Netflix Movie of the Week: “Small Crimes” cause big trouble

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There’s been a lot of talk among film critics lately about how, while Netflix TV shows get a lot of attention, the original movies released every week seem to fall through the cracks. And that’s a shame given that Netflix has been busy buying up a lot of good indie movies at film festivals like Sundance and Toronto.

That means good paydays for indie filmmakers, which is great. And most of the films probably wouldn’t have played theatrically outside the major markets anyway. But the downside is that Netflix doesn’t seem to put much promotion behind these films the way they do “Iron Fist” or “Girlboss,” meaning they can be impossible for most viewers to find. When a fan of “Happy Christmas” and “Drinking Buddies” doesn’t even realize that Joe Swanberg’s latest film “Win It All” premiered on Netflix a couple of weeks ago, there’s a problem.

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“Woman of the Year” is a great Hepburn/Tracy film with a terrible ending

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“Woman of the Year” is a bit of a strange film for Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy to fall in love on. The 1942 romantic comedy-drama was the first of nine collaborations between one of cinema’s greatest duos, who would be life partners until Tracy’s death a quarter of a century later.

That chemistry is all over the screen in the first half of George Stevens’ “Woman,” now out in a new Blu-ray edition from the Criterion Collection. Tracy is Sam, a rumpled man-of-the-people sportswriter, who likes meeting and writing about “unimportant” people. Hepburn is Tess, a jet-setting celebrity journalist who seemingly only hobnobs with important people – both Churchill and FDR seek her counsel.

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Instant Gratification: “The BFG” and four other good movies new to Netflix and Amazon Prime

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Pick of the Week — “The BFG” (Netflix)My full review is here. I liked Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel fine when I saw it in theaters, and expect it will wear even better over time. In addition to its undeniable visual wonders, the late screenwriter Melissa Mathison (“E.T.”) lets the movie find some strange nooks and crannies, and Mark Rylance’s performance as the titular giant is a delight.

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A television-obsessed gardener makes America great again in “Being There”

An ignoramus who spends all his time living in a mansion watching television somehow finds himself in Washington, D.C. among the powerful elite, who interpret his know-nothing pronouncements as straight-talk wisdom.

I don’t know. Somehow it seemed cuter when Peter Sellers did it in “Being There.”

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If Hal Ashby’s 1980 film, now out in a new Blu-ray edition from the Criterion Collection, were just a political satire, it would already be a great film. But satire requires targets, and Ashby (“Harold and Maude,” “The Last Detail”) could never just paint a target, finding humanity and depth in every character. The result is a film that’s subtly funny and generous; we laugh at those taken in by Chance the gardener, and then we get taken in too.

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The last time “Mystery Science Theater 3000” got a new host

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For “Mystery Science Theater 3000” fans, it’s kind of incredible to contemplate — new episodes are coming next week. A new 14-episode season will debut on Netflix on Friday, April 14.

While there are the inevitable jitters about whether the new version can live up to the old episodes, mostly what I’m hearing and seeing from fans is excitement. And one thing i’m definitely not hearing is any trepidation over how new host Jonah Ray is going to do.

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Instant Gratification: “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” and four other good movies to watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime

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Pick of the Week: “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (Netflix) — And to think that back in 2004 this was thought of as something of a misfire after Wes Anderson’s first three masterpieces. It’s still one of my favorites of his, gently sending up those old “adventure” TV shows like “Wild Kingdom” while telling a quirky and funny story for the 11-year-old in all of us. Because it’s the perfect age.

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