The Bob Newhart Show: The Complete Series: I normally start this column with the most high-profile recent theatricals debuting on DVD in a given week, but the slate is pretty weak this post-holiday release date. There is no way I am going to give a reboot of "Endless Love," of all things, the top spot in my column.
Instead, let's celebrate Shout! bringing the complete "Bob Newhart" to DVD in one big collection...while trying not to fret about the fact that as of now, no single season releases of 5 and 6 are available for fans who bought the previous releases from Fox. And let's not fret about the fact that those last two seasons don't look all that great and were apparently not at all remastered or anything.
The fact is, this often underappreciated classic sitcom is now available in its entirety, with some bonus features to boot, and that's a good thing. It's a heck of a lot gooder than another "Endless Love." Hi, Bob!
Endless Love: Uh, yeah, in case you haven't guessed, I don't have a lot to say about this one. At least it's not another "Blue Lagoon."
Gambit: A remake of the Michael Caine/Shirley MacLaine 1966 caper comedy starring Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz and written by the Coen brothers...and ignored until getting out on DVD Memorial Day week. Yep, we have a major bomb threat here, folks.
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: Were you a little disappointed when this Wes Anderson film was originally released? Well, you were WRONG! See? It's a CRITERION, son. Show some respect.
Red River: All kidding aside, I wouldn't mind taking a gander at this Criterion release of the classic Howard Hawks/John Wayne Western. The BD/DVD combo package even includes a copy of the out of print paperback that serves as the film's source material. How cool is that? Most DVDs these days barely give you anything to read on the back of the box.
WWE Presents Greatest Wrestling Factions: I like how at some point the term "stable" became verboten in WWE, along with the not-PG-friendly "gang," so we get the ever-awkward "faction" term all the time. This DVD combines a weak-sounding documentary of sorts with a bunch of matches. It looks serviceable (if you like the matches) but uninspired at best.
Men of the Fighting Lady is new from Warner Archive, and it looks pretty good judging by the preview clip on the website. It's a 1954 Korean War flick in color with an all-star cast.
And in streaming...
Warner Archive Instant hasn't added anything since my last update. I'm hoping that by saying this, I will somehow cosmically trigger a massive update that goes into effect shortly after this is published.
Hulu Plus has added several international series: Australian dramedy House Husbands, Canadian Jason Priestly vehicle Call Me Fitz, and Reef Doctors (guess which country that's from). An intriguing add is Foyle's War, which recently left Netflix. Unfortunately, only two seasons are there, which is a lot less than Netflix had and even less less (does that make sense?) than Acorn TV has right now. Nothing new to report on the CBS shows front.
There is chatter that Hulu is in talks to revive "Community." Oh, I'll watch if it's on, but I think the show's pretty much done. I'd rather see Hulu use that money on buying more catalog programming. Tell you what, next week I'll offer a list of shows that could/should wind up there--and I'll make them CBS shows, which should take care of two of my gripes with one shot!
Netflix added a few new ESPN 30 for 30 documentaries, including Bad Boys on the Detroit Pistons, and I'm glad to see they are still acquiring those. There's also a documentary called The Source Family about a hippie cult group in 1970s L.A. Another interesting add is Escape from Tomorrow, partially shot guerilla-style at Disney World, but from what I read, the story behind the story may be more compelling than the story itself.
This is a lame streaming update, I know, but I want to get the "This Week in..." posts a little bit more back on schedule, so we got to roll with what we have. Hopefully the weekend will bring lots of new content and next week there'll be a lot more to write about.
Showing posts with label This Week in Instant Watching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label This Week in Instant Watching. Show all posts
Friday, May 30, 2014
Sunday, May 25, 2014
This Week and Last Week in Instant Watching Part 2
So yesterday I wound up going long while looking at what debuted on Warner Archive Instant. Therefore, I'm back today to talk about the other stuff.
Anyone who is interested probably knows already that WWE Network added all the Clash of Champions to its on demand library, but I'll mention it, anyway. The Network seems to have abandoned most other vault content for now, though.
The single biggest event in streaming video last week was the arrival of HBO programming to Amazon Prime. I'd care a lot more about it if I had Amazon Prime. Still, it's a bold move for Amazon. I don't think it will drive a lot of new customers to the service, but I think it may well help soothe current customers in the wake of the huge price increase it announced recently. The funny thing to me about this was how negative the media coverage was: It was like, oh, yeah, Sopranos, The Wire, blah blah blah BUT YOU AIN'T GETTING GAME OF THRONES!
Let's get to issues that are more important to ME--namely, Hulu's continued inconsistency in adding CBS library shows. It has been touting Wings the last week, and it looks like, as with Frasier and Cheers, all episodes are available. But look at what else is new:
About 3/4 of The Brady Bunch!
Some of Touched by an Angel!
And if you're a Happy Days fan, hey, there are a whopping 25 episodes streaming.
That's right, out of 9 seasons, 25 episodes are there. There are none from season 1, which many would argue was the best, and 12 from season 2, and then one token each from most other seasons. Inexplicably, the final season is the second-most stocked one, with 5 available. There are more episodes from the awful season 11 as from 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 combined--and that's partly because there are none from season 7. Was Hulu that irritated by the burning down of Arnold's Drive-In?
It's not just CBS, either. I saw a story online that touted the debut of Sailor Moon on Hulu Plus. I am not an anime guy, but I am pretty sure this series is a big deal. Out of curiosity, I clicked on the show page. There are 4 episodes. Well, at least it does say there will be "more episodes every Monday," which is more than we see written on the CBS show pages.
I remember seeing Battle of the Planets when I was a kid. I don't remember there being only 12 episodes, but that's all there are on Hulu. Maybe I'm spoiled by Netflix, but this piecemeal approach to catalog titles doesn't cut it.
Netflix added a bunch of apparently direct to something or other movies with names like Alicia Silverstone, Cuba Gooding, Brendan Fraser, and Stephen Dorff. I don't always get hyped about that kind of thing, but whenever I see them listed at Instantwatcher, people seem to be gobbling them up.
The biggest deal of the last two weeks is probably Star Trek: Into Darkness, which I apparently liked more than a lot of people did. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is another high-profile new title. Also for the kids: Free Birds with the voices of Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson. Frozen Ground, a thriller with John Cusack and Nic Cage, intrigues me.
Robert Rodriguez's follow-up to "Machete," Machete Kills, is now online. I don't know, I'm sure I won't be able keep up with the narrative unless I see "Machete" first. It must be Danny Trejo week, because you can also check out 20 Feet Below, about a filmmaker exploring abandoned tunnels underneath the NYC subway.
Birth of the Living Dead is a new documentary about George Romero and the "Night of the Living Dead" franchise. There are a lot of other recent documentary adds, too, including some that I'm pretty sure are returning to Instant Watching. Someone please give me a reason to NOT watch The Hidden Hand: Alien Contact and the Government Cover-Up, because I'm tempted.
There are also a bunch of TED talks. Hey, season 2 of Boss is in the house! I loved the first season, then stopped getting Starz. I am pretty sure there's a direct correlation between that event and my not seeing the second season.
Anyone who is interested probably knows already that WWE Network added all the Clash of Champions to its on demand library, but I'll mention it, anyway. The Network seems to have abandoned most other vault content for now, though.
The single biggest event in streaming video last week was the arrival of HBO programming to Amazon Prime. I'd care a lot more about it if I had Amazon Prime. Still, it's a bold move for Amazon. I don't think it will drive a lot of new customers to the service, but I think it may well help soothe current customers in the wake of the huge price increase it announced recently. The funny thing to me about this was how negative the media coverage was: It was like, oh, yeah, Sopranos, The Wire, blah blah blah BUT YOU AIN'T GETTING GAME OF THRONES!
Let's get to issues that are more important to ME--namely, Hulu's continued inconsistency in adding CBS library shows. It has been touting Wings the last week, and it looks like, as with Frasier and Cheers, all episodes are available. But look at what else is new:
About 3/4 of The Brady Bunch!
Some of Touched by an Angel!
And if you're a Happy Days fan, hey, there are a whopping 25 episodes streaming.
That's right, out of 9 seasons, 25 episodes are there. There are none from season 1, which many would argue was the best, and 12 from season 2, and then one token each from most other seasons. Inexplicably, the final season is the second-most stocked one, with 5 available. There are more episodes from the awful season 11 as from 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 combined--and that's partly because there are none from season 7. Was Hulu that irritated by the burning down of Arnold's Drive-In?
It's not just CBS, either. I saw a story online that touted the debut of Sailor Moon on Hulu Plus. I am not an anime guy, but I am pretty sure this series is a big deal. Out of curiosity, I clicked on the show page. There are 4 episodes. Well, at least it does say there will be "more episodes every Monday," which is more than we see written on the CBS show pages.
I remember seeing Battle of the Planets when I was a kid. I don't remember there being only 12 episodes, but that's all there are on Hulu. Maybe I'm spoiled by Netflix, but this piecemeal approach to catalog titles doesn't cut it.
Netflix added a bunch of apparently direct to something or other movies with names like Alicia Silverstone, Cuba Gooding, Brendan Fraser, and Stephen Dorff. I don't always get hyped about that kind of thing, but whenever I see them listed at Instantwatcher, people seem to be gobbling them up.
The biggest deal of the last two weeks is probably Star Trek: Into Darkness, which I apparently liked more than a lot of people did. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is another high-profile new title. Also for the kids: Free Birds with the voices of Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson. Frozen Ground, a thriller with John Cusack and Nic Cage, intrigues me.
Robert Rodriguez's follow-up to "Machete," Machete Kills, is now online. I don't know, I'm sure I won't be able keep up with the narrative unless I see "Machete" first. It must be Danny Trejo week, because you can also check out 20 Feet Below, about a filmmaker exploring abandoned tunnels underneath the NYC subway.
Birth of the Living Dead is a new documentary about George Romero and the "Night of the Living Dead" franchise. There are a lot of other recent documentary adds, too, including some that I'm pretty sure are returning to Instant Watching. Someone please give me a reason to NOT watch The Hidden Hand: Alien Contact and the Government Cover-Up, because I'm tempted.
There are also a bunch of TED talks. Hey, season 2 of Boss is in the house! I loved the first season, then stopped getting Starz. I am pretty sure there's a direct correlation between that event and my not seeing the second season.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
This Week (and maybe last week, too) in Instant Watching (Part 1)
The patterns continue with the big streaming sites: Netflix gives us a few nice adds, mostly interesting documentaries and recent theatricals from its Epix deal, while emphasizing its originals; Hulu adds random assortments of older series while emphasizing current broadcast properties and its originals; Warner Archive Instant adds cool TV items while being stingier with the movies.
Of these, the one I think is the shortest-term pattern is the latter. This month WAI has dumped scores of movies and added very few. I keep thinking each week is going to be the big one for a ton of new classic films. Instead, the service has added some really cool high-profile selections to its TV section. NEXT week will be the big movie add, though--I can feel it!
One thing I must point out is that when I inquired about several issues a few months ago, I received an oddly vague reply that seemed like a brush-off. Recently, though, a rep contacted me and told me a fix was imminent and, shall we say, gave me a more than reasonable incentive to remain a loyal customer. It took a while, and I still haven't seen the fix, but I am very, very happy and still enjoying the heck out of Warner Archive Instant.
This week the addition was Dr. Kildare Season 1, a show I have enjoyed immensely on DVD. Hey, now I can quit renting them! This Richard Chamberlain version isn't as flat-out entertaining as the Lew Ayres/Lionel Barrymore movie series, but what is? The TV incarnation is engrossing and addictive and a fine add for WAI.
Last week brought the 1960s Filmation New Adventures of Superman cartoons, here formatted as two 6-7-minute shorts per "episode." They originally aired with 'toons featuring other DC Comics heroes, including Superboy. I've seen some of these on Boomerang, and they're not on the par of, say, the classic Fleischer Superman shorts, but they are fun. I plan to write more about this "show" next week, hopefully doing so with less "quotation marks."
Another WAI newcomer is the 1977 New Adventures of Batman, also from Filmation. This is in some ways a cartoon version of the 1966 live action series, only with Bat-Mite. Adam West and Burt Ward reprise their roles as the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder, though this edition doesn't bother drafting big names to do the villains. I hadn't seen this in a long time until screening the first episode last week. It's weird because in some ways it is a less campy "Batman" than the 1960s classic. Yet...Bat-Mite. His presence alone makes this goofier than the live action show ever was, and he is ALL OVER the first episode. It's still an entertaining watch, but you have West and Ward, plus the Joker. Bat-Girl appears in other episodes. You do NOT need Bat-Mite! No, the fact that Filmation co-head-honcho Lou Scheimer voices the imp does not make the character essential.
Still, it's great seeing this kind of stuff on WAI. I read that the 1960s Aquaman shorts debut in June. I don't think these were ever Warner Archive releases, but rather from Warner Home Video. Perhaps this is a sign that WAI will be open to more non-Archive content in months ahead.
A few movies--and I mean literally a few--have trickled into the channel in the last few weeks. One in particular does interest me, and that's Son of Kong. I believe this one was already on last year, and I think this is the first one to come back after being yanked. In general a returning film doesn't thrill me as much as a brand-new one, but it's good to see that titles are indeed rotating IN as well as OUT as was promised.
Come back tomorrow for some chatter about Netflix, Hulu, and the single biggest story in streaming video this past week.
Of these, the one I think is the shortest-term pattern is the latter. This month WAI has dumped scores of movies and added very few. I keep thinking each week is going to be the big one for a ton of new classic films. Instead, the service has added some really cool high-profile selections to its TV section. NEXT week will be the big movie add, though--I can feel it!
One thing I must point out is that when I inquired about several issues a few months ago, I received an oddly vague reply that seemed like a brush-off. Recently, though, a rep contacted me and told me a fix was imminent and, shall we say, gave me a more than reasonable incentive to remain a loyal customer. It took a while, and I still haven't seen the fix, but I am very, very happy and still enjoying the heck out of Warner Archive Instant.
