Streaming Roulette, June: Streets of Fire, Primary Colors, and The World to Come
Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at 7:52PM
NATHANIEL R in Bo Burnham, Harvey Milk, Jude Law, Kajillionaire, Katherine Waterston, Streaming Roulette, Streets of Fire, The Pink Panther, Todd Haynes, Wilde, comedy, streaming

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

later this month

 

 

-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

Individual films also streaming on Criterion Channel

later this month

 

-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

later this month

-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...

later this month

 

 

coming soon on Disney+

 

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

later this month

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