Time to play Streaming Roulette. Each month, to survey new streaming titles we freeze frame the films at random places with the scroll bar and whatever comes up first, that's what we share. No cheating. What does Amazon Prime offer us for free viewing this month? Let's survey...
-Can I help you with something?
-Fuck, what was I gonna ask?
Homecoming Season 1 (2018)
Julia Roberts first TV series! She's about take a tour of 'the facilities' (MOST PRODUCTION DESIGN) in one long showy tracking shot. I have no idea what this show is about but I'm eager to watch it. Especially since it's only 1/2 an hour long.
[Laughter / Gasp / Sigh]
Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (1994)
Bonus points to anyone who knows exactly what the queens are reacting to in this scene...
To those of you who don't know, why haven't you seen this movie yet? It's a classic! It won the Oscar for Costume Design but it's a disgrace that Terrence Stamp didn't net an Oscar nomination as Bernadette.
I see a castle of silver and gold.
Excalibur (1981)
It's the first time we ever saw Helen Mirren! She's pretty wicked as Morgan le Fay in this King Arthur and Merlin tale. This movie felt sooo scandalous to me as a kid when I rented it on VHS.
What is this Uncle Billy, a holiday?
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Amazon claims this is the first time it's ever been available on a streaming subscription service. I have no way of verifying that but it's ever rewatchable so enjoy for the holidays! Note: super annoyingly Amazon Prime refers to this as "the black and white version" as if it wasn't always a black and white film! We do not thank them for reminding us of that blasphemous "colorizing" phase way back when.
A man can only hold on for so long without his vitals
Adventure of TinTin (2011)
Remember when this one missed the Animated Feature nomination? It just got that mandatory John Williams nomination for Best Score. It also never got a sequel. Remember that weird annoying time frame when filmmakers weren't actually letting us look at the totally eyeball worthy Jamie Bell so we had to content ourselves with his voice or mo-cap acting?
On the bed please, face down.
Die Another Day (2002)
Bond cozies up behind this masseur but Peaceful Fountains of Desire claims she's not that kind of masseur (might want to change the name, lady!). But wait: James Bond outsmarts her seizing a hidden gun from between her legs. She was sent by the management, as she claimed, but not for a massage!
-$100. I've never seen that much money before
-Sure would buy a lot of watermelon
Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969)
This one is number 3 in the initial run of Magnificent Seven films but I don't think any of the original actors are present at this point (?) and George Peppard replaces Yul Brynner as the leader of the group "Chris Adams". Downgrade! No offense to Peppard but Brynner is a tough act to follow in any circumstance. In this scene above the mean guy making the racist watermelon crack is about to get the heave-ho from the target of his joke, Cassie (Bernie Casey, a star athlete turned actor).
If they stare, let them stare.
Wonder (2017)
We started with Julia Roberts so we'll end with the megawatt smile, too. Or, rather with the one with that megawatt smile though she's not deploying it in this screenshot and frequently too worried to use it in Wonder as her facially disfigured child goes to public school for the first time. She's really marvelous in this movie... but then so is the ensemble in general.
Also streaming in November
- 21
- 2001 Maniacs
- Assault on Precinct 13
- The Birdcage
- Child's Play
- Christmas with the Kranks
- Cruel Intentions
- De-Lovely
- Desperate Hours
- Duck, You Sucker (A Fistful of Dynamite)
- Hostel
- Hostel: Part II
- Jacob's Ladder
- Leaving Las Vegas
- Like Water
- Little Man Tate
- Little Odessa
- The Living Daylights
- Lord of War
- Made
- The Mexican (yet more Julia Roberts!)
- Michael Clayton
- The Motorcyle Diaries
- Mr. Bean's Holiday
- Mulholland Falls
- My Girl
- The Red Violin
- Tyler Perry's Boo 2: Madea Halloween
- Weird Science
November 3
- Kick-Ass
November 9
- *Beat, Season 1
- *Little Big Awesome, Season 1b
- *Patriot, Season 2
November 10
- The Children Act
November 15
- Gotti
- The Expanse, Season 3
November 16
- *Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams
- *Gymkhana Files, Season 1
- *Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny, Season 1a
November 17
- McQueen
- Siberia
November 18
- Condemned
November 20
- *Creative Galaxy: Arty’s Holiday Masterpiece
- Little Women, Season 1
- * Pete the Cat: A Very Groovy Christmas
November 21
- Box of Moon Light
- Loving Pablo
November 22
- Wild Kratts: Creatures of the Deep Sea
November 24
- Downsizing
November 29
- Harry Brown