This week the addition was Dr. Kildare Season 1, a show I have enjoyed immensely on DVD. Hey, now I can quit renting them! This Richard Chamberlain version isn't as flat-out entertaining as the Lew Ayres/Lionel Barrymore movie series, but what is? The TV incarnation is engrossing and addictive and a fine add for WAI.
Last week brought the 1960s Filmation New Adventures of Superman cartoons, here formatted as two 6-7-minute shorts per "episode." They originally aired with 'toons featuring other DC Comics heroes, including Superboy. I've seen some of these on Boomerang, and they're not on the par of, say, the classic Fleischer Superman shorts, but they are fun. I plan to write more about this "show" next week, hopefully doing so with less "quotation marks."
Another WAI newcomer is the 1977 New Adventures of Batman, also from Filmation. This is in some ways a cartoon version of the 1966 live action series, only with Bat-Mite. Adam West and Burt Ward reprise their roles as the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder, though this edition doesn't bother drafting big names to do the villains. I hadn't seen this in a long time until screening the first episode last week. It's weird because in some ways it is a less campy "Batman" than the 1960s classic. Yet...Bat-Mite. His presence alone makes this goofier than the live action show ever was, and he is ALL OVER the first episode. It's still an entertaining watch, but you have West and Ward, plus the Joker. Bat-Girl appears in other episodes. You do NOT need Bat-Mite! No, the fact that Filmation co-head-honcho Lou Scheimer voices the imp does not make the character essential.
Still, it's great seeing this kind of stuff on WAI. I read that the 1960s Aquaman shorts debut in June. I don't think these were ever Warner Archive releases, but rather from Warner Home Video. Perhaps this is a sign that WAI will be open to more non-Archive content in months ahead.
A few movies--and I mean literally a few--have trickled into the channel in the last few weeks. One in particular does interest me, and that's Son of Kong. I believe this one was already on last year, and I think this is the first one to come back after being yanked. In general a returning film doesn't thrill me as much as a brand-new one, but it's good to see that titles are indeed rotating IN as well as OUT as was promised.
Come back tomorrow for some chatter about Netflix, Hulu, and the single biggest story in streaming video this past week.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
This Week in Instant Watching: Aaaand the rest!
I spent a lot of time talking about Hulu yesterday, and with good reason. There isn't as much going on in Netflix Land lately apart from the decision to raise prices a buck a month. That's not a terrible increase, and existing customers are told they are "safe" from any hike for two years.
The May 1 haul brought in the James Bond movies yet again. Maybe they'll last more than a month this time! Same holds true for the batch of old Godzilla flicks that return.
Other notable May 1 titles: Forrest Gump, The Big Chill, Fantastic Voyage, Heavy Metal (Hey, now!), Kill Bill 1 and Kill Bill 2, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
One thing Netflix has been good at is adding recent documentaries. Some interesting music docs in the past two weeks: (Green Day's) Broadway Idiot, Metallica Through the Never, Muscle Shoals, Beware Mr. Baker. Others that caught my eye: JFK: The Smoking Gun (which aired on Reelz last year), The Trials of Muhammad Ali, Cocaine Cowboys Reloaded, and Eyes of the Mothman.
Crackle scared me for a day or two by delaying its monthly addition of Seinfeld episodes. Yet 10 more arrived eventually, with this month's theme of "Sports." I still wish they didn't repeat so many, and part of me thinks it's a cheat counting a two-parter ("The Boyfriend"--the Keith Hernandez one) as two of the 10, but I'll enjoy what I get.
Crackle did irritate me by removing "Drive." It was there for only about a month or two! I should have caught it while I could.
New on Acorn TV this month: Series 2 of Blandings with Timothy Spall, Jeeves and Wooster (with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie), The Civil War: The Untold Story (Wait, whaaaa?), Midsomer Murders Set 24 (!), Theatreland with Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart, and An Idiot Abroad. That last one has just been on cable TV and is already on Netflix, so while it's nice that it's there, it's not a game-changing asset for Acorn. I'd rather see more pre-1990 comedies, for example.
Warner Archive Instant has been quiet again the last few weeks, though it did add the complete series (minus the pilot movie) of The Man from Atlantis. I think that instead of the "Dallas" shower scene, the go-to joke when Patrick Duffy shows up in something should be based on "The Man from Atlantis." I remember seeing ads for the show in old comic books, but I've never seen it. Here's my chance!
A handful of movie adds include Rio Rita (the Abbott and Costello version), Summer Holiday (the Mickster and Judy Garland), Tom Thumb, and Reckless (William Powell and Jean Harlow). It seems like more movies have gone out than have come in the last month or so, and I think we're due for a big update later this week.
The May 1 haul brought in the James Bond movies yet again. Maybe they'll last more than a month this time! Same holds true for the batch of old Godzilla flicks that return.
Other notable May 1 titles: Forrest Gump, The Big Chill, Fantastic Voyage, Heavy Metal (Hey, now!), Kill Bill 1 and Kill Bill 2, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
One thing Netflix has been good at is adding recent documentaries. Some interesting music docs in the past two weeks: (Green Day's) Broadway Idiot, Metallica Through the Never, Muscle Shoals, Beware Mr. Baker. Others that caught my eye: JFK: The Smoking Gun (which aired on Reelz last year), The Trials of Muhammad Ali, Cocaine Cowboys Reloaded, and Eyes of the Mothman.
Crackle scared me for a day or two by delaying its monthly addition of Seinfeld episodes. Yet 10 more arrived eventually, with this month's theme of "Sports." I still wish they didn't repeat so many, and part of me thinks it's a cheat counting a two-parter ("The Boyfriend"--the Keith Hernandez one) as two of the 10, but I'll enjoy what I get.
Crackle did irritate me by removing "Drive." It was there for only about a month or two! I should have caught it while I could.
New on Acorn TV this month: Series 2 of Blandings with Timothy Spall, Jeeves and Wooster (with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie), The Civil War: The Untold Story (Wait, whaaaa?), Midsomer Murders Set 24 (!), Theatreland with Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart, and An Idiot Abroad. That last one has just been on cable TV and is already on Netflix, so while it's nice that it's there, it's not a game-changing asset for Acorn. I'd rather see more pre-1990 comedies, for example.
Warner Archive Instant has been quiet again the last few weeks, though it did add the complete series (minus the pilot movie) of The Man from Atlantis. I think that instead of the "Dallas" shower scene, the go-to joke when Patrick Duffy shows up in something should be based on "The Man from Atlantis." I remember seeing ads for the show in old comic books, but I've never seen it. Here's my chance!
A handful of movie adds include Rio Rita (the Abbott and Costello version), Summer Holiday (the Mickster and Judy Garland), Tom Thumb, and Reckless (William Powell and Jean Harlow). It seems like more movies have gone out than have come in the last month or so, and I think we're due for a big update later this week.
Monday, May 12, 2014
This Week in Instant Watching: Hulu
So let's talk about what's being going on in the world of streaming the last few weeks.
Hey, remember how I was complaining every week about Hulu not adding the CBS library shows as had been announced months ago? Well, with apologies to the Wyatt Family (sorry--WWE reference), "They're here." Sort of.
Yes, although it is hard to find information about new shows coming to Hulu, especially on platforms like Roku, where additions can be buried for some reason, I did notice some newcomers that excited me--believe it or not, even more than new programs Sex Sent Me to the E.R. an d America's Worst Tattoos. Yep, some of those CBS oldies have arrived!
Only, there's a catch. You know there's a catch with Hulu. There almost always is, right? First let me mention some of the titles:
The Odd Couple, Laverne and Shirley, Mork and Mindy, Taxi, Beverly Hills 90210, Everybody Loves Raymond, Everybody Hates Chris, Cheers, Felix the Cat Platinum Collection.
OK, "Felix the Cat" has nothing to do with CBS, but I'm still happy it's there. I enjoyed watching them with my daughter when they were on Netflix a few years ago.
So a lot of CBS hits, and I am not even mentioning America's Next Top Model. Seriously, forget I just typed that. Lots of new content, right? And while I think virtually everyone is streaming "Cheers," most of these haven't been streaming anywhere, ever. On the surface, this is a coup for Hulu.
The thing is that only some of the episodes are there. Now, this approach doesn't fly in this day and age. A few places can get away with a "curated" (usually random) assortment of episodes, like Crackle's 10 Seinfelds a month, but this ain't that. Mork offers 39 of 95 episodes, Laverne has 38 of 178, Taxi 75 of 114, and The Odd Couple 65 of 114. Lame!
Faring better are "Everybody Hates Chris" (75 of 88) and "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Cheers," which are apparently complete. Oddly, "90210" is the only one of these offering just one season, but at least it's the first season and is intact. Now, that approach at least makes sense. I'm not sure why putting up, say, 3 episodes in a single season of "Laverne and Shirley" is the way to go.
And you might think, well, this is just a start, and more episodes will be added later. Folks, let me tell you something about Hulu. It doesn't "add episodes later." If they aren't up when the series launches, or pretty soon thereafter, they ain't coming. Ask fans of Lou Grant, Bob Newhart Show, Mary Tyler Moore, St. Elsewhere, The Rockford Files, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. It was a big deal to me when Kojak added season 1 to go along with season 2 and 3--but it had been taken down a month earlier, so it wasn't a new batch of episodes, just the return of previously available ones!
Heck, ask fans of another CBS show that was added last year--I Love Lucy, which is represented by just over 100 of 181 episodes.
Another of my patented research efforts--yep, going to Facebook--yielded little information. Here's an exchange between a curious customer and a Hulu rep about when (or if) more episodes will arrive:
Hey, remember how I was complaining every week about Hulu not adding the CBS library shows as had been announced months ago? Well, with apologies to the Wyatt Family (sorry--WWE reference), "They're here." Sort of.
Yes, although it is hard to find information about new shows coming to Hulu, especially on platforms like Roku, where additions can be buried for some reason, I did notice some newcomers that excited me--believe it or not, even more than new programs Sex Sent Me to the E.R. an d America's Worst Tattoos. Yep, some of those CBS oldies have arrived!
Only, there's a catch. You know there's a catch with Hulu. There almost always is, right? First let me mention some of the titles:
The Odd Couple, Laverne and Shirley, Mork and Mindy, Taxi, Beverly Hills 90210, Everybody Loves Raymond, Everybody Hates Chris, Cheers, Felix the Cat Platinum Collection.
OK, "Felix the Cat" has nothing to do with CBS, but I'm still happy it's there. I enjoyed watching them with my daughter when they were on Netflix a few years ago.
So a lot of CBS hits, and I am not even mentioning America's Next Top Model. Seriously, forget I just typed that. Lots of new content, right? And while I think virtually everyone is streaming "Cheers," most of these haven't been streaming anywhere, ever. On the surface, this is a coup for Hulu.
The thing is that only some of the episodes are there. Now, this approach doesn't fly in this day and age. A few places can get away with a "curated" (usually random) assortment of episodes, like Crackle's 10 Seinfelds a month, but this ain't that. Mork offers 39 of 95 episodes, Laverne has 38 of 178, Taxi 75 of 114, and The Odd Couple 65 of 114. Lame!
Faring better are "Everybody Hates Chris" (75 of 88) and "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Cheers," which are apparently complete. Oddly, "90210" is the only one of these offering just one season, but at least it's the first season and is intact. Now, that approach at least makes sense. I'm not sure why putting up, say, 3 episodes in a single season of "Laverne and Shirley" is the way to go.
And you might think, well, this is just a start, and more episodes will be added later. Folks, let me tell you something about Hulu. It doesn't "add episodes later." If they aren't up when the series launches, or pretty soon thereafter, they ain't coming. Ask fans of Lou Grant, Bob Newhart Show, Mary Tyler Moore, St. Elsewhere, The Rockford Files, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. It was a big deal to me when Kojak added season 1 to go along with season 2 and 3--but it had been taken down a month earlier, so it wasn't a new batch of episodes, just the return of previously available ones!
Heck, ask fans of another CBS show that was added last year--I Love Lucy, which is represented by just over 100 of 181 episodes.
Another of my patented research efforts--yep, going to Facebook--yielded little information. Here's an exchange between a curious customer and a Hulu rep about when (or if) more episodes will arrive:
Glad to see the additions of MORK & MINDY, THE ODD COUPLE, TAXI, and LAVERNE & SHIRLEY. I noticed that many episodes are missing (rights issues, I suppose). Will more become available as time goes on?
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Last Week and This Week in DVD
Labor Day: This Josh Brolin/Kate Winslet melodrama was widely panned by critics. Jeez, everyone is so sensitive these days about convicted murderers who escape from prison invading women's houses, holding them hostage, and making them fall in love.
The Legend of Hercules: Kellan Lutz? Isn't he some kind of vampire? He's not Hercules, I know that. The Rock is Hercules. What the hell is this movie trying to pull?
The Art of the Steal: Kurt Russell and Matt Dillon are a couple of old pros. As for this little-seen heist movie...uh, Kurt Russell and Matt Dillon are a couple of old pros.
Devil's Due: In this horror flick, a couple experiences awful things after their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. See, travel agent in 2005 who tried to pitch it to me as a perfectly safe alternative to Aruba?
Veronica Mars: I'm not a Marshmallow, but I don't mean any malice when I ask, was it worth it? I don't mean raising money for the reunion film, but was the theatrical experience so special? It's already out on DVD for general release now, and I just wonder why there "had to be" an actual movie movie. I don't get the whole "6 seasons and a movie" thing with Community, though--the 6 seasons, sure, but the movie? And I don't need to see an Arrested Development film at the local multiplex. And those are shows I do watch.
Challenge of the Go-Bots Volume 1: I honestly don't remember if this cartoon, now coming from Warner Archive, was just OK or total crap, but something about the word "Challenge" in the title gives it gravitas.
Son of Batman: I never liked the idea of an actual son of Batman. He has a ward. His name is Dick Grayson. Anything that happened after 1985 isn't really Batman.
