EDITORIALS

Netflix Instant This Week: Zombieland, Aliens, Black Dynamite

by Ethan Anderton
July 2, 2010

We're back again with a great selection of new titles for Netflix Instant. In addition to the list of titles you'll find below, be sure to check out some cinematically relevant television shows being added into the mix too. Available for streaming on July 1st (which means now) are shows like "The Sarah Conner Chronicles," the cheesy, but enjoyable "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," Aaron Sorkin's wrongly canceled "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and just for fun, all four seasons of "Futurama" which just premiered new episodes on Comedy Central. But there's plenty of great movies to enjoy. So what's in our queue this week?

Zombieland (Available Now):
The breakout hit of 2009 that helped rejuvenate Woody Harrelson's career and gave a promising future to director Ruben Fleischer and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick is now available for Netflix Instant. This horror comedy came together rather nicely with Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin going across the country trying to survive the world that has since become Zombieland. Sure the entire film delivers quite a fun ride, but one particular scene with perhaps one of the greatest cameos on film (I won't spoil it) certainly helps.

Aliens (Available Now):
Here's one of those sequels that has plenty of debate as to whether or not James Cameron's take on the sci-fi/horror franchise is actually better than Ridley Scott's original Alien. After becoming the lone survivor of an alien attack aboard their ship, Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) story is met with skepticism until the disappearance of colonists on LV-426 prompts a team of high-tech Marines to investigate. More victims, more blood, more aliens. Also keep an eye out for the Paul Reiser version of Giovanni Ribisi's character in Avatar.

Black Dynamite (Available Now):
On the same level of homage and parody as Grindhouse, this throwback to blaxploitation flicks of the 70's is filled with all the cliches, karate and cheesy acting of the times and it delivers plenty of hearty and ridiculous laughs. In trying to find out who killed his brother, Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White), a former CIA agent, exposes a scandal that goes all the way to Washington D.C. Complete with great minor roles from Arsenio Hall. Nicole Sullivan and even Brian McKnight, this is a hilarious flick you don't want to miss, jive turkey!

White Men Can't Jump (Available Now):
Here's a wholly underrated sports comedy that has Woody Harrelson at the first peak of his career alongside Wesley Snipes (before he went kinda crazy) playing some serious basketball on the streets. Really this is what the industry today would all a "bromance" as Billy Hoyle (Harrelson) earns his keep by hustling pickup basketball games in Los Angeles until one of his victims (Snipes) calls him out and sees an opportunity to make some real cash. Between this and Bull Durham, director Ron Shelton sure knows how to make a great sports flick.

Batman: The Movie (Available Now):
Here's that classic version of Batman that would make Christopher Nolan cry but will always make me laugh. Of course this version of Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) was never meant to be serious, and takes goofy, tongue-in-cheek humor to the max as all of the Caped Crusader's most infamous villains, The Joker, Catwoman, The Penguin, and The Riddler come together to dehyrdate and capture the United World Organization's Security Council. Enjoy the scene with Batman's most useful gadget: shark repellent.

Sleepless in Seattle (Available Now):
Sue me for liking Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks as a couple with this charming and memorable romantic comedy from the early 90's. From romantic comedy heavyweight Nora Ephron comes this story of a Jonah, an 8-year old trying to hook his Dad, (Hanks) up with "the one" (Ryan). After "the one" hears Jonah and his Dad on a call-in radio show, she's convinced that love has found her, but Jonah's Dad needs a little more convincing. This really is a fun romance, though I'd like to see the creepy stalker thriller version sometime.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Available July 6th):
With all the buzz this international installment has been receiving, not to mention the success of the books and the promise of an American remake on the way from David Fincher, I'm glad that I'll finally be able to see this for myself. Niels Arden Oplev directs this Swedish thriller (the start of The Millenium Trilogy) which follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist and rebellious computer hacker Lisbeth Salander as they investigate the unsolved disappearance of wealthy Henrik Vanger's teen niece only to uncover dark secrets about Vanger's powerful family.

Honorable Mentions (All Available July 1st): Brokedown Palace, Men of Honor, The Omen, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Barton Fink, Pollock, Days of Thunder, Losing Isaiah and Taps.

And now the best of the rest online free movie websites' new additions for your online viewing pleasure…

Mubi: Your online cinema. Anytime. Anywhere.
Red Dawn, Ghost, Teen Wolf, The Patriot, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Payback, We Were Soldiers, Howard the Duck, Get on the Bus and Miracle at St. Anna.

That's all for this week's installment of new Netflix Instant titles and other free movies to check out online. And remember, if you ever want to look back at titles already released, look forward to movies on the way, or check out the entire library of Netflix Instant titles, you can head over to InstantWatcher (in my opinion the most complete listing of Netflix's instant titles, updated daily) or also FeedFliks, whose hawk-eyes are on the lookout for future streaming release dates. And of course we'll also be back next week with the latest line-up of new Netflix titles. Now go watch some movies! Are you satisfied with this week's new selection?

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