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 at 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 47 Ronin, watch: The Last Samurai
47 Ronin stars Keanu Reeves as a half-British, half-Japanese warrior who joins up with a group of Ronin in search of revenge on the man responsible for killing their master. Save some bucks and watch The Last Samurai instead if you want see a white guy playing a samurai. The Last Samurai stars Tom Cruise as a captive of a a Japanese village who learns to sympathize and respect the samurai culture of the village over time. 47 Ronin seems geared a little more toward violence, but The Last Samurai should definitely give you a fix.
[47 Ronin trailer] / [The Last Samurai trailer]
Instead of August: Osage County, watch: The Family Stone
August: Osage County stars an ensemble cast headlined by Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts. They play part of a large family that has varying views on many things, but in the end love each other very much, I’m sure. It seems like a new era The Family Stone, which also has a large cast of notable actors playing a regrouping family, only for a funeral instead of Christmas. Although each film family appears to drive themselves crazy, the family dynamics will most likely be equally as entertaining.
[August: Osage County trailer] / [The Family Stone trailer]
Instead of Grudge Match, watch: Rocky Balboa
Grudge Match stars Sylvester Stallone in his familiar role as a boxer. A fight is organized between him and a long time rival played by Robert De Niro, who isn’t a stranger to boxing movies. You can get a feel for what their characters may have been like in their younger years by checking out Stallone in Rocky and De Niro in Raging Bull. Check them both out and determine which guy you’d put your money on in a Grudge Match.
[Grudge Match trailer] / [Rocky Balboa trailer]
Instead of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, watch: Stranger Than Fiction
Stranger Than Fiction is about Harold Krick, played by Will Ferrell, as an IRS auditor who lives a bland life until he one day wakes up and is the subject of an author’s story that is coincidentally about him. He loses control of things around him, but learns to embrace the unpredictability. Give this a watch if you can’t make it out to see Walter Mitty. The movie allows to glimpse into Mitty’s imagination as he goes threw life trying to figure some stuff out. It seems to have a relatable vibe to Stranger Than Fiction, only on a much grander scale.
[The Secret Life of Walter Mitty trailer] / [Stranger Than Fiction trailer]
Instead of The Wolf of Wall Street, watch: Goodfellas
Both Martin Scorsese films, The Wolf of Wall Street and Goodfellas center around groups of men getting ahead in life through criminal activity. The only difference being those in Wolf of Wall Street are committing white collar crimes while Goodfellas is about mobsters. The tones of the films are rather different, with Goodfellas being a little more gritty. However, both films are based off true stories of people trying to get ahead by unsavory means.
[The Wolf of Wall Street trailer] / [Goodfellas trailer]
Don Jon (2013)
Don Jon stars Joseph Gordon Levitt as the titular character in his first writing/directing role. He plays a New Jersey meathead type guy who is addicted to porn. He starts seeing Barbara, played by Scarlett Johansson, who has trouble understanding his obsession with porn. Jessica thought the movie was hilarious, you can check out her review here.
[Buy it on Amazon] / [Don Jon trailer]
Skyfall (2011)
Skyfall made it onto Netflix earlier this month and it is a must-see if you are a fan of action movies. Arguably the best Daniel Craig Bond film, and surely one of the best of the series, Skyfall is a beautifully shot film that continues with the updated style of the newer James Bond films. Skyfall stands up on multiple rewatches and really sucks you in each time.
Skyfall Netflix Synopsis: When a serious menace threatens MI6, James Bond is on the case — putting aside his own life and personal issues to hunt and obliterate the perpetrators. Meanwhile, secrets arise from M’s past that strain Bond’s loyalty to his longtime boss.
