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Rear Admiral Checks In With Some Streaming Recommendations

I haven’t seen enough Oscar bait yet nor did I attend the theater enough to make any sort of Top 10 Movies list or Best of 2017 blog that would carry any validity. But between Netflix, Amazon Prime, Vudu, HBOGO, PBS, and a shitload of other apps/channels on my Roku, there’s no shortage of movies and shows to stream. And that’s just doing things the legal way.

The biggest issue for the Streaming-American community is figuring out which quality flick or series to dive into because there are so goddamn many (if you’re looking to get into the streaming game, you can’t go wrong with a Roku). So here, in no order whatsoever, are some things that I dug.

A FUTILE AND STUPID GESTURE. Based on the book of the same name, this new Netflix release tells the rise-and-literal-fall story of comedy genius, Doug Kenney (above, as “Stork”), starring an excellent Will Forte as the brilliantly troubled writer. If the R-rated film comedy has a Godfather, it’s Doug Kenney. The Harvard Lampoon staff member co-founded National Lampoon (the nation’s then-premiere comedy magazine), co-wrote the greatest comedy ever made in ANIMAL HOUSE, and co-wrote another of the century’s most popular comedies in CADDYSHACK. The movie recounts these seminal events in comedy history as well Kenney’s magic touch when it came to funny. It’s not shy about (accurately) showing his use of startling amounts of cocaine and his overall quirkiness in both work and life.

Directed by David Wain (of the WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER Wains), the movie moves along briskly and entertains with a cast of current comedians portraying their comedy idols of 40+ years ago (like Joel McHale as Chevy Chase). If I have one minor quibble, it’s that the flick doesn’t dig too deep into exactly how a Rust Belt spaz became an icon of American comedy (i.e. what fueled his angst). He wasn’t always pleasant and could, quite frankly, be an asshole on occasion. Still, that hardly affected my enjoyment of this funny tribute to a brilliant mind that makes for a perfect double-feature with the documentary DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD: THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL LAMPOON. An unrecognizable Domhnall Gleeson (as Henry Beard) turns in stellar work per usual. Keep an eye out for a couple of ANIMAL HOUSE alums that pop up in cameos.

JIM & ANDY. Back in the late 1990s when Milos Forman was directing Jim Carrey in the underrated Andy Kaufman biopic MAN ON THE MOON, the one-time cable guy and two-time pet detective was recorded for the duration of the filming. The tapes were placed in a box and simply forgotten about for almost two decades until they were recently unearthed. Perhaps incredibly, the unpredictable Carrey agreed to sit down for a lengthy interview that is interspersed between the often cringe-worthy footage from the set.

Carrey had dialed up the Method Acting to an 11 in playing the mercurial genius Kaufman and much like the “Taxi” star, he drove his co-stars and director crazy. But when he goes Method playing Kaufman’s alter ego, the rude, Dice-lite lounge lizard Tony Clifton? You actually feel bad for the 60-something director Forman trying to get through to Tony that he wants to talk to “Jim”. It’s meta as hell and even freaks out Danny DeVito and Judd Hirsch. Now reading that, it sounds like typical pretentious Hollywood bullshit. But when you listen to Carrey, it’s almost like he tricks his brain into saying, “OK, this is who and what you are for the next few months and you can’t shut it off” and it’s actually an oddly impressive feat to be so committed. This is particularly noteworthy when he copies Kaufman’s penchant for just fucking with Jerry Lawler, who could break him in half in five seconds if he wanted to. That the role apparently changed the fiber of Carrey’s being only adds to story.

This was an incredibly incisive look into a Hollywood superstar who lived out all of his wildest dreams and is rich beyond comprehension yet still lacks an essential something. It’s a revealing look at an artist and his process to arrive at his art but it’s a more revealing look at what exactly makes Jim Carrey tick and what has driven his art for years. It’s deep, revealing stuff and well worth a watch to see such a huge star be so vulnerable.

ICE GUARDIANS. A few years ago, THE LAST GLADIATORS told the story of NHL enforcers and the toll the job can take on them, largely through the eyes of West Roxbury lunatic Chris Nilan and his post-NHL struggles. It was well done but had a decided dark edge to it. ICE GUARDIANS is its cheerier brother that essentially tells the same story but from a much different perspective. Interviews with savages like Colton Orr and Brian McGrattan are interspersed with media, history, and psychology talking heads to paint a picture about how fighting started, why it matters in the NHL, and why enforcers are the most-respected and beloved guys in the room. It also has some interesting concussion stats and how few of them fighting actually cause in relation to other elements of the game. If you’re a pucks fan, it’s a much-watch. If you’re not a hockey fan, then you’ll gain a newfound respect for what these guys do for a living.

THE BIG SICK. One of the best movies I saw in 2017 is this funny, touching, autobiographical story that runs you through the emotional gamut. It’s about how Pakistani-American stand-up Kumail Nanjiani (the hilarious Dinesh on SILICON VALLEY) starts dating one of his hecklers who might also be the love of his life and, while their relationship is on the ropes, she falls into a coma. Because they’re still technically together, he does the right thing and doesn’t desert the proverbial girlfriend in a coma. While in the hospital, Kumail comically has to deal with Emily’s (an excellent Zoe Kazan) surly mom and have awkward conversations with her dad, who seemingly can’t get over the fact Kumail is Muslim (he just straight up brings up 9/11 at one point in an effort to spark conversation; Kumail’s retort is priceless).