Francis the Talking Mule Collection: 10 years ago, Universal put 4 of these out in Volume 1. Apparently the thought of putting out a volume 2 with the other 3 was just too strenuous for the company. "No, no, that's too much work. Hell with it, just put them all out!" Fortunately the price is low enough that the double-dip fans will have to make to finish the series isn't too big a deal.
Hill Street Blues Complete Series: It's not a big presence in reruns at all, even with all the retro-themed subchannels around today, but this groundbreaking cop show deserves to be remembered. Shout has pried it from Fox (could St. Elsewhere be next?), and we can enjoy all 34 discs' worth of the low-rated but acclaimed Steve Bochco joint. Complete series sets like this are a boon to fans who don't have to wait years more for season sets to dribble out, but unfortunately they do price out casual fans or people who just want to give the show a try. Plus I assume this release makes it less likely that Hulu will add to the 3 seasons it already has. Still, kudos to Shout for licensing this and getting it out there.
Star Trek: Enterprise Complete Series: This Blu-Ray release should please fans. Me, I ignored this show, proudly sticking to my idiotic stance of hating on every Star Trek series that isn't The Original Series.
Dynasty Season 8: 70 bucks MSRP for 22 episodes. I'm just sayin'.
Mr. Selfridge Season 2: If you had ever told me a PBS British period piece starring Jeremy Piven would not only do well, but would last multiple seasons, well, I would have--I would have--I don't even know, but it would have involved the ingestion of some inedible object.
Betty Boop Essential Collection 3: Another Boop set from Olive Films. It's well reviewed, and the 'toons are remastered, but maybe it's a bit pricy for one disc with 12 shorts and no special features. Still, at least Olive is willing to take these from Paramount and do something with them.
The Legend of Hercules: Kellan Lutz? Isn't he some kind of vampire? He's not Hercules, I know that. The Rock is Hercules. What the hell is this movie trying to pull?
The Art of the Steal: Kurt Russell and Matt Dillon are a couple of old pros. As for this little-seen heist movie...uh, Kurt Russell and Matt Dillon are a couple of old pros.
Devil's Due: In this horror flick, a couple experiences awful things after their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. See, travel agent in 2005 who tried to pitch it to me as a perfectly safe alternative to Aruba?
Veronica Mars: I'm not a Marshmallow, but I don't mean any malice when I ask, was it worth it? I don't mean raising money for the reunion film, but was the theatrical experience so special? It's already out on DVD for general release now, and I just wonder why there "had to be" an actual movie movie. I don't get the whole "6 seasons and a movie" thing with Community, though--the 6 seasons, sure, but the movie? And I don't need to see an Arrested Development film at the local multiplex. And those are shows I do watch.
Challenge of the Go-Bots Volume 1: I honestly don't remember if this cartoon, now coming from Warner Archive, was just OK or total crap, but something about the word "Challenge" in the title gives it gravitas.
Son of Batman: I never liked the idea of an actual son of Batman. He has a ward. His name is Dick Grayson. Anything that happened after 1985 isn't really Batman.
Francis the Talking Mule Collection: 10 years ago, Universal put 4 of these out in Volume 1. Apparently the thought of putting out a volume 2 with the other 3 was just too strenuous for the company. "No, no, that's too much work. Hell with it, just put them all out!" Fortunately the price is low enough that the double-dip fans will have to make to finish the series isn't too big a deal.
Hill Street Blues Complete Series: It's not a big presence in reruns at all, even with all the retro-themed subchannels around today, but this groundbreaking cop show deserves to be remembered. Shout has pried it from Fox (could St. Elsewhere be next?), and we can enjoy all 34 discs' worth of the low-rated but acclaimed Steve Bochco joint. Complete series sets like this are a boon to fans who don't have to wait years more for season sets to dribble out, but unfortunately they do price out casual fans or people who just want to give the show a try. Plus I assume this release makes it less likely that Hulu will add to the 3 seasons it already has. Still, kudos to Shout for licensing this and getting it out there.
Star Trek: Enterprise Complete Series: This Blu-Ray release should please fans. Me, I ignored this show, proudly sticking to my idiotic stance of hating on every Star Trek series that isn't The Original Series.
Dynasty Season 8: 70 bucks MSRP for 22 episodes. I'm just sayin'.
Mr. Selfridge Season 2: If you had ever told me a PBS British period piece starring Jeremy Piven would not only do well, but would last multiple seasons, well, I would have--I would have--I don't even know, but it would have involved the ingestion of some inedible object.
Betty Boop Essential Collection 3: Another Boop set from Olive Films. It's well reviewed, and the 'toons are remastered, but maybe it's a bit pricy for one disc with 12 shorts and no special features. Still, at least Olive is willing to take these from Paramount and do something with them.
Friday, April 25, 2014
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching
Mr. Magoo Theatrical Collection: In a weak week for DVD, this collection stands out. It offers all 53 old theatrical Magoo shorts (not to be confused with the TV show), remastered from original elements, plus extras. Shout Factory doesn't always do a good job, but when it does, it produces something special, and this looks like the case here. Apologies for making the obvious comment here, but you'd have to be blind to pass this up. Wait, that's insensitive. You'd have to be a stupid moron to pass this up! That's better.
Madea's Neighbors from Hell: In an apparent effort to ensure some kind of Tyler Perry product is on the shelves at any given time, he releases a taped performance of a stage play. I'm sure his performance as Madea is even more nuanced and subtle when he's performing in a theater.
Barefoot: I don't even know what this is about. If you're into it, more power to you.
Bettie Page Reveals All: Get it? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. That's right, Bettie Page finally explains the role of the Illuminati in controlling global finance. But is she barefoot?
Chances Are 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-Ray: I normally try to avoid one word snarky comments on individual titles--I feel I owe you at least a few extra words of snark--and I try to avoid the Internet tendency to make reductive one-word snap judgments, but when I see a 25th Anniversary Edition of "Chances Are," can you blame me for thinking...Really?
Riot in Cell Block 11: Criterion delivers Don Siegel's seminal prison, which of course was the inspiration for "Tango & Cash." Nah, not really, but oh, would that it were!
Master of the House: Another fine Criterion effort on a classic foreign fi;m--You know what? All I can think of is George Costanza singing, "Master of the house, keeper of the inn..."
Newhart Season 3: For many fans, this is the season when "Newhart really BECOMES "Newhart." Dear Lord, I just got a vision of a TV Land reality show called "Becoming Newhart."
Client List Season 2: Answer is, no, she's not naked in this season, either.
Eddie Cantor Lost Performances Volume 1: Anybody know what the deal is with this? The Amazon description says:
Eddie Cantor springs to life with this rebirth of some of his most memorable performances that until now were lost somewhere in a studio vault. Eddie really delivers with a collection of 18 songs and 3 skits and is joined by the likes of Connie Russell, Helen O'Connell, Shemp Howard and the Three Stooges, and many more.
It looks like a bunch of clips from old television programs. Unfortunately, it's only listed as 60 minutes and doesn't appear to be a great value.
WWE Best of Raw After the Show: Would you believe that after the show goes off the air, live crowds are often treated to "dark matches" and segments, main event caliber bouts or sometimes just goofy things designed to keep the audience sticking around to the very end and to go out on a high note? Well, this happens, and this collection features that rare footage. It's interesting because with so much content going on the WWE Network, this is a good idea of how to make a DVD release relevant nowadays. We'll see how this sells.
Warner Archive has the musical Irene with Ray Milland and Anna Neagle, the 1984 "video album" Heartbeat City from the Cars, and a pair of cool double features. The classic comedy duo--well, almost classic--Brown and Carney appears in Radio Stars on Parade. The Warner Archive description says the team is "often likened to Abbott and Costello." Yeah, they are, as in, "Boy, these guys are nowhere near as funny as Abbott and Costello." I enjoy watching them, though, and am glad to see more of them on disc. This feature is paired with George Murphy in Mayor of 44th Street. Another double feature combines She's Got Everything and The Smartest Girl in Town, two romantic comedies teaming Ann Southern and Gene Raymond, who are never likened to Abbott and Costello.
And in Streaming...
Hulu, I know I've been badgering you for weeks to add those CBS shows that you announced you were adding. And I know you added a few last week. But, guys and gals, I was hoping for something like" Sgt. Bilko" or "The Invaders." I certainly wasn't waiting for A Gifted Man and The Ghost Whisperer.
BUT I am intrigued by the addition of the 1980s Ralph Bakshi New Adventures of Mighty Mouse. Now, here is an interesting, seldom seen CBS show. Let's have more of this, Hulu.
Hulu still "wins" this week, though, just by adding season 2 of Moone Boy with Chris O'Dowd, a delightful Britcom that deserves more attention, and the series finale of The I.T. Crowd, also starring O'Dowd. That one aired overseas last year but makes its stateside debut this week on Hulu. It's a solid way to close out a great series.
Netflix mostly takes the week off again, but...
Charlie Countryman may be a big deal, but honestly, I saw Shia LeBoeuf's name and dismissed it. You may not be familiar with Instructions Not Included, but this Mexican comedy was a pretty big hit last year. I don't know much about Dean Koontz adaptation Odd Thomas, but it looks like a lot of people are excited about it.
The clear highlight for me in another slow week for Netflix is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Don Jon. I know the title is a riff on Don Juan, but I just think of the immortal Butt-Head saying, "I'm no Don Johnson, you know."
Warner Instant didn't add anything new this week, at least not that I noticed, and unfortunately the resume playing feature isn't working for me anymore. On the plus side, there is a convenient row of Leaving Soon movies on the Roku screen. Also, the main page added some subcategories such as "Sinatra on Screen" and "Revisionist Westerns."
Madea's Neighbors from Hell: In an apparent effort to ensure some kind of Tyler Perry product is on the shelves at any given time, he releases a taped performance of a stage play. I'm sure his performance as Madea is even more nuanced and subtle when he's performing in a theater.
Barefoot: I don't even know what this is about. If you're into it, more power to you.
Bettie Page Reveals All: Get it? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. That's right, Bettie Page finally explains the role of the Illuminati in controlling global finance. But is she barefoot?
Chances Are 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-Ray: I normally try to avoid one word snarky comments on individual titles--I feel I owe you at least a few extra words of snark--and I try to avoid the Internet tendency to make reductive one-word snap judgments, but when I see a 25th Anniversary Edition of "Chances Are," can you blame me for thinking...Really?
Riot in Cell Block 11: Criterion delivers Don Siegel's seminal prison, which of course was the inspiration for "Tango & Cash." Nah, not really, but oh, would that it were!
Master of the House: Another fine Criterion effort on a classic foreign fi;m--You know what? All I can think of is George Costanza singing, "Master of the house, keeper of the inn..."
Newhart Season 3: For many fans, this is the season when "Newhart really BECOMES "Newhart." Dear Lord, I just got a vision of a TV Land reality show called "Becoming Newhart."
Client List Season 2: Answer is, no, she's not naked in this season, either.
Eddie Cantor Lost Performances Volume 1: Anybody know what the deal is with this? The Amazon description says:
Eddie Cantor springs to life with this rebirth of some of his most memorable performances that until now were lost somewhere in a studio vault. Eddie really delivers with a collection of 18 songs and 3 skits and is joined by the likes of Connie Russell, Helen O'Connell, Shemp Howard and the Three Stooges, and many more.
It looks like a bunch of clips from old television programs. Unfortunately, it's only listed as 60 minutes and doesn't appear to be a great value.
WWE Best of Raw After the Show: Would you believe that after the show goes off the air, live crowds are often treated to "dark matches" and segments, main event caliber bouts or sometimes just goofy things designed to keep the audience sticking around to the very end and to go out on a high note? Well, this happens, and this collection features that rare footage. It's interesting because with so much content going on the WWE Network, this is a good idea of how to make a DVD release relevant nowadays. We'll see how this sells.
Warner Archive has the musical Irene with Ray Milland and Anna Neagle, the 1984 "video album" Heartbeat City from the Cars, and a pair of cool double features. The classic comedy duo--well, almost classic--Brown and Carney appears in Radio Stars on Parade. The Warner Archive description says the team is "often likened to Abbott and Costello." Yeah, they are, as in, "Boy, these guys are nowhere near as funny as Abbott and Costello." I enjoy watching them, though, and am glad to see more of them on disc. This feature is paired with George Murphy in Mayor of 44th Street. Another double feature combines She's Got Everything and The Smartest Girl in Town, two romantic comedies teaming Ann Southern and Gene Raymond, who are never likened to Abbott and Costello.
And in Streaming...
Hulu, I know I've been badgering you for weeks to add those CBS shows that you announced you were adding. And I know you added a few last week. But, guys and gals, I was hoping for something like" Sgt. Bilko" or "The Invaders." I certainly wasn't waiting for A Gifted Man and The Ghost Whisperer.
BUT I am intrigued by the addition of the 1980s Ralph Bakshi New Adventures of Mighty Mouse. Now, here is an interesting, seldom seen CBS show. Let's have more of this, Hulu.
Hulu still "wins" this week, though, just by adding season 2 of Moone Boy with Chris O'Dowd, a delightful Britcom that deserves more attention, and the series finale of The I.T. Crowd, also starring O'Dowd. That one aired overseas last year but makes its stateside debut this week on Hulu. It's a solid way to close out a great series.
Netflix mostly takes the week off again, but...
Charlie Countryman may be a big deal, but honestly, I saw Shia LeBoeuf's name and dismissed it. You may not be familiar with Instructions Not Included, but this Mexican comedy was a pretty big hit last year. I don't know much about Dean Koontz adaptation Odd Thomas, but it looks like a lot of people are excited about it.
The clear highlight for me in another slow week for Netflix is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Don Jon. I know the title is a riff on Don Juan, but I just think of the immortal Butt-Head saying, "I'm no Don Johnson, you know."
Warner Instant didn't add anything new this week, at least not that I noticed, and unfortunately the resume playing feature isn't working for me anymore. On the plus side, there is a convenient row of Leaving Soon movies on the Roku screen. Also, the main page added some subcategories such as "Sinatra on Screen" and "Revisionist Westerns."
