Movies Streaming This Week: Spring Break, Spring Break, Spring Break Forevverrrrrr

With “The Bling Ring” in theaters you can make a fun double feature now as its distant cousin, “Spring Breakers,” is now available through streaming (decide for yourself which group of girls are the craziest). There’s also the first Vimeo On Demand release, “Some Girl(s),” adapted from Neil LaBute’s play. We also highlight some of the best titles from one of the most polarizing film genres in recent memory.

NEW RELEASES

‘Spring Breakers’
Harmony Korine’s celebration of… (how do I put this…) youthful exuberance, is highlighted by the performance of Disney gals Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens along with a crunked out James Franco.
Why Watch It: If you haven’t yet, you should, if you have already you should again. That’s all I can say.
Available On: iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Instant [On Demand 7/9]

‘The Call’
Halle Berry plays a 911 operator who after learning that a killer from her past has abducted a teenage girl takes matters into her own hands.
Why Watch It: It’s directed by Brad Anderson (“Session 9,” “The Machinist”) so there have to be some redeeming qualities.
Available On: Cable On Demand, iTunes, VUDU

‘The Host’
The latest adaptation from the “Twilight” saga author Stephenie Meyer, Saoirse Ronan plays Melanie who in a future overtaken by body snatching beings tries save those closest to her.
Why Watch It: Mixture of that old TV show “V” and, of course, “Twilight.”
Available On: iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Instant [On Demand 7/9]

‘The Rambler’
Calvin Lee Reeder follows up his breakthrough debut, “The Oregonian,” with this trippy art horror starring Dermot Mulroney as an ex-con traveling cross-country to his brother’s and the strange trip he finds himself on.
Why Watch It: If you’re seeking something different in your moviegoing experience, this if for you.
Available On: Cable On Demand, iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Instant, YouTube, Google Play

‘No’
Oscar nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, Gael Garcia Bernal plays an ad exec who during a forced plebiscite in 1988 of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is brought on by those against Pinochet to build a campaign for the opposition.
Why Watch It: An underappreciated performance by Bernal, but decide for yourself.
Available On: Cable On Demand, iTunes, VUDU

‘Some Girl(s)’
The first Vimeo On Demand release (also in theaters), Neil LaBute pens this adaptation of his own play about a guy (Adam Brody) who on the eve of his wedding sets off on a cross-country trip to tack down his ex-lovers in an attempt to make amends with them.
Why Watch It: Great ensemble that includes Kristen Bell, Zoe Kazan and Emily Watson.
Available On: Vimeo

‘Redemption’
On Demand same day as it hits theaters, Jason Statham’s latest has him starring as a disgraced ex-special forces soldier who finds a new identity but it’s within London’s underworld, leading him to trying to right wrongs.
Why Watch It: Let’s face it, at this point a Statham plot doesn’t matter, as long as he’s kicking ass it’s worth the watch.
Available 6/28: Cable On Demand, VUDU

OLDIES BUT GOODIES (Mumblecore Edition)
It’s one of the most polarizing movie genres (even denounced by many of the filmmakers who have received attention from it), but there have been some interesting work that have come out of these intimate, low budget tales of twentysomething awkwardness. Here are a few.

‘Funny Ha Ha’
We should start from the beginning. This film about a recent graduate and her struggle to take the next step in her life launched the career of director Andrew Bujalski and pegged him as the “godfather of mumblecore.”
Available On: Amazon Instant

‘Baghead’
The other giants in this space are the Duplass Brothers, Mark and Jay. Three years after making their debut hit “The Puffy Chair,” they return with this mumblecore horror or “mumblegore” about a group of struggling actors who go to a cabin in Big Bear to write a screenplay and end up being tourmented by a their creation—a villain with a paper bag for a head.
Available On: iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Instant, YouTube, Google Play

‘Hannah Takes the Stairs’
Joe Swamberg’s breakout film brought together the major players in mumblecore (Mark Duplass, Greta Gerwig, Bujalski, Ry Russo-Young, Todd Rohal) in this love triangle that revealed the raw talent of Gerwig .
Available On: iTunes

‘Humpday’
Perhaps the genre’s crowning jewel, Lynn Shelton combines its collaborative ethos with a strong story to create a funny and touching look at male friendship, or what would be termed from then on: “bromance.”
Available On: iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Instant

‘Tiny Furniture’
Released after mumblecore became a cursed word in the indie film world, Lena Dunham writes, directs and stars in a touching semiautobiographical look at a girl trying to find herself after college. You kind of know how things turned out.
Available On: iTunes, Netflix, Amazon Instant, YouTube, Google Play

Categories: Columns, Streaming

Tags: Adam brody, Andrew Bujalski, Baghead, Brad Anderson, Calvin Lee Reeder, Dermot Mulroney, Emily watson, Funny Ha Ha, Gael garcia bernal, Greta gerwig, Halle berry, Hannah Takes The Stairs, Harmony Korine, Humpday, James franco, Jason statham, Jay duplass, Joe Swamberg, Kristen bell, Lena dunham, Lynn Shelton, Mark duplass, Mumblecore, Neil LaBute, No, Redemption, Ry Russo Young, Saoirse Ronan, Selena gomez, Some Girls, Spring Breakers, Stephenie meyer, The Call, The Host, The Rambler, Tiny furniture, Todd rohal, Vanessa hudgens, Zoe Kazan

Which of The Super 8 Actors Is Most Likely to Break Out?

