Streaming Roulette, February: Ant-Man and the Edge of Velvet Buzzsaws

As is our practice we've selected two handfuls of titles of note and frozen the films at utterly random moments without cheating (whatever comes up comes up) for this quick preview.  Do any of these screencaps make you wanna watch the movie? At the bottom of the page full listings for Netflix, Hulu, Prime, and HBO this month. Okay, let's go...

Guess what? You're my favorite student.

The Edge of Seventeen (2016) on Netflix
Remember how good this Hailee Steinfeld high school comedy was?  She was nominated for a Golden Globe even! But why has Hayden Szeto, her love interest, not busted out yet as a star? He was great, too. Turns out (just looked it up) that he's got three movies coming out this year and will also be a guest star on the TV series adaptation of Taika Waititi's What We Do in the Shadows so there's still hope that people (or in this case Hollywood) will realize how fab he is. Yay!

A whole lotta lovin' is what we'll be bringin'
We'll make you happy 🎵

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) on Netflix
You know what makes me happy? Paul Rudd's body in these movies... yum. This is the best kind of superhero body. Not steroided or big but good tone everywhere like he's active but not vain. Oh and the movie: Michelle Pfeiffer stars as Janet Van Dyne which is all that you really need to know. We weren't happy that she has only 7 minutes of screen time or so but at least that means we get to see her again in Avengers: Endgame since [SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS] she's one of the heroes dusted by Thanos.

[no dialogue]

Velvet Buzzsaw (2018) on Netflix
That's Jake Gyllenhaal blurred to the right. Promise that this is what came up in the streaming roulette game. Not trying to share only photos of men in various stage of undress. P.S. We had planned to watch this the other day but the apartment's brand new big ass television is flattening everything to make it look like a ultra high-def sports game. WE HATE MOTION SMOOTHING SO MUCH. Though we've mostly found ways to turn off that feature, it's still such a  problem with Netflix titles that we've been on the line with them about trying to resolve. Even Roma looks like crap in super hi-def, flattening the ravishing Oscar-nominated beauty of that black and white cinematography and making it look like a cheap soap opera. Oh, so, lost track of the story. We opted not to watch. (Buzzsaw looks fine on my computer so I'll have to watch it there instead of on the huge TV --sigh)

Ohmygod.

Incredibles 2 (2018) on Netflix
Jack-Jack is the MVP of this movie. All of his scenes are, well, incredible. But to think this seemed like a shoo-in to win Best Animated Feature up until December. Do you think Mr Incredible and Elastigirl would take Miles Morales in a fight? They'll be in one on Oscar night. Into the Spider-Verse might not be the sure thing people think it is, though. It will probably win but voters adore Pixar (they've won 50% of the Animated Feature Oscars) and they've voted for the Pixar hit before in tight contests, so we wouldn't count Incredibles 2 out of the fight. We shall see.

-DON'T YOU TOUCH ME!!!
-Touch you? Nobody's touching you.

Flesh + Blood (1985) on Prime and Hulu
This largely forgotten medieval drama is from Dutch provocateur legend Paul Verhoeven (Elle, Showgirls, Total Recall, The Fourth Man, etc...) so expect lots of nudity and violence if you've never seen it before. Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh (pictured above being harassed by a mocking crowd) star.

[dialogue card] 'onest -- it broke itself, Sir."

Stella Maris (1918) on Prime
I really liked this Mary Pickford movie about a sheltered adopted girl when I first saw it ages ago on a silent kick I went on in the 1990s. Prime actually has quite a few famous silent movies this month so check out the list below. 

I had those most vivid dream. It was like being born. Light hitting my face. Screaming. My heart beat... [makes heartbeat and grunting sounds]

Hulk (2003) on HBO
Oh Bruce, genius but dumb Bruce, to quote Rosemary Woodhouse:

Remember that time before superhero movies were beloved no matter what? Ang Lee swung for the fences but most people think it was a miss. I go back and forth on this one but I haven't seen it since 2003 and maybe I was a little drunk that sold out Friday night at the movies. Twas a memorable moviegoing night is what I'm remembering. The movie itself maybe not so much. Rewatch?

-When is he coming?
-Soon. Soon. When you least expect it, he'll be at your house.

Broadway Danny Rose (1984) on Prime and Hulu
One of Woody Allen's funniest 80s comedies. It was nominated for 2 Oscars (Director and Screenplay) but Mia Farrow, in one of her showiest roles, was ignored yet again (so many great actresses were totally robbed in that infamous "farm wife" year in Best Actress. What was going on with Oscar voters in 1984?). You can see Mia and Woody at the back of the frame above waiting to talk to the psychic.

