Movies For Guys Who Like Movies: Streaming Edition

In the late 90's and early 2000's when cable ruled the media landscape, TBS use to run a movie block called Movies For Guys who like Movies. Movies played during this block were often action movies, high octane, high adrenaline and outside a rerun of a major Hollywood blockbuster. They were often B-level and cult classic movies as well, so I decided to take the concept and bring it to the streaming world. 

Here are 5 action filled B Movies streaming right now, if you want to watch some non sense action movies.

Aftermath

This 2024 movie currently airing on Netflix stars Dylan Sprouse, of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody all grown up. He plays an ex-Army ranger who must save the day, when the Tobin Memorial bridge is overtaken by radicals with a mission.

It definitely has the DNA of films like Die Hard and Under Siege. For a straight to streaming film has some solid action scenes. 

The Tax Collector 

This 2020 film starring Shia LaBeouf got caught up in the pandemic. Shia plays a "tax collector" basically an enforcer for a crime boss alongside his best friend played by Bobby Soto. When their crime boss business is in jeopardy, he senses a double cross. Well someone has to pay the price, and Cueva's played by Bobby Soto family is the target.

Written and directed by David Ayer who wrote films like Training Day, Dark Blue, the OG Fast and Furious, and End Of Watch. While this film may not be on the same level as those films, you definitely see similar DNA. It's worth the watch and is available on Hulu.

Havoc

Another Netflix film, this one starts with a bang and never ever slows down. It stars Tom Hardy as a police detective caught up in the middle of a war between criminal organizations. As he gets in the mix, he runs into corruption and political conspiracy.

Think of the movie Crank and how it never slows down. Mixed with a plot along the lines of Street Kings and its that this film. Non stop action amidst the corruption.

Boss Level

Another movie that was lost in the midst of the pandemic, released in March of 2021. This Hulu original stars Frank Grillo and Mel Gibson, that throws you for a loop. A time loop at that, imagine Groundhog Day but action packed. Grillo is a former delta force soldier, who everyday is thrawting an assassination attempt on his life. He continually repeats the cycle, until he searches to break it.

A modern crime drama with some sci-fi mixed in. It has action and suspense and for a straight to streaming movie, keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Heads Of State

This prime video original just released earlier this month. It stars John Cena as a former movie star who is now President of the United States. And Idris Elba who is the United Kingdom's prime minister. While the two don't get along, they must team together on the run after an assassination attempt on their lives. They must team up with a MI6 agent played by Priyanka Jonas to save the day.

It's absurd and silly, funny and has some good action scenes. Give it a chance, you won't be disappointed.

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5 movies To Watch If You Enjoyed Paradise

Season 1 of 2025's best new show in Hulu's Paradise just ended. Created by Dan Fogelman who also created one of my must see TV shows when it aired This Is Us, and starring Sterling K. Brown who starred in that series. Paradise is a post apocalyptic political murder mystery that hit the gas at the end of episode 1 and didn't let up. I, like many am already anticipating season 2 and hope the wait is not too long. The show obviously has many influences, so I decided to pick five films that I think fan's may enjoy if they liked the show. Now I can't say for sure these films were influences, but I saw similarities watching the show, so here are we.  

Warning if you haven't finished, let alone watched the show. You probably don't want to read much further.

Truman show

As episode 1 ended and it was revealed the characters were living inside of a dome with a focus on the artificial sun. I couldn't help but think about 1998's the Truman Show starring Jim Carrey, in which he lived inside of a dome. While in Paradise the dome was built to save humanity, the Truman Show it's purpose was a large TV set to fabricate this world around Truman Burbank as millions watched his life 24/7. Truman and his "cast" lived in a false reality much like the inhabitants of Paradise.

Snowpiercer

Released in the U.S. in 2014 and starring Chris Evans, Snowpiercer followed the remaining population of civilization living abroad a train. The train continually travels around the globe with society broken up into classes onboard. The wealthy live in luxurious spacious cars in the front of the train, and the poor are crammed together in the back scraping for seconds. Led by Curtis (Chris Evans) the inhabitants of the back stage a revolution making their way to the front of the train.

