Last month, the film world lost the great filmmaker Ivan Reitman, today the FIELD OF STREAMS team celebrates with 9 of his best
This month on Field of Streams, we’re bringing Top 9 lists, in honor of this being the 9th year of Cinapse! During this anniversary month, we’ll give you our patented streaming recs, but in lists of 9. From awards movies to beloved directors to service-specific lists, expect some great streaming films that you can sink your cinematic teeth into. We built it for you, so come and join us in the Field of Streams.
A great filmmaker who wrote, directed, and produced countless classics that will live forever in the minds and memories of so many of us, last month we lost the great Ivan Reitman. Thankfully, as we wrap up out top 9 lists for the 9th anniversary of Cinapse, we were able to find many of his great movies available for streaming on several of our favorite services.
Join the Field of Streams team, as we celebrate one of the greats.
KINDERGARTEN COP (Starz)
“It’s not a tooo-mah!”
An important film from my youth, Kindergarten Cop rules. Arnold as a funny man. Arnold as a tough guy. A fantastic villain. A badass female partner. A great love interest. A cute kid in the lead. What’s not to love?
If you don’t enjoy this film, you probably don’t have a heart. (Justin Harlan)
DAVE (Hoopla)
For me, Dave might be Reitman’s best film when it comes to humor and sensitive storytelling. The movie tells the story of an average guy named Dave (Kevin Kline), who runs a temp agency in Washington and takes side gigs as a lookalike to the current President. When the commander-in-chief suffers a stroke and becomes a vegetable, Dave is secretly recruited to act as the President, fooling everyone in the process, including the First Lady (Sigourney Weaver). Reitman puts Gary Ross’ Oscar-nominated script to good use, enjoying every comedic beat, while also balancing the political commentary (Dave is an on-point appraisal of the Bush 41 era) and the tender love story between the two lead characters. Dave is a film with an “out there” concept that’s incredibly grounded, sincere and genuinely funny. But most of all, the movie shows a more Capra-esque side to Reitman, whose belief in the story and its aspirational ideals remain so clearly felt. (Frank Calvillo)
GHOSTBUSTERS and GHOSTBUSTERS II (AMC+)
There’s not much to write that hasn’t already been written about these two masterpieces of horror comedy. The first is universally loved and the second has mixed responses (often do to it being less of a horror film than the first), but still is generally accepted as a fun comedy with horror elements mixed in.
I saw the second in a theater as a kid and have always been very attached to it, personally. So, I clearly stand on the side of it being an equally great horror comedy classic as the first, but that’s not as important right now — what is important is that you go snag an AMC+ or AMC+ on Amazon free trial to rock a great double feature this weekend. (Justin Harlan)
DRAFT DAY (Tubi)
In an obviously fictional world, the Cleveland Browns have a good draft… but I digress…
This sports drama isn’t entirely “my bag”, but the direction, acting, and story telling are all quite strong. Reitman didn’t have a hand in the writing here, so it gives a different look at him as a director. While he didn’t write many of his films, he has numerous story credits and was known to work right alongside the writers (as in Ghostbusters). Here, he takes the words and story of another and transforms it into an on-screen product that still bears many of his marks.
Also notable is the fact that this is his final feature as a director, so it’s worth a watch for that reason alone, if you ask me. (Justin Harlan)
STRIPES (Netflix) and MEATBALLS (Roku and Tubi)
Along with Caddyshack, Stripes and Meatballs represent a comedy trifecta that perfectly encapsulates the turn of the decade as the eighties came into being. While all three share overlapping cast and crew, the latter two were helmed by the recently departed Ivan Reitman and represent some of his best work.I think of these two as the “clean” and “dirty” entries in the pantheon, with nudity featured more prominently in Stripes to the titillation of young boys across America back in the day. Both star Bill Murray in two of his most iconic performances with innumerable quotable lines.“You can’t go! All the plants are gonna die! ”Presaging Ghostbusters, Stripes pairs Murray up with Harold Ramis, who helped write it. Their characters John and Russell join the army for not-great reasons, mainly around their civilian lives falling apart. These jokesters run perpendicular to the military ethos of “Shut up and do what you’re told.” They rebel in small ways, and it’s always funny.“The name’s Francis Soyer, but everybody calls me Psycho. Any of you guys call me Francis, and I’ll kill you.”The supporting cast is absolute gold. Warren Oates as Sgt. Hulka is definitely NOT funny, but he is perfect as the drill sergeant. John Candy is the perfect oaf, and smarmy John Larroquette oozes across the screen. Sean Young and Judge Reinhold are just two of a big group that make this thing sing.The plot is incidental, and includes some cold-war hijinks, but ultimately it all comes down to Murray and Ramis doing their thing, and doing it well.
Meatballs takes Murray into the woods, where he plays head counselor Tripper Harrison. This one is all Bill, even though the rest of the cast does a fine job. Once again, he’s the rebel and won’t do anything according to code.“Well, that’s life in the fast-paced slam-bang, live-on-the-razor’s-edge, laugh-in-the-face-of-death world of junior league soccer.”The most 70’s thing about this film is the inclusion of Chris Makepeace as Rudy, a sad-sack camper whom Tripper takes under his wing. But even he can’t bring it things down, because after all, this is a summer camp comedy, and amongst the cabins and canoes, the horny counselors and clueless kids find plenty to mess up.“The winner of tonight’s mystery meat contest is Jeffrey Corbin who guessed “some kind of beef.“”Camp North Star is set against the posh Camp Mohawk where the kids are pampered and life consists of nothing but winning. The underdog role suites Murray as he guides his crew to their kind of victory, and the end of a glorious summer. (Rod Machen)
CANNIBAL GIRLS (Tubi, Shout TV)
While certainly not as popular as those other horror comedies he wrote and directed, Reitman’s second feature film stars Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin and was received quite well when it released. In fact, both Levy and Martin won awards at SITGES that year. While not a world beater, thew film is pretty impressive for such a low budget, especially from such a young filmmaker.
The most fun thing about the film is probably the alarm that sounds warning the audience of impending gore and violence. After the violence is over a clam tone sounds to let the audience members less interested in blood and viscera to once again open their eyes. This gimmick is truly inspired… I mean, it’s like William Castle level inspired, if you ask me. (Justin Harlan)
FATHERS’ DAY (Kanopy)
Even though this 1997 comedy is just a blip on the resume of everyone involved, it’s still got plenty of perks and charms of its own. Reitman directs Robin Williams and Billy Crystal in this comedy about two strangers who meet by chance only to discover from an old flame (Nastassja Kinski) that one of them is the father of her 17-year-old missing son (Charlie Hofheimer). But the director has a ball with the two comic stars, putting them in a variety of farcical situations which used their skills to great effect. The overall story and its nod to dads are both cute enough and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss has a fun supporting role as well. But it’s Williams and Crystal that remain the reason for checking out Fathers’ Day. It’s impossible not to marvel at the duo as bounce off of each other in every scene, giving their all to whatever incomprehensible act Reitman was asking them to pull off. These three comic geniuses may have done far better work, but Fathers’ Day still shows all of them at their most playful. (Frank Calvillo)
There are countless services to explore and great things to watch on all of them. Which ones did we miss that you would suggest to us? Tell us what we’re missing out on or what new services we should check out by leaving a comment below or emailing us.