Is she beautiful? clever? rich? splendid? universally intelligent? unprecedentedly virtuous? It's only on those conditions that I care to meet her!

Portrait of a Lady (1996) on Prime and Hulu
Smarmy John Malkovich is asking about Nicole Kidman here so the answers are "Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And who knows we don't know her personally." Even if you're not watching it for early Kidman it's a Jane Campion movie with Oscar nominations for Costumes and for Barbara Hershey as "Madame Serena Merle," the one being grilled in this scene.

Also Streaming on NETFLIX in February

• About a Boy
• American Pie (all movies)
• As Good as It Gets
• Billy Elliot
• Bordertown (season 2)
• Dear Ex
• Final Destination
• Free Rein: Valentine’s Day
• Hairspray
• Hostel
• Incredibles 2
• Jaws (four of the movies)
• Personal Shopper
• Pretty in Pink
• Russian Doll
• Siempre Bruja (Always a Witch)
• True: Happy Hearts Day

Feb. 3

• Disney’s Beverly Hills Chihuahua
• Ray Romano: Right Here, Around the Corner 

Feb. 6

• The Soloist 

Feb. 8

• ¡Nailed It! México
• El árbol de la sangre
• High Flying Bird
• Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History
• One Day at a Time: Season 3
• ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke
• The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants: Season 2

Feb 9

• The Break: Season 2

Feb. 10

• Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj: Volume 2 (Streaming Every Sunday)

Feb. 11

• Flavorful Origins: Chaoshan Cuisine
• Little Women 

Feb. 14

• Dating Around
• Ken Jeong: You Complete Me, Ho

Feb. 15

• Larry Charles’ Dangerous World of Comedy
• The Breaker Upperers
• The Dragon Prince: Season 2
• The Umbrella Academy
• Yucatan 

Feb. 16

• Black Sea
• Studio 54
• The 40-Year-Old Virgin 

Feb. 21

• The Drug King

Feb. 22

• Chef’s Table: Volume 6
• Firebrand
• GO! Vive a tu manera
• Paddleton
• Paris Is Us (Paris est à nous)
• Rebellion: Season 2
• Suburra: Season 2
• The Big Family Cooking Showdown: Season 2
• The Photographer of Mauthausen
• Workin’ Mom 

Feb. 25

• Dolphin Tale 2

Feb. 26

• Our Idiot Brother

Feb. 27

• Unsolved: Tupac & Biggie

Feb. 28

• Jeopardy!: Collection 2
• The Rebound

Also streaming on AMAZON PRIME in February

• 23½ Hours Leave (1937)
• Along Came Polly (2004)
• Barefoot (2014)
• The Blues Brothers (1980)
• The Border Legion (1940)
• Bounty (2009)
• Brand of the Devil (1944)

• Chaos (2009)
• Delta Farce (2007)
• Fahrenheit 11/9 (2018)
• Foolish (1999)
• Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
• Gambler’s Choice (1944)
• Generation Wealth (Prime Original movie) (2018)

• The Ghost Walks (1934)
• The Hoosier Schoolmaster (1935)
• Gorilla Ship (1932)
• Guru, the Mad Monk (1970)
• Hay Foot (1942)
• Headline Crasher (1937)
• High Lonesome (1950)

• High School Girl (1934)
• Hollywood Without Make-Up (1963)
• Hunters of the Deep (1954)
• Irish Luck (1939)
• Jacaré (1942)
• The James Dean Story (1957)
• The Jesus Trip (1971)
• Joan the Woman (1916)
• The Kid (1921)
• The Kid Ranger (1936)

• Lady from Chungking (1942)
• Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
• Little Miss Hoover (1918)
• The Last of the Clintons (1935)
• The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
• The Love of Sunya (1927)
• Loaded Pistols (1948)
• Lost Canyon (1942)
• Lucky Ghost (1942)
• Lucky Terror (1936)
• Lying Lips (1939)

• Marathon Man (1976)
• Marie Galante (1934)
• The Married Virgin (1918)
• The Matrix (all movies)
• The Money (1976)

• Men of the Plains (1936)
• My Lady of Whims (1925)
• ‘Neath Canadian Skies (1946)
• ‘Neath the Arizona Skies (1934)
• Next Day Air (2009)
• No Substitute for Victory (1970)
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
• Oriental Evil (1951)
• Orphans of the Storm (1921)
• Outlaw Express (1938)
• Outlaws of the Desert (1941)
• Paradise Express (1937)
• Partners of the Plains (1938)
• Pirates on Horseback (1941)
• Private Snuffy Smith (1942)
• The Phantom Broadcast (1933)
• The Portrait of a Lady (1996)
• The Proud and Damned (1972)
• The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
• The Quiet Ones (2014)
• Queen of the Jungle (1935)

