Streaming Roulette, May 2022 
Monday, May 2, 2022 at 5:23PM
NATHANIEL R in A River Runs Through It, Akira Kurosawa, Ashton Kutcher, Dude Where's My Car?, Emily Lloyd, Grandma, Heartstopper, Lily Tomlin, Streaming Roulette, Taps, Under the Banner of Heaven, streaming

Okay, time for this month's streaming roulette. You know the rules. We highlight new-to-streaming movies and an occasional TV series by freezing them on the scroll bar at entirely random places and just sharing what pops up. No cheating*!

So when you stopped going to Church is that about the time you stopped seeing your family and your brothers?

Under the Banner of Heaven (2022) on Hulu
A very discomfiting watch just two episodes in, being an Ex-Mormon. Can't imagine how still practicing Mormons are feeling. Always happy to see Andrew Garfield and Gil Birmingham who are paired here as detectives on a double-homicide case that is rapidly growing in danger and disorienting implications...

In these first two episodes it's surprisingly Billy Howle (On Chesil Beach, The Sense of an Ending), in focus above, who has been walking away with the show as the primary suspect who might be telling the awful truth.

-so many crossed over.
- [suddenly sobbing]

Resurrection (1980) on Criterion Channel
This is a must see this month as this Ellen Burstyn drama, nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress) is very hard to get a hold of and rarely screened. Most prints of it are terrible. But Criterion Channel is streaming it, bless them, in good quality condition. When we held the Supporting Actress Smackdown of 1980 right here, Eva LeGalliene emerged as the surprise winner! She was also one of Hollywood's earliest "out" actors.

These cadets will follow you only if they respect you."

Taps (1981) on Paramount+
This military Academy drama used to play on cable all the time in the late 80s. I don't remember if it's any good. Anyone? But look, it's baby Tom Cruise to the left in only his second movie role. He was just 19. Sean Penn is also in it making his film debut at 21 and Giancarlo Esposito, too, at just 23. School dramas are often time capsules for major stars in early roles -- see also School Ties (1992). The movie stars Timothy Hutton, who was hot off his Oscar win for Ordinary People (1980).

Kind of a surprise meeting you here today like this but okay.

Grandma (2015) on Hulu
Still so proud to have been quoted on this poster and wish Lily Tomlin had had a greater awards run for this wonderful late career showcase. Marcia Gay Harden, Sam Elliott, and Judy Greer are also excellent in this comedy which you absolutely should see if you haven't.

- I'd like three orders of garlic chicken.
- and then?
- and then three hours of white rice
- and then?
- and then... oh hey, you guys want soup? three orders of wonton soup
- and then?

Dude Where's My Car (2000) on Amazon Prime
The "and thens..." continue for a long time. Have vague recollections of laughing hard at this purposefully ridiculous comedy and being relieved when the kiss between the leads -- which was widely discussed at the time and played for comedy -- wasn't mean-spirited 'that's gross!' comedy but just more silliness, though I wonder how it's aged? Remember when Ashton Kutcher was a rising actor rather than a spokesperson? This was his breakout rule but his co-star Seann William Scott had already broken out the previous year with American Pie.

One minute I hear you and Nick Nelson are a thing. The next minute you're kissing some girl at Harry's party!

Heartstopper Season 1 on Netflix
This show was such a sweet wonderful watch and over too soon! So much interpersonal D-R-A-M-A but of the teen angst variety. Who was your favourite supporting character? They're all endearing but I actually was surprised to love Imogen (Rhea Norwood), pictured here, who had very little screentime but nailed each of her scenes when I feared she'd be presented as just a villain / obstacle. But then I remembered how generous the memorable webcomic was to all its characters (yes I read it back in the day and the casting was super spot-on visually) and was like "oh, of course!"

[no dialogue]

A River Runs Through It (1992) on Netflix
I remember three things about this movie. 1). The sun-dappled Oscar-winning cinematography and the way it made Brad Pitt even more gorgeous and golden than usual 2) That it was a brotherly rivalry drama co-starring Emily Lloyd who had a very volatile and short run as a must-cast young actress (she was 21 when this movie emerged and didn't appear in another movie for awhile thereafter) her career fell apart due to a combination of mental health problems and bad Hollywood luck. And 3) the comic reveal that two minor characters got terrible sunburns after falling asleep in the nude -- so this must be the final punchline of that scene. 

--I've been thinking all evening about the house that we're building. It looks like you're sleepy.
--I'm not sleepy. I'm listening.

Dodes'ka Den (1970) on HBOMax
HBO has added a few Akira Kurosawas this month (they're totally the best mainstream streaming service). This  film about a group of slum dwellers in Tokyo was the auteur's first film in color. Though Kurosawa was an international giant, he was not submitted as frequently to the Oscars as he should have been. Only 6 of his 30 films were submitted fore the International Feature category. Here were the results:

Infamously Japan did not submit Kurosawa's epic King Lear adaptation Ran (1985) and the uproar helped the movie land firmly on the Academy's radar securing four nominations (though it deserved more) including Kurosawa in Best Director.

So what (else) is streaming in May? 
MORE STREAMING TITLES FOLLOW

★ indicates movies or series of note though sometimes hidden gems have no buzz until you see them. ANY REQUESTS FOR COVERAGE?

🔸 Indicates that the movie was Oscar nominated in some category or others if you're looking to fill in gaps in your Oscar history

 

also new to streaming on Netflix

Later this Month (a sampling)

 

 

★  COLLECTIONS now streaming on Criterion Channel

★ INDIVIDUAL FILMS

★ Later this Month - a Sampling

 

 

 

also streaming now

 

later this month - a sampling

 

also streaming on Prime...

later this month - a sampling 

 

 

later this month - a sampling

 

also streaming on Apple TV+

later this month - a sampling

 

also streaming

later this month - a sampling

 

also streaming 

later this month - a sampling

also streaming in May

later this month - a sampling

* People never believe this but it's (mostly) true. The only exceptions are when the image is too fast to look good in still frame (we usually use a gif in those cases) or if it's too transitional (dissolves, fadeouts, etcetera) or an establishing shot of a building or something... the other secret to why the images are often good is that we just dont use that particular film if we land on something that's too dull. 

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