to check out Sick Girl, Jenifer, and Sounds Like.

Double Feature Friday: BLACK and BLUE

Double Feature Friday:
PITCH BLACK and DEEP BLUE SEA
Now Streaming on Netflix
5/5 Stars and 4/5 Stars

The popularity of horror movies has been at high tide lately, as it usually is during times of war and economic strife. As such there are myriad horror films to choose from in the streaming market, broken down into almost as many genres. But it’s all too rare to find one that truly defies expectation. Here I present two.
WARNING: Pitch Black and Deep Blue Sea are best watched with no foreknowledge of events therein. If a friend has told you about some cool left turns the films take, you have already seen behind the curtain and lost the magic. You can respect them, but you probably won’t enjoy them nearly as much. I would recommend watching them without reading another word.
You see, both films follow the golden rule of horror: anyone can die at any moment. In Deep Blue Sea, the deaths are sudden and unexpected; they jump right out at you. The creatures are ridiculous and over-the-top. The movie is just plain fun, and is probably the missing link between giant animal movies of the 70s and modern SyFy originals like MegaShark. The creatures in Pitch Black are interesting and original, and there are some very cool, iconic visuals on display here. However, the movie would still be a fair target for the jab of “just another Aliens knockoff” if not for the enduring coolness of Riddick, a supporting character so badass, he inspired a sequel, a prequel, and two video games.
So put these on in the dark with a friend, and remember what it was like to watch horror films as a kid, before the familiar tropes and plot devices took out all the shock factor. Go be surprised. And have fun.

FARSCAPE

FARSCAPE
Now Streaming on Netflix
5/5 Stars

Recently much fuss has been made over the arrival of Star Trek: The Next Generation to Netflix Instant. But if TNG isn’t quite up your alley or you just can’t get enough hard sci-fi, you might want to check out the often overlooked but excellent Farscape. This cult classic Australian import does a fine job following the classic genre formula: presenting a core group of strong, disparate characters with fantastical problems, unexpected twists, and season-long intrigues.
Technically, Farscape holds up well. The show makes good use of both masterful puppetry and makeup effects along with subtle CG to create its imaginary worlds and inhabitants. Farscape also has some of the cleverest writing in televised science fiction. The show definitely exists in a post-Hitchhiker’s Guide world, hopping over obstacles like language barriers with innovation and whimsy.
When you’re finished with the series, don’t forget to watch the Peacekeeper Wars movie, also streaming now.

The Films of John Carpenter

Double Feature Friday:
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA and PRINCE OF DARKNESS
Now Streaming on Netflix
5/5 Stars

These two John Carpenter classics share a focus on the mystical colliding with the modern. Whether ancient Chinese sorcery or Catholic mysticism, it’s the juxtaposition with 1980s American attitude and technology that makes these ideas both original and indelible. It’s important to note the very different tones of the movies. TROUBLE is cheeky adventure; DARKNESS is unsettling horror. Like all Carpenter films, these two are both affecting in their own way, and the second will likely decide the emotion you walk away with. So if you do choose to double up, make sure the order aligns with your plans for the evening.

Also Recommended from Carpenter:

Crackle.com
CHRISTINE

Netflix:
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK
THEY LIVE
STARMAN
CIGARETTE BURNS
THE THING

SOUTH PARK

SOUTH PARK
Now Streaming on southparkstudios.com
5/5 Stars

         You don’t need me to tell you how good South Park is. Over the years, the show has courted controversy, spun off a terrific and unexpected movie, and been Comedy Central’s flagship show. With an extremely quick production schedule and even quicker wits, South Park has been a kind of first responder of comedy. No matter what kind of story has broken in the news, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have found a way to get on the right side of it, make it funny, and make it their own. South Park has rightfully been lauded as satirical genius by myriad critics and fellow artists.
        What you may not know is that EVERY SINGLE SEASON, including the first half of the current one, is available to watch right now at southparkstudios.com. You want to marathon holiday episodes? Share your favorites with a friend? Catch up on what you might have missed this year (including the heartbreaking “You’re Getting Old”)? You can find it all right now. The only episode that isn’t available to stream is the two-part 200th episode, which got the boys legitimate death threats. I think we can forgive them this one; after all, they’ve done so much for us.