• Racing Blood (1936)
• Raiders of the Border (1944)
• Rawhide (1938)
• Reckless Decision (1933)
• Rogue of the Range (1936)
• A Romance of Happy Valley (1919)
• A Romance of the Redwood (1917)
• Round-Up Time in Texas (1937)
• Rubber Tires (1927)
• Secret of the Wastelands (1941)
• Secrets of Three Hungry Wives (1978)
• Sepia Cinderella (1947)

• The Shadow Strikes (1937)

• Sisters of Death (1976)
• Sparrows (1926)
• Spirit of Youth (1938)
• Star Kid (1997)
• A Strange Adventure (1932)
• Swamp Fire (1946)
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
• Texas Jack (1935)
• Texas to Bataan (1942)
• That Gang of Mine (1940)
• The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
• The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)
• Thelma & Louise (1991)
• Three Husbands (1950)
• Three Men from Texas (1940)
• Tombstone Canyon (1932)
• Tomorrow at Seven (1933)
• Tracy the Outlaw (1928)
• Unforgettable (2017)
• Universal Soldier (1992)
• Untamed Heart (1993)
• Vigilantes of Boomtown (1947)

• The Violent Years (1956)
• Wacky Taxi (1972)
• Wagon Trail (1935)
• Wagon Wheels (1934)
• Water Rustlers (1939)
• Wayne’s World (1992)
• Wayne’s World 2 (1993)
• West of the Law (1942)
• Whistling Bullets (1937)
• White Pongo (1945)
• Wild Country (2005)
• Wildfire (1988)
• Winning of the West (1953)
• Ye Shanghai (1941)
• Yodelin’ Kid from Pine Ridge (1937)
• Young Dynamite (1937)

Feb 8th

• Don't Worry He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018)
• Papillon (2018)
• The Promise (2017)

Feb 16th

• What They Had (2018) 

Feb 17th

• The Party (2017) 

Feb 21st

• Odd Squad: Odds and Ends (2018)

Feb 25th

• Death Wish (2018)
• Every Day (2018)

Feb 28th

• The Young Poseidon TS Spivet (2013)

Also streaming on HULU in February

• A View to Kill (1985)
• The Animal (2001)
• Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatre (2002)
• Bad Santa (2003)
• Barefoot (2014)
• The Big Lebowski (1998)
• The Bounty (1984)
• The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) 
• Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
• Cabin Fever (2016)
• Caddyshack (1980)  
• Caddyshack II (1988)
• Capote (2005) 
• Chaos (2005) 
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) 
• Chasing Liberty (2004) 
• Dazed and Confused (1993)
• Deep Blue Sea (1999) 
• Delta Farce (2007)  
• Dr. No (1962)
• Equilibrium (2002)
• Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
• Field of Dreams (1989)
• Foolish (1999)
• For Your Eyes Only (1981) 
• Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
• Freedomland (2006) 
• From Russia with Love (1964) 
• Goldeneye (1995) 
• Hairspray (1988)
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) 
• How to Deal (2003)
• Into The Dark: Down: Episode 5 Premiere (Hulu Original) 
• Kingpin(1996)
• Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
• Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
• Licence to Kill (1989)
• The Madness of King George (1994)
• Marathon Man (1976) 
• Metro (1997)
• Mississippi Burning (1988) 
• Moonstruck (1987)
• Mortal Kombat (1995) 
• Mortal Kombat Annihilation (1997)
• Mystic Pizza (1988)
• Next Day Air (2009)
• Old Fashioned (2014)
• On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
• Pick of the Litter (2018)
• The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) 
• The Quiet Ones (2014)
• Record of Grancrest War: Complete Season 1 (Aniplex)
• Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
• The Royal Tenenbaums (1997)
• Space Jam (1996)
• The Secret Garden (1993)
• Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
• The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
• The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
• The Toybox (2018)
• Thelma & Louise (1991)
• Three Kings (1999) 
• Thunderball (1965) 
• Tomcats (2001) 
• Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) 
• Unforgettable (1996)
• Universal Soldier (1992)
• Untamed Heart (1993)  
• Wayne's World (1992)
• Wayne's World 2 (1993)
• Wedding Crashers (2005) 
• Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000 (2000) 
• While You Were Sleeping (1995)  

Feb 3rd

• Legion: Complete Season 2 (FX) 

