12 new releases hit the video shelves this week. TWELVE!!! A DOZEN!!! With plenty to choose from, MHT guides you through which titles you should buy, rent, stream or skip for the week of June 7th:
Zootopia (Check out our Movie Hot Take from earlier this year)
Super Simple Synopsis: There’s trouble in the land of talking animated animals and it’s up to a sly fox and a brave bunny to save everyone.
Why Buy?
You have children. You have a heart.
Why Rent?
You’ve seen every Disney movie up until this point so you won’t be skipping this one.
Why Stream?
You are babysitting.
Why Skip?
You don’t have children. You’re heartless.
MHT Verdict: Buy it!
Of the 12 choices this week, Zootopia is the cream of the crop. It’s funny, has a great voice cast, hits you in the feels and is a really good movie.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (Check out our Movie Hot Take from earlier this year)
Super Simple Synopsis: ‘murica! Michael Bay style!
Why Buy?
Your idea of a fun double feature is American Sniper and Lone Survivor.
Why Rent?
You totally dig Michael Bay’s ultra-stylized action shots and can’t get enough super slow-mo.
Why Stream?
You know this might not be great but you’re still kind of curious about the story behind Benghazi.
Why Skip?
You’d rather make love.
MHT Verdict: Rent it!
One of those examples of walking into the theater expecting the worst and walking out pleasantly surprised. For a January release from Michael Bay that feels a little like propaganda, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi ain’t bad.
Anomalisa (Check out our Movie Hot Take from earlier this year)
Super Simple Synopsis: Stop-motion animation from the mind of Charlie Kaufman.
Why Buy?
You think Charlie Kaufman is one of the most brilliant filmmakers of our time.
Why Rent?
You like Kaufman’s work but aren’t a big fan of animation. You think Kaufman is hit or miss.
Why Stream?
You really don’t have a ton of interest in Anomalisa but there’s been so much critical hype about how good it is, you have to see it.
Why Skip?
You’re wondering, “Who the hell is Charlie Kaufman?”
MHT Verdict: Rent it!
While Anomalisa didn’t come close to expectations after countless reviewers threw it on their top 10 list, it was interesting to watch even if it did disappoint a little.
Colonia (Did Not Review)
Super Simple Synopsis: A young woman’s search for her missing boyfriend leads her to an ex-Nazi cult no one has ever escaped from.
Why Buy?
You’re a huge Emma Watson and she’s cast an “Expecto Greatmovie!” spell over you.
Why Rent?
You play the Hollywood Watching Game and you know one of it’s rules is every time a movie says Nazi, you watch.
Why Stream?
You just got duped into watching Regression and are now a little skeptical on how well Emma Watson can do outside of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Why Skip?
You’re more of a deodorant and soap person. (Oh! That says Colonia not Cologne… my bad!)
MHT Verdict: Rent it!
Okay, Emma Watson. I’m not giving up on you just yet. Besides, she had one of the best cameos ever in This Is The End and that goes a long way.
The Confirmation (Did Not Review)
Super Simple Synopsis: Father and son bond while trying to get back a stolen toolbox.
Why Buy?
You figure it’s got the kid from Midnight Special and St. Vincent so how could it miss.
Why Rent?
You like Clive Owen. You’re a fan of Patton Oswalt who has a supporting role.
Why Stream?
You’ve seen the trailer and it looks like something worth a look so you want to confirm whether you’re right.
Why Skip?
You’re seriously overwhelmed by all the choices this week and you can’t see them all, so get off your back!
MHT Verdict: Stream it!
The Confirmation is one of those films that would have gotten a lot more hype if it were as good as the trailer looks. Proceed with caution, keep expectations low and maybe The Confirmation will deliver.
Every Thing Will Be Fine (Did Not Review)
Super Simple Synopsis: Wim Wenders returns to narrative filmmaking and makes full use of 3D technology. Oh, and James Franco plays a struggling novelist again!
Why Buy?
You have a 3D television. (You’re the one!)
Why Rent?
You don’t have a 3D television but love the work of Wim Wenders.
Why Stream?
You’re a fan of Wim Wenders but James Franco being in yet another movie with a storyline involving a novelist is just too much for you to go too far out of your way for.
Why Skip?
You’ve given up on all things James Franco that don’t also involve Seth Rogen.