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching
Ride Along: Ice Cube's buddy comedy (with Kevin Hart) was DISSED by the MTV Movie Awards, according to Cube. How dare they give a meaningless award in a manufactured-for-TV pseudoevent to an actor who recently died young? What are they trying to do, honor his memory in some misguided attempt to touch people's hearts? I mean, come on, MTV--CUBE!
The Nut Job: I was saying the other day that it seems like it's pretty hard to make a really bad all-ages animated feature these days. This one might test that theory.
Black Nativity: Nice job releasing this just in time for, what, 7 months till Christmas! I mean, do they--oh, wait. Easter is coming up, huh? Carry on!
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: The disappointing box office for this one probably killed any chance of Mike Myers getting his dream project, a big-screen reboot of "The Danny Kaye Show," off the ground.
The Invisible Woman: Ralph Fiennes as a director of a literary property is an interesting concept, but I can't help thinking this is one of these deals where they just rushed this out to retain their rights to make a Fantastic Four movie.
Stan Lee's Mighty 7: Beginnings: Hey, speaking of Stan, I totally missed his cameo in The Invisible Woman.
Philomena: A journalist helps a woman in her quest to find the boy she gave up decades ago. This could be a Hallmark movie, couldn't it? But it's directed by Stephen Frears, it stars Dame Judi Dench, and it received considerable critical praise and award recognition. So it's got that over a Hallmark movie. But does it have Catherine Bell? That would be a big N-O.
Date and Switch: I don't know anything about this movie, but I am including it because I think the title is kind of funny and I'm stunned a romantic comedy hasn't used it before.
Beverly Hillbillies Season 4 and Petticoat Junction Season 3: These two CBS releases get wide release after being Wal-Mart exclusive since the fall. Yep, once again, that snooty, elitist Wal-Mart crowd gets to lord it over the rest of us. Well, now the MASSES can buy your highfalutin sitcoms, Wal-Mart! What do you think about that?
Warner Archive brings us a great quartet of oldies this week. George Raft and Bill Bendix in Race Street, The Mickster and Eddie Bracken in the odd duck A Slight Case of Larceny, Sky Full of Moon, and the intriguing Wildcat Bus with Fay Wray. "Sky Full of Moon" has an odd cover, with a dude's butt staring right at us and in front of that big moon. "Wildcat Bus" just sounds all kinds of awesome. Check out this description from the WA page:
Fay Wray, best known for struggling in the clutches of King Kong, confronts rivals who use saboteur tactics to put the squeeze on the Federated Bus Lines she manages in Wildcat Bus. Wray is not the only woman in a position of power in this unusual B-movie: Behind the criminal organization that causes the breakdowns and accidents plaguing Federated’s Los Angeles San Francisco route is tough. vinegary “Ma” Talbot (character actress Leona Roberts).
Whoa! I can't wait to see this if only for the vinegary "Ma" Talbot!
And in streaming...
Hulu didn't do much of interest this week, though it didn't crash when I watched "Community" and "Modern Family," so that's a big plus. I'm beginning to think that story about more CBS shows appearing on Hulu was an elaborate hoax.
Hey, late-breaking news! Hulu just added the entire run of Penn & Teller's Bullsh*t! Well, that's something! I wonder if these are edited. Hmm...
Warner Archive Instant added a little tribute to The Mickster, packaging some previously available movies together into a little showcase Mickey Rooney line. More importantly, it added about a dozen and a half new movies, including several Bowery Boys flicks from the Volume 1 DVD collection. Sadly, the pro wrestling flick "No Holds Barred" (not the Hulk/Zeus one) isn't one of them, but who am I to complain when 3 Boys pictures are added?
Also new is the Boys--Wheeler and Woolsey, that is--in Cracked Nuts. WIN! Nicely timed is the arrival of Big Leaguer, with Eddie G as a major league skipper. Any baseball fan should check it out. WIN! There are also a couple of Gildersleeve pics, Congo Maisie, and for those of you who like your A pictures, Flight Command with Robert Taylor. And how about Hollywood Party (1934), with Jimmy Durante, Lupe Velez, and a host of awesome cameos including the 3 Stooges and Laurel and Hardy? This is actually a pretty darn good week for WAI.
Netflix premiered Mark Burnett's The Bible miniseries, a cool seasonal addition. By the way, I added the Mark Burnett part; fortunately, he wasn't arrogant to affix his name to it. Luc Besson's comedy The Family (De Niro, Pfeiffer) is here as well.
G.I. Joe: The One with The Rock (I may have the subtitle wrong) debuted this week. I am not on board this franchise yet, but I'd pay money to see it if Tight Ship were involved. This arrives as part of the Epix deal Netflix has, an agreement which should make fans of recent theatricals very happy because it seems to provide most of those big movies Netflix touts in its advertising. However, it also brings some interesting original Epix specials and documentaries. Case in point: Milius, a look at the macho screenwriter ("Apocalypse Now") and director ("Red Dawn").
Hey, I had no idea Werner Herzog made a documentary about texting while driving, but here comes From One Second to the Next. There is a bunch more Cartoon Network stuff, and also some CNN series like Crimes of the Century and Morgan Spurlock's Inside Man. But for those of you into the classics, there's the original Leprechaun--yep, the one with Jennifer Aniston.
The Nut Job: I was saying the other day that it seems like it's pretty hard to make a really bad all-ages animated feature these days. This one might test that theory.
Black Nativity: Nice job releasing this just in time for, what, 7 months till Christmas! I mean, do they--oh, wait. Easter is coming up, huh? Carry on!
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: The disappointing box office for this one probably killed any chance of Mike Myers getting his dream project, a big-screen reboot of "The Danny Kaye Show," off the ground.
The Invisible Woman: Ralph Fiennes as a director of a literary property is an interesting concept, but I can't help thinking this is one of these deals where they just rushed this out to retain their rights to make a Fantastic Four movie.
Stan Lee's Mighty 7: Beginnings: Hey, speaking of Stan, I totally missed his cameo in The Invisible Woman.
Philomena: A journalist helps a woman in her quest to find the boy she gave up decades ago. This could be a Hallmark movie, couldn't it? But it's directed by Stephen Frears, it stars Dame Judi Dench, and it received considerable critical praise and award recognition. So it's got that over a Hallmark movie. But does it have Catherine Bell? That would be a big N-O.
Date and Switch: I don't know anything about this movie, but I am including it because I think the title is kind of funny and I'm stunned a romantic comedy hasn't used it before.
Beverly Hillbillies Season 4 and Petticoat Junction Season 3: These two CBS releases get wide release after being Wal-Mart exclusive since the fall. Yep, once again, that snooty, elitist Wal-Mart crowd gets to lord it over the rest of us. Well, now the MASSES can buy your highfalutin sitcoms, Wal-Mart! What do you think about that?
Warner Archive brings us a great quartet of oldies this week. George Raft and Bill Bendix in Race Street, The Mickster and Eddie Bracken in the odd duck A Slight Case of Larceny, Sky Full of Moon, and the intriguing Wildcat Bus with Fay Wray. "Sky Full of Moon" has an odd cover, with a dude's butt staring right at us and in front of that big moon. "Wildcat Bus" just sounds all kinds of awesome. Check out this description from the WA page:
Fay Wray, best known for struggling in the clutches of King Kong, confronts rivals who use saboteur tactics to put the squeeze on the Federated Bus Lines she manages in Wildcat Bus. Wray is not the only woman in a position of power in this unusual B-movie: Behind the criminal organization that causes the breakdowns and accidents plaguing Federated’s Los Angeles San Francisco route is tough. vinegary “Ma” Talbot (character actress Leona Roberts).
Whoa! I can't wait to see this if only for the vinegary "Ma" Talbot!
And in streaming...
Hulu didn't do much of interest this week, though it didn't crash when I watched "Community" and "Modern Family," so that's a big plus. I'm beginning to think that story about more CBS shows appearing on Hulu was an elaborate hoax.
Hey, late-breaking news! Hulu just added the entire run of Penn & Teller's Bullsh*t! Well, that's something! I wonder if these are edited. Hmm...
Warner Archive Instant added a little tribute to The Mickster, packaging some previously available movies together into a little showcase Mickey Rooney line. More importantly, it added about a dozen and a half new movies, including several Bowery Boys flicks from the Volume 1 DVD collection. Sadly, the pro wrestling flick "No Holds Barred" (not the Hulk/Zeus one) isn't one of them, but who am I to complain when 3 Boys pictures are added?
Also new is the Boys--Wheeler and Woolsey, that is--in Cracked Nuts. WIN! Nicely timed is the arrival of Big Leaguer, with Eddie G as a major league skipper. Any baseball fan should check it out. WIN! There are also a couple of Gildersleeve pics, Congo Maisie, and for those of you who like your A pictures, Flight Command with Robert Taylor. And how about Hollywood Party (1934), with Jimmy Durante, Lupe Velez, and a host of awesome cameos including the 3 Stooges and Laurel and Hardy? This is actually a pretty darn good week for WAI.
Netflix premiered Mark Burnett's The Bible miniseries, a cool seasonal addition. By the way, I added the Mark Burnett part; fortunately, he wasn't arrogant to affix his name to it. Luc Besson's comedy The Family (De Niro, Pfeiffer) is here as well.
G.I. Joe: The One with The Rock (I may have the subtitle wrong) debuted this week. I am not on board this franchise yet, but I'd pay money to see it if Tight Ship were involved. This arrives as part of the Epix deal Netflix has, an agreement which should make fans of recent theatricals very happy because it seems to provide most of those big movies Netflix touts in its advertising. However, it also brings some interesting original Epix specials and documentaries. Case in point: Milius, a look at the macho screenwriter ("Apocalypse Now") and director ("Red Dawn").
Hey, I had no idea Werner Herzog made a documentary about texting while driving, but here comes From One Second to the Next. There is a bunch more Cartoon Network stuff, and also some CNN series like Crimes of the Century and Morgan Spurlock's Inside Man. But for those of you into the classics, there's the original Leprechaun--yep, the one with Jennifer Aniston.
Friday, April 11, 2014
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching
The Big Valley Season 2: Ahem.
The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug: Sometimes I still wake up in the middle of the night having dreamed I was still in the theater watching yet another false finish in the third "Lord of the Rings" movie.
Justin Beiber's Believe: Even with his supposed rabid following, the punk only gets a 1.6 average rating on IMDB for this concert film. Yeah, that's hardly scientific, but it's funny, and it makes him look bad, so let's roll with it.
August: Osage County: What a treat it is to see talented actresses like Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts going toe to toe in an intense family comedy/drama. I mean, for those who are into that kind of thing. Me, I think I'll skip to the more lowbrow...
Grudge Match: Yeah, this is more my style. Sly Stallone and Bobby DeNiro play off their histories to play two aging (OK, old) fighters who duke it out one more time because--because--because--well, I'm sure there's a good reason in there somewhere, and it probably involves money. You know how sometimes you know in your head a movie is terrible, but somewhere maybe in your left elbow you think it could be worth it? Kind of the deal here.
Paranormal Activity The Marked Ones: You know a franchise is way out of hand when it just dumps the numerals.
Night of the Hunter (Criterion): I have a pretty good DVD of this already, but Criterion usually improves on just about anything.
The 400 Blows (Criterion): Hey, I've never seen this, and I admit, given the choice, I'd watch "Night of the Hunter again (ducks). But then, I'm the guy who just admitted who might watch Grudge Match."
Family Matters Season 4: I have to admit I kind of want to see this fourth-season episode (description from Wikipedia): Carl and Urkel get into a feud, and decide the only way to settle their grievances is to compete on American Gladiators,
Mayberry RFD Season 1: What could I say about this that hasn't been said in 3 years' worth of great work by the unofficial Mayor of Mayberry (ooh, I hope he realizes that's meant as a compliment)?
The Bobby Darin Show: This might have been a really cool release, but 13 episodes, 420 minutes? Did I mention it was an hourlong presentation when it aired in 1973? It looks like it's heavily edited, which is understandable for a variety show, but the price is pretty high for 13 shows that are so heavily trimmed.
In streaming, Hulu Plus added an original series called Deadbeats, a sitcom starring Tyler "I'm not Jack Black" Labine as a guy who can interact with dead spirits and help them fulfill their unfinished business. The previews make this seem surprisingly good. I will give this one a shot.
Also, while wandering around the vast Hulu catalog, I discovered that they added another season of Route 66. Hey, that's great! But I never would have known if I hadn't been browsing the "channel" where it's located and then clicked the show to look. There ought to be a little "NEW EPISODES" tag for me on a show to which I "subscribe."
Warner Archive Instant is due for a big update probably right after I post this, but it was quiet this week. No word on the Botchlist--uh, Watchlist feature, either.
Acorn Media added 4 more seasons of family show Wild at Heart, plus new seasons--excuse me, series--of Time Team, Jack Irish, Line of Duty, The Brief, and Land Girls. Much of this sounds great, but I wish Acorn could add more older programmes. It seems that in its new adds lately, it is focusing on material from this century. I don't know, maybe there isn't a lot more TO add from the 1970s and 1980s? Acorn did add season 1 of Lovejoy with Ian MacShane from 1986. It would be nice to seem more old school added.
Am I forgetting someone? Oh, yes, Netflix!
Netflix brings Short Poppies, a Kiwi comedy from Rhys Darby, and while I'm not a fan, it's a cool get for those who are.
A few months ago I was raving about the box cover for Rapturepalooza with Anna Kendrick. Now I can see it for "free!" The Last Days of Mars with Live Schrieber might be an interesting sci-fi flick. There are also a few interesting documentaries old (Sherman's March) and new (When Jews Were Funny and Let the Fire Burn about the 1985 MOVE incident in Philadelphia).
The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug: Sometimes I still wake up in the middle of the night having dreamed I was still in the theater watching yet another false finish in the third "Lord of the Rings" movie.
