Five Films for December 4th, 2021
1. Hell or High Water
Platform: Hulu
Release Year: 2016
Director: David Mackenzie
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Ben Foster
Genres: Adventure, Crime
Rating: R
Brief Synopsis: Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, and Ben Foster star in this riveting story about two brothers who turn to crime to save their family’s land—and the Texas Ranger out to stop them.
I selected this film because today is Jeff Bridges’ birthday. He was born in 1949 and continues to be one of the best actors working today. He has starred in several great films including:
The Last Picture Show (1971)
Cutter’s Way (1981)
Against All Odds (1984)
The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)
Blown Away (1994)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Arlington Road (1999)
Crazy Heart (2009)
Alternative Title to Watch - The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996) This romantic comedy co-starring Barbra Streisand and Lauren Bacall is currently streaming on Netflix.
2. Untamed Heart
Platform: Amazon Prime
Release Year: 1993
Director: Tony Bill
Cast: Christian Slater, Marisa Tomei, Rosie Perez
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Brief Synopsis: Christian Slater and Marisa Tomei star in this tender romance about lonely souls destined to find one another.
I selected this film because today is Marisa Tomei’s birthday. She was born in 1964 and has been acting since her start as ‘Health Club Girl’ in an uncredited role in the cult hit The Toxic Avenger in 1984. Less than 10 years later, she won an Oscar for her performance in the film My Cousin Vinny. Other highlights throughout her career include:
Chaplin (1992)
What Women Want (2000)
In the Bedroom (2001)
Before the Devil Knows Your Dead (2007)
The Wrestler (2008)
The Big Short (2015)
Alternative Title to Watch - Welcome to Sarajevo (1997). This drama centered around a group of journalists depicts the devastation of a war-torn country. It is currently streaming on HBO Max.
3. Kill the Messenger
Platform: Netflix
Release Year: 2014
Director: Peter Landesman
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ray Liotta, Oliver Platt, Michael Sheen
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Brief Synopsis: In the 1980s, a crusading journalist uncovers secret CIA funding for Nicaraguan rebels, but the powers that be silence his investigation.
I selected this film to celebrate journalism because it was on this day in 1791 that the first edition of The Observer (the world’s first Sunday newspaper) was published. It was also on this day in 1881 that the first edition of the Los Angeles Times was published. This title is leaving Netflix soon with the last day to watch being December 15th.
Alternative Title to Watch - Shock and Awe (2018) This film starring Woody Harrelson and Rob Reiner centers on a team of journalists working to uncover the truth about the invasion of Iraq. It is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
4. Band Aid
Platform: Hulu
Release Year: 2017
Director: Zoe Lister-Jones
Cast: Zoe Lister-Jones, Fred Armisen, Adam Pally
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Brief Synopsis: A couple is advised to try working through their issues using music.
I selected this film because today is also Fred Armisen’s birthday. He was born in 1966 and has appeared in several television series and films including:
Saturday Night Live (2002-2021)
Portlandia (2011-2018)
Anchorman (2004)
Easy A (2010)
Alternative Title To Watch: Ordinary World (2016) This dramedy co-starring Billie Joe Armstrong and Judy Greer is currently available on Netflix.
5. Mars: One Day on the Red Planet
Platform: Disney Plus
Release Year: 2020
Director: Martin Johnson
Cast: Carle Agee, Nigel Barber, John Callas
Genre: Documentary
Brief Synopsis: An epic journey around Mars - built from real satellite and rover date - revealing the red planet as you’ve never seen it before.
I selected this film because it was on this day in 1996 when the Mars Pathfinder was launched. It landed on July 4th the following year and during the mission sent back 2.3 billion bits of information including 16,500 pictures and 8.5 million measurements of the atmospheric pressure, temperature, and wind speed.
Alternative Title to Watch - Passage to Mars (2016) - This documentary about the true story of a NASA expedition designed as the first Martian road trip on Earth is currently streaming on Hulu.