MHT Verdict: Stream it!
Admittedly, I know very little about Every Thing Will Be Fine. However, when the infrequent work of Wim Wenders pops up, it’s probably a good idea to at least give it a whirl.
The Funhouse Massacre (Did Not Review)
Super Simple Synopsis: Six psychopaths escape and hide out in a Halloween funhouse. It’s a love story.
Why Buy?
You have these friends who always hound you about going to these stupid Halloween shows and will use this to dissuade them from every wanting to go again.
Why Rent?
You’re a sucker for campy horror.
Why Stream?
You are a huge Robert Englund fan and he has a small role in the film.
Why Skip?
You prefer buckets of popcorn over buckets of blood.
MHT Verdict: Stream it!
Actually, for a horror movie, The Funhouse Massacre doesn’t look awful. I mean it looks awful on any other scale but horror movies are graded on a curve.
Hail, Caesar! (Check out our Movie Hot Take from earlier this year)
Super Simple Synopsis: The Coen Brothers send up Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Why Buy?
You love the Coen Brothers and have to own every movie they make.
Why Rent?
You’re sure with a cast featuring George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Jonah Hill and the dude who is about to be the next Han Solo, it has to be at least somewhat entertaining, right?
Why Stream?
You just want to see the Channing Tatum musical number.
Why Skip?
You are Brutus.
MHT Verdict: Rent it!
It’s not the best work from the Coen Brothers but even a mediocre effort from the duo is worth watching.
Mr. Right (Did Not Review)
Super Simple Synopsis: Anna Kendrick has found Mr. Right and he’s crazy… and an assassin… and perfect?
Why Buy?
You’re a big fan of Sam Rockwell and wish he had more opportunities to star in movies.
Why Rent?
You have a love/hate relationship with writer Max Landis which could be interpreted so many different ways.
Why Stream?
You read the synopsis and this looks like the perfect movie to stream.
Why Skip?
You’d rather watch Mr. Holmes or Mr. Wrong or Mr. Magoo or Mr. Mom or Mr. Brooks or Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium or Grosse Pointe Blank.
MHT Verdict: Stream it!
Sam Rockwell is great and Anna Kendrick is entertaining. Writer Max Landis has been hit or miss but Mr. Right looks like it might be more hit than miss.
The Other Side of the Door (Check out our Movie Hot Take from earlier this year)
Super Simple Synopsis: She told you not to open the damn door!
Why Buy?
You want to prove to your friends that you can watch a horror movie. (This one isn’t scary so you should be able to fake them out with it.)
Why Rent?
You accidentally clicked on the wrong title at Redbox and now you’re stuck with it.
Why Stream?
You watch every horror movie ever made… even the ones that aren’t scary.
Why Skip?
You don’t really care what’s on the other side of the door.
MHT Verdict: Skip it!
It’s been a tough year for horror flicks and this was one of the many disappointing ones to make it to theaters.
Touched with Fire (Did Not Review)
Super Simple Synopsis: Two manic-depressive poets begin a relationship while in a psychiatric hospital.
Why Buy?
You can’t get enough Katie Holmes.
Why Rent?
You can get enough Katie Holmes but renting Touched with Fire will get you to full Katie Holmes capacity.
Why Stream?
You don’t have a ton of room for Katie Holmes after binge watching 2 seasons of Dawson’s Creek.
Why Skip?
Seriously? You’re asking me this? It has Katie Holmes. Why would you skip it?
MHT Verdict: Buy it!
Katie Holmes.
A War (Did Not Review)
Super Simple Synopsis: A foreign film about the war in Afghanistan featuring a Danish soldier and his family back home.
Why Buy?
You love foreign films and this one’s “Certified Fresh” by Rotten Tomatoes.
Why Rent?
You’re more ‘murica when it comes to war movies but it’s a war movie so you’ll still see it (even if you have to read).
Why Stream?
You don’t do well with subtitles but are intrigued by the title so you want the most convenient way to watch it while still being able to abort the mission.
Why Skip?
You can’t read.
MHT Verdict: Stream it!
There’s enough positive response to make it something worth watching.
Why the heck do I wanna get hit in the feels? Isn’t that why I avoid Daymon Green and Dellavadova???
Getting hit in the feels isn’t a bad thing! Don’t be afraid of the feels.