Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Happy Friday, party people! This Friday is not just any regular Friday, though: it is Friday the 13th and a full moon, oooooooo! For all those superstitious (or just smart in this Journalist’s opinion) people out there, bolt your doors and hunker down while the unluckiest day in existence comes to an end. But if you live on the wild side, or relish in masochism, break some mirrors, whip out the ouija boards and enjoy the pandemonium! Regardless of how you act on this chilling day, we can agree that tonight should be spent in front of the television, either hiding from the crazy world or celebrating it. And whether you use Amazon Video, iTunes, Vudu or your cable’s on demand service, your favorite VOD platforms have you set with a great new list of movies coming out this weekend.
Those action fans are in for a treat-filled weekend, because the latest Shaft film is now available to buy on iTunes! It welcomes in the latest Shaft generation with JJ Shaft, John Shaft II’s son. All three generations will team up and use their unique skills to solve a crime that this time hits very close to home. The cuss-filled, action-packed movie reminds us that we can never get enough Shaft. And for those looking for a little female empowerment, be sure to check out Anna, the femme-fatale movie starring Sasha Luss and Helen Mirren about a young woman with looks to kill, literally, because she is one of the KGB’s most lethal assassins. But the only way out of the KGB is death according to her superiors, so when Anna has the chance to finally be set free, will her pursuit of a normal life be the end of it?
I’ll bet we have you intrigued now! Check out what other thrillers, romances and comedies you can buy or rent this week.
Yesterday
Can you imagine a world without The Beatles? That unfathomable thought is explored in the romantic comedy Yesterday, a movie set in a world that has forgotten about The Beatles. The film follows English musician Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) who dreams of fame but is struggling to break into the industry from his small seaside town. But after the world experiences a global blackout and Malik is hit by a bus, he comes to realize that he is the only person in the world that still remembers the trailblazing band. Malik now has the chance to skyrocket to superstardom by taking Beatles classics and passing them off as his own! Also starring Lily James, Kate McKinnon and Ed Sheeran as himself, this complete “what-if” movie will have you humming the tunes to all of the band’s greatest hits, and will make you fall in love with The Beatles all over again (as if we ever fell out!).
Shaft
Like a fine wine or a really stinky cheese, the Shaft film series just seems to get better with age. The latest iteration of this neo-noir action film features the newest John Shaft to enter the crime-stopping family, JJ Shaft (Jessie T. Usher): son of John Shaft II (Samuel L. Jackson) and grandson of John Shaft Sr., or the original John Shaft (Richard Roundtree). But despite his namesake, JJ has forgone the family business and instead has become an FBI agent and cybersecurity genius. But when his childhood friend dies from an apparent drug overdose, JJ senses something fishy going on and must turn to his estranged father, Shaft II, for help. The rule-following JJ must reconcile his modern investigative style with that of his father’s old-school street ways in order to find out the truth about his friend, and maybe take down the drug lord organization that broke up his family in the first place. This multi-generational Shaft is filled with foul words and amazing action sequences which remind you that even though it has been almost five decades since the release of the original, this is still a pure Shaft movie.
To Buy:
Lock Up
Haunt
Yesterday
Anna
Child’s Play
Shaft
Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken
Scarborough
Paradise Hills
Riot Girls
The Tracker
Unplanned
To Rent:
Adventures of Dally & Spanky
Daybreakers
The Third Wife
Artik
The Parting Glass
Clinton Road
Crystal City
Being Frank
Nekrotronic
Aladdin (2019)
John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum
The Dead Don’t Die
Apocalypse Now (Final Cut)
$0.99 iTunes Movie Rental
No Strings Attached
There was a time where romantic comedies about friends hooking up were the rule in cinema. Two very attractive friends would start off in a casual fashion, but then realize they work so well because they are actually in love. One of the best movies of this specific genre is No Strings Attached. Starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman, the film follows two friends who agree to start a purely-carnal relationship with no strings attached. This means no dates, no flowers, no obligations, no problems. But can you really have a physical relationship without emotion getting in the way? Between the Mila Kunis movie Friends With Benefits and No Strings Attached, you would think that the now-couple would have learned what was going to happen when they started getting together! Ah well, their folly is our gain.