Justin Beiber's Believe: Even with his supposed rabid following, the punk only gets a 1.6 average rating on IMDB for this concert film. Yeah, that's hardly scientific, but it's funny, and it makes him look bad, so let's roll with it.
August: Osage County: What a treat it is to see talented actresses like Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts going toe to toe in an intense family comedy/drama. I mean, for those who are into that kind of thing. Me, I think I'll skip to the more lowbrow...
Grudge Match: Yeah, this is more my style. Sly Stallone and Bobby DeNiro play off their histories to play two aging (OK, old) fighters who duke it out one more time because--because--because--well, I'm sure there's a good reason in there somewhere, and it probably involves money. You know how sometimes you know in your head a movie is terrible, but somewhere maybe in your left elbow you think it could be worth it? Kind of the deal here.
Paranormal Activity The Marked Ones: You know a franchise is way out of hand when it just dumps the numerals.
Night of the Hunter (Criterion): I have a pretty good DVD of this already, but Criterion usually improves on just about anything.
The 400 Blows (Criterion): Hey, I've never seen this, and I admit, given the choice, I'd watch "Night of the Hunter again (ducks). But then, I'm the guy who just admitted who might watch Grudge Match."
Family Matters Season 4: I have to admit I kind of want to see this fourth-season episode (description from Wikipedia): Carl and Urkel get into a feud, and decide the only way to settle their grievances is to compete on American Gladiators,
Mayberry RFD Season 1: What could I say about this that hasn't been said in 3 years' worth of great work by the unofficial Mayor of Mayberry (ooh, I hope he realizes that's meant as a compliment)?
The Bobby Darin Show: This might have been a really cool release, but 13 episodes, 420 minutes? Did I mention it was an hourlong presentation when it aired in 1973? It looks like it's heavily edited, which is understandable for a variety show, but the price is pretty high for 13 shows that are so heavily trimmed.
In streaming, Hulu Plus added an original series called Deadbeats, a sitcom starring Tyler "I'm not Jack Black" Labine as a guy who can interact with dead spirits and help them fulfill their unfinished business. The previews make this seem surprisingly good. I will give this one a shot.
Also, while wandering around the vast Hulu catalog, I discovered that they added another season of Route 66. Hey, that's great! But I never would have known if I hadn't been browsing the "channel" where it's located and then clicked the show to look. There ought to be a little "NEW EPISODES" tag for me on a show to which I "subscribe."
Warner Archive Instant is due for a big update probably right after I post this, but it was quiet this week. No word on the Botchlist--uh, Watchlist feature, either.
Acorn Media added 4 more seasons of family show Wild at Heart, plus new seasons--excuse me, series--of Time Team, Jack Irish, Line of Duty, The Brief, and Land Girls. Much of this sounds great, but I wish Acorn could add more older programmes. It seems that in its new adds lately, it is focusing on material from this century. I don't know, maybe there isn't a lot more TO add from the 1970s and 1980s? Acorn did add season 1 of Lovejoy with Ian MacShane from 1986. It would be nice to seem more old school added.
Am I forgetting someone? Oh, yes, Netflix!
Netflix brings Short Poppies, a Kiwi comedy from Rhys Darby, and while I'm not a fan, it's a cool get for those who are.
A few months ago I was raving about the box cover for Rapturepalooza with Anna Kendrick. Now I can see it for "free!" The Last Days of Mars with Live Schrieber might be an interesting sci-fi flick. There are also a few interesting documentaries old (Sherman's March) and new (When Jews Were Funny and Let the Fire Burn about the 1985 MOVE incident in Philadelphia).
Friday, April 4, 2014
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching Part 2 (the streaming)
Hulu did nothing of note this week except annoy the hell out of me with a few lame April Fool's Day jokes. I logged on Tuesday morning and saw in the spotlighted shows section a picture of Terry Crews in "The Field," a spinoff from the producers of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." I didn't expect a real full-length series, but I thought maybe they had some bonus shorts or something. No, it was just a joke. Ha ha. At least Netflix put some actual content up and didn't promote it on the main page--at least not that I saw. I guess I would have known something was up had Hulu either gone all the way and made all the spotlighted shows goofs, or had I seen the Hannibal cooking spinoff, but I either ignored or didn't see the Hannibal thing.
I emailed Warner Archive Instant about the utter uselessness of its Watchlist feature given my inability to delete titles from it, its apparent 100-title max, and the continued presence of expired titles (and the fact that when I try to delete them, it crashes the channel). I got a few very nice responses telling me the issues were both known and were being worked on. Hey, I'm just glad to know it's not just me. Hopefully it'll be resolved soon.
In the meantime, I talked a lot about the new update on Sunday. This week, they added a few stray movies and another set of James Fitzpatrick TravelTalks. Plus a new Showcase of existing titles being packaged together was created--adaptations of Broadway plays. I'm thinking there may be a full update this weekend.
I'll tell you who has done something this week: Netflix, which added a bunch of Cartoon Network programming at the end of March. A few weeks ago I said I wanted to give the Green Lantern animated series another try. Well, now I can! I think some of the material was already available, but it looks like a lot of it is new. It's worth investigating if you're into that stuff.
Jim Rash's Sundance Channel series The Writers' Room is now streaming. Also, just in time for the last season, here comes Mad Men season 6.
The April 1 catalog drop includes a bunch of repeats like Barton Fink and Chinatown, but also some more of those Fox classics that trickle in each month. Some of the more interesting older movies that jump out include Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, There's No Business Like Show Business, Man Hunt, The Odd Couple, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, Rocky I through V, The Graduate, the 1935 Les Miserables, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Bells of St. Mary's, and Stuart Saves His Family.
OK, that last one really doesn't belong in that group, but it IS available.
Some new and returning genre fare: Cotton Comes to Harlem, The Terminator, The Running Man, all 4 Death Wish movies (there were only 4, right?), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Dragonslayer (I had the comic adaptation, but I don't remember seeing the entire movie).
Some of the more recent notable titles include Amistad, No Holds Barred (hey, give me a break), the full run of House (that wasn't already there?), Going Ape (I keep telling myself I'm gonna sit down and watch it, and it keeps expiring before I do), Disney Jr, series The Hive, Titanic, The Muppets Take Manhattan (wouldn't it be great to see "The Muppet Show" on Netflix? Answer: YES), Braveheart, and Mean Girls.
If that ain't enough, how about a Crackle update? In addition to the monthly batch of Seinfeld (and unfortunately several have been in recent months' batches), there is...well, it's hard to tell what's new on Crackle, but I think Lost in Translation and Paul Blart: Mall Cop are. And the channel is touting its "first ever original feature," Extraction, a martial arts B-movie, but that's apparently been up for a while. Oddly, it's in the "featured TV category. Crackle has some kinks to work out, folks!
I emailed Warner Archive Instant about the utter uselessness of its Watchlist feature given my inability to delete titles from it, its apparent 100-title max, and the continued presence of expired titles (and the fact that when I try to delete them, it crashes the channel). I got a few very nice responses telling me the issues were both known and were being worked on. Hey, I'm just glad to know it's not just me. Hopefully it'll be resolved soon.
In the meantime, I talked a lot about the new update on Sunday. This week, they added a few stray movies and another set of James Fitzpatrick TravelTalks. Plus a new Showcase of existing titles being packaged together was created--adaptations of Broadway plays. I'm thinking there may be a full update this weekend.
I'll tell you who has done something this week: Netflix, which added a bunch of Cartoon Network programming at the end of March. A few weeks ago I said I wanted to give the Green Lantern animated series another try. Well, now I can! I think some of the material was already available, but it looks like a lot of it is new. It's worth investigating if you're into that stuff.
Jim Rash's Sundance Channel series The Writers' Room is now streaming. Also, just in time for the last season, here comes Mad Men season 6.
The April 1 catalog drop includes a bunch of repeats like Barton Fink and Chinatown, but also some more of those Fox classics that trickle in each month. Some of the more interesting older movies that jump out include Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, There's No Business Like Show Business, Man Hunt, The Odd Couple, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, Rocky I through V, The Graduate, the 1935 Les Miserables, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Bells of St. Mary's, and Stuart Saves His Family.
OK, that last one really doesn't belong in that group, but it IS available.
Some new and returning genre fare: Cotton Comes to Harlem, The Terminator, The Running Man, all 4 Death Wish movies (there were only 4, right?), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Dragonslayer (I had the comic adaptation, but I don't remember seeing the entire movie).
Some of the more recent notable titles include Amistad, No Holds Barred (hey, give me a break), the full run of House (that wasn't already there?), Going Ape (I keep telling myself I'm gonna sit down and watch it, and it keeps expiring before I do), Disney Jr, series The Hive, Titanic, The Muppets Take Manhattan (wouldn't it be great to see "The Muppet Show" on Netflix? Answer: YES), Braveheart, and Mean Girls.
If that ain't enough, how about a Crackle update? In addition to the monthly batch of Seinfeld (and unfortunately several have been in recent months' batches), there is...well, it's hard to tell what's new on Crackle, but I think Lost in Translation and Paul Blart: Mall Cop are. And the channel is touting its "first ever original feature," Extraction, a martial arts B-movie, but that's apparently been up for a while. Oddly, it's in the "featured TV category. Crackle has some kinks to work out, folks!
Sunday, March 30, 2014
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching Part --yes, 3! Warner Instant
Hey, Warner Archive Instant, this is how you do it! Several weeks ago, they had a big movie update, featuring titles such as...uh, I didn't write them down, and it's hard to keep track because they disappear into the main catalog once they update again. The good news is, they updated again.
First, let's talk about the TV additions. Two weeks ago, we got the entire MGM Our Gang series, which is pretty darn cool. This week saw two sets of Fitzpatrick's Traveltalks. Are these titles stretching the definition of "television?" Yep. Do I care? Nope. Short subjects are always welcome on the service, and I look forward to seeing what else they throw up there.
Now back to the movies. One thing to note is that while WAI used to be consistent about updating each Friday, now new titles are liable to come during the week, so you have to keep an eye out. Two updates ago, we gained such movies as Background to Danger with Lorre, Greenstreet, and Raft. Virginia City (Bogart and Flynn), Stranger on the Third Floor (Lorre), John Ford's The Lost Patrol, John Wayne in The Wings of Eagles (also John Ford)...aw, I really should have paid closer attention.
THIS week, I can tell you we get Treasure Island with Wallace Beery, and shouldn't more Beery always be a priority for WAI? Gangster fans get Kid Galahad (Robinson and Davis) and G-Men (Cagney). A few new Spencer Tracy titles including A Guy Named Joe and Cass Timberlane are up.
Speaking of Kid Galahad, it was reworked as The Wagons Roll at Night, which isn't Bogart's best film, but it's still Bogart. Bogart and carnies! Come on! Ronnie Reagan was always proud of Kings Row, but I've never seen it. Not because Reagan was proud of it, but just because--jeez, does everything have to be poilitical these days?
Film noir fans get Tension, mystery fans get a quartet of 1960s Miss Marple features. The slow trickle of Andy Hardy continues with Love Finds Andy Hardy. An all-star cast appears in 1936's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Harlow and Gable, two all-stars themselves, appear in Hold Your Man.
That's the good news. The bad news is I just noticed the watchlist only has allows up to 100 titles, which makes the concept a little useless if you go over 100 and titles you are trying to keep track of disappear from your list. Worse yet, my watchlist still has several titles that are no longer available! Come to think of it, I can't dump anything from my watchlist. Uh, yeah, this thing is pretty screwed up. I guess I'm gonna have to send them an e-mail.
Speaking of disappearing, the other bad news is another purge took place. So long, Get Yourself a College Girl! Wish I could have seen you! Wish you weren't still tempting me by appearing in my watchlist!
First, let's talk about the TV additions. Two weeks ago, we got the entire MGM Our Gang series, which is pretty darn cool. This week saw two sets of Fitzpatrick's Traveltalks. Are these titles stretching the definition of "television?" Yep. Do I care? Nope. Short subjects are always welcome on the service, and I look forward to seeing what else they throw up there.
Now back to the movies. One thing to note is that while WAI used to be consistent about updating each Friday, now new titles are liable to come during the week, so you have to keep an eye out. Two updates ago, we gained such movies as Background to Danger with Lorre, Greenstreet, and Raft. Virginia City (Bogart and Flynn), Stranger on the Third Floor (Lorre), John Ford's The Lost Patrol, John Wayne in The Wings of Eagles (also John Ford)...aw, I really should have paid closer attention.
THIS week, I can tell you we get Treasure Island with Wallace Beery, and shouldn't more Beery always be a priority for WAI? Gangster fans get Kid Galahad (Robinson and Davis) and G-Men (Cagney). A few new Spencer Tracy titles including A Guy Named Joe and Cass Timberlane are up.
Speaking of Kid Galahad, it was reworked as The Wagons Roll at Night, which isn't Bogart's best film, but it's still Bogart. Bogart and carnies! Come on! Ronnie Reagan was always proud of Kings Row, but I've never seen it. Not because Reagan was proud of it, but just because--jeez, does everything have to be poilitical these days?
Film noir fans get Tension, mystery fans get a quartet of 1960s Miss Marple features. The slow trickle of Andy Hardy continues with Love Finds Andy Hardy. An all-star cast appears in 1936's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Harlow and Gable, two all-stars themselves, appear in Hold Your Man.
That's the good news. The bad news is I just noticed the watchlist only has allows up to 100 titles, which makes the concept a little useless if you go over 100 and titles you are trying to keep track of disappear from your list. Worse yet, my watchlist still has several titles that are no longer available! Come to think of it, I can't dump anything from my watchlist. Uh, yeah, this thing is pretty screwed up. I guess I'm gonna have to send them an e-mail.
Speaking of disappearing, the other bad news is another purge took place. So long, Get Yourself a College Girl! Wish I could have seen you! Wish you weren't still tempting me by appearing in my watchlist!
Saturday, March 29, 2014
This Week (and Last Week) in DVD and Instant Watching part 2: The streaming
OK, thanks for joining us the other day for the DVD roundup. Now let's see what is new on the various streaming services.
