Streaming Roulette, June: Streets of Fire, Primary Colors, and The World to Come

Yes it's time for another round of streaming roulette where we point out titles that are new(ish) to streaming and just for fun, freeze frame them at totally random places in the scroll bar and whatever comes up we share. Let's go...

I think 'Oh, if I'm self aware about being a douchebag, it... it... it... will somehow make me less of a douchebag.' But it doesn't. Self awareness does not absolve anyone of anything. Am I balding?

Bo Burhnam Inside
A new comedy special from the writer/director of Eighth Grade and the co-star of Promising Young Woman. We've heard good things but haven't yet screened...

[dramatic music]

Ragnarok (Season 2)
In the shot above the hero has just blown the power in his house by merely flexing his new superheroic muscles.  Let's just call this show a guilty pleasure since it's hard to suggest that it's high quality. But how many chances do you get to see a Norwegian high school drama in which a Norse god doesn't realize he is one and has to fight off a family of ancient evil immortals who basically own his town? 

[car chase noises. dramatic music.]

Streets of Fire (1984)
This is some early 80s nostalgia in both the cast list and concept. A famous singer (Diane Lane) is threated by a motorcycle gang (led by Willem Dafoe) and her love interest (Michael Paré) is out to rescue her... and for even more 80s-mania, Amy Madigan is driving this car and Rick Moranis is terrified. Also, it's a rock musical.

also streaming on Netflix

• 2 Hearts
• Abduction [REVIEW]
• Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (Season 1)
• Alone (Season 7)
• American Outlaws
• American Woman (2019) [REVIEW]
• Bad Teacher
• The Best Man
• The Big Lebowski
• Black Space (Season 1) Israeli thriller
• Carnaval
• Collateral Beauty
• Cradle 2 the Grave
• Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story (2021) - miniseries
• Eden (Season 1) - animated series
• Flipped
• Fools Rush In
• Ghost Lab (2021) - Thai thriller
• Happy Endings (Seasons 1-3)
• I Am Sam
• Kim's Convenience (Season 5)
• Kominski Method (Season 3) - final season
• Love Jones
• Million Dollar Baby
• Ninja Assassin
• Racket Boys (Season 1) Korean drama 
• Seven Souls in the Skull Castle: Season Moon Jogen
• Stand By Me
• Starsky & Hutch
• Super Monsters: Once Upon a Rhyme
• Swordfish
• The Wedding Guest
• The Wind
• What Women Want

later this month

• Dancing Queens 
• Sweet Tooth  - new series
• Lupin Part 2 - series
• Wish Dragon
• Elite (Season 4)

 

-Where am I right now?

-We're in our house. Greg & Carol's house.

Safe (1995) 
We never really get over how brilliant and multi-faceted this movie is.  It stuns and unnerves and thrills (albeit in a stationary paralyzed way) each time. Todd Haynes, people. Todd Haynes. [MORE ON SAFE]

Five months after the assassination, Dan White went on trial. 

The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
This movie is both inspiring and enraging. Though Oscar voters have done wrong by the Queer community many times, somehow they did right in this particular year by handing this the Best Documentary Feature Oscar. It's mandatory viewing for queers and allies. (If you've seen Sean Penn as Milk you'll know a lot of the story but this doc is even better)

COLLECTIONS streaming on Criterion Channel

• Carole Lombard: First Lady of Screwball (11 films including My Man Godfrey and Nothing Sacred)
• Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman (8 films including The Celluloid Closet)
• Judy Holliday (7 films including Born Yesterday and Bells are Ringing)
• Luis Garcia Berlanga (11 films from Spain)
• Jean Cocteau (3 films - the Orphic Trilogy)

Individual films also streaming on Criterion Channel

• Dos Monjes (1934, Mexico)
• Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)
• A Touch of Zen (1971, Taiwan/Hong Kong)
• Downpour (1972, Iran) 
• The Fate of Lee Khan (1973, Taiwan/Hong Kong)
• Christ Stopped at Eboli (1979)
• Scanners (1981)
• Rosetta (1999)
• Spoor (2018, Poland)
• Topsy Turvy (1999)

later this month

• Queersighted: Breaking Taboos (10 queer films including Poison, Cruising, and Freak Orlando)
• Three by John Waters (Multiple Maniacs, Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble)
• Three starring Jane Russell (His Kind of Woman, Macao, Revolt of Mamie Stover)

 

-I'll make some fresh coffee and if you want some, you call me.
-Already, Dan, thank you.