Besides the post apocalyptic aspect, Snowpiecer and Paradise both involve different methods of housing humanity. In addition the class aspect, as in Paradise many of those chosen to live in the dome were wealthy, were needed for the project, or had connections.

Vantage Point

This 2008 film may seem like a bit of a stretch but hear me out. In Vantage Point an assassination attempt occurs on the U.S. President while in Spain. The film is then told from multiple perspectives of bystanders who may have seen possible clues to who did it. What happens in Paradise once President Bradford is confirmed dead? Between video footage, interviews, and episodes devoted to certain characters different vantage point's are displayed. On where folks were that night, to backstory relationships with the president, and how the community would move past that.

Deep impact 

1998's Deep Impact was one of two released that summer alongside Armageddon, focusing on humanity trying to prepare and stop an asteroid from colliding with earth. There's debate about which is a better film, but it's mostly agreed upon that Deep Impact is the more scientifically accurate. Much like Paradise, Deep Impact plot point's included the government making efforts to prepare for a Extinction level event (ELE), while also waiting too long to share with the general public. And last but not least having an underground shelter ready to go with certain citizens already confirmed to be have a slot in the shelter. In addition showing the immediate impact and aftermath of those events. 

Thirteen Days

In true Dan Fogelman fashion, episode 7 of Paradise opened with a prologue that on the surface seemed to have nothing to do with the series. What many have deemed one of the best written and acted TV episodes in history, opened with a nameless Colonel back in 1962 talking to his wife about how a catastrophic event was averted. That event was the Cuban missile crisis, it factors into the episode later in true Fogelman fashion.

It makes sense that 2000's Thirteen Days was likely an inspiration.  Starring Bruce Greenwood and Kevin Costner, the film dramatizes President Kennedy's and the military efforts to avoid a war with Russia over missiles that are stationed in Cuba. The film highlights the stakes and the pressure world leaders go through during times like that. You felt all of that tension and pressure in James Marsden's and the rest of the casts acting in episode 7 of Paradise.

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Hey Subscription Services..Enough Is A Enough

 

Hulu, Espn + and Disney + have been notifying subscribers for months that a price hike was coming in October. This hike 25% across various plans offered is the latest in a series of streaming/subscription services raising prices which seems like just cause. The Disney owned services weren't the only ones hitting wallets this year. Peacock, Max, and Paramount + have all increased their subscription prices at some point this year.

Which has made it even more annoying is all of these services run ads as well, and a lot of their original content has been lackluster lately. And many of the apps have the same library of films.  Not to mention the original appeal of these streaming apps was a cheaper alternative to cable which became overran with quantity of channels and content many didn't ask for.

These providers justify the increases by saying they are investing in "content", but we all know they have to show profit for investors and make back all the infrastructure costs it took to make these services. I have a tip for these services I get you have to make money, but slow down on the price hikes.

We as consumers learned relatively quickly and with ease, hey we don't need cable. Pretty soon we will come to realize the same for many of these apps and cut them loose. Especially once they start trying to charge $25-$30 for subscription and it takes 2 years for the show you really wanted to see to return for a new season.

Hope they figure it out before they price themselves out of subscribers and eventually business.

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Subscribe To Grand Crew

 

Without question Abbott Elementary is the best new comedy on TV right now, but dont sleep on another freshman sitcom Grand Crew. Grand Crew is one of NBC’s newest ensemble comedies. Like most sitcoms it follows a group of friends navigating life and their different situations, while relying on one another. I’ll admit it took me a couple of episodes to enjoy Grand Crew and “get” it’s type of humor, which is probably the driest of dry humor. At least to me though, it secretly is a genius program.