MYSTERY TEAM

MYSTERY TEAM
Now Streaming on Netflix
5/5 Stars

From Derrick Comedy, the genius sketch troupe that brought you the YouTube sensations “Bro Rape” and “National Spelling Bee” (yes, the “nigger-faggot” one), comes an original feature that truly is. Mystery Team answers the question, “What if Encyclopedia Brown kept solving low stakes mysteries well into his late teen years as a sort of stunted man-child?” Except instead of one kidult detective, we have a trio, portrayed by Derrick’s own Donald Glover, Dominic Dierkes, and DC Pierson.
Unlike many comedy groups’ full-length films which play like unnaturally prolonged sketches, Mystery Team feels like a real movie, with a silly but solid plot and real character development. The comedy of Mystery Team largely comes from the juxtaposition of the anachronistic kid detectives in a modern adult world. As such, the movie expertly walks a thin line between cute and raunchy. Look for cameos by familiar faces from all over the comedy world.

KEVIN POLLAK'S CHAT SHOW

KEVIN POLLAK’S CHAT SHOW
Now Streaming on kevinpollakschatshow.com
4/5 Stars

Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show is THE most in-depth interview show available anywhere since the Frost/Nixon tapes. Pollak, along with producer Jamie Fox (not that one) and sometime sidekick Samm Levine, has true conversations with actors, directors, comedians, etc. The conversations cover every aspect of the guests’ experiences in the industry, from first interest to current projects. Interviewees speak candidly with the funny, genial Pollak about their highs and lows, and even answer live fan questions via the internet.
In order to find the conversations with your favorite stars, simply navigate the cartoon page to the archive section. These talks can often last somewhat north of 2 hours (John Landis holds the record with 2 hours 52 minutes), so only watch if you are really interested in what the guest has to say. Although, at over 120 episodes and counting, Pollak has no doubt interviewed at least one artist that each of us obsesses over. If you think 5 minutes on a couch just isn’t enough for that one special guest, Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show is the chat show for you.

GO and THE NINES

Double Feature Friday:
GO and THE NINES
Now Streaming on Crackle.com
5/5 Stars

2 movies. 6 stories. Make it a John August night with these two amazingly written, very different films. Each contains three interlocking vignettes, but the similarities end there.
Go, sometimes affectionately dubbed “Son of Pulp Fiction”, is the story of one crazy night as it is experienced by three different groups of twentysomethings. They all start at the same moment at a Los Angeles grocery store, but the perspective follows three separate stories. And instead of cutting back and forth between them, each is kept whole, keeping us in the moment with each group- effectively giving us three movies for the price of one.
The Nines also tells three stories, but this time the same cast is utilized to play different roles in each. The stories do interlock, but telling you any more would be cheating, and the true brilliance of this movie is the mystery. The film is intelligent, intriguing, and well acted all around, but the fact that it can really make you think? That is all too rare.

PORTAL: NO ESCAPE

PORTAL: NO ESCAPE
Now Streaming on Youtube
5/5 Stars

If you aren’t one of the many viewers of this video (which had just over 5,000,000 hits at the time of this writing), go check it out now. No Escape is a 7-minute live-action short film based on the hit Portal video game series which brings to mind three questions:

1. Do you have to be familiar with the video game to understand it?

No, the video is self-contained. Anyone can understand it. Also, with its lack of dialogue, you don’t even have to speak English.

2. Do the low-budget effects look terrible?

No, the video looks amazing. At no time will the effects take you out of the story.

3. Why can’t all video game movies be this good?

I don’t know. But there is some buzz about the film’s creator Dan Trachtenberg being given a budget to try a feature-length adaptation. Until then, we’ll just have to enjoy this one. Because seriously, this was a triumph.