Hulu added a few interesting older series. I don't get excited about adding new episodes of something like Surviving Jack because my attitude is that they SHOULD be adding those. Right? However, I see 8 episodes of Peter Graves' old horse show Fury. Ooh, 8 episodes! Can you spare it, Hulu?
"Hey, why should we bother putting up more than 8 episodes of that thing? It's OLD! And besides, even some nut who watches old shows could see one a week and go for TWO MONTHS without repeating anything!"
More compelling is season 1 of the original Route 66. Now, THIS is a pleasant (and unheralded) surprise addition to the site. I haven't had a chance to see any, but they all run about 51 minutes, so I am assuming they are uncut episodes. Who knows, maybe by 2023 they'll add a few more seasons!
Netflix added some really intriguing new titles and some titles that are just...new. I mean, yeah, Big Wedding was in theaters last year, but does that make it inherently worth seeing? Folks might be curious to see Jobs, but most of America really wants to see more info about Ashton and Mila. Is she pregnant? Come on, guys, give us the scoop!
If you missed Mega Shark vs. Mecha Shark a few months ago on DVD, now's your chance to see it for "free." Harrison Ford has a supporting role in Paranoia, a poorly received tech thriller.
Kathleen Hanna is profiled in The Punk Singer, and Oscar winning doc 20 Feet from Stardom, about backup singers, comes to Instant Watching just as I hoped it would. Too bad my hoping for stuff never works on Hulu, huh?
Maybe the best recent theatrical to hit Netflix this month is Mud. Star Matthew McConaughey won an Academy Award for 'Dallas Buyers Club," of course, but many thought he really could have won for..."True Detective." It was _that_damn_good. But "Mud" is supposed to be good, too.
I have a lot to say about Warner Archive Instant, but it's so much I'm going to save it for Part 3 tomorrow. Yes, an unprecedented TRILOGY this week! Check it out tomorrow morning.
Hulu added a few interesting older series. I don't get excited about adding new episodes of something like Surviving Jack because my attitude is that they SHOULD be adding those. Right? However, I see 8 episodes of Peter Graves' old horse show Fury. Ooh, 8 episodes! Can you spare it, Hulu?
"Hey, why should we bother putting up more than 8 episodes of that thing? It's OLD! And besides, even some nut who watches old shows could see one a week and go for TWO MONTHS without repeating anything!"
More compelling is season 1 of the original Route 66. Now, THIS is a pleasant (and unheralded) surprise addition to the site. I haven't had a chance to see any, but they all run about 51 minutes, so I am assuming they are uncut episodes. Who knows, maybe by 2023 they'll add a few more seasons!
Netflix added some really intriguing new titles and some titles that are just...new. I mean, yeah, Big Wedding was in theaters last year, but does that make it inherently worth seeing? Folks might be curious to see Jobs, but most of America really wants to see more info about Ashton and Mila. Is she pregnant? Come on, guys, give us the scoop!
If you missed Mega Shark vs. Mecha Shark a few months ago on DVD, now's your chance to see it for "free." Harrison Ford has a supporting role in Paranoia, a poorly received tech thriller.
Kathleen Hanna is profiled in The Punk Singer, and Oscar winning doc 20 Feet from Stardom, about backup singers, comes to Instant Watching just as I hoped it would. Too bad my hoping for stuff never works on Hulu, huh?
Maybe the best recent theatrical to hit Netflix this month is Mud. Star Matthew McConaughey won an Academy Award for 'Dallas Buyers Club," of course, but many thought he really could have won for..."True Detective." It was _that_damn_good. But "Mud" is supposed to be good, too.
I have a lot to say about Warner Archive Instant, but it's so much I'm going to save it for Part 3 tomorrow. Yes, an unprecedented TRILOGY this week! Check it out tomorrow morning.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching
The Book Thief: You know, as an avid reader and longtime lover of books, I find it reprehensible that anyone would steal books. What kind of despicable human being would do that? What? The movie is about what?
Oh. Never mind!
Out of the Furnace: There should be more films set in Western PA steel country. And they should all find cameos for former Pittsburgh Steelers. This one doesn't have the charm of, say, a Kevin Greene cameo, but it looks like an intense, gritty drama. And really, how can you go wrong with Christian Bale, who is Mr. Intensity; and Casey Affleck, who clearly learned about adversity while growing up as Ben Affleck's brother?
The thing that gets me, though, is the presence of Woody Harrelson as some kind of menacing figure. Come on, who is ever going to accept Woody from Cheers is something dark and intense as this? Why not throw in Wooderson while you're at it? LOL
Inside Llewyn Davis: I know we're all supposed to love the Coen brothers, but there's just something about this movie that feels off-putting to me. Plus I must admit I want to see it even less after being irritated by having to look up how to spell "Llewyn" just now.
Homefront: Jason Statham action movie written by Sly Stallone (wait, really? I don't remember hearing that) and featuring Winona Ryder. I'm really sad that Winona seemingly only gets these character parts in lower-budget films now. Doesn't she still have a lot to offer?
Instant reader feedback: Hey, when was the last time you supported her by seeing one of those lower-budget films? And did you ever get around to seeing her in Iceman, the movie you were so glad to see was coming to Netflix a few months ago?
Ed. Note: Shaddap!
Warner Archive: I'm intrigued by the triple feature of the 1930 prison classic The Big House, which features the original English-language version AND the French and Spanish editions done with different crews and different casts. I was heartbroken to learn that they didn't have Wallace Beery speak French and Spanish in the foreign releases, but this is still a cool way to add value to a movie that was previously part of the WA collection. Of course, they added PRICE to it, too...
Also new is a slate of TV movies. Normally when WA releases a bunch of TV movies, I kind of think, "Eh, 1990s TNT Originals," and move on. But there are some intriguing 1970s/early 1980s efforts this time, including The Delphi Project, the pilot for a cool-sounding spy/adventure series. Maybe the series will follow. And Andy Griffith stars in The Girl in the Empty Grave.
Dennis the Menace Volume 1: Sure, the panel strip, the Dell comic book, and the black and white family sitcoms all have their adherents, but for many the 1980s DIC animated series is THE definitive Dennis. Just don't ask me to name any of these people/ This Mill Creek set contains the first 33 episodes of the series because--well, because. I guess 34 would have compromised the video quality of the set.
WCW Greatest PPV Matches: This is an interesting release in that just about all this content is now available for WWE Network subscribers. Not only that, but much of it was already released on other compilations. Not a lot here for serious fans, but I don't know how attractive it will be as a general release, either, which makes me wonder what direction WWE is heading with its home video releases in the Network era.
And in streaming:
It's still slow times for Netflix, which did add Rectify Season 1. Sundance Channel continues to try to establish itself as THE home for distinctive, fresh TV series that fill the gaps between endless "Law and Order" reruns.
The whole run of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is up, including the premiere of season 6. I may have to try to get into this. But does the series cover trade routes? I'm only interested if it delves into intergalactic trade routes.
There's another of those many movie parody movies up, The Starving Games, and if the title is an indication...I'm more interested in The Improv: 50 Years Behind the Brick Wall, but I'm disappointed it's only 58 minutes.
Hey, Hulu, I'm still waiting for the...OK, even I'm tired of saying it at this point.
Warner Archive Instant has had an odd several weeks. The New Additions row was messed up for a few weeks, and then just today I noticed it was fixed with some actual new movie additions. It's an eclectic group of 9 movies including Private Benjamin, The Killing Fields, The Left-Handed Gun, Elvis in It Happened at the World's Fair, Pink Floyd The Wall, and The Return of Dr. X. And if that isn't eclectic enough for you, how about 1985's Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer?
Oh. Never mind!
Out of the Furnace: There should be more films set in Western PA steel country. And they should all find cameos for former Pittsburgh Steelers. This one doesn't have the charm of, say, a Kevin Greene cameo, but it looks like an intense, gritty drama. And really, how can you go wrong with Christian Bale, who is Mr. Intensity; and Casey Affleck, who clearly learned about adversity while growing up as Ben Affleck's brother?
The thing that gets me, though, is the presence of Woody Harrelson as some kind of menacing figure. Come on, who is ever going to accept Woody from Cheers is something dark and intense as this? Why not throw in Wooderson while you're at it? LOL
Inside Llewyn Davis: I know we're all supposed to love the Coen brothers, but there's just something about this movie that feels off-putting to me. Plus I must admit I want to see it even less after being irritated by having to look up how to spell "Llewyn" just now.
Homefront: Jason Statham action movie written by Sly Stallone (wait, really? I don't remember hearing that) and featuring Winona Ryder. I'm really sad that Winona seemingly only gets these character parts in lower-budget films now. Doesn't she still have a lot to offer?
Instant reader feedback: Hey, when was the last time you supported her by seeing one of those lower-budget films? And did you ever get around to seeing her in Iceman, the movie you were so glad to see was coming to Netflix a few months ago?
Ed. Note: Shaddap!
Warner Archive: I'm intrigued by the triple feature of the 1930 prison classic The Big House, which features the original English-language version AND the French and Spanish editions done with different crews and different casts. I was heartbroken to learn that they didn't have Wallace Beery speak French and Spanish in the foreign releases, but this is still a cool way to add value to a movie that was previously part of the WA collection. Of course, they added PRICE to it, too...
Also new is a slate of TV movies. Normally when WA releases a bunch of TV movies, I kind of think, "Eh, 1990s TNT Originals," and move on. But there are some intriguing 1970s/early 1980s efforts this time, including The Delphi Project, the pilot for a cool-sounding spy/adventure series. Maybe the series will follow. And Andy Griffith stars in The Girl in the Empty Grave.
Dennis the Menace Volume 1: Sure, the panel strip, the Dell comic book, and the black and white family sitcoms all have their adherents, but for many the 1980s DIC animated series is THE definitive Dennis. Just don't ask me to name any of these people/ This Mill Creek set contains the first 33 episodes of the series because--well, because. I guess 34 would have compromised the video quality of the set.
WCW Greatest PPV Matches: This is an interesting release in that just about all this content is now available for WWE Network subscribers. Not only that, but much of it was already released on other compilations. Not a lot here for serious fans, but I don't know how attractive it will be as a general release, either, which makes me wonder what direction WWE is heading with its home video releases in the Network era.
And in streaming:
It's still slow times for Netflix, which did add Rectify Season 1. Sundance Channel continues to try to establish itself as THE home for distinctive, fresh TV series that fill the gaps between endless "Law and Order" reruns.
The whole run of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is up, including the premiere of season 6. I may have to try to get into this. But does the series cover trade routes? I'm only interested if it delves into intergalactic trade routes.
There's another of those many movie parody movies up, The Starving Games, and if the title is an indication...I'm more interested in The Improv: 50 Years Behind the Brick Wall, but I'm disappointed it's only 58 minutes.
Hey, Hulu, I'm still waiting for the...OK, even I'm tired of saying it at this point.
Warner Archive Instant has had an odd several weeks. The New Additions row was messed up for a few weeks, and then just today I noticed it was fixed with some actual new movie additions. It's an eclectic group of 9 movies including Private Benjamin, The Killing Fields, The Left-Handed Gun, Elvis in It Happened at the World's Fair, Pink Floyd The Wall, and The Return of Dr. X. And if that isn't eclectic enough for you, how about 1985's Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer?
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching
Wow, looking at the high-profile releases this week, I realize I can't make smart-ass comments about any of them for various obvious reasons. This is going to be a dull one unless something interesting happens on the streaming end. Hey, maybe I'll answer some reader mail.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: RIP Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
12 Years a Slave: Slavery. Nothing funny about that.
Hours: RIP Paul Walker.
Oldboy: Don't want to aggravate Spike Lee.
Rawhide Season 7: Don't want to aggravate Clint Eastwood. Hey, let's answer some reader mail. Remember, these are not necessarily actual letters from actual readers.
Q: Why didn't you live-tweet the Academy Awards?
A: Well, I am averaging about one tweet every 6 months, but it just so happened I DID return to Twitter on Sunday night in an effort to revitalize my presence there. I was live-tweeting a rerun of "The Mentalist." In retrospect, that might have been a piece of bad timing.
Seattle Seahawks: Super Bowl Champions: Eh, good for them. I'm sure there's no correlation between their success and the high number of PED-suspensions the franchise has had over the last few years. Let's answer another Reader Mail question.
Q:What's a good retro PPV to check out on WWE Network?
A: I'm not saying it's the best--did it really need to give nearly 20 minutes to Michael Hayes vs. Russian Assassin I?--but Chi Town Rumble '89 is one of my old favorites, headlined by Steamboat vs. Flair and memorably featuring Dave Meltzer in the front row facing the hard camera all night long.
Warner Archive had an all-Joan week, and I don't mean Joan Van Ark. No, it's 5 vintage Joan Crawford pictures: The Last of Mrs. Cheyney, Our Blushing Brides, I Live My Life, The Bride Wore Red, and Montana Moon.
And in streaming:
Netflix's March 1 catalog haul add yielded few surprises. Oh, there are some goodies--The Bad News Bears, Capote, Easy Rider, Donnie Brasco, Dr. Strangelove, Taxi Driver, Silence of the Lambs--but a lot of it is recycled. I mean, can anyone who has had Netflix more than a year or two be excited about the return of the likes of--Hey, Over the Top is back? YES! I missed that last time around, but I'm finally gonna watch the whole thing through, baby!
Oh, and there's the original version of Rake if the Greg Kinnear series has you curious. And of course, I can't ignore Fireplace for your Home: Cascade.
Hey, Hulu Plus, still waiting on those CBS/Paramount shows!
Warner Archive Instant made an unusual move, adding two seasons of the mid-1990s animated series adaptation of The Mask. That's it. OK...I don't remember it, but it looks like this one was actually decent. I guess it's good to see variety on WAI, but here's hoping for some old movies this weekend.