The center of these groups of friends is Noah played by Echo Kellum of “Arrow” fame. Noah wants nothing more than to be in a relationship, and he looks to romantic comedies for inspiration which is hilarious. He is a walking romantic comedy encyclopedia, which is a ununsual character trait but is something a person in real life probably has that same quirk. His crew is rounded out by his sister Nicky (Nicole Byer), Wyatt (Justin Cunningham), Sherm (Carl Tart), and Anthony (Aaron Jennings). All working through their own issues but also making things work.

The show has covered some topics I don’t think have been talked about on TV yet. Such as the effects of letting another grown man see you cry, navigating political differences when you’re dating and really into a person. How being a vegan can be looked down upon within the Black community, especially from the older generation. As well as  being a kept house husband just to name a few. Wyatt is perfectly content being a house husband because of his friends constantly lamenting about the lackluster dating scene. A frequent comment I've heard from single people I know, which makes the show even more relatable. 

Take the time to check out Grand Crew, it comes on NBC Tuesdays at 8:30 and can be watched on the NBC App, Peacock, and Hulu. 

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Subscribe To Abbott Elementary

 

Abbott Elementary is ABC’s newest hit comedy, a mockumentary style sitcom similiar to The Office and Scrubs. Starring Quinta Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Tyler James Williams amongst the ensemble cast. The sitcom follows these characters as they navigate teaching at one of Philadelphia’s poorest schools, making the best of a tough situation..

I’ll admit I was a little late to the Abbott Elementary party. I think I started watching on episode 3, I heard people mentioning how good it was. My wife finally nudged me enough to watch it and the word of mouth that it was funny was absolutely correct. The show has potential to be a must watch for years to come, and maybe a classic one day.

One of the highlights of the show to me, is Principal Coleman played by Janelle James. To be perfectly honest Principal Coleman ain’t shit and doesn’t really care about much besides herself. It’s hilarious how oblivious she is to real issues going on at the school while she set's out to make herself look good all the time. I can’t forget school custodian Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) he’s at the point in his career where he just doesn’t care and will say whatever comes to mind. Lisa Ann Walter and Chris Perfetti play their roles to perfection as well. Perfetti as Mr. Hill the socially woke white teacher in everything he touches is hilarious as well.

If you haven’t tuned into Abbott Elementary, don’t miss the boat and check it out. It come’s on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm and you won’t be disappointed.

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Subscribe To Kenan

 

NBC sitcom “Kenan” starring a legend amongst 90’s kids and a future comedy legend period Kenan Thompson is a sitcom I didn’t know I needed. I honestly didn’t feel one way or another about the show, if I checked it out I checked it out and if I didn’t I didn’t. Well I’m here to say I am glad I checked it out.

Just kicking off its second season. Kenan stars of course as a fictionalized version of himself, a local Atlanta TV morning show host raising his two daughters while grieving his wife’s recent passing. Helping him raise his daughters are his brother/manager and his father-in-law played by Don Johnson (of Miami Vice and Nash Bridges fame). A casting choice I certainly didn’t expect to work that does.

What I liked most about the series is that Kenans grieving is an arc within the show. He has a hard time admitting just how much he is hurting, is keeping upbeat as possible for his daughters, and every move he makes he has his wife in mind. The series gets big points for  portraying a Black man as a good damn father doing everything possible not to let his kids down.

It does fall into some sitcom traps, but what sitcom doesn’t? If you’re looking for a good-hearted series with some laughs, Kenan is your show.

The show currently airs on Monday's on NBC. The first season is only 10 episodes. The second season is 5 episodes in. Perfect for a weekend binge during this time of year. You can find it on the NBC app, Hulu, and Peacock so go ahead and subscribe to Kenan.

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Don't Sleep on Physical Home Media Discs

When Covid-19 hit earlier this year it turned the world upside down. Due to various lockdown measures put in place to mitigate the spread of the virus, more people are at home watching TV. Since many films and television shows had to halt filming during the height of the pandemic, viewers have either binged watch shows that have been on their "to watch" list for quite some time or revisit old programs. And their are several options out there to watch programs on cable,  Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Prime Video, and CBS All Access. There are specialty streaming services such as BET plus, ESPN plus, WWE network, UFC fight pass and a host of more. In the middle of the pandemic two conglemerates have released their streaming services WarnerMedia with HBO Max and NBCUniversal with Peacock.

