Platform Lists – Out & About

All Movies Watched on Kanopy June—Present

Kanopy. Quality films for free.

Here are five movies I’ve loved that you can watch right now. For free!

Five Really Great Movies on Kanopy Now

The Secret of Roan Inish. Perhaps John Sayles’s most perfect movie.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco. Holding on to the family home amid gentrification. Pairs nicely with Blindspotting (which isn’t on Kanopy).
The Farewell. Check out Awkwafina’s performance, which should have been Oscar nominated.
You Can Count on Me. Aw. Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo twenty years ago.
Touchy Feely. Lynn Shelton’s amusing look at a Seattle family.

Good

Picture of Evan Rachel Wood, Callum Rennie, and Ellen Page in the film Into the Forest

Skip

A picture of Francisco Solorzano and Patrizia Hernandez with a sketch of NYC brownstones behind them

A picture of Kristen Wiig in the film Welcome to Me.

A Quiet Passion (September)
Welcome to Me (August)
Love Simple (July)

All movies watched on Netflix May–Present

Five Really Great Movies on Netflix Right Now. The S Edition

Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse. It’s a superhero film not hanging out on the Disney+ platform! The animation is amazing! It’s also funny!
Stranger Than Fiction. A film that warms the cockles of my heart because it’s just so different. I love Will Ferrell in comedic roles, but he’s also great in this drama. Plus, Maggie Gyllenhaal. And Emma Thompson with writer’s block.
Saving Mr. Banks. Speaking of Emma Thompson as a writer, here she plays P.L. Travers, the author of Mary Poppins. She wears great suits, and there’s a back-in-the-day plot, too.
Searching For Bobby Fisher. I haven’t seen this since 1994, but enjoyed this chess story back then.
The Social Network. Are you ready for a taut drama (with nearly zero women) about the beginning of Facebook? Then settle in for a tense, nervous Jesse Eisenberg and a similarly fantastic in a not-tense way Justin Timberlake.
(Also, if you haven’t yet watched Spotlight, recommended last month, see that you do!)

Good

Rebecca (2020) (October)
Definitely Maybe (September)
The Devil All the Time (September)
Pride & Prejudice (September)
I’m Thinking of Ending Things (September)
Project Power (August)
Catfish (August)
The Old Guard (July)
Da 5 Bloods (June)
Can’t Hardly Wait (June)
See You Yesterday (June)
18 Presents (May)
Inception (May)

Skip

Picture of Jacob Elordi holding a sign saying, "I missed you more" in the Kissing Booth 2

Anne Hathaway and Rosie Perez in The Last Thing He Wanted

The Last Thing He Wanted (November)
The Kissing Booth 2 (July)

Have you watched any of these films? Do you agree or disagree? Leave a comment and let’s talk!

All Movies Watched on Kanopy May—Present

Kanopy. Quality films for free.

Here are five movies I’ve loved that you can watch right now. For free!

Five Really Great Movies on Kanopy Now

Night Moves. I call this Kelly Reichardt’s most “commercial” film as it stars people who have also been in superhero films. But it’s still a very quiet contemplation of environmental activists.
Humpday. Lynn Shelton’s portrait of two guys at different phases in their lives who goad each other into dumb things is astutely observed and quite funny.
A Town Called Panic. If you want a good laugh, take in this animated feature from a couple of hilarious Belgians. Nutty incidents abound.
The Spectacular Now. Shailene Woodley on her way up, and near-peak Miles Teller, this story about a high school senior who made the transition from fun drunk to alcoholic earlier than his peers has a lot of great moments.
Drinking Buddies. You have to be the kind of person who likes ponderous films where not much happens, but if you are: wow! The tension is amped up in this film about brewery employees.

Good

Skip

All Movies Rented from Redbox July–Present

Five really great movies at Redbox right now:

There’s nothing new to report on the Redbox front. I’ve still got the problem of movies not really being released. But I do have five new recommendations for you.

(I’m not sure how regional Redbox is. Your mileage may vary.)

A Star is Born. (2018) One of my top films of 2018, and one of three versions of ASiB you should watch. (The others are the versions from 1937 and from 1954.)
Belle. Looking for a costume drama that also focuses on issues of race? This here is your film. Plus a great performance by Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Coach Carter. Is it basketball season again? Regardless, check out Samuel L. Jackson as a coach with high expectations for his players. Also features a young Channing Tatum.
Central Intelligence. A dumb comedy that is very funny with Kevin Hart as the straight man. You need to laugh? Watch this film.
Clueless. Amy Heckerling’s version of Emma. You can probably still get the 2020 version of Emma also.

Picture of Marsai Martin and Issa Rae stars of Little

Good

Bumblebee (September)
King of Staten Island (September)
Murder on the Orient Express (September)

All movies watched on Netflix April–Present

Five Really Great Movies on Netflix Right Now

Yes, God, Yes. I paid $6.99 to watch this film in August, but you have waited and now you can see it as part of your Netflix monthly fee. Score for you, because this film set in early internet times is a hoot.
Spotlight. You get two things when you watch this movie about investigative reporters. You can check off a best picture winner and also see a fabulous movie about an uncomfortable topic.
Snowpiercer. Are you Bong Joon Ho curious, especially after Parasite won best picture? This might be your entry point. Class issues, end of the world issues, and Tilda Swinton stealing the show.
20th Century Women. I’m gonna keep shoving this generational coming-of-age film with so many good moments at you until you watch it.
Moneyball. Since we didn’t get sports in 2020 like we usually do, maybe you want a hit of baseball? But with Aaron Sorkin writing and Bennett Miller directing?