Feb 4th

• Dog Days (2018)
• Experimenter (2015) 
• Real Housewives of New York City: Complete Season 10 (Bravo) 
• Saints & Sinners: Complete Seasons 1-3 (Bounce TV)  

Feb 5th

• Paid in Full (2002) 

Feb 8th

• PEN15: Complete Season 1 Premiere (Hulu Original)

Feb 9th

• The Preppie Connection (2016) 

Feb 10th

• The Song (2014) 

Feb 11th 

• All Square (2018)

Feb 14th 

• False Flag: Complete Season 2 (Keshet)
• Zac & Mia: Complete Season 2 (Awesomeness)  

Feb 15th

• Bondi Harvest: Complete Season 1 (Fremantle)
• Jamie's Quick and Easy: Complete Seasons 1-2 (Fremantle) 
• Next (2007) 

Feb 16th 

• Proven Innocent: Series Premiere (FOX)
• A Perfect Day (2016)

Feb 18th

• The Party (2018)
• Elvis All-Star Tribute: Special (NBC)
• The Sisters Brothers (2018) 

Feb 20th 

• Stan Against Evil: Complete Season 3 (IFC)

Feb 23rd

• Death Wish (2018) - 2/23/19 

Feb 25th

• Archer: Danger Island: Complete Season 9 (FX)
• Every Day (2018)
• The School (2018)

Feb 26th

• The Enemy Within: Series Premiere (NBC)
• The Voice: Season 16 Premiere (NBC) 
• Three Identical Strangers (2018)

Feb 27th

• World of Dance: Season 3 Premiere (NBC)
• Tickled (2016)

Feb 28th

• Whiskey Cavalier: Season 1 Mid-Season Premiere (ABC)
• Digging for Fire (2015)
• The Guilty (2018)

Also Streaming on HBO

Feb 1st

• Agent Cody Banks (both movies)
• Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London, 2004
• Beyond the Reach (Extended Version), 2015
• The Bourne Identity, 2002
• The Bourne Supremacy, 2004
• Buried, 2010
• Collateral, 2004
• Folklore, Season 1
• Hide and Seek, 2005
• Hulk, 2003
• The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete, 2013
• Jessabelle, 2014
• The Liability, 2013
• Nanny McPhee Returns, 2010
• Our Family Wedding, 2010
• The Pelican Brief, 1993
• The Prince & Me, 2004
• Religulous, 2008
• Secret Window, 2004
• Sunshine, 2007
• Uncle Drew, 2018
• Valentine’s Day, 2010
• You Got Served, 2004

Feb 8th

• 2 Dope Queens (Season 2)

Feb 9th

• Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)

Feb 12th

• The Many Lives of Nick Buoniconti ()

Feb 16th

• Deadpool 2 (Super Duper Cut Unrated Version, 2018)

Feb 18th

• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Season 6)
• Chumel Con Chumel Torres (Season 4)
• United Skates

Feb 23rd

• Breaking In (2018)
• O.G. (2018)
• It's a Hard Truth Aint It (2018)

Comments

[Bushwick]

Hailee AND Hayden were so good in Edge of Seventeen! I hope Hailee continues to pursue some acting projects instead of music. And I hope Hayden gets work period!

[Duncan Dykes]

It’s Taika Waititi rather than Taiki Waititi.

[Eder Arcas]

"Velvet Buzzsaw" (great title, right?) isn't "Nightcrawler" but it has a very interesting premise, it's an interesting art-world satire with horror overtones and a stellar cast ( plays like a homage to Robert Altman) , Jake Gyllenhaal is great as usual, his performance keeps you engaged throughout ( and he's naked, in a beautiful lustful shot , that alone would've done the trick for me), plus: Rene Russo, Zawe Ashton, Daveed Diggs ( how brilliant he was in Blindspotting), Billy Magnussen and Toni Collette. Not a masterpiece, but I enjoyed a lot.

[Cash]

Hailee's self-loathing was masterful in Edge of Seventeen.

Before awards season began, I thought Isle of Dogs was a shoo-in for the Oscar. Now I think Spidey has it in the bag.

I love Ang Lee, but Hulk is pretty terrible. It feels 4 hours long.

[Roger]

“flattening everything to make it look like a ultra high-def sports game”
Have you tried turning off the motion blur?

[J]

The Edge of Seventeen & Hailee Steinfield’s performance >>> Lady Bird & Saoirse Ronan’s performance

[beyaccount]

J - A weird opinion. They’re playing two very different iterations of a young female character.

On the topic of the article - “Paul Rudd's body in these movies... yum. This is the best kind of superhero body. Not steroided or big but good tone everywhere like he's active but not vain.”