Acorn TV added the first 3 series of Rumpole of the Bailey, family series Wild at Heart, miniseries Edward and Mrs. Simpson, comedy panel show QI, another set of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Derek Jacobi in Cadafel, and a series of chats at a museum setting called Talks About Nothing. Hey, talk about variety, that's a lot more Brit telly than what you typically see on your local PBS station on Saturday night.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: RIP Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
12 Years a Slave: Slavery. Nothing funny about that.
Hours: RIP Paul Walker.
Oldboy: Don't want to aggravate Spike Lee.
Rawhide Season 7: Don't want to aggravate Clint Eastwood. Hey, let's answer some reader mail. Remember, these are not necessarily actual letters from actual readers.
Q: Why didn't you live-tweet the Academy Awards?
A: Well, I am averaging about one tweet every 6 months, but it just so happened I DID return to Twitter on Sunday night in an effort to revitalize my presence there. I was live-tweeting a rerun of "The Mentalist." In retrospect, that might have been a piece of bad timing.
Seattle Seahawks: Super Bowl Champions: Eh, good for them. I'm sure there's no correlation between their success and the high number of PED-suspensions the franchise has had over the last few years. Let's answer another Reader Mail question.
Q:What's a good retro PPV to check out on WWE Network?
A: I'm not saying it's the best--did it really need to give nearly 20 minutes to Michael Hayes vs. Russian Assassin I?--but Chi Town Rumble '89 is one of my old favorites, headlined by Steamboat vs. Flair and memorably featuring Dave Meltzer in the front row facing the hard camera all night long.
Warner Archive had an all-Joan week, and I don't mean Joan Van Ark. No, it's 5 vintage Joan Crawford pictures: The Last of Mrs. Cheyney, Our Blushing Brides, I Live My Life, The Bride Wore Red, and Montana Moon.
And in streaming:
Netflix's March 1 catalog haul add yielded few surprises. Oh, there are some goodies--The Bad News Bears, Capote, Easy Rider, Donnie Brasco, Dr. Strangelove, Taxi Driver, Silence of the Lambs--but a lot of it is recycled. I mean, can anyone who has had Netflix more than a year or two be excited about the return of the likes of--Hey, Over the Top is back? YES! I missed that last time around, but I'm finally gonna watch the whole thing through, baby!
Oh, and there's the original version of Rake if the Greg Kinnear series has you curious. And of course, I can't ignore Fireplace for your Home: Cascade.
Hey, Hulu Plus, still waiting on those CBS/Paramount shows!
Warner Archive Instant made an unusual move, adding two seasons of the mid-1990s animated series adaptation of The Mask. That's it. OK...I don't remember it, but it looks like this one was actually decent. I guess it's good to see variety on WAI, but here's hoping for some old movies this weekend.
Acorn TV added the first 3 series of Rumpole of the Bailey, family series Wild at Heart, miniseries Edward and Mrs. Simpson, comedy panel show QI, another set of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Derek Jacobi in Cadafel, and a series of chats at a museum setting called Talks About Nothing. Hey, talk about variety, that's a lot more Brit telly than what you typically see on your local PBS station on Saturday night.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching
Gravity: To the tune of "tragedy" by the Bee Gees:
It's gravity
When your spaceship's gone and you can't go on
It's gravity
When...eh, never mind. But it's been in MY head ever since the movie came out.
Hey, I really want to see this, but I don't have a 3-D IMAX Ultrasphere Supercalibrated THX-NRBQ auditorium in my home. Should I even bother renting the DVD? Everybody says, "You gotta see it in a theater!"
Blue is the Warmest Color: This is a serious FILM, ladies and gentlemen, and it deserves more than just a tag of "that erotic NC-17 lesbian movie." So I'm gonna try to think of something else to say about it.
Nebraska: Alexander Payne's acclaimed black-and-white dramedy may give Bruce Dern an Oscar. But as a Penn State fan, I'm still bitter over 1994 (look it up), and I refuse to watch anything with "Nebraska" in the title.
Thor: The Dark World: He's back. He's bigger, stronger, THORer...but I still suspect he's faking that accent when I see him doing non-Thor stuff. I was all set to go on a rant about how I'd like to see a superhero sequel go "light" instead of "dark" for a change until I remembered "Spider-Man 3." And much of "Superman II." And "V for Vendetta II." OK, I made that last one up. But it would have stunk.
Blue is the Warmest Color: Eh...nothing yet. Hang on a minute.
King of the Hill (Criterion): This early Steven Soderbergh joint was unavailable on video for a long time, and that kind of built it up in my mind to the point where when I saw it on cable and found it only really good instead of an instant classic...I was almost disappointed. Let that be a lesson: Never get your hopes up for anything.
LA Law Season 1: Let's go back to the 1980s! This was a pretty big deal back in the day but was all but forgotten not long after. I'm glad Shout Factory is giving it a shot. Perhaps more Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere will follow.
Blue is the Warmest Color: Uh...not much else to say yet...
WWE Royal Rumble 2014: This PPV event will be notorious for years because of the way the fans crapped all over the main event. I feel like I have to reassure non-wrestling fans that I don't mean that wrestling fans literally crapped all over it.
And in streaming...
Netflix had another slow week. I guess the new normal is waiting for the high-profile releases like the originals and kind of looking for surprises and the monthly mostly-MGM catalog dumps.
Hey, look what IS on streaming this week, though: Blue is the Warmest Color. It's on streaming day and date with the DVD release. There. I did it!
The final episodes of Breaking Bad are available, according to an email Netflix sent me, and that's cool, but I just saw them a few months ago. The Guild looks like it could be an interesting series to try. Some documentaries are back, like Casino Jack, Crazy Love, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room...but these are all re-adds.
Hey, Hulu Plus, I'm still waiting for those CBS/Paramount series! I did see that nearly all episodes of 1955 single-season CBS horse show The Adventures of Champion are now up there, but those come not from CBS, but from American Pop.
Warner Archive Instant disappointed me this weekend. Nothing new was added except a "Warner Goes to War" showcase row of titles. It's a great idea, packaging 7 WWII-themed films and making a neat category, but all 7 were already on the service. That's two empty weeks in a row. I will say this for WAI, though: since the channel's upgrade several weeks ago, it launches faster than it did before on Roku.
It's gravity
When your spaceship's gone and you can't go on
It's gravity
When...eh, never mind. But it's been in MY head ever since the movie came out.
Hey, I really want to see this, but I don't have a 3-D IMAX Ultrasphere Supercalibrated THX-NRBQ auditorium in my home. Should I even bother renting the DVD? Everybody says, "You gotta see it in a theater!"
Blue is the Warmest Color: This is a serious FILM, ladies and gentlemen, and it deserves more than just a tag of "that erotic NC-17 lesbian movie." So I'm gonna try to think of something else to say about it.
Nebraska: Alexander Payne's acclaimed black-and-white dramedy may give Bruce Dern an Oscar. But as a Penn State fan, I'm still bitter over 1994 (look it up), and I refuse to watch anything with "Nebraska" in the title.
Thor: The Dark World: He's back. He's bigger, stronger, THORer...but I still suspect he's faking that accent when I see him doing non-Thor stuff. I was all set to go on a rant about how I'd like to see a superhero sequel go "light" instead of "dark" for a change until I remembered "Spider-Man 3." And much of "Superman II." And "V for Vendetta II." OK, I made that last one up. But it would have stunk.
Blue is the Warmest Color: Eh...nothing yet. Hang on a minute.
King of the Hill (Criterion): This early Steven Soderbergh joint was unavailable on video for a long time, and that kind of built it up in my mind to the point where when I saw it on cable and found it only really good instead of an instant classic...I was almost disappointed. Let that be a lesson: Never get your hopes up for anything.
LA Law Season 1: Let's go back to the 1980s! This was a pretty big deal back in the day but was all but forgotten not long after. I'm glad Shout Factory is giving it a shot. Perhaps more Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere will follow.
Blue is the Warmest Color: Uh...not much else to say yet...
WWE Royal Rumble 2014: This PPV event will be notorious for years because of the way the fans crapped all over the main event. I feel like I have to reassure non-wrestling fans that I don't mean that wrestling fans literally crapped all over it.
And in streaming...
Netflix had another slow week. I guess the new normal is waiting for the high-profile releases like the originals and kind of looking for surprises and the monthly mostly-MGM catalog dumps.
Hey, look what IS on streaming this week, though: Blue is the Warmest Color. It's on streaming day and date with the DVD release. There. I did it!
The final episodes of Breaking Bad are available, according to an email Netflix sent me, and that's cool, but I just saw them a few months ago. The Guild looks like it could be an interesting series to try. Some documentaries are back, like Casino Jack, Crazy Love, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room...but these are all re-adds.
Hey, Hulu Plus, I'm still waiting for those CBS/Paramount series! I did see that nearly all episodes of 1955 single-season CBS horse show The Adventures of Champion are now up there, but those come not from CBS, but from American Pop.
Warner Archive Instant disappointed me this weekend. Nothing new was added except a "Warner Goes to War" showcase row of titles. It's a great idea, packaging 7 WWII-themed films and making a neat category, but all 7 were already on the service. That's two empty weeks in a row. I will say this for WAI, though: since the channel's upgrade several weeks ago, it launches faster than it did before on Roku.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching
This is one of the slowest DVD weeks in recent memory. I'm tempted to go see if the dollar store got a new shipment of budget discs just so I can have something to write about. I did notice the box of ultra-cheap dollar DVDs on the bottom shelf of the sucker aisle at the Wal-Mart checkout had a Mr. and Mrs. North DVD, but it "only" had 3 episodes, so I wasn't even tempted. It's still cool to think that even though they're so tucked away, you can still find copies of "The Basketball Fix" for a dollar apiece on retail shelves.
Fantastic Mr. Fox: It may sound like an odd choice for Criterion, but if Wes Anderson left his phone camera on and recorded the inside of his coat pocket for 90 minutes, they'd put that on DVD.
Foreign Correspondent: Why do all these Alfred Hitchock movies get fancy Criterion re-releases? Who does this guy think he is, Wes Anderson?
6 Million Dollar Man Season 5: I think literally every other episode this season is a two-parter, which is surely an indication of how intricate the show's sophisticated plots had become by the fifth season. Also, this is the season when Steve Austin literally goes to the moon.
Game of Thrones Season 3: Yep, sometimes I sure wish I had HBO.
Nurse Jackie Season 5: Yet I'm OK with not having Showtime.
Thankfully, Warner Archive gives us some excitement this week with Vitaphone Comedy Collection Volume 2: Shemp Howard. YES! Volume 1, which features Shemp and Fatty Arbuckle (along with Lionel Stander, Ben Blue, and others) is an outstanding set. This one is even more Shemptastic! Also new from the Archive: What Price Hollywood? (1932) and Beware the Batman season 1.
And in streaming, let's look at Netflix first:
House of Cards Season 2: I haven't gotten there yet, but just tell me that the guy who runs the rib joint is back. He's the one decent character in the whole bunch.
Passion: I don't know much about this Brian DePalma movie, but I think it's safe to assume it involves sexual tension, blonde women, and homages to Hitchcock.
Marvel's Iron Man and Hulk: Heroes United: This is terribly unfair to Marvel, but this just makes me wish the recent DC Dark Knight animated films were available.
On Hulu, I don't think these Carsey-Warner shows were available before: Cybill, A Different World, and Grace Under Fire. I notice it's only the first few seasons of "World." Come on, Hulu, what is this crap? We're still waiting for more than the first couple seasons of all those MTM shows. I guess they're never coming. I'll be really disappointed if those new CBS library shows that are coming aren't complete series runs.
And speaking of that, where ARE those new CBS library shows?
Warner Archive Instant did not add any movies, as far as I can tell, but it didn't remove another couple dozen, either. Good news is two interesting Western TV series were added to the lineup:
A Man Called Shenandoah, which sounds excellent (I've never seen it but sure intend to give it a watch) though it only lasted one season; and The Rounders: A cowboy sitcom based on the 1965 Glenn Ford/Henry Fonda movie, but in the series you get Ron Hayes and Patrick (John's son) Wayne. It lasted only 17 episodes, but all are here.
It's great to see WAI load up on the old movies, of course, but I'm almost more delighted by the obscure television that shows up. It seems like it's been a while since anything new appeared in that section, so that's an interesting update. I expect another good movie add this Friday, though.
Fantastic Mr. Fox: It may sound like an odd choice for Criterion, but if Wes Anderson left his phone camera on and recorded the inside of his coat pocket for 90 minutes, they'd put that on DVD.
Foreign Correspondent: Why do all these Alfred Hitchock movies get fancy Criterion re-releases? Who does this guy think he is, Wes Anderson?
6 Million Dollar Man Season 5: I think literally every other episode this season is a two-parter, which is surely an indication of how intricate the show's sophisticated plots had become by the fifth season. Also, this is the season when Steve Austin literally goes to the moon.
Game of Thrones Season 3: Yep, sometimes I sure wish I had HBO.
Nurse Jackie Season 5: Yet I'm OK with not having Showtime.
Thankfully, Warner Archive gives us some excitement this week with Vitaphone Comedy Collection Volume 2: Shemp Howard. YES! Volume 1, which features Shemp and Fatty Arbuckle (along with Lionel Stander, Ben Blue, and others) is an outstanding set. This one is even more Shemptastic! Also new from the Archive: What Price Hollywood? (1932) and Beware the Batman season 1.
And in streaming, let's look at Netflix first:
House of Cards Season 2: I haven't gotten there yet, but just tell me that the guy who runs the rib joint is back. He's the one decent character in the whole bunch.
Passion: I don't know much about this Brian DePalma movie, but I think it's safe to assume it involves sexual tension, blonde women, and homages to Hitchcock.
Marvel's Iron Man and Hulk: Heroes United: This is terribly unfair to Marvel, but this just makes me wish the recent DC Dark Knight animated films were available.
On Hulu, I don't think these Carsey-Warner shows were available before: Cybill, A Different World, and Grace Under Fire. I notice it's only the first few seasons of "World." Come on, Hulu, what is this crap? We're still waiting for more than the first couple seasons of all those MTM shows. I guess they're never coming. I'll be really disappointed if those new CBS library shows that are coming aren't complete series runs.
