Movies Streaming This Week: 'Jack The Giant Slayer,' 'V/H/S/2' & More
So what does Bryan Singer do when he’s taking time out from the X-Men gang? He’s adapting a fairy tale classic, of course. You can check out "Jack The Giant Slayer" now through streaming and later this month On Demand. Also available is the horror omnibus "V/H/S/2" as well as some great documentaries like Alex Gibney’s "We Steal Secrets" and 2012 Sundance winner "The Law In These Parts."
Today we give some love to Bruce Dern on his birthday, who just recently won Best Actor at Cannes (let the Oscar talk begin).
NEW RELEASES
'Jack The Giant Slayer'
Taking time out of his "X-Men" duties, Bryan Singer brings to the screen this famous fairy tale (now supped up to Hollywood standards). Nicholas Hoult stars as Jack, the farm boy who climbs the beanstalk and uncovers a land filled with pissed off giants.
Why Watch It: Incredible CGI with some entertaining supporting roles by Ewan McGregor and Stanley Tucci.
Available On: iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Instant [Cable On Demand 6/18]
'21 & Over'
Following Todd Philips producing the "found-footage"-style house party comedy "Project X," the writers of "The Hangover" get their turn with this party-like-a-rock-star buddy movie. In it three friends go on a memorable bender to celebrate the most button-down of the trio’s 21st birthday.
Why Watch It: Imagine the insanity of the kids from Project X, just a bit older.
'V/H/S/2'
The second installment of the popular horror omnibus enlists the talents of horror directors like Jason Eisener, Simon Barrett and Adam Wingard for the latest demented viewing of VHS tapes with special powers.
Why Watch It: Creative shorts as well as a more impressive narrative thread throughout the movie (which was lacking in the first film).
Available 6/6: Cable On Demand
'We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks'
Always fascinated by the polarizing figures in our culture, for his latest film Alex Gibney investigates the rise and fall of hacker turned free information pioneer Julian Assange and his whistleblowing site WikiLeaks. Gibney leaves no stone unturned as he navigates through the major players involved and how the site exposed the dirty business of secrets done by our government.
Why Watch It: Gibney not only gives us a side of Assange we never knew but sheds light on the little-known whistleblower Bradley Manning.
Available 6/7: Cable On Demand, iTunes
'Chasing Ice'
Filmmaker Jeff Orlowski follows National Geographic photographer James Balog as he travels across the Arctic planting time-lapse cameras to capture the world’s changing glaciers.
Why Watch It: Still not sold on global warming? Watch this movie.
Available On: iTunes, Netflix, VUDU, Amazon Instant
'The Law In These Parts'
Winner of the World Documentary Grand Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, this powerful documentary critiques the Israel’s military rule of occupied territories by questioning its architects.
Why Watch It: A compelling piece of work that’s heightened by the honesty of its subjects.
Available On: iTunes
OLDIES BUT GOODIES
A big happy birthday to Bruce Dern! In celebration (the 77-year-old also recently won best actor at Cannes and is on the fast-track to Oscar buzz) here’s some of the actor’s best performances you can watch now.
'Coming Home'
Hal Ashby’s look at life for Luke (Jon Voight), a paralyzed Vietnam Vet, Dern gives an Oscar nominated performance as a Marine who’s battling his own demons and hits his breaking point when he learns his wife (Jane Fonda) has fallen in love with Luke. This leads to the memorable scene where Dern strips his close and walks into the Pacific Ocean, presumably to his death.
Available On: VUDU
'The Great Gatsby' (1974)
Dern once more plays a jealous lover, this time its Tom Buchanan from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s legendary book. The husband of Daisy, Jay Gatsby’s obsession, Dern plays Tom very much like he’s described in the book: a hulking jock with old money and a temper, which leads to Gastby’s demise. The performance earned Dern a Golden Globe nomination.
Available On: iTunes, Netflix, VUDU, Amazon Instant, YouTube, Redbox Instant, Google Play
'Diggstown'
This playful grifter/boxing comedy starring Dern, James Woods and Louis Gossett Jr. has Dern doing what he’s good at: the heel. Playing a crooked businessman who is in control of the boxing-crazed town, Diggstown, he enters a wager with Gabriel (Woods) that he can’t find a boxer who can knock out ten Diggstown men in the span of 24 hours.
Available On: VUDU
'The Trip'
This Roger Corman classic written by Jack Nicholson stars Peter Fonda, Dern, Susan Strasberg, Dennis Hopper and the other great actors of the ‘60s Corman era as they explore an acid trip. Fonda plays Paul, a depressed TV commercial director, and Dern is his friend who scores LSD and guides Paul on his first trip.
Available On: iTunes, Amazon Instant