ARCHER

ARCHER
Now Streaming on Netflix
5/5 Stars

Hitting the ground with running jokes and brilliantly drawn characters, FX’s Archer is the spiritual successor to the late, lamented Arrested Development. To further solidify the comparison, Archer even features three cast members of Arrested in recurring roles. And if Arrested Development is one parent, the other is definitely creator Adam Reed’s previous show Sealab 2021. The two share dark humor, brilliant segues, and perfect comic timing.
At two years old, Archer is already one of the most well-written comedy shows ever. The show makes pop culture references as diverse as Bullitt and Bartleby the Scrivener with equal ease. The most impressive thing might be that the show creates its own vernacular as it goes. Just try NOT saying “sploosh” or “Wah wah” after finishing the first season.

JONAH'S ARCADE

JONAH’S ARCADE
Now Streaming on YouTube
5/5 Stars

Sometimes, the best, most hilarious shows get cancelled before their time. Sometimes they are killed in infancy like prom babies. Such was the fate of Comedy Central’s Jonah’s Arcade. Give thanks then that we live in an age where failed pilots inevitably find their way to the Internet for us to share with our friends.
For enthusiasts of video games or sarcasm, Jonah’s Arcade is a half hour of pure delight. Comedian Jonah Ray and friends make light (often darkly) of video game trends, news, and players with the kind of insight only fellow gamer geeks possess. The host and green screen format should be familiar to fans of Web Soup and Tosh.0, but the show is also packed with several strong sketches. There are many laugh-embarrassingly-loud moments here, which may make you wonder why the home of Krod Mandoon couldn’t give this show six episodes. But don’t worry, fans of nerdy comedy. The guff isn’t empty yet, and I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani.

FETCHING CODY

Final Engagement:
FETCHING CODY
Streaming Until 9/1/11 on Netflix
4/5 Stars

When one brings up science fiction, one often pictures huge effects-heavy blockbusters filled with spacecraft and laser blasts. But time travel films run the same gamut as cinema itself. The past ten years have given us several wonderful little time travel indies: Primer, with a budget of only $7000; the Spanish language Timecrimes; and 11 Minutes Ago, which was shot entirely in a single day (and is Now Streaming on Netflix)! These movies wow the viewer with intricate plots and personal stories rather than light shows or flying cars.
2005’s Fetching Cody also belongs on this list. Filmed in Canada for a budget that makes it look like a very special episode of Degrassi, the film is clever enough to keep you hooked. It’s more cute than funny, but the pathos is real thanks to solid acting. Jay Baruchel plays against type as a ne’er-do-well drug dealer and Sarah Lind is fantastic as his titular girlfriend. The time travel device is the silliest this side of Peggy Sue Got Married, but if you go with it, you will have fun.

BRICK & WINTER'S BONE

Double Feature Friday:
BRICK & WINTER’S BONE
Now Streaming on Netflix
5/5 Stars

Sometimes a film can come along and so perfectly blend two genres or tones that it creates its own special niche. Tonight’s double feature consists of two movies that have re-imagined film noir for a new generation.
Brick, the brilliant debut of writer/director Rian Johnson, transplants noir into a modern high school. All the noir staples are there, from the tough-guy talk to the femme fatale to the double-cross. All the characters, archetypes though they may be, really pop, even in short bursts, and the story never uses its high school setting as a gimmick. The danger feels genuine and the mystery is both exciting and heartbreaking.
The quadruple Oscar-nominated Winter’s Bone gives us our first taste of “hill-billy noir”. As in all the best noir, a tough-as-nails hero must solve a mystery by interviewing shady characters. But this time the hero is a 17-year-old girl who must deal with the meanest meth-dealing rednecks this side of the Ozarks. The acting is subtle and superb, making the threats and the tragedy that much more palpable.
Both movies are wonderfully executed experiments in drawing outside the lines, and in doing so giving us a new picture of film noir.

