Streaming Roulette (Oct 11th-16th): Tuneful agents, teenage ladies, and werewolves (by night)
Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at 8:16PM by Nathaniel R
In the Streaming Roulette series we spotlight a few new-ish watches and freeze them randomly on the scroll bar. Whatever scene that comes up is the image we use. Usually we mix it up in terms of services but this week Amazon Prime is hogging our conversation. Your streaming assignments for the week, should you choose to accept them...
- Does he look like the Archangel Michael?
- No. No dead saint could be as beautiful as he.
CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY (2022) on Amazon Prime
Lena Dunham's medieval comedy stars Bella Ramsey as a 14 year old "Lady" who narrates the proceedings and in doing so gives off major Melanie Lynskey in Heavenly Creatures vibes (minus the homicide). Trust that that's a huge compliment. Birdy's parents (the always wonderful thespians Andrew Scott and Billie Piper) need to marry her off to save the family from financial ruin. In the scene we randomly landed on above, Birdy is lusting after her uncle (Joe Alwyn) and wishing he were only her cousin instead so "true love could prevail" and they could be married. LOL. If the internet weren't so interested in hating on Lena Dunham, they'd discover she's made her best movie yet and one of the best comedies of the year. This is a fully enjoyable romp rom start to finish with extremely entertaining performances and witty dialogue. Even better, given the rampant lazy anachronisms in so many period pieces of late -- swear to god it's an epidemic -- this one has fun with the wedding of its modern soul to the stylized language of the period.
I suggest we just pass each other by."
WEREWOLF BY NIGHT (2022) on Disney+
Gael García Bernal (playing Jack Russell -- get it? haha) and Laura Donnelly (as Elsa Bloodstone) headline this Halloween ready TV special that introduces us to the horror pocket of the Marvel Cinematic Universe via a Hunger Games style war between hunters. And why not? The MCU has already expanded to include the mystical arts wing as well as outer space divisions of the vast comic book mythology. Sadly while this is somewhat diverting it and blessedly short (given how overextended some of the other Marvel projects feels) it also feels rushed and under-written. The black and white lensing is fun though, as are a few of the visual effects (loved the shadow play). Bernal is magnetic, Donnelly is always reliable, and Harriet Samson Harris camps it up as the antagonist, the bloodthirsty widow of a famed monster hunter.
It occured to both of us that you couldn't put the [sings famous James Bond theme] "da da dee ya dadada 🎵 " into Skyfall. It was just too outgoing."
THE SOUND OF 007 (2022) on Amazon Prime
This documentary looks at the origins of the music of the James Bond series as well as its iconic songs. When it focuses on No Time To Die it feels way too much like an FYC campaign (why when the Oscars are long since over?) rather than a real documentary but the non No Time To Die parts are fabulous and well worth a watch if you love anecdotes from musicians and Bond, James Bond.
WHERE IS MY SON'S HEART?!?"
THE NORTHMAN (2022) on Amazon Prime
Director Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse) can certainly sell an eery so-period-its-alien mood! If you missed this in theaters now is the time to catch up with Alexander Skarsgård's brooding muscled beast, Claes Bang's wicked brother-murdering uncle, Nicole Kidman's giant red wig, and Anya Taylor Joy as the memorably named "Olga of the Birch Forest." Plus Björk in freaky blind madwoman makeup as a prophetess!
Alternate notables streaming at the moment...
We can't pin them against each other. She doesn't handle pressure well.
MISSING HOME (2022) Indonesia's Oscar submission is now streaming on Netflix! It's a comedy about a couple that feigns marital trouble to get their adult children to visit them. We'll try to squeeze this into our jampacked week. Will you?
MISSING LINK (2019) - Laika's fifth feature and fifth Oscar nominee is now on Netflix. When is Laika going to win the Oscar they've deserved more than once? We grow impatient!!! Good news. Laika is currently in post-production on their sixth film, Wildwood which will be released in April.
Streaming premieres of note later this week
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Season 1) Yet another adaptation of the Swedish vampire classic. Thursday October 13th on Showtime
ROSALINE (2022) A comic riff on Romeo's girl before Juliet. Ubiquitous Kaitlyn Dever stars. Friday October 14th on Hulu
UNDER THE QUEEN'S UMBRELLA (Season 1) New South Korean series about a queen trying to reign in her unruly princes. Saturday October 15th on Netflix
ARI ASTER'S ADVENTURES IN MOVIEGOING The director of Hereditary and Midsommar talks about the movies that shaped him including Hiroshima mon amour (1959), Lady in a Cage (1964), Autumn Sonata (1978) and Black Book (2006). Saturday October 15th on Criterion Channel
Reader Comments (5)
I really enjoyed Werewolf by Night as I thought it was a fresh of breath air for the MCU as I really thought Michael Giacchino knocked it out of the park. Especially in the approach to gory violence as it has me excited for things like this as I think it's also planting the seeds for the Midnight Suns team.
"If the internet weren't so interested in hating on Lena Dunham"
In fairness, she makes it so easy.
I'm so glad to see your enthusiasm for Catherine Called Birdy. I watched it this weekend and was surprised to find it's one of my favorite films of the year so far. It's ridiculous that it's gotten so little attention, especially given the usual over-the-top praise for very average films with teen girl protagonists (Booksmart, The Edge of 17, even Do Revenge).
I hated Sharp Stick SO MUCH that I can't bring myself to even attempt Catherine Called Birdy. I get it might be charming, but I cannot go into that film with a clear mind with the turd sandwich that was Sharp Stick still in my mind.
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