Primary Colors (1998)
We figured we should point out this mostly-failed Oscar contender since we'll be covering it in the Smackdown next month. So if you've never seen it or need a refresher here it is. John Travolta and Emma Thompson play the Clintons but Kathy Bates's supporting work and the screenplay by Elaine May were the only Oscar nominated achievements for this Mike Nichols film. I personally don't remember it at all though I did see it in 1998 so I'm looking forward to the memory jog. 

In a real crisis of mercy we're all at each other's mercy

The World to Come
This Sundance 2020 entry finally came out early this year. It's the latest in a long line of lesbian period pictures. Comment Prompt: How do you feel about Katherine Waterston? I must confess I'm not sold. I don't like saying that about actors but so far she hasn't really resonated with me. Hoping she clicks for me soon since filmmakers obviously like her. [JASON'S REVIEW]

-I hope he was a very beautiful boy.
-Well, pretty you know. In a street Arab sort of way.
-No point in being blackmailed by an ugly one.

Wilde (1998)
Remember Jude Law as callow pretty boy Lord Alfred Douglas? Stephen Fry was great casting as Oscar Wilde but we remember this movie as being too mild / uninspired given the sharp tongued subject matter. Two BAFTA nominations but neither were for the men; Those honors went to Jennifer Ehle and Zoe Wanamaker in supporting roles. 

also streaming on Hulu

• Housebroken: Series Premiere
• Small Fortune: Series Premiere
• 50/50
• A Most Wanted Man
• A Perfect Day
• A Prayer For The Dying
• The Adventures of Tintin
• Across the Universe
• Alive
• Anaconda (3 movies)
• Arachnophobia
• Batman Begins
• The Big Chill
• The Birdcage
• Black And White
• The Blair Witch Project
• The Blair Witch Project: Book of Shadows
• Bloody Sunday
• Blue Streak
• The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day
• Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star
• Charlotte’s Web
• The Company You Keep
• Conviction
• Convicts
• Convoy
• The Cookout
• The Dark Knight
• Desperate Measures
• Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
• The Donut King (2020)
• Dragonfly
• Driven
• El Dorado
• Face/Off
• The Forbidden Kingdom
• The Full Monty
• Fun in Acapulco
• Gamer
• Get Smart
• Hanging Up
• Hud
• The Hustler
• Jennifer 8
• Jennifer’s Body
• Just Wright
• Kick-Ass
• Kung Pow: Enter The Fist
• Last Chance Harvey
• The Last House on the Left
• Little Women (1994)
• The Long Goodbye
• The Love Letter
• The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
• Once Upon A Crime…
• The One I Love 
• Ordinary People
• Places In The Heart
• Plan B (2021)
• Richie Rich
• Rules of Engagement
• Sabrina (1995)
• Savage State
• Saving Silverman
• Scorpio
• Silence
• Slumdog Millionaire
• The Soloist
• Some Girls
• Something’s Gotta Give
• Soul Survivors
• Still Waiting
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
• Switchback
• The Time Machine
• To Die For
• The Upside
• Vanity Fair
• The Vigil (2021) CHRIS'S REVIEW
• Waiting…
• Walking Tall
• Wayne’s World 2
• Weekend at Bernie’s
• Wings Of Courage
• Witless Protection
• Young Adult

later this month

• The Croods: New Age
• Love Victor (Season 2)
• Dragonheart (3 movies)
• Gone Girl

-Paris.
-What. You're serious?
-You always said it was the only place you'd ever been that you wanted to go back to, the only place that was worth living. So why don't we go there?

Revolutionary Road (2008)
If you're jonesing to revisit some earlier Kate Winslet triumphs post-Mare of Eastwood (gawd, wasn't she great?) here's her Globe-winning reunion with her Titanic playmate.  

also streaming on Prime...

