Maybe you’re looking to save a few bucks or the current theater choices just aren’t cutting it. Whatever the case may be, sometimes it’s just as nice to sit a home and watch a good flick. Take a look at this week’s picks for some At-Home Alternatives to the weekly cinema options.
Instead of The Five-Year Engagement: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Forgetting Sarah Marshall has the same directing/producing/writing team (which includes star Jason Segel), so if you can’t make it out to the theaters to catch The Five Year Engagement give FSM a watch. While the overall of the feel is a little different between the two, each movie has a strong supporting cast and plenty of belly laughs. Jason Segel is kind of becoming a Hollywood Powerhouse, so you really can’t go wrong with anything he’s involved in, honestly.
Instead of The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Made in the same animation studio, Aardman Animations, and co- produced by the Director of Pirates – Peter Lord, Curse of the Were-Rabbit follows Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, in their first full length feature after numerous half hour specials. Done in the same Claymation style as Pirates and with the same British sense of humor, Curse of Were-Rabbit is an imaginative film that should appeal to both kids and adults.
Instead of The Raven: Sherlock Holmes
The Raven stars Jon Cusack as Edgar Allen Poe aiding detectives who are to the trail of a murder using Poe’s poems as a “guideline” for his spree. So, if this doesn’t grab you or if you wanna spend a night in, check out 2009’s Sherlock Holmes. Beautifully filmed and starring another charismatic actor, Robert Downey, Jr., Sherlock Holmes follows the title character as he solves an intricate riddle of a mystery in the spirit of his own literature lineage. Sherlock Holmes is hard to beat in the arena of entertainment.
Instead of Sage: The Transporter
In Safe, Jason Statham must protect an abducted girl after rescuing her in a dangerous New York setting. He’s an ex-NYPD officer and the police are no longer on his side. This is a common theme in the Transporter movies as well, as Statham is aided by a detective but otherwise is on the outskirts of the law. In the first Transporter film, Statham plays a driver who is paid to deliver a package. But guess what, the package is a person! He makes the delivery, but finds out there is more to this job than meets the eye. The Transporter is a fun action film and should quench your thirst for adrenaline if you can’t make time to see Safe. I imagine the big difference between the two films is a lesser amount of driving in Safe.
Instead of Contraband: Four Brothers
Also starring Mark Wahlberg, Four Brothers follows four adopted brothers trying to get to the bottom of a case involving a gang that attacks their family. Four Brothers is the same kind of action film as Contraband, it does its job well to entertain you, but may not break into your favorite films. Both films have their highlights and their flaws, but Four Brothers might edge in with its more original story.
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is the first in the Dirty Harry series. Starring Clint Eastwood in one of his most recognizable roles, Dirty Harry is a gritty 70’s police drama circling around a Zodiac-style killer. This film contains some of the most memorable lines in film. Also memorable is the villain, the Scorpio Killer, played by Andrew Robinson. Robinson studied aspects of the Zodiac Killer personality and portrayed his version of these aspects in his role. He did such a good job that he actually received death threats. It is definitely one of the creepiest performances of all time and makes the movie pretty jarring.
Dirty Harry Netflix Synopsis: When a madman dubbed the “Scorpio Killer” terrorizes San Francisco, hard-boiled cop Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) — famous for his take-no-prisoners approach to law enforcement — is tasked with hunting down the psychopath. Harry eventually collars Scorpio in the process of rescuing a kidnap victim, only to see him walk on technicalities. Now, the maverick detective is determined to nail the maniac himself.
What do you plan on watching this week, at home or otherwise? What do you think of my choices?