Who remembers going up and down the aisles of DVDs and VHS tapes at Blockbuster on a Friday night looking for something good to watch? I mean, neither do I; I was just checking you did With rows and rows of movies and shows to watch, Netflix it can feel that way sometimes. Well, since I’ve been around the block, let me help.
This weekend, March 16th through the 22nd, I’ve got a few movies in my basket for you—a masterpiece of modern kaiju destruction, a quick take on what SNL was like for the first time, and a hilariously awkward spoof of small-town theater.
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Godzilla minus one
A monster movie institution with surprising emotional depth is reborn
You’ve got the right size TV or projector screen in your home theater for this absolute beast of a visual effects monster movie (it even won an Oscar in the category). And yes, Godzilla minus one Planted in 1954, a giant radioactive lizard lives up to its roots as a shrieking monster that sustains the city, as writer-director Takashi Yamazaki remembered that all that destruction means so much more when people and emotions are caught in its midst.
With a story that is part of the official Godzilla canon and lore, Godzilla minus one has its own durability. Set in post-war Japan, the film tells the story of disgraced kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), whose cowardice prevents him from firing on a monster for the first time. When Godzilla returns years later, Koichi must face his cowardice and redeem himself in the eyes of his girlfriend Noriko Oishi (Minami Hamabe) and their newly adopted daughter. Koichi, along with ex-weapons engineer Kenji Noda and ex-Navy mechanic Sosaku Tachibana, go head-to-head with the monster in one of the coolest boat fight sequences ever.
Godzilla minus one it’s epic in its scope, the monster itself is awesome, and the film’s old-school Godzilla vibes make it a great watch. If you want more authentic old school experienceBe sure to check black and white though Godzilla Minus One: Minus Color version.
Godzilla minus one
- Release date
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November 3, 2023
- Execution time
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124 minutes
- Director
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Takashi Yamazaki
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Saturday Night
The chaotic true story behind SNL’s first broadcast
Oh, to be a fly on the walls of the hallowed Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza on the night of October 11, 1975, in the first live broadcast. on NBC Saturday night took place. In one of the best twists of that legendary night, writer-director Jason Reitman’s iconic father’s love letter to his comedic generation and working with many of SNL’s legendary original cast members.
In Saturday Night, As a young, ambitious producer named Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) tries to prevent the wheels from coming off completely, Reitman captures the chaos and brilliance leading up to the first SNL broadcast 90 minutes in real time. The show takes place in and around 30 Rock and goes behind the scenes as a cast of eccentric geniuses—including Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), John Belushi (Matt Wood), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien), Jane Curtin (Kim Matula), Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), Laraine Morrett (E. Morris)—set out to change the world forever.
Saturday Night stress, egos, studio interventionand it takes willpower to put on a live variety show. A scene where Chevy Chase trades barbs with JK Simmons as the deliciously vulgar Milton Berle is reason enough to watch.
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We are waiting for Guffman
Comedy gold from Christopher Guest
If you haven’t seen any of Christopher Ghosn’s barebones “improv-peace” films Best in Show or Strong Windthen this is the best place to start, as it is the first of three major films written and directed by Guest, and serves as a blueprint for the films that follow (and genre in general).
Co-written by Eugene Levy, We are waiting for Guffman is simply a hysterical approximation of the world of small-town theater, and not even immune to its overblown egos and delusions of grandeur. It’s Blaine, Missouri’s 150th birthday, and a local theater company aims to put on a spectacular musical to celebrate—Red, White and Blaine. Eccentric director Corky St. Directed by Clair (Guest), the cast of the play creates pure comedy gold – the dentist, Dr. When Allan Pearl (Eugene Levy), Dairy Queen employee Libby Mae Brown (Parker Posey), and married travel agents Ron and Sheila Albertson (Fred Willard and Catherine B.) are announced to be cast by New York’s flamboyant producer Mort Guffman, everyone goes nuts, and everyone thinks they’re ready for Broadway.
What makes Guest movies so special and funny is that while they have scripts that guide the plot and direction, almost all of the dialogue in each scene is improvised, tapping into the genius of the cast and the improvisational comedy backgrounds of troupes like The Second City and The Groundlings. Guffman before that is the classic Guest that you should watch now Leaving Netflix on April 3.
A little chaos, a little spectacle, and a lot of personality go a long way. This week’s picks make a strong case for letting your movie night get a little weird. We’re also here to help make your Netflix experience smoother, so check out this tip How to make it a little less annoying.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $8 a month
- Synchronous streams
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Two or four
Stream licensed and original programming with a monthly Netflix subscription.
