At-Home Alternatives – 2.20.12

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 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance: The Punisher

 I assure you, watching 2004’s adaptation of the comic book series will be a much more enjoyable experience. Thomas Jane takes on the lead, Frank Castle, an ex-FBI agent, who is out for revenge against Howard Saint (John Travolta), a nasty crime boss who murders Castle’s whole family. This movie plays it darker than most comic book adaptations, but features some interesting, calculated plots, as well as fun action and fighting scenes. It also is easily accessible through Netflix Instant Watch.

Instead of This Means War: Match Point

TMW features a love triangle of two agents/bffs (Tom Hardy and Chris Pine) both dating the same girl (Reese Witherspoon), and looks pretty lame. Want a movie with an interesting plot and love triangle? Look no further than Woody Allen’s foray into thrillers with 2005’s Match Point. Chris (Jonathon Rhys Meyers) marries perfectly suitable Chloe (Emily Mortimer) but can’t help but have a passionate affair with Nola (played by no other than relationship ruiner, Scarlett Johansson)–only Nola is not cool with being his side piece. If you’re not an Allen fan, this might be the perfect film in his dense filmography for you, because it’s unlike any of his other work and was uncharacteristically a box office success for the divisive director. Pick up your copy here.

Instead of The Secret World of Arrietty: Howl’s Moving Castle

I will fully admit that I’ve never seen any of these Hayao Miyazaki films, but I know plenty of people who think they’re wonderful. Howl’s Moving Castle was up for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2004 Oscars giving it some instant credibility. It tells the fantastical tale of a teenage hatmaker who becomes cursed by a witch and turned into an elderly woman and must get the help of a wizard, Howl, to reverse the spell. A version with English dubbing is available on Netflix Instant Watch or go the subtitles route here.

While some might be against this franchise, I can’t help but get excited for these tense little films. Sure most of these movies might be about the build up but the scares are usually well-orchestrated and the characters are easy to buy as everyday people. Each installment has upped the ante and found interesting ways to connect the story from one to the next. This would be a great watch with a group of friends and you can rent it through Amazon Instant Video.

This under-the-radar thriller features Gemma Arterton (Prince of Persia, Quantum of Solace) as a kidnapped heiress who’s being held for ransom by two men who seem to have everything controlled and planned down to a T. This movie gets really good though when their plan starts to unravel and power dynamics continuously shift in really interesting and shocking ways. This is the type of movie that you have no idea how it will end until the very last second, and I loved it for that. While some movies twist in so many directions it becomes absurd, Alice Creed is well thought out and entirely convincing.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed Netflix Synopsis: Thinking they’ve cooked up the perfect crime, Vic (Eddie Marsan) and Danny (Martin Compston) abduct young heiress Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton), only to find their surefire plan unraveling as they attempt to negotiate a tidy ransom in director J Blakeson’s twisty thriller. As the steely Alice lies tethered to a bed, an escalating battle of wills — and wits — ensues when setbacks shift the balance of power.