LOUIE

LOUIE
Now Streaming
-Complete 1st Season on Netflix
-New Episodes on HULU
5/5 Stars

Probably the best half-hour show on television, Louie is the brainchild of comedian Louie CK. Louie writes, directs, edits, produces, and stars in the show; it is one man’s uncompromised vision of what a sitcom can be. The show is hilarious and poignant, fantastical and very real. As in life, the tone shifts from episode to episode and sometimes within an episode, but every single show will stick with you. Some you won’t be able to get out of your head.
Be warned: Louie is not for everyone. Though Louie originally appears on basic cable, the show, like its creator, constantly pushes the boundaries of taste. Now go start watching. And tell your friends, because if this show gets cancelled, I swear to god…

THE MORNING AFTER

THE MORNING AFTER
Now Streaming on HULU
5/5 Stars

Are you the kind of geek who read the TV guide as a kid? Do you enjoy hilarious sarcastic commentary ala The Soup or The Daily Show? Do you need something to watch 5 days a week while you do your morning sit-ups? Or donuts. No judgment. If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, The Morning After on HULU may be exactly what you‘re looking for. With new episodes every Monday through Friday, this bite-size pop culture recap show is like an issue of Entertainment Weekly as summarized by your hilarious best friends.
As they say in their tagline, the makers of TMA watch everything, then let us in on all the highlights so we don’t have to. Hosts Brian Kimmet and Ginger Gonzaga (and a revolving door of guest hosts including The Sklar Brothers, Sean Gunn, and Josh Meyers) give us the lowdown on all things TV, movie, and music to keep us in the loop. Highlights include dubbing over movie trailers, best one-liner contests, and Brian’s speed-talking one-minute episode recaps of Glee and True Blood. And with a runtime consistently around 6 minutes or less, you won’t even get that gross “I’m watching entertainment news” feeling. You know, the one you can only shake by reading a little Voltaire? Or donuts. No judgment.

MILLENNIUM

MILLENNIUM
Now Streaming on Netflix
Science Fiction
3.5/5 Stars

In order to have fun or get scared watching a sci-fi movie, it is imperative that you suspend your disbelief. Science fiction masterpieces like Star Wars, Blade Runner, and Aliens hold your disbelief in zero gravity with their close attention to detail in both story and effects. Millennium is not a masterpiece.
Story-wise, Millennium skips over a few plot points, leaving  unanswered questions that could nag at some viewers. Otherwise the script, adapted by John Varley from his short story “Air Raid”, is quite clever, utilizing nonlinear storytelling and shifting perspectives to navigate a tale spanning 1000 years.
What makes it truly harrowing to suspend your disbelief while watching Millennium is its laughable effects. They are as low-budget as hard sci-fi gets (think “Red Dwarf” or old “Doctor Who“) and out-of-date even by 1989 standards, though they do have their own campy charm.
Millennium is far from unwatchable though. It has genuine mystery and a good sense of humor. It also has at least one thing in common with all science fiction masterpieces: an interesting, original premise.

NETWORK

NETWORK
Now Streaming on Netflix
Comedy/Drama
4/5 Stars

Network is a film that is ahead of its time in concept but not execution. The pace is less like a rollercoaster and more like a tunnel of love. Minus the love. The actors are very strong in the roles, but apart from Peter Finch’s brilliant turn as a news anchor turned mad prophet, none of the characters are likeable. The script is savage and savvy (it won Paddy Chayefsky the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay), but also has many longwinded tirades, trading pontification over conversation. I don’t want to say Network has a lot of monologuing, but I’m pretty sure even Aquaman would have had time to spoil its evil plot.
And speaking of evil plots, what a downer this turned out to be! I thought it was a fantasy about how one man with nothing to lose could make a difference. In truth the film is a nihilistic satire of network news and everything it could, and in many cases has, become. (Though the script’s prescience is somewhat undercut by references to “Kojak” and “The Bionic Woman”.) Instead of giving us the good fight against corruption, the film just gives us an exhibition of how greed destroys even the pure and idealistic. The film opts for brains over heart, which just might be its fatal flaw.