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“King Cobra”: Those with an appetite for lurid true- crime stories will be more than sated by this darkly humorous dramatization, set in the gay porn world. Palo Alto native James Franco has a heyday playing Joe, a dimwit escort who will do just about anything for his lover/ fellow escort Harlow (Keegan Allen). Both want to hit the big time, and they see their meal ticket coming in the form of Brent Corrigan, aka Sean Lockhart. Just 17, Sean/ Brent (Garrett Clayton) grabs the attention of 40-year-old Stephen (Christian Slater), who operates a porn biz out of his suburban home. With Brent’s arrival, a star is born — and so is a preposterous murder plot. Director Justin Kelly (the underseen “I Am MIchael”) doesn’t go deep enough here, but he does hammer home the point that everyone’s aim is to go viral. This is no “Boogie Nights,” but Slater’s performance is unsettling and downright chilling, and the story is a real grabber. (On iTunes and On Demand Oct. 21; screens Nov. 4 at the Roxie in San Francisco, 1:31)

“Mascots”: If you loved “Waiting for Guffman” and “Best in Show,” you will appreciate (rather than adore) mockumentary master Christopher Guest’s latest— another goofy send-up, involving kooky characters gathering for a huge event. This time, the national mascots competition generates the snickers. Per usual, Guest’s frequent cast mates come out to play, with Parker Posey stealing scenes as a competitor with excessive artistic leanings. Not topshelf Guest, but still darn funny. (Netflix, 1:29)

“Blood Father”: Mel Gibson goes all Liam (“Taken”) Neeson on some gun-toting baddies hunting down his troubled daughter. Sound familiar? But the execution and acting — particularly from the go-for-broke Gibson as Papa Link, an ex-con and tattoo artist — make up for the predictability of the B-movie material. (Amazon, iTunes and other streaming platforms, 1:28)