Screen Crusades: Weekly Streaming Guide 3.5.21

OUT NOW:

‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ (Disney+ Premiere Access)

Disney Animation has a long and rich history of bringing timeless animated movies to the masses, many of which become staples of childhood and pop culture. With a slew of recent hits like Frozen, Moana, Big Hero 6, and Zootopia behind them, the studio’s latest project is a return to fantasy realms and courageous princesses. It will also be the first major release for the studio to launch on Disney+ in conjunction with its theatrical release, although it will cost subscribers a bit of extra money.

Long ago, in the world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), and her pet pill bug companion Tuk Tuk (Alan Tudyk), to track down the last dragon (Awkwafina) in order to finally stop the Druun for good. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than dragon magic to save the world—it’s going to take trust as well.

‘Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell’ (Netflix)

Filmmaker Emmet Malloy, best known for his collaborations with brother Brendan Malloy, has been working with musical artists for decades. He’s directed music videos for Metallica, Limp Bizkit, Foo Fighters, Blink-182, Papa Roach, Avril Lavigne, New Found Glory, The White Stripes, Vampire Weekend, and more.

His latest documentary, Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell, chronicles the life and career of The Notorious B.I.G., one of the world’s most influential rappers and who many still consider to be the greatest to ever do it. Made in collaboration with Biggie’s estate and featuring rare footage and interviews, the film casts a light on the rapid ascent of the New York rapper and his tragic death at the young age of 24.

‘Lucky’ (Shudder)

Brea Grant has always played with genre in her work as an actress, director, writer, producer, comic book writer, podcaster, and graphic novelist. Her latest film, Lucky, is no exception. It blends together elements from psychological thrillers, home invasion flicks, slasher films, and even time loop movies to create a bloody and darkly humorous satire on perpetual violence against women.

KNOTFEST Interview with Brea Grant

When a self-help author named May (played by Grant) awakens one night to a masked man breaking into her home, she’s suddenly thrust into a world she no longer recognizes. She’s forced to continuously fight for her life as the man returns night after night, and everyone around her seems to just shrug their shoulders. Get used to it.

‘Coming 2 America’ March 5th (Amazon Prime Video)

1988’s Coming to America was one of the films that proved the star power and comedy chops of Eddie Murphy, and has since become a cult favorite and solidified his legacy. It’s the story of Prince Akeem (played by Murphy), the next in line for the throne of the fictional African nation of Zamunda, who travels to the United States in the hopes of finding a woman he can marry. 

Talks of a sequel have been ongoing for years, but it wasn’t until director Craig Brewer worked with Murphy on 2019’s hilarious Netflix flick Dolemite Is My Name that plans began to move forward. Coming 2 America has Prince Akeem returning to America once again when he learns of the existence of his son, a Queens native named Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler), and sets out to groom the young man to be the next crown prince.

‘Pacific Rim: The Black’ (Netflix)

Guillermo Del Toro’s 2013 monster melee Pacific Rim never quite felt it got the love it deserved. Despite tremendous visuals, a fascinating world, and epic monster vs giant mecha battles, it underperformed a bit at the box office, and a 2018 sequel fared even worse. But fans of the franchise have kept it alive for good reason, and a new anime series has arrived on Netflix to provide further thrills.

After Kaiju decimate Australia, two siblings, Haley and Taylor, learn how to pilot a Jaeger to search for their parents, encountering new creatures, characters and allies. The show will take place years after the events of the first two live-action films.

‘Boss Level’ (Hulu)

Filmmaker Joe Carnahan is accustomed to delivering high octane carnage, having directed films such as Smokin’ Aces, The A-Team, and The Grey. His latest film, Boss Level, arrives exclusively on Hulu and boasts considerable starpower with Frank Grillo, Mel Gibson, Naomi Watts, Annabelle Wallis, Ken Jeong, Will Sasso, Michelle Yeoh, and more.

The film follows Grillo as Roy Pulver, a retired special forces soldier who finds himself trapped in a sinister program which results in a never-ending time loop leading to his repeated death. A little bit of Edge of Tomorrow, a little bit of Death Wish, and a whole lot of action-packed fun.

‘Red Dragon’ (HBO Max)

Red Dragon is a prequel to the acclaimed film The Silence of the Lambs, which immortalized the scheming and cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter thanks to a stunning portrayal by Anthony Hopkins. The legendary actor returned to the role once again for this film, which saw him joined by equally powerful performances from Edward Norton, Harvey Keitel, Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson, Mary-Louise Parker, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

The film follows FBI agent Will Graham (Norton) an investigator who quit the Bureau after almost losing his life in the process of capturing the elusive Dr. Lecter. After a series of particularly grisly murders, Graham soon realizes that the best way to catch this killer, known as the Tooth Fairy (Fiennes), is to find a way to get inside the killer’s mind. For Graham, that means confronting his past and facing his former nemesis, the now-incarcerated Lecter.