• Adaptation (2002) 
• Ali (2001)
• Alive (1993)
• An American Werewolf in London (1981)
• Burn After Reading (2008)
• Chicken Run (2000)
• Colombiana (2011)
• Courageous (2011)
• Dear John (2010)
• Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005)
• Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
• Fight Club (1999)
• The Fisher King (1991)
• House Bunny (2008)
• I Spy (2002)
• Little Man (2006)
• Mo’ Money (1992)
• Panic (Season 1) - new series
• P!nk: All I Know So Far (2021)
• Rent (2005)
• Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)
• Seven Pounds (2008)
• Signs (2002)
• Solos (Season 1) -new series
• Spring Break (1983)
• Step Brothers (2008)
• Stomp The Yard (2007)
• Take Shelter (2011)
• Takers (2010)
• Testament Of Youth (2015)
• This Means War (2012)
• The Wrestler (2009)
• We Own The Night (2007)

later this month

• Billions (Season 4)
• Pinocchio (2020)
• Bosch (Season 7)

coming soon on Disney+

• Raya and the Last Dragon (June 4th)
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine (June 4th)
• Loki episode 1 (June 9th)
• Luca (June 18th)

Good evening and congratulations. You're our first Caucasian and that entitles you to a 10% discount until midnight.

Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978)
I remember these Pink Panther movies playing on TV when I was a kid and thinking they were hilarious. How have they aged? HBOMax has 9 of them (from Peter Sellers through to Steve Martin) so you can find out if you so desire. I'm scared to find out especially since that's a black actress (Elisabeth Welch) in yellowface in the scene above. Hollywood really said "all non-white races can play each other" back in the day. But conversely they also said "whites can also play all non-whites." (This message brought to you by our current screenings of the problematic 1946 Smackdown contenders.)

Sue,  I love this dog.

Kajillionaire (2020)
If you haven't yet caught up with Miranda July's latest, you really should. Nobody is making movies like her. Even if they don't entirely work for you, you won't likely forget that you saw them. And how many movies do the opposite, playing smoothly in the moment but being entirely disposable in the memory bank afterwards. [ABE'S REVIEW]

also streaming

• A Shot In The Dark 
• The American President
• The Aviator 
• Bangkok Dangerous 
• Black Rain
• Bless The Child
• The Bonfire of the Vanities
• Camelot
• Cold Case
• The Conjuring 2
• Dirty Pretty Things 
• Disaster Movie (Extended Version)
• Doctor Sleep (Director’s Cut) 
• Dr. Strangelove
• Drillbit Taylor 
• Eight Men Out 
• El Cantante
• El Nombre Del Hijo (Aka The Name Of The Son)
• El Remedio (Aka The Prescription)
• Extract 
• Eyes Wide Shut
• Fast Company
• Feast Of Love 
• The Green Mile
• The Grifters
• Harry Potter (all 8 movies)
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
• How To Be Single
• Humboldt County 
• Iris 
• It Takes Two 
• Jerry Maguire
• Just Married 
• Kung Fu Hustle
• The Manhattan Project 
• Matchstick Men
• Mindhunters 
• Miss Congeniality
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
• National Lampoon’s Dorm Daze 2: College @ Sea (Extended Version)
• National Lampoon’s Vacation
• Orange County
• Other People’s Money
• Pale Rider
• Presumed Innocent
• Rat Race
• Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
• Shazam!
• Sherlock Holmes
• Stoker
• Take Me Home Tonight
• This Is 40 (Extended Version) 
• Three Days Of The Condor
• Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride
• True Romance
• Victor/Victoria
• Wedding Crashers
• The Wedding Singer
• Without a Trace

later this month

• The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (also in theaters)
• Clueless
• In the Heights (also in theaters)
• Genera+ion (Part 2)

Comments

[Paranoid Android]

Primary Colors was surprisingly really good in my recent rewatch. All of the performances down the line are excellent. A worthy nom for Kathy Bates, although I’m still unsure who I’d give the win to.

I am also mixed on Katherine Waterston (though big fan of Sam!). Check out the pseudo-apocalyptic miniseries The Third Day on HBO with Jude Law.. actually stretched her acting muscles a bit.

