August 22nd, 2023

THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS - Criterion Channel & Digital/VOD: $19.99 Sale/ $6.99 Rental

Shot in the Italian Alps, Turin and Nepal over seven months, The Eight Mountains is a visual feast that rewards patience and attentiveness. The film depicts a friendship between two men who spend their childhood together in a remote Alpine village and reconnect later as adults. The title is a reference to the concept in Buddhism and ancient Indian cosmology that the world is composed of nine mountains and eight seas, specifically eight concentric circular mountain ranges separated from one another by eight seas, with the ninth and tallest mountain, Mount Meru, at the center. Highly recommended.

PAST LIVES - $19.99 Sale Only

One of the most acclaimed films of the year will finally be available for home viewing. Past Lives hit big when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, with audiences and critics raving about Celine Song’s beautiful compositions. Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro’s performances were also lauded, with many predicting Oscar nominations to come. We’ll see how that all shakes out. For now, audiences can re-live, or experience for the first time, this wonderful film.

TWO TICKETS TO GREECE - $9.99 Sale / TBD Rental

If you haven’t been able to take a trip this summer, and you’ve watched both Mamma Mia movies too many times, why not give this French comedy a shot? Two Tickets to Greece follows two estranged friends as they try to mend their relationship against the idyllic backdrop of the Greek Isles. Co-starring Kristen Scott Thomas, the film received mixed reviews when it released in US theaters in July. Still...we could use a vacation.

August 24th, 2023

HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE - Hulu

‘Eco-thriller’ isn’t a genre Hollywood has quite gotten on board with yet. The politics around climate change are ludicrously polarized. Sure enough, when How to Blow Up a Pipeline hit theaters, there were cries of ‘Promoting Terrorism!’ from the usual factions. But the film is much more nuanced and complicated than its detractors suggest. Part pulse-pounding action movie, part character study, part psychological drama, Pipeline is dynamite filmmaking with fantastic performances. Not to be missed.

August 25th, 2023

THE DIVE - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental

If a trip to Greece is a little too relaxed for your taste, may we interest you in something more harrowing? The Dive’s plot: A deep-sea diving trip at one of the world's most remote spots becomes a fight for survival for sisters Drew and May when a catastrophic landslide sends rocks tumbling into the sea. After being struck by the rockfall, May now lies 28 meters below the surface, trapped by debris and unable to move. With dangerously low levels of oxygen, it is up to Drew to fight for her sister's life. She must put her own life in jeopardy and risk paying the ultimate sacrifice. But with no help in sight, time is quickly running out.

THE FLASH - Max

Not much more to say about Warner Bros’ summer folly. Some people loved it, some loathed it. Many ignored it. Here’s hoping those that loved it can watch on Max and re-experience their joy. For the rest of us…Barbie will arrive soon enough.

MONICA - AMC+

A little gem of a film that’s well worth seeking out. When it premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2022, star Trace Lysette received an 11-minute standing ovation for her performance. Lysette portrays a trans woman, estranged from her family, who returns home to care for her dying mother. Patricia Clarkson is fantastic as the mother, as is the direction of Italian filmmaker Andrea Pallaoro.

VACATION FRIENDS 2 - Hulu

So many vacation options this week! Vacation Friends 2 picks up a few months after the events of its predecessor and finds newly married couple Marcus (Lil Rel Howery) and Emily (Yvonne Orji) inviting their uninhibited besties Ron (John Cena) and Kyla (Meredith Hagner), who are also newly married and have a baby, to join them for a vacation. Unseen by us, we can only imagine it’s less French than Two Tickets to Greece and less harrowing than The Dive.

YOU ARE SO NOT INVITED TO MY BAT MITZVAH - Netflix

Adam Sandler continues to churn out the Netflix movies, and this time he’s recruited his wife and kids. And guess what? So far, reviews have been good! So while we look forward to seeing Adam Sandler in his more ambitious projects (like Spaceman), this will have to tide us over. Idina Menzel co-stars, along with a trio Sandlers (Jackie, Sadie, Sonny).

August 26th, 2023

BIG GEORGE FOREMAN - Netflix

The great thing about Sony’s deal with Netflix is that every title will eventually be seen by millions. Big George Foreman was an expensive flop, and certainly will not make its money back for the studio, but it will now be available on the biggest platform in the world. The only question remaining…will it go by its original title? Does ‘Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World’ fit on the Netflix user interface?

Happy Streaming Everyone!