You’re probably already well into your first watching of Hamilton on Disney Plus. But after your fourth or fifth screening, if you want something a little different, try these new arrivals or old classics.
Never Forget
Anne Frank – Parallel Stories – narrated by Helen Mirren, this film depicts the stories of other little Dutch Jewish girls whose more anonymous lives ran parallel to Anne’s much more famous one.

 

Schindler’s List is also now available on Netflix.

From the Classic to the Comedic

Airplane (Netflix) – The “Air Israel, please clear the runway” scene is a broad,  blink-and-you-miss-it moment, but one of the first times I’ve ever remembered seeing “Israel” even get a mention in a big film, much less in a comedic context.

Fiddler on the Roof (Netflix) – Hurry up and watch the original before they remake it. Why? Because it’s TRADITION.

Spaceballs (Netflix) – If you’re a Druish American Princess who’s been looking for a new password for her Royal Highness’s matched luggage, why not try the combination an idiot would have on his luggage?

Get Angry, Then Get Inspired to Work for Justice

Whether your justice work centers on journalism/identifying clergy abuse (Spotlight), ensuring that there’s appropriate diversity in trans representation on screen (Disclosure) or fighting against entrenched, systemic racism, especially in the the criminal justice system (13th), Netflix has the docs to get you educated and fired up about equality.

 

Netflix also has a nausea inducing four-part series about Jeffrey Epstein, but with that story back in the news this week as Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested, maybe it’s worth looking at how incredibly horrifying the “Ponzi sex scheme” of teenagers truly was, and how he got away with it for so long. Or maybe it’s not, I’m kind of nauseated just talking about it. While it’s possible Epstein’s suicide provided some victims with some relief that their predator was literally removed from the earth, others know that he never got the legal justice he deserved. Perhaps we just need to look at the Epstein story as cautionary tale: just as we know the criminal justice system doesn’t work for the most impoverished, trapping them in a cycle of reincarceration, disproportional sentencing and desperate criminality, we also know that wealth and prominence may be able to dismiss charges and allow perpetrators to roam free to perpetrate again with no consequences. The system needs equalizing. We can’t solve it all this weekend, but getting educated–and getting angry about inequity–is a good start.

Pay Tribute to Carl Reiner

  • The Man With Two Brains & Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (written by Reiner), The Jerk, All of Me and Oh God! (directed by Reiner)  – all available for rental (All of Me may be available on HBO)
  • Oceans 11, 12 & 13 – available for rental
  • Blazing Saddles
  • CBS is airing two episodes of the Dick Van Dyke show in Reiner’s memory.
Pay Tribute to Rob Reiner, Because a Child’s Work Often Reflects on Their Upbringing
The Princess Bride: Watch the classic film on Disney Plus, or track down the celebrity fan film on Quibi. (No, I don’t have Quibi either, but you can see a few scenes in this Vanity Fair piece.)

Watch The Film That Predicted [Waves Hands Around Wildly] THIS

Idiocracy, the Mike Judge film about the stupidification of America and the downfall of our society, arrives July 4 (free on Hulu, or as a rental). Cautionary tale? A prediction of our now-foreseeable future? You be the (Mike) Judge.