June brings a panoply of new TV shows and movies to Netflix, including a couple of R.L. Stine titles for kids, Nicole Kidman as “Grace of Monaco,” fun stuff from sports legend Shaquille O’Neal, and Season 4 of the hit Shonda Rhimes TV series “Scandal,” starring Kerry Washington. Let’s take a closer look at all the new offerings on Netflix in June.
Available June 1:
Employee of the Month (2006, PG-13). Warehouse workers Vince and Zack compete in a full-on war to be named Employee of the Month and win a date with their dream girl. Stars Dane Cook, Dax Shepard and Jessica Simpson.
Hidden Kingdoms (2014). The world is a big, dangerous place for these small creatures. Zoom in to see the daily lives of these tiny animals within their hidden environments in this sweet BBC series.
La Dictadura Perfecta, a.k.a. The Perfect Dictatorship (2014). TV MX, the most powerful Mexican Television Corporation, discloses a scandalous story involving Governor Carmelo Vargas in serious crimes and illicit business. Governor Vargas, worried about his political future, decides to clean up his image and negotiates a billionaire secret agreement with the owners of the TV Corporation.
R.L. Stine’s Mostly Ghostly (2008, PG). After discovering a pair of young ghosts, a nebbish 11-year-old agrees to help the sibling spirits solve the mystery surrounding their demise. Stars Madison Pettis, Sterling Beaumon and Luke Benward.
R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: Don’t Think About It (2007, PG). This spooky, family-friendly tale follows a teen who struggles to fit in at her new school and lashes out by playing wicked pranks on the cool kids. Stars Emily Osment, Brittany Curran and Cody Linley.
Sex Ed (2014). When Eddie learns sex ed is not on his students’ curriculum, he’s determined to teach it and hopes his virginity doesn’t complicate the class. Stars Haley Joel Osment, Laura Harring and George Eads.
Shaquille O’Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam: Live From Atlanta (2013, TV-MA). Faizon Love hosts an evening of rip-roaring laughs in Atlanta as NBA All Star Shaquille O’Neal handpicks standup comedy’s funniest new talents.
Shaquille O’Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam: Live from Las Vegas (2014, TV-MA). Comedian and film star Mike Epps (The Hangover) takes center stage as the host of the newest installment in Shaquille O’Neal’s All Star Comedy Jam franchise. Epps called on some of standup comedy’s freshest talent to help him bring down the house, including Lil’ Rel, Henry Welch, Deon Cole and DeRay Davis.
Shaquille O’Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam: Live from Orlando (2012, TV-MA). Hosted by Gary Owen, this installment in the popular franchise features urban comedians Capone, Lil’ Duval, Tony Roberts and Jay Pharoah.
The Aviator (2004, PG-13). Leonardo DiCaprio portrays eccentric tycoon Howard Hughes, who turned a small fortune into a massive one by building Hollywood and aviation empires. Also stars Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale and Alec Baldwin.
The High and the Mighty (1954). A plane develops engine trouble, and it falls to steady co-pilot Dan Roman (John Wayne) to land the craft safely when smug pilot John Sullivan (Robert Stack) loses his nerve. This classic movie also stars Claire Trevor and Laraine Day.
The Magdalene Sisters (2002, R). Four women are condemned to indefinite servitude in the Magdalene Laundries, where they’ll work to atone for their “sins.” Stars Geraldine McEwan, Anne-Marie Duff, Dorothy Duffy and Nora-Jane Noone.
Available June 2:
Pretty Little Liars: Season 5 (TV-14). Rudderless without their missing leader, four formerly tight high school friends band together when a blackmailer threatens to spill their dirt. This ABC Family series stars Trojan Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale and Shay Mitchell.
Available June 3:
Best of Me (2014, PG-13). This romantic Nicholas Sparks movie stars Michelle Monaghan and James Marsden as a pair of former high school sweethearts who reunite when they return to visit their small hometown. Also stars Gerald McRaney.
Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014, R). A psychiatrist searches the globe to find the secret of happiness. Stars Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike and Jean Reno.
Available June 5:
Sense8 (2015, TV-MA). One gunshot, one death, and one moment out of time irrevocably links eight minds in disparate parts of the world, putting them in each other’s lives, each other’s secrets, and in terrible danger. Ordinary people are suddenly reborn as “Sensates” in this new sci-fi series from J. Michael Straczynski, Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski. The Netflix Original Series stars Jamie Clayton, Max Riemelt and Anapum Kher.
Available June 6:
On the Road (2012, R). At the height of the Beat era, New York writer Sal Paradise, his freewheeling buddy Dean, and Dean’s wife set out on a journey of self discovery. Based on the novel by Jack Kerouac, this movie stars Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund and Kristen Stewart.
Available June 7:
Words and Pictures (2013, PG-13). A picture is worth a thousand words … or is it? That’s the question prep school students must answer as their art and English teachers egg them on. Stars Clive Owen, Juliette Binoche and Bruce Davison.
