
“Arrested Development” fans are in heaven right now, as the cult favorite returns to Netflix this month with a brand new season four. Oh those crazy Bluths.
Also, a Joss Whedon horror movie (“The Cabin in the Woods”), a road trip caper from cute Hollywood couple Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard (“Hit & Run”), and a British crime drama starring Gillian Anderson (“The Fall”). Let’s take a look at what’s new on Netflix…
FILM
Avail 5/3
The Cabin in the Woods (2011) – Horror
Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins
In this surprising spin on a classic horror setup from Joss Whedon, five friends arrive at a secluded cabin with clear instructions for their anticipated mountain getaway. But when the rigid rules are broken, punishment is swift — and everyone will pay.
Avail 5/7

Hit & Run (2012) – Action
Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper, Tom Arnold, Joy Bryant, Kristin Chenoweth
Determined to get his fiancée to Los Angeles to take advantage of an amazing opportunity, Charlie Bronson breaks out of the witness protection program to drive her — and soon the two are being chased by the feds and Charlie’s old gangster buddies. Here’s Kristen getting emotional over sloths.
Avail 5/8
House at the End of the Street (2012) – Thriller
Jennifer Lawrence, Max Thieriot, Elisabeth Shue, Gil Bellows
Moving to a new town proves even more stressful for a teenage girl when she learns that the house next door was the site of a double murder. But after making friends with the victims’ son, she realizes there may be more to the story.
The Inbetweeners Movie (2012) – Comedy
Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison, Joe Thomas, Emily Head
In this coming-of-age comedy that picks up where the popular series left off, Will, Simon, Jay and Neil go on holiday to Crete after a series of unfortunate events unfolds during their final week at Rudge Park Comprehensive.
Avail 5/18
The Dictator (2012) – Comedy
Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, John C. Reilly, B.J. Novak, Megan Fox
This outlandish comedy chronicles the glorious efforts of despotic General Aladeen, dictator of the Republic of Wadiya, to oppress his people and fight democracy. Helping the tyrant maintain his rule at all costs is an all-female security force.
Avail 5/21
Struck By Lightning (2012) – Comedy
Chris Colfer, Allison Janney, Dermot Mulroney, Christina Hendricks, Sarah Hyland, Rebel Wilson
Ambitious high school senior Carson Philips is bent on escaping his narrow-minded hometown for college. His last few weeks of school unwind in flashback — until the fateful day when lightning strikes. Here’s a pic of Rebel Wilson and Sarah Highland at the L.A. premiere.
Avail 5/22
End of Watch (2012) – Drama
Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick, Frank Grillo, America Ferrera, Cody Horn
Officers Taylor and Zavala patrol the streets of South Central Los Angeles, an area of the city ruled by gangs and riddled with drug violence. Their perilous beat is captured on security footage and with the HD cameras of cops, criminals and victims.
TV
Avail Now
Top of the Lake (2013)
When pregnant, 12-year-old Tui tries to kill herself in a freezing New Zealand lake, Detective Robin Griffin has plenty of questions for the girl. But when Tui suddenly disappears, Griffin finds herself knee-deep in small-town secrets.
Avail 4/30
Iron Man: Armored Adventures: Season 2 (2011)
In this action-driven animated series, teen phenom Tony Stark takes to the skies with help from an ingeniously engineered suit of armor, taking down villains to learn the truth about his late father’s mysterious passing.
Avail 5/7
American Dad!: Season 7 (2012)
“Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane strikes again with this animated comedy about politically conservative CIA agent Stan Smith and his eccentric brood, a family unit that includes a talking goldfish with the brain of an East German athlete.
Avail 5/20
Push Girls: Season 1 (2012)
In the same way Murderball, winner of the 2005 Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, took the lid off the competitive world of “wheelchair rugby,” Sundance Channel is bringing an unfettered, uncensored glimpse at what it means to be sexy, ambitious and living with paralysis in Hollywood with Push Girls, a new original non-fiction series.
Avail 5/26
Arrested Development: Season 4 (2013) – Netflix Original
Arrested is back! It’s the story of a wealthy family that lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together. It’s “Arrested Development,” the Emmy Award and Golden Globe-winning series starring one of the funniest ensembles in TV comedy.
