Summer is winding down but things are still heating up, weather-wise and in your entertainment options. If the dog days of summer have you spending a little more time indoors (and the A/C), FilmRise has free marathons streaming this month you can cool off in front of the TV with.
Whether you’re in a heartwarming mood to see Michael Landon as an angel in Highway to Heaven, ready for some horrific thrillers, or want to spice things up with some classic action, FilmRise has a marathon for you.
Based on a True Story Marathon (August 6-8)
Streaming free on The Roku Channel, IMDb TV, Redbox Free Live TV, VIZIO WatchFree+, Samsung TV Plus and TiVo+
Believe it or not, these blockbusters are all based on real-life stores. Featuring Jack Black, Elliot Page, Disney’s Ross Lynch and more.
Programming Highlights:
- AN AMERICAN CRIME (Dir. Tommy O’Haver, 2007) The true story of suburban housewife Gertrude Baniszewski, who kept a teenage girl locked in the basement of her Indiana home during the 1960s. Starring Elliott Page, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford.
- A BEAR NAMED WINNIE (Dir. John Kent Harrison, 2004) The extraordinary veritable story of the black bear who would become the inspiration for the stories of A.A. Milne, and the heroic man who saved her life. Starring Michael Fassbender, Stephen Fry.
- BERNIE (Dir. Richard Linklater, 2011) In small-town Texas, an affable mortician strikes up a friendship with a wealthy widow, though when she starts to become controlling, he goes to great lengths to separate himself from her grasp. Starring Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey.
- MY FRIEND DAHMER (Dir. Marc Meyers, 2017) A young Jeffrey Dahmer struggles to belong in high school. Starring Ross Lynch.
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Marathon (August 12-19)
Streaming free on The Roku Channel, Redbox Free Live TV, VIZIO WatchFree+ and Samsung TV Plus
Tune in for a weeklong marathon of the hit paranormal series Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction in honor of host Jonathan Frakes’ birthday. Featuring Seasons 2–4 hosted by Jonathan Frakes.
The Best of Highway to Heaven Marathon (August 13-15)
Streaming free on The Roku Channel, IMDb TV, Redbox Free Live TV, Samsung TV Plus, VIZIO Free Channels and TiVO+
Counting down the best and most heartwarming episodes of the beloved TV drama Highway to Heaven, starring Michael Landon.
Featured Episodes:
- “Keep Smiling” (Season 2, Episode 16): Jonathan is given one of the most emotional assignments he’s ever had … to help his own widow regain her love for life.
- “Heaven on Earth” (Season 2, Episode 19): Mark becomes deeply stricken with grief after believing he caused two tragedies involving young girls – one of them a victim of a car accident, the other trapped in a house fire – in a matter of hours.
- “For the Love of Larry” (Season 3, Episode 3): A dog leads Johnathan and Mark to his owners, who are trapped in a car.
- “Wally” (Season 3, Episode 15): Jonathan and Mark’s latest assignment is Wally, a lovable elderly hobo and street puppeteer whose caring and goodness have made him, without his knowing it, an angel. But he may be powerless to help a critically ill little boy … unless he appeals to a higher authority.
Full Moon Madness on FilmRise Horror (August 20-22)
Streaming for free on VIZIO Free Channels
Now airing under every full moon: Celebrate this month’s full moon with the scariest and hairiest werewolves ever seen on screen.
Titles Include:
- GINGER SNAPS (Dir. John Fawcett, 2000) Two death-obsessed sisters, outcasts in their suburban neighborhood, must deal with the tragic consequences when one of them is bitten by a deadly werewolf.
- BEING HUMAN (Seasons 1-2, BBC) A werewolf, a vampire and a ghost try to live together and get along.
- HOWL (Dir. Paul Hyett, 2015) When passengers on a train are attacked by a creature, they must band together in order to survive until morning.
Summer Heat Marathon (August 27-29)
Streaming free on The Roku Channel, VIZIO WatchFree+ and Samsung TV Plus
Savor the last few days of summer with some of the most explosive action movies ever made. Featuring Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Statham, Nicolas Cage and more.
Programming Highlights:
- AVENGING ANGELO (Dir. Martyn Burke, 2002) A woman who has just discovered she is the daughter of a murdered Mafia chieftain seeks revenge, with the aid of her father’s faithful bodyguard. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Madeleine Stowe, Anthony Quinn.
- BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS (Dir. Werner Herzog, 2009) Terence McDonagh is a drug and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants. Starring Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer.
- BLITZ (Dir. Elliott Lester, 2011) A tough cop is dispatched to take down a serial killer who has been targeting police officers. Starring Jason Statham.
- RED LIGHTS (Dir. Rodrigo Cortes, 2012) Psychologist Margaret Matheson and her assistant study paranormal activity, which leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic who has resurfaced years after his toughest critic mysteriously passed away. Starring Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, and Elizabeth Olsen