I’m out of town this week, so I’ll make light on the streaming video theory stuff. (However, I’m still available to be hired as a consultant, advisor, or party clown! Send requests care of Daily Grindhouse.) On with this week’s new psychotronic streaming titles!
Subscription-Based Services
Netflix
New narrative titles to Netflix this week include Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper in Derek (BLUE VALENTINE) Cianfrance’s dramatic thriller THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, Rebecca Hall as reporter Christine Chubbuck in the well-received biopic CHRISTINE, the post-viral quarantine pic VIRAL, the British comedy MINDHORN about a former TV cop starring Julian Barratt, Steve Coogan and Russell Tovey, the killer clown pic CLOWN directed by Jon (COP CAR) Watts, Will Smith and Gene Hackman in Tony Scott’s THE CONVERSATION semi-sequel ENEMY OF THE STATE, season two of Aziz Ansari’s excellent Master of None, season four of Sherlock, and Anne, a new telling of Anne of Green Gables.
If you’re looking for documentaries, Netflix has certainly delivered. There’s the new political doc GET ME ROGER STONE, a new documentary on Brazilian cartoonist Laerte, LAERTE-SE, the music doc BOWIE: THE MAN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD and the true crime series The Keepers, looking into the murder of Baltimore nun Sister Cathy Cesnik in 1988.
Hulu
The new documentary BECOMING BOND, chronicling the life and career of George Lazenby, hits the screens on May 20, but if you’re reading this on Friday, you’ll have to wait a day. In the mean time, check out Tom Hanks as an American salesman in Saudi Arabia in Tom (RUN LOLA RUN) Tykwer’s A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING, Spike Lee’s HE GOT GAME, Mads Mikkelsen as an accused pedophile in Thomas Vinterberg’s excellent THE HUNT, Liev Schreiber and Elias Koteas in space in THE LAST DAYS OF MARS, the thriller DEADFALL with Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde and Sissy Spacek, and Alex Gibney’s Elliot Spitzer doc CLIENT 9.
Shudder
The horror streaming service has added 1971’s twisted Aussie thriller WAKE IN FRIGHT with Donald Pleasence, as well as the recent German thriller NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN.
Exploitation.TV
The Vinegar Syndrome-backed streaming service has added 1970’s softcore AFFAIRS OF APHRODITE and 1980’s A PLACE BEYOND SHAME with Seka to their streaming offerings.
Hoopla
New titles on Hoopla include a pair of MST3K episodes (BOGGY CREEK II and TIME CHASERS), the drama URBAN HYMN directed by Michael (SCANDAL, BASIC INSTINCT 2) Caton-Jones, the stand-up comedy documentary 3 STILL STANDING with Will Durst, and something called DEADLY DANCE MOM directed by Paul (PROM NIGHT) Lynch.
FilmStruck
FilmStruck has added a number of films directed by people best known as actors, including SLING BLADE (Billy Bob Thornton), ALBINO ALLIGATOR (Kevin Spacey), LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (Roberto Benigni), THE CROSSING GUARD (Sean Penn) and the Chuck Barris biopic CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND (George Clooney) featuring a great performance by Sam Rockwell. In addition, they’ve added a number of films starring Romy Schneider, including Orson Welles’ 1962 version of THE TRIAL, Bertrand Tavernier’s 1980 DEATH WATCH, the 1962 anthology film BOCCACCIO ’70 with segments from Federico Fellini, Vittorio De Sico, Luchino Visconti and Mario Monicelli, and 1976’s A WOMAN AT HER WINDOW.
Other notable additions include John Wayne in John Ford’s 1939 STAGECOACH, Wim Wenders’ fantastic 1987 film WINGS OF DESIRE and Terrence Malick’s 1978 film DAYS OF HEAVEN.
NightFlight Plus
The service has added the 1983 graffiti doc STYLE WARS as well as the 1988 episode Night Flight Looks at Rap Style.
Screambox
Screambox’s new additions include Gary Sherman’s 1981 small town zombie chiller DEAD & BURIED with James Farentino and the 2007 OMEGA MAN adaptation I AM OMEGA with Mark Dacascos.
Sundance Now
The Sundance Channel also has their own streaming site, featuring a wide array of indie and art house films for $4.99 a month and with curated collections like the ones I mentioned last week. You can check them out here. Among the newer titles are Costa-Gravas’s political thriller CAPITAL, Alan Parker’s MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, Bill Paxton in 1997’s woefully underrated TRAVELLER, Jean-Luc Godard’s HAIL MARY and the horror/thriller LIGHTNING BUG with Laura Prepon.