Available June 8:
Grace of Monaco (2014, Not Rated). While weighing an offer to resume her career in Hollywood, Grace Kelly (Nicole Kidman), now the Princess of Monaco, helps her country in a dispute with France. Also stars Tim Roth, Frank Langella, Parker Posey and Paz Vega.
Available June 9:
Free the Nipple (2014, Not Rated). An army of passionate women launch a revolution to “Free the Nipple” and decriminalize the female body. Based on a true story, this mass movement of topless women, armed with First Amendment lawyers, graffiti installations and national publicity stunts, invade New York City to protest the backwards censorship laws in the USA.
It’s Hard Being Loved by Jerks (2008, Not Rated). This documentary chronicles the trial of Philippe Val, whose newspaper was sued by Islamic groups after it published satirical cartoons of Mohammed.
Available June 10:
Nightcrawler (2014, R). A young hustler gets sucked into the sordid but lucrative business of trolling the streets of Los Angeles to film fires, car crashes and murder. Stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Papajohn and Bill Paxton.
Rosewater (2014, R). While in Iran to cover the 2009 elections, journalist Maziar Bahari (Gael Garcia Bernal) is detained and brutally interrogated after Iranian forces accuse him of spying. Directed by The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart.
Available June 11:
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 2 (TV-PG). Agent Phil Coulson, seen in action in Marvel’s The Avengers, assembles a team of top S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to investigate bizarre threats. Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen and Chloe Bennet star in this ABC TV series.
The Legend (1993, R). International action star Jet Li plays Fong Sai Yuk, a young martial arts expert who must fight to protect his father from an evil emperor.
The Legend 2 (1993, R). Entrenched in the secretive Red Flower Society of rebels, which aims to reestablish the Ming dynasty by overthrowing the Manchurian emperor, kung fu dynamo Fong Sai Yuk must learn to embrace the society’s conformity and adhere to its rigid regime. Stars Jet Li.
Available June 12:
Champs (2015, Not Rated). A documentary on boxing greats Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins examines their lives in and out of the ring.
Life of Crime (2013, R). After kidnapping a rich property developer’s wife and holding her for ransom, two small time crooks discover that their plan has a major flaw. Stars Jennifer Aniston, Isla Fisher and Will Forte.
Orange Is the New Black: Season 3 (TV-MA). A dozen Emmy Award nominations went to this acclaimed comedy drama series including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Lead Actress for star Taylor Schilling. A crime she committed in her youthful past sends Piper Chapman (Schilling) to a women’s prison, where she trades her comfortable New York life for one of unexpected camaraderie and conflict in an eccentric group of fellow inmates. This Netflix Original Series also stars Michael Harney and Kate Mulgrew.
The Cobbler (2014, PG-13). Max Simkin (Adam Sandler) repairs shoes in the same New York shop that has been in his family for generations. Disenchanted with the grind of daily life, Max stumbles upon a magical heirloom that allows him to step into the lives of his customers and see the world in a new way. Sometimes walking in another man’s shoes is the only way one can discover who they really are. Also stars Steve Buscemi.
Available June 13:
Antarctica: A Year on Ice (2013, PG). A visually stunning chronicle of what it is like to live in Antarctica for a full year, including winters isolated from the rest of the world, and enduring months of darkness in the coldest place on Earth.
Scandal: Season 4 (TV-14). A powerful team of Washington, D.C. lawyers makes scandals disappear while handling government crises and coping with problems of their own. Stars Kerry Washington, Darby Stanchfield, Katie Lowes and Guillermo Diaz.
Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014, PG-13). In the fourth CGI-fueled Transformers actioner, Cade Yeager is a father trying to protect his daughter, Tessa, from the perils of the outside world. Stars Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci Kelsey Grammer and Nicola Peltz.
Available June 15:
Bindi’s Bootcamp: Season 1 (Not Rated, Family-Friendly). A children’s game show hosted by Bindi Irwin, daughter of Steve Irwin. Three teams of two compete, by completing three wildlife themed challenges, which will test their knowledge and stamina.
Danger Mouse: Seasons 1-10 (TV-Y). The wacky and hilarious adventures of Danger Mouse (voiced by David Jason), the greatest secret agent (mouse) in the world and his trusty, bumbling sidekick, Penfold (Terry Scott). Together, they follow Colonel K’s orders and do battle to save the world from monsters, master thieves, their narrator, and crazed fiends of all types, but mostly their arch nemesis, the Baron Silas Greenback and his henchman Stiletto, voiced by Brian Trueman.
Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer (2013, Not Rated). A high profile arrest made Russia’s all-girl punk band Pussy Riot famous, but this documentary spotlights the women behind the colorful ski masks.
Really Me: Season 12 (Not Rated, Family-Friendly). Maddy Cooper (Sydney Imbeau) won a competition for a reality TV show called Really Me. Her fans watch as she struggles with everyday life.