Whenever the cast of a movie consists almost entirely of unknown youngsters, however critically acclaimed or shamed, whatever number it hits opening weekend, one thing is for certain: the film will jump-start at least one, if not multiple fresh-faced careers. It’s always fun to look back on kid-driven movies of yore and observe who succumbed to Child Actor Syndrome, who left the business, and who managed to break out in some way, still working to this day, behind the camera or in front of it, as the lead or the sidekick, the villain or the love interest, on television, in the movies, on stage or creating their own work on the Internet. So we decided to take a look at the kids of J.J. Abrams’ flawed but sweetly fun Super 8 to try and figure out who has the best chances of moving on to a long and luscious career in the entertainment industry. As a bonus, we’ve thrown in some possible directions their careers could take, based on potential counterparts that have already made the transition.

Zach Mills – Preston
Age: 15
IMDb.com Credits: 26
While not featured enough in the movie to get a real sense of his ability as an actor, Mills boasts an already impressive resume, proving he’s is in it to win it, for now at least. And with those floppy ears and lanky frame on his side, there’s always the possibility of a bright future playing the dorky friend until he can graduate to playing the quirky, dirty, and/or smarmy character roles. In terms of romantic lead potential, I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily in the cards for young Mills, but hey, that’s not a bad thing — just ask Jackie Earle Haley. This type is valuable and Mills is already well on his way to cornering that market for his age group.
Possible directions: Jackie Earle Haley, Lukas Haas, or Wil Wheaton.

Gabriel Basso – Martin
Age: 16
IMDb.com Credits: 11
Based on his performance in Super 8, I would have guessed Basso was exactly like Martin, the case with most child actors. So you can imagine my surprise when I found out that not only is he a regular on The Big C, but he plays a character nothing, not even remotely a little bit like his role in Super 8, proving the 16-year-old already has some epic range. Plus, once the period thick rims are removed, we start to notice Basso’s intriguing look and wonder if Sam Worthington will need a teenage version of himself on the screen anytime soon. Based on The Big C and Super 8 simply on their own, perhaps no one would think twice about Basso as a performer to be reckoned with, but if there’s anything rare in kid actors, it’s the ability to actually act, so I’m already expecting lots more to come from this one.
Possible directions: Josh Brolin or Christian Bale.

Ryan Lee – Cary
Age: 14
IMDb.com Credits: 20
A veteran of short films and nameless small roles and guest spots, Lee’s first major part was in Super 8 and since wrapping it, he has appeared in two more movies; The Legend of Hell’s Gate: An American Conspiracy, co-starring Eric Balfour and Summer Glau, and Meeting Evil with Sam Jackson and Luke Wilson. The delightfully goofy Lee hands-down has the best comic timing of the entire Super 8 crew. His range beyond that beats me, but innate comic timing has launched plenty of successful careers, and if he (or rather, his agent) plays his cards right, there’s no reason this kid shouldn’t start playing with the comedy big boys right away.
Possible directions: Seth Green or Shia LeBeouf.

Riley Griffiths – Charles
Age: 14
IMDb.com Credits: 1
Practically stealing the movie (in my opinion) in his first role ever, Griffiths is a strong candidate to continue on with a successful career. Simultaneously tough and soft, the leader and the follower, the sympathetic comic relief, Griffiths pulls off a lot more in Super 8 than we may initially notice. His enthusiasm as Charles is infectious and he managed to completely convince me that the film we saw running through the credits was in fact a Charles Kaznyk production. Plus, based on interviews I’ve read, it seems the teen, who has been acting in theater his whole life, has a good head on his shoulders and despite deciding to pursue a career in acting, knows that he doesn’t want to sacrifice his childhood to do so. As long as he can avoid the pitfalls of suddenly becoming famous, which it seems he is prepared to do, I have high hopes.
Possible directions: Jerry O’ Connell or Sean Astin.

Joel Courtney – Joe
Age: 15
IMDb.com Credits: 1
Another total newcomer, Courtney is the emotional center of Super 8 and does a fine job grounding the extraordinary events unfolding around him. I thought EW’s Lisa Schwarzbaum said it best when describing his biggest strength as an “unteachably open-faced sweetness.” Spielberg’s knack for discovering the ultimate adorable everyboy is just as right on here as it ever has been, as I bought everything the relatable Courtney was throwing at me, no matter how ridiculous the movie may have gotten at times. But nailing the endearing qualities of a young teen doesn’t always mean there is an acting ability beyond that effortless naturalism and definitely doesn’t always translate into a huge career (see Henry Thomas). While Courtney was wonderful in this role, I wouldn’t be surprised if he chose not to pursue acting as a life commitment.
Possible directions: Henry Thomas, Joshua Jackson, (or, hey, Nicholas Hoult, no one saw his career coming!).

Elle Fanning – Alice
Ace: 13
IMDb.com Credits: 32
Mature, statuesque, honest, and daring, Fanning is already an actress well beyond her years. I am consistently shocked when I hear how old she is and it really makes me wonder what gypsy put what magic into the Fanning blood that has produced two such talented and humble actresses at such young ages. There is no doubt in my mind that Fanning will continue to be awesome over the next five years, go get a great education somewhere, possibly at NYU, following in her sister’s footsteps, then return to acting once more, better than ever. This girl’s got it in the bag, so much so that while we would be remiss in not mentioning her here, she isn’t actually in the running for Most Likely To Break Out simply because she already has — that ship has sailed. Keep on keeping on, Elle Fanning.
Possible directions: Dakotah Fanning, Natalie Portman, or Martha Plimpton.

So based on the evidence presented here, who do you think will come away from Super 8 with the most illustrious career? Not including the lady of the group who already has one, of course. Did you see something in any of the actors that I didn’t? Know of a part right now that any of them would be perfect for? Obviously, only time will tell which of these talented kids will stay on the acting track for the long haul, but in the meantime, I’m absolutely looking forward to seeing what each one does next.