Streaming Roulette (March 1st-7th): It's a Sin, Nomadland, Billie Holiday...
Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 4:01PM
NATHANIEL R in Asian cinema, Blonde Venus, Eartha Kitt, It's a Sin, Judas and the Black Messiah, Keeley Hawes, Muppets, Nat King Cole, Nathaniel Curtis, Nomadland, Streaming Roulette, United States vs Billie Holiday

by Nathaniel R

Chocolate ice cream. I want chocolate ice cream.

Golden Globe winner Andra Day stars in United States vs Billie Holiday (reviewed), currently streaming on Hulu. Have you seen it yet? That Best Actress nomination race sure is intense, isn't it?

We've decided to do our streaming roulette feature a bit differently and weekly. It's too overwelming to list everything that's going to be available for an entire month and who checks back three weeks later anyway? Instead we'll highlight 5-10 viewing recommendations and/or curiousities each week when they're fresh or about to leave. Naturally the first day of the month is always crazy with the movie dump so this might feel like a monthly roundup, anyways...

CRITERION, NETFLIX, HULU, PRIME, DISNEY+ and HBOMAX follow.

You so and so... you little so and so.. look what you've done to me. 🎵 

Blonde Venus (1930)
Love how Joesph Von Sternberg keeps hiding Dietrich behind plants in this musical number. He's warning you: Do not look directly at her luminosity lest you go blind; the sun isn't the only star. On a related note, this movie is such a trip. It's so wild and riveting and strange. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Oh in the morning' just 'fore day. 🎵 

St Louis Blues (1958)
Part of the "Starring Ruby Dee" series they have going right now though the two stars pictured here are Nat King Cole and Eartha Kitt. Is Nat nursing a hangover? 

also streaming on Criterion:

How old were you when you left here?

Monsoon (2020)
This film didn't work for me but your mileage may vary. Henry Golding and make for an attractive hook-up who end up on a date thereafter.

Are you okay?

Captain Fantastic (2016)
Loved this movie so much in its year though it's hard to remember much beyond Viggo Mortensen's amazing Oscar-nominated lead performance. But the rest of the cast is good too. There's George MacKay (1917, True History of the kelly Gang, Pride) playing his son in the still above. He has such a distinct look (that profile!) and he's a fabulous actor, too. Also forgot that Steve Zahn and Kathryn Hahn are in this as Viggo's disapproving relatives.

People say a US dollar in your wallet brings wealth.

Classmates Minus (2020)
Can't vouch for this one about four former high school friends with midlife crises, as we haven't watched it but it scored 3 Golden Horse wins in Taiwan: Supporting Actor (Na-Dou Lin, who is the guy not holding the money in this shot), Art Direction, and the Audience Award.

also streaming


Stop being so quiet! [Laughter]

Nomadland (2020)
For awhile earlier in the year it was hard to picture Nomadland as a frontrunner that would last until Oscar night because it wears modesty and its low budget nature so well (not exactly hallmarks of Oscar winners, don'cha know) but the longer you sit with it the more majestic it feels. That very humility and unassuming quiet are just so affecting. But, what's more, as this split second above from a living on the road "class" reminds, it has a cathartic sense of humor alongside its tougher emotions... something you don't really remember about it until you're revisiting. 

Liam is attempting to bring a third party into this situation.

Lost Girls and Love Hotels (2020)
Not without merit -- we get way too few films about complex adult behavior surrounding sexuality --  but I wanted to love it more. The movie is about an S&M tinged relationship between Alexandra Daddario and Japan's Takehiro Hira (who you might love from his leading role in the BBC miniseries Giri/Haji) but the most fun scenes are the bar interludes like this one above which I happily landed on in the streaming roulette, where three ex-pats (Daddario, Andrew Rothney, and the perpetually great and undervalued Carice Van Houten) meet regularly to get very drunk in Tokyo. 

also streaming

 

also streaming - many of the same titles as Hulu, plus...

 

 

Listen you. How would you like a high heel in your ham hock?

The Muppet Show (1976-1981)
CANNOT WAIT to dive into these. So many great guest stars over the years like Rita Moreno (pictured above), Liza Minnelli, Lena Horne, Candice Bergen, Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Julie Andrews, Harry Belafonte, Diana Ross, and Debbie Harry among many others. 

also streaming

 

Shit.

Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
That's LaKeith Stanfield as the titular Judas, FBI informant Bill O'Neal. The titular Black Messiah (Daniel Kaluuya, who just won the Globe for "supporting" actor even though the film is entirely about him) is getting the lion's share of the praise for this one, though. This drama is only available to stream until March 14th (the day before the Oscar nods). Previously reviewed here.

-What is the problem?
-He's the boss. He's a bit creepy.
-For gods sake, Gladys, I'd suck him off to get to New York!

It's a Sin (2021)
Definitely would love to hear from TFE readers on this queer miniseries. Russel T Davies (Queer as Folk, A Very English Scandal) new show looks at the AIDS crisis in London in the late 1980s. It was a propulsive watch but way too rushed. It's but five episodes long and there's easily enough characters and stories for 10 episodes. Some things come out of nowhere because there's been no time to develop certain characters. The other problem was that I just couldn't warm to the lead character/actor Ritchie/Olly Alexander. Otherwise the cast was loveable though I wish debut actor Nathaniel Curtis (playing Ash) had been given more to do because a) of the main quintet he's given by far the least material b) he's ridiculously beautiful and tall and c) he has such a great name (haha). Emmy FYC: Three time BAFTA nominee Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard), as Ritchie's mother Alice, is just sensational in the final episode. 

also streaming

 

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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