This week we meet some Jim Henson creations, Scarlett Johansson in Scotland, traitors, holiday makers, inept spies and some downright terrifying cultists. Read on folks for the pick of the week, be it Amazon or be it Netflix.

Netflix

The Dark Crystal – Jen (Stephen Garlick), raised by the noble race called the Mystics, has been told that he is the last survivor of his own race, the Gelflings. He sets out to try to find a shard of the dark crystal, a powerful gem that once provided balance to the universe. After the crystal was broken, the evil Skeksis used sinister means to gain control. Jen believes that he can repair the dark crystal and bring peace back to the world, if he can only find the remaining shard.

I-Spy – When the Switchblade, the most sophisticated prototype stealth fighter created yet, is stolen from the U.S. government, one of the United States’ top spies, Alex Scott (Owen Wilson), is called to action. What he doesn’t expect is to get teamed up with a cocky civilian, World Class Boxing Champion Kelly Robinson (Eddie Murphy), on a dangerous top secret espionage mission. Their assignment: using equal parts skill and humor, catch Arnold Gundars, one of the world’s most successful arms dealers.

Under the Skin – Under the Skin is a 2013 science fiction film directed and co-written by Jonathan Glazer, loosely based on Michel Faber’s 2000 novel of the same name. Disguising herself as a human female, an extraterrestrial (Scarlett Johansson) drives around Scotland and tries to lure unsuspecting men into her van. It received positive reviews, particularly for Johansson’s performance, Glazer’s direction, and Mica Levi’s score. It received multiple awards and was named one of 2014’s best films by multiple publications.

Amazon

Sinister – True-crime writer Ellison Oswald (Ethan Hawke) is in a slump; he hasn’t had a best seller in more than 10 years and is becoming increasingly desperate for a hit. So, when he discovers the existence of a snuff film showing the deaths of a family, he vows to solve the mystery. He moves his own family into the victims’ home and gets to work. However, when old film footage and other clues hint at the presence of a supernatural force, Ellison learns that living in the house may be fatal.

National Lampoon’s Vacation – Accompanied by their children (Dana Barron, Anthony Michael Hall), Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), are driving from Illinois to a California amusement park. As Clark increasingly fixates on a beautiful woman driving a sports car, the Griswolds deal with car problems and the death of a family member. They reach Los Angeles, but, when Clark worries that the trip is being derailed again, he acts impulsively to get his family to the park.

Our Kind of Traitor – Our Kind of Traitor is a 2016 British spy thriller film directed by Susanna White and written by Hossein Amini, adapted from John le Carré’s novel of the same name. Starring Ewan McGregor, Naomie Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Damian Lewis, and Alicia von Rittberg. A money launderer (Stellan Skarsgård) for Russian gangsters asks a couple vacationing in Marrakech, Morocco, to deliver incriminating evidence to an MI6 agent (Damian Lewis).

 

Pick of the Week – Amazon –
Louis Theroux’s My Scientology Movie

My Scientology Movie is a 2015 British documentary film about Scientology directed by John Dower, and written by and starring Louis Theroux. The film takes an unconventional approach to the subject matter, featuring young actors “auditioning” for parts playing high-profile Scientologists in scenes recreating accounts from ex-members about incidents involving senior church management. The Church of Scientology responded by putting the filmmakers under surveillance and denouncing the film.

Winner – Amazon!

Netflix nearly had it with the classic, The Dark Crystal but anything to do with Scientology gets my attention. Especially when it’s Louis Theroux. Great job Amazon, great job.