This shade reads like body-shaming to me. People who work out actively or use steroids in the bodybuilding community aren’t people who deserve to be looked down upon. Many of them are working through body dysmorphia or are competing/crafting their bodies. I think you can celebrate Rudd’s body without putting another body type down.

[thefilmjunkie]

I literally just finished Velvet Buzzsaw and really appreciated (and wanted more of) the exploitation of Jake Gyllenhaal's body. The movie itself is fun, if slight. Many have compared it to Altman (specifically The Player), which is true, but I couldn't help thinking about Maps to the Stars throughout.

And I still love Ang Lee's Hulk, even if I haven't seen it in ages.

[Lynn Lee]

I really hope THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN gets "rediscovered" at some point, because it's too good to be forgotten. And the moment you grabbed is probably my favorite. Both Hailee and Harrelson were note-perfect - they really breathed fresh air into what could have been very rote / stock characters.

I happen to think Ang Lee's Hulk is extremely underrated.

[J]

beyaccount - To me it’s not that weird of a comparison since they’re both about complex teenage girls. I liked Saoirse and Lady Bird but felt it was slightly overrated, and that Hailee The Edge of Seventeen should’ve gotten more recognition.

Also The Edge of Seventeen had a far more substantial role for its Asian actor (Hayden) unlike Lady Bird, which literally had a scene with her implying her adopted Asian brother only got accepted into college because of his race.

[Michael R]

Remember thinking how great Hayden Szetzo was in Edge of Seventeen and wishing he'd gotten some Supporting Actor traction that year. Oh well.

[NATHANIEL R]

Roger -- as stated in the article above. We have tried everything to turn off the motion smoothing. The tricks the internet teaches you mostly works but Netflix still has problems with it (other streaming services usually give you options. So we've had to downgrade the Netflix account -- somehow we are paying more to get the hideousness! -- in order to turn it off but that won't take effect for another month.

[Bruno]

Cuaron wins DGA. Burnham beats out Cooper for 1st-time director.

[Kiki]

@ J

Strongly agree

[kris01]

@beyaccount I see what you mean, but I think theres a fine line between shaming and stating opinion. Maybe Im wrong. Velvet Buzzsaw was a neat little /horror/satire and that was it. Dan Gilroy always seems to get caught up in exposition, repeating the same beats over and over for effect, beating us over the head with the same theme. Nightcrawler had the same problem. It’s like “we get it, its messed up how society views violence, what else about it?”. I feel like Ang Lee’s Hulk had a big point to make and never got to it :/.

[amk]

Loved seeing Michelle in Ant Man and The Wasp, but I'm not sure the 30 year deaged Michelle looked that much like Michelle actually looked 30 years ago in Married to the Mob or Fabulous Baker Boys (she was probably at peak pulchritude then).

[Anonny]

firstly, Ang Lee’s Hulk was atrocious. One if Marvel’s very worst.

Just watched Velvet Buzzsaw amd I liked it quite a bit. When I heard Gilroy, Jake & Rene were making a film set in the art world, I didn’t think it’d be a straight up horror film!

[NATHANIEL R]

J & Kiki -- but depiction is not endorsement. In no way do Ladybird's hurtful comments indicate that the film agrees with her, so it should hardly be taken to task for that detail. It felt authentic to me -- people aren't perfect and she was in many ways quite bitchy / reductive when angry with her family.

[Suzanne]

Russian Doll is quite good. Natasha Lyonne has a lot of charisma, and the twist is so compelling that it's a pleasure to keep watching. There is a fun small appearance by a fab actress late in the series (I don't want to spoil it, as it took me by surprise). I also like that there is no fat in the series, with only 8 episodes at 30 minutes or less. That's a rarity for a streaming show.

[J]

Nathaniel I see what you mean and I wasn’t even offended by it or anything but I felt like the film gave her a pass for that comment. I think there should’ve been a follow up scene where she’s challenged on it or apologizes to her brother.

[Beau]

‘Velvet Buzzsaw’ turned into the exact thing it was trying to satirize: pretentious art. Worst film I’ve seen in the past two years, but bless the actors for trying their damndest to sell it.

[Steve]

With those eight episodes, RUSSIAN DOLL instantly jumped into my top ten favorite shows of all time. Believe the hype. Natasha Lyonne, Charlie Barnett and a late season surprise guest all deserve Emmys. Some of the most breathtaking television ever made.

[rick gould]

Velvet Buzzsaw sounds like a hip version of a Night Gallery episode to me...which means I'd be all over it!