Instant Picks of the Week 10/30/2015
Gone are the days of scrolling mindlessly through your queue! No longer will you have to sift through the vastness of what’s coming to the instant viewing wastelands this month! Whether you’re looking for a stellar film or an exciting new show to binge, Instant Picks of the Week brings you the hottest releases in film and television on instant viewing platforms that we know you’ll love, or at the very least not despise.
SCREAM Franchise (Netflix)
A lot of great horror films (and thrillers) are leaving Netflix at the end of Halloween, so make sure to get your fill. With everything from FARGO to the SAW franchise leaving your queue come November, viewers are virtually covered for Halloween regardless of how easily they are irked (or aroused) by the sight of blood. But Crossfader would be committing a crime if we wouldn’t give this year’s recommendation to the late Wes Craven’s magnificent SCREAM quadrilogy (the fourth is not on Netflix but is surely worth tracking down). Although the third might not stack up to its two predecessors, Wes Craven’s meta-commentary on the slasher genre was not only groundbreaking for its time, but remains one of the most indelible examples of knife-prowling horror to this day. With one of the most memorable opening sequences in horror history, the first SCREAM installment ushered in a pulpy reimagination of this stale sub-genre, and helped reaffirm Craven’s spot in the horror hall of fame as one of the all-time greats. RIP – we will miss you.
CATASTROPHE (Amazon Instant Video)
In an era when the instant streaming world is so inundated with “comedies” that merely cultivate a mildly quirky and awkward atmosphere, it’s refreshing to stumble across a viewing option that inspires honest-to-goodness laughter of the “out loud” variety. Steamrolling the viewer right into the conflict of an American man attempting to make it work with the Irish schoolteacher he impregnated on a business trip to London, CATASTROPHE exists as a perfect marriage of the culturally different comedic styles of its leads (British comedian Sharon Hogan and American comedian Rob Delaney). Despite its seemingly stereotypical inciting incident, the comedy smoothly blends wry British humor with carefully crafted situational comedy, making for an incredibly rewarding viewing experience. Scenes steadily gain in either dramatic or comedic tension, and the slew of British whackos Rob meets keep things charmingly fish-out-of-water. However, the most refreshing part of CATASTROPHE doesn’t revolve around its humorous predilections; rather than beating the audience over the head with sophomoric “dramedy” elements, CATASTROPHE instead elects to juxtapose its jokes with tender romantic moments, discussions, and arguments that anyone who’s been with a partner will find to possess verisimilitude. Charming, occasionally poignant, and consistently hilarious, CATASTROPHE is easily one of the most unfortunately overlooked gems of this year.