Rodney Carrington: Laughter’s Good (Not Rated). The highly anticipated special, Laughter’s Good, features funnyman Rodney Carrington taking a fresh look at everyday life through his hysterical down to earth style.
Team Toon: Season 1 (Not Rated). Delve into the tooniverse of Dylan, Sam, Iko and Ash as their cartoons come to life. As if that isn’t enough, this group of friends use their powers to become secret agents and solve the mysteries around them.
Wizards vs. Aliens: Season 13 (Not Rated). Insatiable, marauding aliens, The Nekross, invade the Earth in search of magic. Teenage schoolboy wizard Tom Clarke and his friend Benny Sherwood lead the defense against them.
Available June 16:
Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of (2015, Not Rated). A behind-the-scenes look at the popular boy band, Backstreet Boys.
Curious George (2006, G). The Man in the Yellow Hat travels to Africa to find a priceless artifact. But he returns with George, an inquisitive chimp who paints the town red. Frank Welker voices George, and Will Ferrell plays the Man With the Yellow Hat.
Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013, PG-13). The life of a White House butler who served under eight presidents unfolds against a backdrop of unparalleled change in American history. Stars Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey and John Cusack.
Two Days, One Night (2014, PG-13). Sandra (Marion Cotillard), a young Belgian mother, discovers that her workmates have opted for a significant pay bonus, in exchange for her dismissal. She has only one weekend to convince her colleagues to give up their bonuses so that she can keep her job.
Available June 17:
Heartland: Season 6 (Not Rated, Family-Friendly). Spunky teenager Amy (Amber Marshall) is reeling from the sudden death of her mother when she and her grandfather are threatened with the loss of their horse ranch.
Point and Shoot (2014, Not Rated). An American (Matthew Vandyke) sets out with his motorbike to find both adventure and his sense of manhood, leading him on an extraordinary journey he could not have imagined, including fighting in the Libyan Revolution.
Available June 19:
A Most Wanted Man (2014, R). A half Russian, half Chechen man, brutalized by torture, arrives in Hamburg, where he seeks a British banker’s help in recovering his father’s estate. Stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Rachel McAdams.
Some Assembly Required (Not Rated, Family-Friendly). This TV show follows a teenager who becomes the new owner of a toy company. He thus sets about hiring a bunch of his high school friends to help him design new toys. Stars Kolton Stewart and Harrison Houde.
Available June 20:
Cake (2014, R). This intense drama stars Jennifer Aniston as Claire Bennett, a woman who becomes fascinated by the suicide of a woman in her chronic pain support group while grappling with her own, very raw personal tragedy.
Available June 23:
Advantageous (2015, Not Rated, Family Friendly). In a near future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen (Jacqueline Kim) and her daughter Jules (Samantha Kim) do all they can to hold on to their joy together, despite the instability surfacing in their world.
Available June 24:
Beyond the Lights (2014, PG-13). The pressures of fame have superstar singer Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) on the edge, until she meets Kaz (Nate Parker), a young cop who works to help her find the courage to develop her own voice and break free to become the artist she was meant to be.
Available June 25:
Ballet 422 (2014, PG). From first rehearsal to world premiere, Ballet 422 takes us backstage at New York City Ballet as emerging choreographer Justin Peck crafts a new work.
Available June 26:
Dragons: Race to the Edge: Season 1 (TV-PG). Based on the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, this TV series follows Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and Toothless, who discover a mysterious ancient artifact that unlocks the locations of all new dragons. They and the rest of the Dragon Riders leave Berk and build their own amazing camp on a remote island so they can go on dragon finding journeys. Taking place a year before the events of “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” this series features all new action-packed adventures.
Katy Perry: The Prismatic World Tour (2015, TV-PG). This sensory explosion of eye-popping theatrics and infectious pop tracks secured Perry’s place as one of the most captivating performers working today. Directed for the stage by Baz Halpin, the tour is a collaboration with Katy that offers fans a visually stunning production that captures her fun-loving attitude and artistic appeal.
What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015, Not Rated). This epic documentary of legendary recording artist and civil rights activist Nina Simone uses rare concert footage and her most memorable songs, along with diaries, letters, and interviews with Nina’s daughter, friends and collaborators, to tell the story of this beloved singer and black power icon. In “What Happened, Miss Simone?” Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus creates an unforgettable portrait of this iconic, controversial artist.
Young & Hungry: Season 2 (Not Rated, Family Friendly). A female food blogger is hired as a personal chef by a young tech tycoon and faces a new menu of challenges, both inside and outside of the kitchen. Executive-produced by Ashley Tisdale, this ABC Family TV series stars Emily Osment, Jonathan Sadowski and Aimee Carrero.
Available June 27:
The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012, R). A Pakistani professor tells a journalist his post 9/11 U.S. experiences. However, it emerges that the professor has more on his mind than the past. Stars Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland and Liev Schreiber.
All images used with permission of Netflix and the distributors.
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