[Cláudio Alves]

I loved Bo Burnham's INSIDE, for what it's worth. MAKE HAPPY, his other earlier special on Netflix is maybe even better - that ending is hard to beat, wow.

[thevoid99]

Safe... one of the finest films ever made.

[Duncan]

Bo Burnham's INSIDE is something incredible - probably close to performance art than strictly comedy, but a blend of comedy, confession, cultural critique and musical. What a special, sharp talent.

[Ryan T.]

INSIDE by Bo Burnham is one of the most audacious and bold things I've seen this past year. Just to get into that headspace and do ALL of what he did, is really something.

[Rob]

Glad Primary Colors is on Hulu, just starting to watch the 1998 Smackdown films.
Def want to see Inside, always had a little crush on Bo Burnham.
Safe is a masterpiece, imho. Julianne Moore's finest moment, and that's really saying something.

[Dan]

I feel like the 1980s was a decade with so many films I wanted to like that I just didn't like, and STREETS OF FIRE was one of those. Others I've come around to as I've grown and matured as a spectator: RUMBLE FISH, BLUE VELVET, LOST IN AMERICA. I'm not hopeful that this one would seem much better now. I do remember seeing it on opening day.

[Dan]

The best of the PINK PANTHERS are probably A SHOT IN THE DARK and RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER, each one after that is a drop below the previous one until they kind of bottom out. Blake Edwards, as good as he could be, was hardly P.C, though. Peter Sellers as a painful South Central Asian stereotype in THE PARTY, no Black people in VICTOR VICTORIA's "Le Jazz Hot" salute to jazz, painful asian stereotypes in all the Pink Panther films. But you know. It's like trying to watch old Bob Hope comedies from he 40s where eventually you're going to get the painful black shuck and jive character...

[Glenn Dunks]

I hate Kajillionaire and turned it off when I figured award season was too short for that nonsense. I know some love it, but it was decidedly Not For Me.

I've never been sold on Katherine Waterston until THE WORLD TO COME. I thought it was excellent and maybe my favourite of the (to be reductive) sad lesbians in creaky homes trilogy from the last 18 months. I think she is best actress nomination worthy maybe (although I'm considering the film a 2021 title, but it's already ineligible due to the expanded window -- i hate what Bleecker Street did to it). Seeing it on a big screen certainly helped.

[markgordonuk]

I am surprised at people being surprised at how good Winslet is in Mare of Eastown she never lost her mojo as Ammonite proved last year,since winning her Oscar I think she has been taken for granted.

Fry's Globe nomination was a surprise back then if my memory serves me well.

[Bhuray]

I still think REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is the best thing Kate Winslet has ever done. She is magnificent in that film!

[jules]

I really liked Primary Colors back when. Mike Nichols was easily one of the great directors of his generation (his movies are so rewatchable) but he isn't really appreciated as such because he wasn't really an auteur. BTW Mark Harris's recent biography of him is unsurprisingly excellent.

[Corey]

June is all about STREETS OF FIRE on Netflix!!!! I love this movie with all of my heart and well beyond reason. A great double feature with The Warriors. Streets of Fire is like Walter Hill's unedited id just all over the screen.

Yeah, KAJILLIONAIRE was a big disappointment for this Miranda July stan. Like a dramatic exploration of SNL characters.

Speaking of disappointing, INSIDE BO BURNHAM was was the worst gay porno ever.

Finally--you should give more prominence to TO DIE FOR on Hulu. Hasn't been available on streaming for quite some time, it is the real true debut of the Nicole we all know and love, and the film just gets better with time (and I'm no fan of Van Sant). Weird watching the first classroom scene with Kidman, Phoenix and Affleck and realizing they would all go on to win acting Oscars was mindblowing.

[Glenn Dunks]

“ the real true debut of the Nicole we all know and love” is a big ‘fuck my drag’ moment except ‘my drag’ is Nicole’s excellent work across film and TV in Australia.

[Raul]

I don't think there will be a better pandemic piece than INSIDE. It is excellent.