‘The Devils’ (Shudder)

In 17th-century France, Father Urbain Grandier seeks to protect the city of Loudun from the corrupt establishment of Cardinal Richelieu. Hysteria occurs within the city when he is accused of witchcraft by a sexually repressed nun.

This 1971 film is largely considered to be one of the most significantly controversial films in history. Its violent, sexual, and religious content got it slapped with an X rating in both the UK and the US. It was outright banned in several countries and heavily edited for release in others. Shudder will be releasing the film in its original X-rated form.

‘Attack the Block’ (Hulu)

Joe Cornish has proven himself to be a master of making fantastically fun films, having directed the criminally underrated The Kid Who Would Be King and writing for The Adventures of Tintin and Ant-Man. In 2011 he made his directorial debut with Attack the Block, a brilliant blend of sci fi, action, horror, and comedy.

The film follows an unlucky young woman named Sam (Jodie Whittaker) and a gang of tough inner city kids led by a young man named Moses (John Boyega) who make an unlikely alliance to try to defend their turf against an invasion of savage alien creatures, turning a South London apartment complex into an intergalactic war-zone.

‘Blade’ (HBO Max)

It’s tough to think of a more defining for Wesley Snipes than Eric Brooks AKA the titular Blade. The 1998 comic book movie was turning point for the genre, one that set the stage for the future successes of Marvel with Spider-Man, X-Men, and eventually the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Full of bloody action and plenty of style, Blade spawned a pair of sequels and a television series.

Blade is a half-vampire who hunts down full-vampires with a combination of deadly weapons and deadlier martial arts skills. This first film has him facing off against the nefarious and dangerous Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff). Marvel Studios has announced that a new Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali will be coming soon.

Also streaming now:

Netflix – ‘I Am Legend’. ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.’, ‘Invictus’, ‘Seven Souls in the Skull Castle’, ‘Murder Among the Mormons’, ‘Killing Gunther’, ‘Training Day’, ‘Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny’, ‘The Dark Knight’

Hulu – ‘Blow’, ‘Brooklyn’s Finest’, ‘Demolition Man’, ‘Enemy of the State’, ‘The Forbidden Kingdom’, ‘In the Line of Fire’, ‘Judge Dredd’. ‘Malcolm X’, ‘Neil Young: Heart of Gold’, ‘The Ninth Gate’, ‘Predators’, ‘Rushmore’, ‘Silverado’, ‘The Social Network’, ‘The Spirit’, ‘Stargate’, ‘Starsky and Hutch’, ‘Traitor’, ‘Wedding Crashers’, ‘The Whole Nine Yards’, ‘Young Frankenstein’, ‘Beirut’

Shudder – ‘The Burning’, ‘Amityville II: The Possession’

HBO Max – ‘Adventureland’, ‘Assault on Precinct 13’, ‘Bandits’, ‘Bowfinger’, ‘Constantine’, ‘The Doors’, ‘Dream House’, ‘Live by Night’, ‘The Lost Boys’, ‘Machine Gun Preacher’, ‘Malice’, ‘Miss Sharon Jones!’, ‘Ocean’s Eleven’, ‘Pitch Perfect’, ‘The Raven’, ‘Secretary’, ‘Stand Up Guys’, ‘Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride’, ‘Veronica Mars’

Amazon Prime Video – ‘48 Hrs.’, ‘50/50’, ‘Back to the Future’, ‘Due Date’, ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’, ‘Patriots Day’, ‘Wet Hot American Summer’

CONTINUED WEEKLY EPISODES:

‘WandaVision’ (Disney+)

Not only is WandaVision the first Disney+ series from Marvel Studios, but it’s the first new piece of Marvel Studios content in over a year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic derailing their movie release plans. That’s a lot to live up to, and WandaVision takes a big gamble by not being your typical superhero entertainment. Instead, it’s a homage to classic sitcoms of every decade, spoofing everything from I Love Lucy to Modern Family.

SPOILERS in the below finale catch-up & Trailer

Now that the series is nearly through, much of its cheery facade has been peeled back to reveal a more sinister mystery beneath. Several other characters from the MCU – including Thor’s Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), Ant-Man’s Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), and Captain Marvel’s Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) – have joined the show to help discover the truth, and the true villain behind it all has been revealed. WandaVision’s finale is sure to raise the stakes and keep the surprises coming. The entire series is now streaming.

COMING THIS WEEK:

Netflix – ‘Coven’, ‘The Block Island Sound’, ‘Paradise PD (Season 3)’, ‘Yes Day’

Hulu – ‘Storks’, ‘Triggered’, ‘Proxima’, ‘Kid 90’, ‘Farewell Amor’

Shudder – ‘Stay Out of the Attic’, ‘Sword of God’, ‘Edge of the Axe’, ‘Vampyres’, ‘Prey’, ‘Butcher Baker Nightmare Maker’

HBO Max – ‘Rocky’, ‘SouthParQ Vaccination Special’, ‘Nuestras Madres’

Disney+ – ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’, ‘Assembled: The Making of WandaVision’

Amazon Prime Video – ‘Jack and Jill’, ‘Honest Thief’

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