Avail 5/28
The Fall (2013) – Netflix exclusive
The Fall is an upcoming British crime-drama series created by Allan Cubitt. The series stars Gillian Anderson as Stella Gibson, a senior police officer investigating a string of murders in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Recap: Celebrate Mother’s Day – Movies to watch with Mom:
Dumbo (1941) – Children & Family
Sterling Holloway, Herman Bing, Verna Felton, Billy Bletcher
Dumbo is a baby elephant born with oversized ears and a supreme lack of confidence. But thanks to his even more diminutive buddy — Timothy the Mouse — the pint-sized pachyderm learns to surmount all obstacles.
Gypsy (1994) – Musical
Bette Midler, Peter Riegert, Cynthia Gibb, Edward Asner, Christine Ebersole
Bette Midler shines as driven stage mother Mama Rose Hovick, who tries to live out her thwarted dream of vaudeville fame through her daughters, June (Jennifer Rae Beck) and Louise (Cynthia Gibb). After June escapes Mama’s grip by eloping, Louise hits it big as stripper Gypsy Rose Lee. This 1993 small-screen production of the Broadway musical also stars Ed Asner, Tony Shalhoub and Peter Riegert as steadfast agent Herbie Sommers.
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992) – Comedy
Sylvester Stallone, Estelle Getty, JoBeth Williams, Roger Rees
After a tough breakup with girlfriend and fellow detective Gwen (JoBeth Williams), Detective Joe Bromowski (Sylvester Stallone) gets a new lady and partner in crime prevention — his meddlesome mom (Estelle Getty). Joe’s mom instantly gets on his nerves by doing everything from cleaning his house to washing his gun, but the fun really begins when she botches an important undercover job.
Terms of Endearment (1983) – Drama
Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Jeff Daniels, John Lithgow
James L. Brooks directs this Academy Award-winning drama that follows widowed Aurora (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter, Emma (Debra Winger), through the years as they support each other through relationships with various men — and deal with heartbreaking tragedy. This warm, offbeat adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s novel won five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actress (MacLaine), Best Director and Best Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson).
Recap: Movies mom can treat herself to this Mother’s Day:
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) – Romantic Drama
Richard Gere, Debra Winger, Louis Gossett Jr., David Keith
Dreams of being a Navy pilot prompt Zack Mayo (Richard Gere) to enroll in officer training school, where he runs afoul of a drill instructor (Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr.) who senses the cadet’s loner instinct and aims to school him on the importance of teamwork — or break him in the process. In the meantime, Mayo romances a working girl (Debra Winger), ignoring warnings to steer clear of the local lasses out to bag hotshot Navy flyboys.
Meet Joe Black (1998) – Drama
Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani, Jake Weber, Marcia Gay Harden
When the grim reaper (Brad Pitt) comes to collect the soul of megamogul Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins), he arrives with a proposition: Host him for a “vacation” among the living in trade for a few more days of existence. Parrish agrees, and using the pseudonym Joe Black, Death begins taking part in Parrish’s daily agenda and falls in love with the man’s daughter (Claire Forlani). Yet when Black’s holiday is over, so is Parrish’s life.
The Wedding Planner (2001) – Romantic Comedy
Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Justin Chambers, Judy Greer
San Francisco’s premier wedding planner, Mary Fiore, is saved from an accident by the man of her dreams — only to discover that he happens to be her latest client’s fiancé in this old-fashioned romantic comedy.
Top Gun (1986) – Drama
Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt
Tom Cruise stars as a hotshot flyboy who struggles to control himself, responsibility and a steamy love affair while competing at the U.S. Navy’s fighter-weapons school, better known as Top Gun. Anthony Edwards plays his loyal co-pilot.
Recap: Prom!
Footloose (2011) – Musical
Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid, Ziah Colon, Ray McKinnon, Miles Teller
This musical remake of the infectious 1984 hit finds dance-lovin’, big-city kid Ren MacCormack stuck in a small town where dancing is illegal. As he rebels against the town and its influential Rev. Moore, Ren falls for the pastor’s lovely daughter.
Pretty in Pink (1986) – Drama
Molly Ringwald, Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, James Spader, Andrew McCarthy
Working-class misfit Andie thinks her dreams have come true when rich, popular Blane asks her to prom in this coming-of-age classic from John Hughes. Meanwhile, Andie’s best friend Duckie pines for her.
She’s All That (1999) – Comedy
Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard, Paul Walker, Anna Paquin, Kieran Culkin, Usher
In this charming teenage spin on “Pygmalion,” jock and class president Zack Siler accepts his friends’ bet to make over the geeky, bespectacled Laney Boggs into a prom queen beauty. But along the way, Zack falls in love with his sparkling creation.
Leave a Reply