Good

Definitely Maybe (September)
The Devil All the Time (September)
Pride & Prejudice (September)
I’m Thinking of Ending Things (September)
Project Power (August)
Catfish (August)
The Old Guard (July)
Da 5 Bloods (June)
Can’t Hardly Wait (June)
See You Yesterday (June)
18 Presents (May)
Inception (May)
Extraction (April)

Skip

The Kissing Booth 2 (July)
Kicking & Screaming (April)

Have you watched any of these films? Do you agree or disagree? Leave a comment and let’s talk!

All Movies Watched on Kanopy April–Present

Kanopy. Quality films for free.

Here are five movies I’ve loved that you can watch right now. For free!

Five Really Great Movies on Kanopy Now

What We Do In The Shadows. If you are like me and don’t love horror films, this might be your perfect ’tis-the-season movie. Because this mocumentary about vampire housemates is a lot of fun. Plus, it’s brought to you by Jermaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) and Taika Waititi (Boy, Jojo Rabbit, Hunt of the Wilderpeople)
Lost in Paris. If our senses of humor are aligned, you will adore this very odd film that is also a great example of the burlesque comedy tradition. Follow one Canadian woman as she tries to find where her missing grandmother in the city of light. (Note burlesque comedy tradition in France is very different than burlesque in the US)
The Messenger. It’s that quiet Ben Foster along with Woody Harrelson in a film about the men who deliver the bad news to families of fallen soldiers. I just thought of a scene from this film last week, and it has been four years since I’ve seen it. The film sticks with you, is what I’m saying.
Support the Girls. Aw, I need to do a list of Regina Hall films she’s great in. Here, she plays a manager of a sports bar on a day when nothing goes right.
Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone. If you are looking for a documentary short, this was my top of the 2020 Oscar-nominated slate. The Academy and I were in agreement, as this was the winner. It’s 39 minutes of your time and you will have a lot of feelings. I ended up feeling hopeful.

Good

Skip

All Movies Rented from Redbox June–Present

Five really great movies at Redbox right now:

(I’m not sure how regional Redbox is. Your mileage may vary.)

Wonder Woman. Why not prep for the eventual release of WW84, by catching up with (or re-watching) this film.
Us. If you, like me can’t really do horror, try this not-very-grisly but very suspenseful Jordan Peele flick.
The Wolf of Wall Street. Or perhaps you want to ensconce yourself in the horror that is rampant capitalism? Then try this Scorsese classic that has my very favorite Quaaludes scene ever.
Southside With You. Maybe you want some Obama nostalgia? Check out this imagining of Barak and Michelle’s first date.
Emma. Who am I kidding? We all need a comfort watch, so just go rent this again. Also Little Women.

Good

Bumblebee (September)
King of Staten Island (September)
Murder on the Orient Express (September)

All movies watched on Netflix March–Present

Five Really Great Movies on Netflix Right Now

Safety Not Guaranteed. It may be that I love anything with Mark Duplass, it may be the odd concept, it may be the setting, but this was a unique and enjoyable movie from the early 2010s.
The Artist. Looking for an old fashioned film to take your grandmother to? Check out this “silent” film that won best picture in 2012.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Taika Waititi is good at many things, but especially good at directing boys in hilarious comedies. This is an excellent example.
Stranger Than Fiction. Another odd little film about an accountant who suddenly finds himself with a narrator. Top-notch cast and Will Ferrell being the straight man. It charmed me.
About Time. I resisted this for unknown reasons, but when I sat down and watched it, I fell in love with this time-travel love story. In a year when a lot of us are taking stock, this is a great film to view.

Good

The Devil All the Time (September)
Pride & Prejudice (September)
I’m Thinking of Ending Things (September)
Project Power (August)
Catfish (August)
The Old Guard (July)
Da 5 Bloods (June)
Can’t Hardly Wait (June)
See You Yesterday (June)
18 Presents (May)
Inception (May)
Extraction (April)

Skip

Have you watched any of these films? Do you agree or disagree? Leave a comment and let’s talk!

All Movies Watched on Kanopy March–Present

Kanopy. Quality films for free.

Because they are free, I take chances on Kanopy films. As the Recommended/Good/Skip split indicates, this does not always pay off. But that shouldn’t dissuade you from checking out Kanopy’s lineup which is packed with films I love. To encourage you, here’s a new feature where I highlight movies I’ve loved that you can watch right now. For free!

Five Really Great Movies on Kanopy Now

While We’re Young, Noah Baumbach’s I-am-too-old-to-be-a-hipster movie with sparkly performances from Ben Stiller, (he’s so great being uncomfortable) Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, and Amanda Seyfried.
Bernie, Richard Linklater’s dark comedy about a kind man in a small Texas town who becomes friends with a wealthy widow. Jack Black is great, Shirley MacLaine is her usual bitter character, and no one is better than the host of locals giving color commentary. Plus: two musical numbers!
Stories We Tell, Sarah Polley’s fascinating documentary about her family of origin. (Woman writer and director.)
Leave No Trace, based on a novel based on a true story that happened in Portland, Oregon where a father and daughter were discovered living in a city wilderness area. Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie are so very good. (Woman writer and director)
Her Smell, about the off-the-rails period of a 90s punk rock star’s life. One of my favorites from 2018, Elisabeth Moss is fully committed to being unhinged in a performance that has compared her to Courtney Love, but was actually based on W. Axl Rose’s darker days.

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