New Movies from Netflix

Another week brings new movies from Netflix, and this time we’ve got role-playing documentaries, the debut film from Akira Kurosawa, and the role that (almost) made Matt Frewer a star. Oh, and don’t forget about Nic Cage in a semi-Batman outfit with a lethal, potty-mouthed tween as his sidekick.

There are 32 new movies from Netflix this week, and I’ve selected 10 of the most promising for your queue. You’ll have to be a subscriber to take advantage of the services from Netflix, but that can be remedied simply by clicking on the link. Give them a try and see why Blockbuster is soon going to be driven into extinction.

• Sanshiro Sugata (1943) – Akira Kurosawa makes his directorial debut with this adaptation of the novel by Tsuneo Tomita. The film follows the hardheaded Sanshiro (Susumu Fujita) as he learns Judo and slowly comes to learn about himself. Five remakes and a sequel have since been made, and many of Kurosawa’s trademark visual elements (wipes, weather to establish character’s moods) are on display here.

• Kick-Ass (2010) – Adapted from the comic book by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr., Kick-Ass is about a normal teen, Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), who decides to don a costume and fight crime as a superhero. This soon brings him into contact with a vigilante known as Big Daddy (Nic Cage) and his lethal 12-year-old daughter named Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz), both of whom are after the head of local crime lord Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong). Filled with bloodshed and profanity, this is far from your standard superhero movie…and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
• A Prophet (2009) – Nominated for the 2010 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, this crime movie centers on Malik (Tahar Rahim), a French Arab who’s sentenced to prison and falls in with the Corsican mafia. Soon, he’s receiving 12-hour leaves from prison in order to carry out assignments (including murder), all the while working to improve himself and break free of the mafia’s hold on him. Critical praise for the Jacques Audiard has been nearly unanimous, so be sure to give this foreign gem a look.
• The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail (1945) – Another classic from legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, the film focuses on a fugitive nobleman and his guards as they attempt to navigate a forest filled with enemy forces. Susumu Fujita, the star of Sanshiro Sugata, stars as the leader of the border guards.
• ‘night, Mother (1986) – Based on the powerful Pulitzer Prize-winning play from Marsha Norman, ‘night, Mother stars Sissy Spacek as Jessie Cates, a middle-aged woman who calmly informs her mother (Anne Bancroft) that she plans to commit suicide before the start of the next day. As the film progresses, we learn about the relationship between mother and daughter, as well as Jessie’s motivations for taking her own life. A great film to watch and discuss afterwards.

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• The Great Waldo Pepper (1975) – Robert Redford is Waldo Pepper, a talented pilot who missed out on aerial combat during World War I and seeks to prove himself in the post-war years. Also starring Susan Sarandon, Bo Svenson, Geoffrey Lewis, and Margot Kidder. Directed by George Roy Hill, who also worked with Redford in The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
• The Dungeon Masters (2008) – A fascinating documentary that looks at the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons and three devoted players: Richard Meeks, Scott Corum, and Elizabeth Reesman. A pal of mine actually conducted interviews with all three of the aforementioned role-players, and you can click on the links to read each one. I especially enjoy the parts where they discuss how the filmmakers misrepresented elements of their life to make things more “dramatic.”

• SNL: The Best of Will Ferrell: Vol. 3 (2009) – Will Ferrell gave us plenty of opportunities to laugh during his 8-year tenure with Saturday Night Live, and some of the best moments are collected on this DVD. Alek Trebek and James Lipton are back, as well as Craig the Spartan Cheerleader. Bonus features include an off-air performance from Green Day.
• The Ghost Writer (2010) – Directed by Roman Polanski, this thriller stars Ewan McGregor as a ghostwriter hired to write the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister (Pierce Brosnan). But as he goes about his work, the writer begins to suspect that something sinister is going on, a suspicious confirmed when the bodies begin to pile up. Also starring Olivia Williams, Kim Cattrall, Timothy Hutton, and Tom Wilkinson. Post-production was completed by Polanski while under house arrest in Switzerland.
• Max Headroom: The Complete Series (1987) – In a dystopian future, reporter Edison Carter (Matt Frewer) discovers a new technology by the networks that literally causes people to explode. But before he can reveal his findings, he suffers a motorcycle accident, has his mind downloaded into a computer, and gives birth to stuttering alter-ego Max Headroom (also Frewer). The rest of the series features Carter exposing various cover-ups, while Max interrupts network broadcasts with bizarre and often hilarious observations. A truly cutting edge show for its time, Max Headroom had the misfortune to go head-to-head with Dallas and Miami Vice. Still, Max was able to achieve a great amount of pop culture acclaim by acting as a spokesman for New Coke.

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