Each week within this column we strive to pair the latest in theatrical releases to the worthwhile movies streaming online via Netflix Instant Watch. This week we look at alternatives to A Good Old Fashioned Orgy, Shark Night 3D & The Debt.
This week theaters strive to scintillate with sharks, spies and sex! Can’t get enough of monstrous sea-beasts, captivating thrillers, and over-sexed comedians? Well we’ve got you covered with a bevvy of titles sure to delight and disturb!
A group of thirtysomethings celebrate the end of summer with an orgy. Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Bibb, Nick Kroll, Will Forte and Martin Starr star.
You like a little kink with your comedy?
Party Down (2009) Yup. I’m recommending Party Down again. Besides being one of the best comedy series of the last decade, this short-lived sitcom also starred Martin Starr and had an orgy themed episode in season 2. Also streaming is that episode’s inspiration, Stanley Kubrick’s controversial Cruise-Kidman drama Eyes Wide Shut.
Terry Jones: Surprising History of Sex… (2002) Monty Python alum Terry Jones brings a bit of levity to the curious role sex and desire has played in human history. Jones takes a look at the evolution of sexual mores all over the globe to create something that’s humorous, titillating and informative.
A Dirty Shame (2004) Notorious Baltimore auteur John Waters blends filth and funny on this shameless comedy. Tracey Ullman stars as middle-aged woman who becomes a nymphomaniac after suffering a head injury. Johnny Knoxville and Selma Blair co-star as her sexual mentor and big-busted daughter respectively.
A group of good-looking twentysomethings (that include Katharine McPhee) make their way to a lake house just off the Louisiana Gulf for a weekend of fun and sun. But things turn ghastly when they discover sharks are prowling in the lake! Snakes on a Plane director David R. Ellis helms this bloody feature. 
Sharks may well be the world’s most frightening animal. Not convinced? Watch these and you will be:
Shark Week: The Great Bites Collection (2008) The Discovery Channel compiled a string of their biting TV specials here, including shark-centric episodes of Mythbusters, Dirty Jobs and Survivorman. There’s a lot to learn in these entertaining reality series, but the most pertinent lessons may well be from the aptly-titled How Not to Become Shark Bait.
Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus (2010) If you’re craving something less educational and more mindless, try this campy horror flick that plays out like Rampage when two monstrous beasts (more dinosaur than modern animal) war in the oceans, causing chaos for all mankind!
Shark Zone (2003) Sadly the Jaws movies are no longer streaming, but this B-movie rip-off of Jaws 3 is! Genetic experiments, goofy practical effects, awkward line readings and truly terrible acting make this horror movie great for all the wrong reasons.
An English-language remake of Assaf Bernstein’s Israeli espionage thriller, The Debt stars Jessica Chastain, Martion Csokas and Sam Worthington as Mossad agents who go undercover to track down the Surgeon of Treblinca, a Nazi war criminal who has yet to be brought to justice. Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkingson and Claran Hinds co-star as the agents older selves.
If you’re yearning for more tales of undercover agents and intrigue, try these captivating thrillers:
Mesrine: Part 1: Killer Instinct (2008) The first part of the shocking and true story of French gang-star Jacques Mesrine drew international praise for its sneering yet sexy leading man Vincent Cassel, who won the César (the French equivalent of the Oscar) for his portrayal of this complex yet charismatic figure. Stream it back to back with Mesrine: Part 2: Public Enemy #1 for a wildly entertaining double feature, and you’ll see why it made my top 10 list last year.
Mystery Team (2009) This quirky mystery-comedy stars Community star Donald Glover as a boy detective…who is now a fully-grown man. He and his similarly stunted Mystery Team find their crime-solving skills challenged when a forlorn little girl asks them to solve her parents murder. Created by the sketch group Derrick Comedy, this daffy thriller blends dark humor with raunchy (and gross) antics and a surprising amount of sweetness.
Mother (2009) Korean director Joon-ho Bong first drew notice Stateside with his funny but frightening creature-feature The Host. This is his solemn and striking follow-up that centers on a dedicated mother who does everything to exonerate her mentally handicapped son when he’s accused of the murder of a teen girl. Its an understated but deeply disturbing thriller.
Hobo with a Shotgun (2011) If you missed it’s brief run in theaters, now is your chance to see the wild homage to the best (and worst) of exploitation conventions. Rutger Hauer stars at the titular hobo, who decides to clean up the city streets overrun with malicious young men and unchecked violence. With his trusty shotgun and blood-spattered sense of honor, he aims to take down the corrupt cops and white-suited kingpin who has made Hope City a place without hope! Fair warning: this gritty action flick contains intense scenes or giddily grotesque violence.