Even with all these programming options, and vast libraries of films and programs to choose from. I've found myself resorting to my good ol collection of movies I've gathered over the years to watch. Many times when looking for something to watch, I either get tired of watching the same old stuff, get tired of searching for something to watch, or what I want to watch either isn't available or you have to pay for and the movie is 10 years or older. And, I've reached my streaming service max and refuse to get any additional ones.

I said the hell with all of that and  I'll just dust off the collection. I've recently watched movies like Strictly Business, Little Big League, Hangin' With the Homeboys, Camp Nowhere, Above The Rim and Street Kings among a few others. For some reason  they all popped in my head randomly and I said I want to watch them. all hard to come by on streaming services or Cable plays them edited or wants you to rent or buy. Thank god I have all of them on DVD.

 As technology and cloud services have advanced, downloading and streaming movies have quickly outpaced physical media. It's understandable as digital copies reduce clutter in the home, but for me there is something about getting up and inserting a blu ray or DVD into the player. I just love the idea of grabbing a movie I haven't seen in a long time, popping it in and watching it. Some may say you get the same feeling with streaming, I'm willing to fall on the sword that it's not.

Ever since I was a kid if I had extra money I would go buy a VHS, what I want for christmas? a few movies of my favorites or a movie I've never seen before but likely will enjoy. To this day if I stumble across relics like Suncoast or FYE I'm likely to be in there a while. I've built a nice collection of films, and never intend to let them go. I even held onto a few VHS for nostalgia purposes.

Streaming maybe the present and the future, but home media definitely has a place in the ecosystem of entertainment. If you have a few physical discs or actually like building a collection, hold on to them you never know when having those movies will come in handy. 

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Last Dragon Revival

 Reboots, reimages, and quasi-sequels are all the rage now. On the flip side streaming video on demand is rapidly becoming the king of good quality content. With demand for quality content so high, streaming providers have to dig deep for original content and the archives to see what can be bought back.        

          

  After watching season 2 of Luke Cage this past weekend, an idea popped in my head. One of my personal favorites The Last Dragon needs to be bought back as a tv series. The Last Dragon is a cult classic and had a perfect blend of campiness, comedy, and action. Not to mention classic lines like “Who’s the master?” and “Won’t you teach me some moves.”, and everyone was trying to find the glow. There has been talk for years of doing a reboot of the Last Dragon but nothing has ever came about with it.      

  YouTube Red’s recent hit “Cobra Kai” proved there is a market for older properties that are bought to modern times and  provided a blueprint of how it could be done. The tv series could pick up during the present day 30 plus years after the events of the movie, and feature Leroy Green better known as  Bruce Leroy helping a student become the master of the 21st century.

   Since Bruce Leroy was oblivious to everything around him that didn’t involve martial arts, it would make for hilarious situations of him still being oblivious in today’s high tech world. Throw in a engaging villain much on the level or better than Sho’nuff, that both Bruce Leroy and his student can face off against and it would be TV gold.

    Now that black nerds and geeks are accepted more within our community, the show could also be a showcase of that subculture, how diverse and vibrant it is,  and just how much the Asian culture influences a lot of us. The movie provided a little insight but the show could dig a lot deeper.

    Unfortunately with the deaths of Vanity, Julius Curry, and Leo O’Brien, iconic characters such as Laura Charles, Sho’Nuff, and Leroy’s little brother Richie could not be reprised. The characters could be given good backstories as to why their not in the series but still exist in the world. On the flip side we could catch up with master wannabe Johnny, his little brother, Mama and Papa Green, Keisha Knight Pullliam could make a cameo as the younger sister with the ever changing name, we could even see what Eddie Arcadian has been up to all these years.