Amazon Prime
New recent releases to prime are Tom Hanks in Tom (RUN LOLA RUN) Tykwer’s A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING, recent horror pics THE DEMONIC TAPES, COTTAGE COUNTRY (with Malin Akerman and Tyler Labine), MAD COW (the 2010 Troma-released film), 2009’s mockumentary STUNTMEN with Ray Wise, Dominique Swain, Lin Shaye, Alanna Ubach and Brandon Routh, 2010’s KLOWN KAMP MASSACRE with Lloyd Kaufman, and DRIVE-IN SPLATTER HOUSE.
Other titles of note are Patricia Rozema’s beautiful 1995 drama WHEN NIGHT IS FALLING, 2000’s Golden Harvest caper flick TOKYO RAIDERS, Jerry Reed in 1979’s RAMBLIN’ MAN, the 1991 Australian action pic COME AND GET IT, the 1978 TV-movie SNOWBLIND with Don Johnson, Clu Gulager and Deborah Raffin (originally titled SKI LIFT TO DEATH), Lex Barker in the 1960 Italian film ROBIN HOOD AND THE PIRATES, Lou Gossett Jr. and Bruce Dern in 1991’s CAROLINA SKELETONS, the Russian films THE TWELVE CHAIRS (1971) and the fantasy film FINEST, THE BRAVE FALCON (1976) and the vintage 1965 animated series The Milton the Monster Show.
There’s also another batch of martial arts titles, including BIONIC BOY (1977), RETURN OF BIONIC BOY (1979), BRUCE LEE’S SECRET (1978), THE LEG FIGHTERS (1980, aka INVINCIBLE KUNG-FU LEGS), REVENGE OF THE DRAGON (1980), SHAOLIN RAIDERS OF DEATH (1979), DRAGON ON FIRE (1978) and THE REVENGER (1979). In addition, new “Spaghetti” westerns include THEY STILL CALL ME AMEN (1973), EL ROJO (1966, with Richard Harrison), STORM RIDER (1972, with Lee Van Cleef) and EL MACHO (1977, aka MACHO KILLERS). Lastly, the North Korean war film ORDER NO. 27 (1986).
Free Services
TubiTV
New titles to the multi-studio streaming service, supported by commercials, include George Miller’s Ozploitation classic MAD MAX, Lou Gossett Jr. and Bruce Dern in the underrated 1992 boxing con game comedy DIGGSTOWN, Christian Bale and Eva Longoria in David Ayer’s crime drama HARSH TIMES, Melanie Griffith getting hired to find a sex robot in Steve De Jarnatt’s 1988 post-apocalypse pic CHERRY 2000, little critters getting you in the end in 1984’s Charles Band-produced GHOULIES, the Phillip Kaufman’s 1978 INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, John Collins fights off giant ants in 1977’s EMPIRE OF THE ANTS while Ray Milland finds himself on the losing end of 1972’s FROGS, Lance Henriksen gets revenge in 1988’s PUMPKINHEAD, a number of Woody Allen flicks (ANOTHER WOMAN, LOVE & DEATH, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S SEX COMEDY, SHADOWS AND FOG and STARDUST MEMORIES) , ninjas vs. the Klan in 1988’s NINJA VENGEANCE, and William Devane gets revenge with his hook hand after coming back from Vietnam in John Flynn’s 1977 action classic ROLLING THUNDER.
Crackle
Sony’s commercial-sponsored streaming service has added John Carpenter’s 1983 killer car classic CHRISTINE as well as the 2010 Australian crime drama ANIMAL KINGDOM, Devon Sawa out on a limb in 1999’s IDLE HANDS, the 2005 horror pic THE CAVE, Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law in 1997’s sci-fi genetics tale GATTACA and the animated films STEAMBOY (2004) and FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN (2001).
Shout Factory TV
New to Shout Factory’s streaming site are “VHS Vault” releases of NEVER TOO YOUNG TO DIE, Larry Cohen’s Q THE WINGED SERPENT, Don Johnson in the classic post-apocalypse flick A BOY AND HIS DOG and Sam Irvin’s sci-fi western OBLIVION. They’ve also added Werner Herzog’s STROSZEK.
YouTube
Two notable new sources for legitimate (I believe) releases on YouTube have emerged. First up is the “Wu Tang Collection” channel, which features dozens of vintage martial arts and action films, including ROBOWAR, Weng Weng in THE IMPOSSIBLE KID, DRAGON AGAINST VAMPIRE, THE CLONES OF BRUCE LEE, the documentary TOP FIGHTER 2, Robert Ginty in COMMANDO GOLD, BRUKA QUEEN OF EVIL, Cynthia Rothrock in ANGEL THE KICKBOXER, 3-D ARMY, CROCODILE and DRAGON AND THE GREEN HORNET. Check them out here.
In addition, Universal has launched a channel called “Universal Vault,” releasing classic features and shorts that were otherwise not available, including Humphrey Bogart in 1934’s MIDNIGHT and 1939’s short MAN-MADE JUNGLE. Check them out here.
- JIM WYNORSKI RETURNS WITH THE CREATURE FEATURE ‘GILA’ - May 1, 2014
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