Holly Hunter and Ray Romano both turn in tremendous work as Emily’s parents (Romano has done some really great work since his sitcom ended). Kumail also has to deal with his family and their arranged marriage expectations, resulting in some funny scenes when his mother tries to play match-maker. The movie shows the real parts of relationships and the corresponding bullshit that goes along with it in a realistic way, like having to tell parents that you love to butt the fuck out. Nominated for Best Original Screenplay, THE BIG SICK didn’t reinvent the rom-com but it certainly gave us a fresh take on the genre

THE CROWN. As a Boston Irishman who may or may not have worn sweatshirts in my teen years during the ’80s supporting certain, um, organizations, I’ve never had any particular affinity for the monarchy and always found the whole spectacle a bit silly. (Except for Princess Di. She was the shit and her dying early sucked.) But if Netflix throws truckloads of money at top-notch writing, acting, and production, then I am all in on a subject I normally wouldn’t give two shits about. Unless it’s about Margaret Thatcher. Fuck that one.

Claire Foy expertly plays the still very-much-alive Queen Elizabeth II (the one from THE NAKED GUN) back before she carried the title that weighs down its wearers with its eons of history. But before long, King George (SPOILER ALERT) shits the bed and suddenly his 20-something daughter is thrust into the much-more-than-ceremonial role as Queen of England. Overnight, she goes from corralling her carousing dickhead husband, real-life dickhead Prince Philip (a perfectly smarmy Matt Smith) to having sit-downs with Winston Churchill (an outstanding John Lithgow) to decide the fate of one of the world’s great powers of the time. Sounds meh, right? That’s what I thought until I threw it on. But the impeccable craftsmanship on all levels draws you in and before you know it, you’re half-way through a binge. Season Two just dropped on Netflix.

FIVE CAME BACK. Hollywood and the U.S. military weren’t always on (perceived or real) opposite ends of the political spectrum. In fact, during World War II they were very much in cahoots. In this excellent documentary series based on the book of the same name by the esteemed Mark Harris, five different movie directors of that era each join the military to document the war and produce propaganda films to be shown at home and abroad to rally support for the war effort. The series cleverly ‘assigns’ five different modern day directors to the five WWII-era directors to analyze their work and how what they saw overseas changed them forever; Steven Spielberg covers William Wyler, Francis Ford Coppola has John Huston, Paul Greengrass does John Ford, Guillermo del Toro is on Frank Capra, and Larry Kasdan discusses George Stevens. The result is a fantastic document that appeals not only to both military/WWII historians and film history buffs but anybody who wants to learn about this fascinating chapter of American history in which some of the most powerful guys in Hollywood left the comforts of home to literally put their asses on the line. It also somewhat fondly remembers a time when the two iconic American institutions both were squarely on the same page, united for a common cause.

GLOW. I had pretty much tapped out on rasslin’ by the time the Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling made its 1986 debut so I didn’t have any particular nostalgia for it when I fired this show up. But I got sucked in by this clever, funny Netflix offering that stars the versatile, excellent Alison Brie as Ruth “Zoya the Destroya” Wilder, a struggling actress who answers a casting call for performing in what will be woman’s professional wrestling. The show is very loosely-based on the real-life outfit’s genesis and also stars podcaster/comedian Marc Maron and Betty Gilpin as Zoya’s rival. Maron, whose ‘woe is me’ persona I’ve never been a fan of, does great work here as a sleazy, aspiring promoter. The show does a great job of capturing the era and its requisite shittiness for half of the population while touching on the cheesy, familiar, typically offensive beats of 1980’s wrestling. Brie does fantastic work here and she has me anticipating Season 2.

BIG MOUTH. There are more cartoons geared toward adults than ever before and it can be hard to find something that’s right in your wheelhouse. But if there’s one thing that every single grown-up can relate to, it’s puberty. And this take from Nick Kroll (among a handful of writers) on the awkward early changes of life is nothing short of hysterical. Kroll and John Mulaney voice a pair of teens, the late-bloomer Nick and chronic masturbator Andrew, respectively, to represent the various, sticky issues teen males deal with. Jessi Klein, Maya Rudolph, and Jenny Slate provide the audio for Jessi, Diane, and Missy and they hilariously rep for the particular challenges of womanhood that men have no clue about. The show succeeds because of how it convincingly conveys the fears that both sexes go through during this period. So guys watching can understand the horror of getting your first period in public. And girls can know the awkwardness of just cumming in your jeans, willy-nilly.

But what puts the show over the top to make it riotously funny? Easy. It the Hormone Monster (Kroll) and the Hormone Monstress (Rudolph). Popping up sporadically like a pair of perverted genies, the Monster and Monstress hilariously provide the inner monologues of the teens during particular crises. Whether it’s the Monster imploring Andrew to rub one out with his sleeping buddy three feet away or the Monstress telling Jessi to be a bitch to her mother, this pair essentially says all the crazy shit that goes through a hormonally-confused teen’s mind to extremely funny effect. Whether old or young, guy or gal, everybody can relate to BIG MOUTH.