     All the ingredients are there to make a TV show semi-reboot of the Last Dragon a success. Make Brooklyn and Harlem characters within the show and integral to the hero’s battle, between 10-13 episodes and people will fall in love with the Last Dragon all over again. A new generation will come to appreciate the franchise and learn just what the glow is. Netflix, Hulu, YouTube Red, Brown Sugar someone make this happen.

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Streaming Media The Future

  Streaming media especially streaming tv is a platform that has really taken off within the last few years and is only growing. With people wanting to watch what they want when they want more and more streaming services have cropped up over the years. We all know about the platforms that changed the game Netflix and Hulu, and a couple years later Amazon Prime stepped creating the big three of streaming services.
  Netflix has found their stride with original series and seemed to have found the right balance between critically acclaimed and niche appeal series. Their original movies are very much hit or miss but one thing at a time. Netflix also invented binge watching.
   Hulu has found their stride in producing quality dramas, and succeeded in their deals with major networks that make most of their programs available a day or two after original airing. Hulu also has hit the nostalgia market bringing back well loved classic series and lesser known series of yesteryear. They also made headlines when they struck a deal to bring back the classic “TGIF” block of shows such as Full House, Family Matters, Hangin with Mr. Cooper, Perfect Strangers, and Step By Step. Bring the cheesiness of the 90’s back.
   Amazon original series haven't seemed to gain much traction their most acclaimed series is The Man in the High Castle. It’s a crowded market but it’s Amazon they’ll find their way in.
    Speaking of crowded markets everyday there is some news about a new streaming service. Disney recently announced their going to severe their deal with Netflix and start their own streaming service featuring all Disney movies. It’s a risky move but with the worldwide appeal of Disney the chances of success are high.
    There's Crackle which is free and owned by Sony Studios so you can catch a lot of good movies on there. Crackle is also known for Comedians in cars.
   Kevin Hart recently jumped into the game creating Laugh Out Loud with Lionsgate designed to give up and coming talent a platform to create content. It was just released this month so we’ll see how it grows. One major draw it has starting out is every season of the classic Def Comedy Jam is available on Laugh Out Loud.
   For the crowd that can't get enough of Shaft, Superfly, Foxy Brown and other blaxploitation films there is Brown Sugar. Released late last year at $3.99 a month Brown Sugar is a pretty good deal if you love the over the top 70s film and either want to reminisce about bell bottoms and afros, or wish you were alive during that time rocking fish in your shoes.
  Horror fans have what seems to be a unlimited supply of streaming apps to choose from. There’s shudder, Screambox, Frightpix, Full Moon Streaming, and the Crypt. All these services play high brow and the good low brow b movie sometimes laughable Horror movies.
  The mushy feel good cheesy TV movie loving viewers need attention to. Hallmark has them covered with Feeln. Giving you all the same warmth movies on the Hallmark channel give you.
  WWE changed the game in my opinion with the WWE network, for a huge wrestling fan like myself to be able to watch all the old Raws, Smackdown, PPVs, and current ppvs for $9.99. You can't beat that!
   Anime breathen has CrunchyRoll to statisfy any and all anime. Gamers have Twitch which shows real life gaming tournaments.  Even video game console manufacturers have joined the bandwagon with PlayStation Vue and Xbox.
   YouTube which helped bring streaming more mainstream has started YouTube Red. A subscription service displaying original films and series. It has yet to gain a lot of traction but has me intrigued with news that their reviving the Karate Kid universe with “Cobra Kai”.
    It’s not all roses for all streaming services Yahoo tried and failed with Yahoo Screen. NBC owned Seeso which featured all comedy shows and specials failed to catch on with audiences and will be shutting down later this year. I’m sure there are other services out there that failed to catch on.
   This new platform has opened so many doors and new avenues for content. It’s only a matter of time before streaming services send cable companies and the traditional Hollywood distribution system scrambling to stay relevant. One thing is for certain streaming platforms are the present and future.
   

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