Streaming May 2021: The Mitchells vs. Dancing Girls at the Commune
Monday, May 10, 2021 at 5:31PM
NATHANIEL R in Dance Girl Dance, Fantastic Four, Girlfriends, Lucille Ball, Maureen O'Hara, Shadow and Bone, Streaming Roulette, The Mitchells vs the Machines, Thelma, Thomas Vinterberg, Tryne Dyrholm, streaming

Yes it's time for another round of streaming roulette where we point out titles that are new(ish) to streaming and just for fun, freeze frame them at totally random places in the scroll bar and whatever comes up we share. Let's start with Netflix...

It's too dangerous out there. We need to stay here and play it safe!"

The Mitchells vs the Machines (2021)
This quote could well apply to the theatrical market but vs streaming (though how long can streaming be safe in the fight for subscription dollars?). This movie is so cute/fun but the script is in dire need of some editing. It is two full hours long and it's so repetitive; the inciting incident doesn't arrive until 21 minutes into the movie which is long wait for any movie to get going but especially for a kid's movie. That said the visuals are very fun and it wears that ISpider-Verse influence on its sleeve beautifully (we approve of house styles for animation houses or else everything would look like wanna be Disney/Pixar efforts) 

Our wars have been a noble pursuit but this chatter from the West about becoming a sovereign nation... that needs to stop.

Shadow and Bone (Season 1)
Have you tried out this new fantasy adaptation? It doesn't feel like it's dumbed down for television audience which is nice BUT it is a bit difficult to keep up with if you have never before heard of the "Grishaverse" (raises hand) because you practically need a glossary of characters / terms or at least a handy map for political reference in order to keep up; Game of Thrones' classic world map intro suddenly seems yet more brilliant in its immersive/educational function. Anyway this is very watchable with lots of intriguing characters and very-much-appreciated fast pace that goes way way against the grain of *waves around in all streaming directions*

also new to streaming on Netflix

later this month

 

 

[good time music plays in distance]

Dance Girl Dance (1940)
Don't cry Maureen, your filmography is strong! Even the lesser known vehicles, like this one, are so watchable. Unfortunately your 'good girl' act does get totally upstaged by the  'bad girl' act of one Lucille Ball (in the years when Hollywood couldn't figure out what to do with her). But that's okay, Maureen, because by the end of this one, your familiar fire ignites, reminding us again that you were no one's "stooge" even when playing one. Love, your fan Nathaniel.

Aside to readers: Lucille Ball is so fun in this as fast girl / burlesque star named, wait for it... "Lily White". She comes off like one of Joan Crawford's amoral gold-diggers minus the arch plotting and with a delicious self-deprecating humor that's all her own.

-Stop feeling sorry for yourself.

-Jesus.

-Jesus? [Laughs]

Girlfriends (1978)
We've mentioned this Claudia Weill picture a few times at The Film Experience as one you must seek out. It used to be hard to find but in the past handful of years it's become better known and now it's streaming on Criterion! It's an indie gem and proved influential -- if unacknowledged to be so given its semi-obscurity. You can see its DNA in all sorts of big city romantic comedies and female-focused dramedies. Plus it's great fun to see much younger versions of familiar older stars like Bob Balaban and Christopher Guest. Melanie Mayron, who went on to become a TV star on Thirtysomething a decade later, headlines. 

also streaming on Criterion

also streaming on Criterion Channel

later this month

[Music playing onstage]

Thelma (2017)
If you've never seen this Norwegian Oscar submission, you really should. It's quite haunting and bizarre and heady with confrontational topics like repressed queer sexuality and religious families... oh, and supernatural powers. In this sequence, our young heroine (of sorts) is watching a dance performance and begins to have "an episode" when her date touches her leg. It's from Joachim Trier (our favourite Norwegian director). His fifth feature, a dramedy about a young woman with career troubles called The Worst Person in the World, is currently in post-production. People didn't seem to really like his one English language picture (Louder than Bombs) but all three of his Norwegian pictures are super. 

- May I speak with William please?
- He's still down in the bar with the band. Is this Maryann with the pot?

Almost Famous (2000)
Oops. William's mother (Frances McDormand), on the other end of the line is not going to take this well! (That's Fairuza Balk on the phone. The cast of this movie is crazy-stacked.) We will be discussing this movie on the Smackdown on May 20th so get your votes in if you haven't yet. It's worth a rewatch. 

also streaming 

later this month

 

 

I'm not naive. I know that...people have needs like that, so, let's see what happens. 

The Commune (2017)
Now that people fell hard for Another Round, we're hoping they'll get better acquainted with Thomas Vinterberg's other fine films. This one about a married couple opening up their relationship to live in a commune setting is very good and, as an added bonus, Trine Dyrholm is one of the best actors in the world and here's another film where she bolsters that rep.

also streaming most of what Hulu has plus...

later this month

 

 

NO, BEN!!!

Fantastic Four and the Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Remember how bad this was? In fact, remember how bad ALL FOUR Fantastic Four movies were to date (1994, 2005, 2007, 2015). We're torn between assuming that Marvel will get "best movie of all time" raves whenever they get around to their own Fantastic 4 movie just by comparison. Either that or people will be like 'did we really need a fifth? This is never going to work onscreen' 

also streaming on Disney+

later this month

 

 

also streaming

later this month

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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