Remember Ving Rhames? Well he’s here this week, so are Matthew McConaughey, Mickey Rourke and Bill Murray. We’ve films by Guillermo del Toro and Zac Snyder (who’s too good for the letter i) and if that’s not enough we’ve got a returning Netflix Original.

Netflix

Dawn of the Dead – When her young daughter is turned into a zombie and attacks her father, Ana (Sarah Polley) just manages to escape, only to realize her entire Milwaukee neighborhood has been overrun by the walking dead. After being questioned by cautious policeman Kenneth (Ving Rhames), Ana joins him and a small group that gravitates to the local shopping mall as a bastion of safety. Once they convince suspicious security guards that they are not contaminated, the group bands together to fight the undead hordes. Directed by Zac snyder.

dawn

 

The Wrestler – Aging wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is long past his prime but still ready and rarin’ to go on the pro-wrestling circuit. After a particularly brutal beating, however, Randy hangs up his tights, pursues a serious relationship with a long-in-the-tooth stripper (Marisa Tomei), and tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). But he can’t resist the lure of the ring and readies himself for a comeback.

Wrestler

 

Pan’s Labyrinth – In 1944 Spain young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her ailing mother (Ariadna Gil) arrive at the post of her mother’s new husband (Sergi López), a sadistic army officer who is trying to quell a guerrilla uprising. While exploring an ancient maze, Ofelia encounters the faun Pan, who tells her that she is a legendary lost princess and must complete three dangerous tasks in order to claim immortality. Directed by Guillermo del Toro.

pan's labyrinth

Amazon

Lost in Translation – A lonely, aging movie star named Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and a conflicted newlywed, Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), meet in Tokyo. Bob is there to film a Japanese whiskey commercial; Charlotte is accompanying her celebrity-photographer husband. Strangers in a foreign land, the two find escape, distraction and understanding amidst the bright Tokyo lights after a chance meeting in the quiet lull of the hotel bar. They form a bond that is as unlikely as it is heartfelt and meaningful.

lost in

 

Sex(Ed) The Movie – I caught this on TV one time otherwise I would have overlooked it. Sex(Ed) is a documentary with an awful name that makes it sound like a teen comedy. There’s lots of talking heads taking you through changing attitudes to sex education through the decades. The reason that it’s so watchable though, is the amount of awkward, misguided and usually hilarious old timey sex ed videos. Click the old lady’s face to see the trailer.

 

Dallas Buyer’s Club – In mid-1980s Texas, electrician Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) is stunned to learn that he has AIDS. Though told that he has just 30 days left to live, Woodroof refuses to give in to despair. He seeks out alternative therapies and smuggles unapproved drugs into the U.S. from wherever he can find them. Woodroof joins forces with a fellow AIDS patient (Jared Leto) and begins selling the treatments to the growing number of people who can’t wait for the medical establishment to save them.

Dallas buyers

Streaming Pick of the Week

Netflix – Narcos -Season 2 –

Netflix takes on the infamous Medellín drug cartel in “Narcos,” which follows the rise and fall of Colombian kingpin Pablo Escobar and the Drug Enforcement Agency agents hunting him. The story is told largely from the points of view of Escobar, played by Brazilian actor Wagner Moura, and U.S. DEA Agent Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook), on opposite sides of what would become an all-out war. The gritty drama begins with the early days of the drug battle, when the biggest offenders were “hippies in flip-flops” caught with up to a kilo of marijuana, continuing to the violent, bloody battles between members of the cartel peddling tons of kilos of cocaine and drug agents from Colombia, Mexico, and the U.S. — a struggle estimated to have cost at least 4,000 lives over two decades. Pedro Pascal (“Game of Thrones”) co-stars as Mexican DEA Agent Javier Peña.

September Scores: Amazon 0 – Netflix 1

This was a close one as there’s lots to choose from this month. Narcos is the winner in my book though as ever since the first series ended last year I’ve been waiting for more. Great cast, great performances and great story. If you’ve not taken a look at it yet now’s a great time to start watching. You’ll not have to wait for series 2 like I had to. The Netflix Newt picks up the win and takes the lead in battle for September’s Streamer of the Month.

Netflix Face Off

Paul Caldwell

Author: Paul Caldwell

Paul Crazy-Legs Caldwell. I take care of most of the week's geek based content and make sure that the Octogeek is only let out on a Wednesday. I also make comics for my website www.theskeletonblog.com when the notion takes me.