And speaking of that, where ARE those new CBS library shows?
Warner Archive Instant did not add any movies, as far as I can tell, but it didn't remove another couple dozen, either. Good news is two interesting Western TV series were added to the lineup:
A Man Called Shenandoah, which sounds excellent (I've never seen it but sure intend to give it a watch) though it only lasted one season; and The Rounders: A cowboy sitcom based on the 1965 Glenn Ford/Henry Fonda movie, but in the series you get Ron Hayes and Patrick (John's son) Wayne. It lasted only 17 episodes, but all are here.
It's great to see WAI load up on the old movies, of course, but I'm almost more delighted by the obscure television that shows up. It seems like it's been a while since anything new appeared in that section, so that's an interesting update. I expect another good movie add this Friday, though.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching EXTRA
Since yesterday's post went to press (I love saying stuff like that), I have come across some tidbits and news ITEMS that just couldn't wait till next week's column. Plus I have to write about this stuff before the winter weather drives me batty.
ITEM: The Wonder Years is finally coming to DVD later this year from Star Vista (formerly Time-Life, and it bothers me that it's not Time-Life anymore, but then again, heck, it bothers me not to see "Life Magazine" on the newsstand, and come to think of it, it bothers me not to see newsstands), with "virtually all music intact." Hacked-up versions have been streaming for a while, but it looks like one of the most requested TV on DVD releases ever is on the way.
So we get "Batman" and "The Wonder Years," long coveted but long thought unreleasable, in the same calendar year. Can Cop Rock be far behind?
ITEM: A few weeks ago, I mentioned "Family Matters" season 4 was out. Now comes trouble in paradise, as the episodes were all syndicated versions with scenes removed! How does this happen in 2014? This passage from TV Shows on DVD struck me, though:
A week ago yesterday, Warner Home Video released Family Matters - The Complete 4th Season on DVD into stores. And fans immediately began complaining about the episodes in this set
Yes, I'd love to make a joke about fans complaining about "Family Matters" episodes, but even the crappy shows deserve quality DVD releases. Therefore I will make no remarks about how the last thing fans should be complaining about is that there is LESS of the show to endure in any single sitting.
ITEM: Warner Archive releases Marine Boy Volume 2 and Free and Easy with Buster Keaton. The interesting thing about the Keaton picture is that it includes the Spanish-language version shot at the same time with a Spanish-speaking cast alongside Buster. It's an interesting treat for fans and another indication of the creativity and dedication of the folks running the Warner Archive.
ITEM: Hulu Plus expands library deal with CBS, will add more old-school TV to its roster. I am quite pleased to see news like this because it sometimes seems like all the acquisition dollars are thrown at new series like "Elementary" and "Blue Bloods," when there are tons of classic shows not being seen anywhere, not even in this era of rerun-heavy digital subchannels like ME-TV.
Specific titles mentioned in news coverage of the deal include "The Brady Bunch" (I love watching this with my kids), Taxi (an all-time great), and "Happy Days" (hasn't held up as well as I hoped, but I'd still to be able to cherry pick individual episodes and see them on demand).
But here's the thing, Hulu: We want all seasons of these shows, not just the "first 3 seasons" junk you pull with many of the oldies you license, like the MTM programs.
ITEM: The Wonder Years is finally coming to DVD later this year from Star Vista (formerly Time-Life, and it bothers me that it's not Time-Life anymore, but then again, heck, it bothers me not to see "Life Magazine" on the newsstand, and come to think of it, it bothers me not to see newsstands), with "virtually all music intact." Hacked-up versions have been streaming for a while, but it looks like one of the most requested TV on DVD releases ever is on the way.
So we get "Batman" and "The Wonder Years," long coveted but long thought unreleasable, in the same calendar year. Can Cop Rock be far behind?
ITEM: A few weeks ago, I mentioned "Family Matters" season 4 was out. Now comes trouble in paradise, as the episodes were all syndicated versions with scenes removed! How does this happen in 2014? This passage from TV Shows on DVD struck me, though:
A week ago yesterday, Warner Home Video released Family Matters - The Complete 4th Season on DVD into stores. And fans immediately began complaining about the episodes in this set
Yes, I'd love to make a joke about fans complaining about "Family Matters" episodes, but even the crappy shows deserve quality DVD releases. Therefore I will make no remarks about how the last thing fans should be complaining about is that there is LESS of the show to endure in any single sitting.
ITEM: Warner Archive releases Marine Boy Volume 2 and Free and Easy with Buster Keaton. The interesting thing about the Keaton picture is that it includes the Spanish-language version shot at the same time with a Spanish-speaking cast alongside Buster. It's an interesting treat for fans and another indication of the creativity and dedication of the folks running the Warner Archive.
ITEM: Hulu Plus expands library deal with CBS, will add more old-school TV to its roster. I am quite pleased to see news like this because it sometimes seems like all the acquisition dollars are thrown at new series like "Elementary" and "Blue Bloods," when there are tons of classic shows not being seen anywhere, not even in this era of rerun-heavy digital subchannels like ME-TV.
Specific titles mentioned in news coverage of the deal include "The Brady Bunch" (I love watching this with my kids), Taxi (an all-time great), and "Happy Days" (hasn't held up as well as I hoped, but I'd still to be able to cherry pick individual episodes and see them on demand).
But here's the thing, Hulu: We want all seasons of these shows, not just the "first 3 seasons" junk you pull with many of the oldies you license, like the MTM programs.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching
Ender's Game: I was going to write about how people wanted to boycott this movie when it hit theaters and joke about the presence or lack of any boycott with the video release. Then I realized someone might interpret any of that as some kind of political statement. Then I realized I almost forgot what the boycott was about. THEN I realized I forgot what the MOVIE was about.
So, anyway...this is available on DVD now.
All is Lost: It's a good thing actors make choices based on the inherent quality of work and not the potential for awards recognition, because, man, every review I read of this one touted Bob Redford as a sure-fire Best Actor nominee for his work as a man adrift at sea and struggling to survive. Keep in mind the guy is in his late 70s and did this without the benefit of a charming volleyball to play off of. Yet Leo DiCaprio gets to plow through broads and drugs for a few hours, and they recognize him. No respect!
The Counselor: You just never know. It's amazing that a movie with a screenplay by Ridley Scott, direction by Ridley Scott, and an all-star cast can be reduced to "the one where Cameron Diaz has sex with a car."
The Best Man Holiday: I read an offhand reference to "the great Morris Chestnut" in the "Entertainment Weekly" review of this when it came out last year, and I'm still reeling.
The Jungle Book: OK, it's on Blu-Ray, but I just bought the damn 40th Anniversary Edition a few years ago. I think I'm OK with the "bare necessities" for another few years.
Looney Tunes Center Stage: Warner Home Video continues to find new ways of repackaging the old stuff while avoiding bringing out actual new stuff. This is basically disc 3 of the first Golden Collection. Hey, remember the Golden Collections?
Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth: What, are YOU gonna tell him it ain't the truth?
The Armstrong Lie: Now, Lance Armstrong, yeah, I might take a shot at calling him a liar.
Dallas Season 2: I saw this was added to Netflix. Unfortunately, it's just the modern TNT version. I wouldn't mind if Netflix added old prime-time soaps to its library, particularly something as fun as the original "Dallas."
Sherlock Season 3: I haven't seen season 2 yet! I know, I know...
Newhart Season 2: Kudos to Shout Factory for reviving this series (and season 3 is already scheduled for April!), but I read some buzz on SitcomsOnline that there are two syndication (that is, edited) versions on this set. How the heck does this stuff always happen with Shout releases? Anyway, season 2 is a lot more like NEWHART "Newhart" than season 1; it's a real transition year, with the show switching from shooting on video to film, getting Dick Loudon out of the inn and into the TV studio, phasing out Kirk, and adding Julia Duffy's Stephanie and Peter Scolari's Michael. If you thought season 1 was a little odd, check out season 2 and get ready for the show to really become what you remember it as in season 3.
Red Skelton Lost Episodes: I don't know, but to me the whole show might as well be lost. I don't think there's ever been any attempt at anything but a scattershot collection of episodes, nobody ever shows it on TV...the term lost episode is sadly redundant with Red Skelton.
And in streaming...
Have I mentioned that Crackle is showing selected "classic" episodes of Jeopardy!? I think it's a cool idea. Other than some reality/game hybrids, not a lot of game shows have popped up on streaming video services, and there could be a real opportunity there now that GSN has given up on classic game shows.
Hulu...is still Hulu.
Netflix added 30 for 30: The Price of Gold, which is cool since it just debuted on ESPN, and these documentaries don't usually show up so quickly. Speaking of documentaries, you can check out Filthy Gorgeous, the story of Bob Guiccione.
Brother Bear is a new Disney add, and it's Disney, but I think we're all kind of hoping for a little better from the Disney deal, aren't we?
So, anyway...this is available on DVD now.
All is Lost: It's a good thing actors make choices based on the inherent quality of work and not the potential for awards recognition, because, man, every review I read of this one touted Bob Redford as a sure-fire Best Actor nominee for his work as a man adrift at sea and struggling to survive. Keep in mind the guy is in his late 70s and did this without the benefit of a charming volleyball to play off of. Yet Leo DiCaprio gets to plow through broads and drugs for a few hours, and they recognize him. No respect!
The Counselor: You just never know. It's amazing that a movie with a screenplay by Ridley Scott, direction by Ridley Scott, and an all-star cast can be reduced to "the one where Cameron Diaz has sex with a car."
The Best Man Holiday: I read an offhand reference to "the great Morris Chestnut" in the "Entertainment Weekly" review of this when it came out last year, and I'm still reeling.
The Jungle Book: OK, it's on Blu-Ray, but I just bought the damn 40th Anniversary Edition a few years ago. I think I'm OK with the "bare necessities" for another few years.
Looney Tunes Center Stage: Warner Home Video continues to find new ways of repackaging the old stuff while avoiding bringing out actual new stuff. This is basically disc 3 of the first Golden Collection. Hey, remember the Golden Collections?
Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth: What, are YOU gonna tell him it ain't the truth?
The Armstrong Lie: Now, Lance Armstrong, yeah, I might take a shot at calling him a liar.
Dallas Season 2: I saw this was added to Netflix. Unfortunately, it's just the modern TNT version. I wouldn't mind if Netflix added old prime-time soaps to its library, particularly something as fun as the original "Dallas."
Sherlock Season 3: I haven't seen season 2 yet! I know, I know...
Newhart Season 2: Kudos to Shout Factory for reviving this series (and season 3 is already scheduled for April!), but I read some buzz on SitcomsOnline that there are two syndication (that is, edited) versions on this set. How the heck does this stuff always happen with Shout releases? Anyway, season 2 is a lot more like NEWHART "Newhart" than season 1; it's a real transition year, with the show switching from shooting on video to film, getting Dick Loudon out of the inn and into the TV studio, phasing out Kirk, and adding Julia Duffy's Stephanie and Peter Scolari's Michael. If you thought season 1 was a little odd, check out season 2 and get ready for the show to really become what you remember it as in season 3.
Red Skelton Lost Episodes: I don't know, but to me the whole show might as well be lost. I don't think there's ever been any attempt at anything but a scattershot collection of episodes, nobody ever shows it on TV...the term lost episode is sadly redundant with Red Skelton.
And in streaming...
Have I mentioned that Crackle is showing selected "classic" episodes of Jeopardy!? I think it's a cool idea. Other than some reality/game hybrids, not a lot of game shows have popped up on streaming video services, and there could be a real opportunity there now that GSN has given up on classic game shows.
Hulu...is still Hulu.
Netflix added 30 for 30: The Price of Gold, which is cool since it just debuted on ESPN, and these documentaries don't usually show up so quickly. Speaking of documentaries, you can check out Filthy Gorgeous, the story of Bob Guiccione.
Brother Bear is a new Disney add, and it's Disney, but I think we're all kind of hoping for a little better from the Disney deal, aren't we?
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching
Dallas Buyers Club: This Matthew McConaughey as a great actor thing came way too fast for me. The fact that "Failure to Launch" just showed up on Netflix Instant isn't helping any (HBO's "True Detective," however, is).
Escape Plan: Sly and Arnold are trapped inside an unbreakable prison. They attempt a daring escape but are interrupted when Kevin Hart gets them to box each other. Wait, am I confusing this with something else?
Free Birds: Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson voicing a kids movie? I guess it's OK, but I can't shake the nagging fear that it's a gateway movie to the R-rated stuff.
About Time: The latest (maybe the last?) Richard Curtis romcom comes with this description:
About Time is a comedy about love and time travel, which discovers that, in the end, making the most of life may not need time travel at all.
It doesn't? Well, I guess I'll give up my time machine and get back to work on that perpetual motion device I've been working on for years.
Baggage Claim: It's nice we're in an era when African-American audiences can be targeted by the same kind of generic romantic comedies as white audiences.
Justice League: War: I hate to be one of those complainers about how comics used to be, but these DC animated movies are getting pretty dark. It would be nice to see something like Super Friends: Heated but Ultimately Nonfatal Fights.
Romeo and Juliet: I guess the kids got enough of this in English class, because nobody went to see this umpteenth reimagining of the tale. Why does every generation get one of these, yet "Troilus and Cressida" sits around gathering dust?
Three Stooges Collection: Budget-priced box set containing 6 of the team's feature films, and it sounds like a great deal, though knowing Mill Creek, I wouldn't be surprised if it was all crammed on one flipper disc.
Family Matters Season 4 and Laverne and Shirley Season 7: You know, I pair these two TV releases because, initial appearances to the contrary, the shows actually have a lot in common. For instance, they both...are sitcoms...and...OK, I'll admit it, I just don't have anything to say about them.
Warner Archive went totally nuts, releasing several noirs, including a couple George Rafts; a few 1930s films, a couple Brother Rat movies, and the 1972 TV series Search. Now, I've never seen that one, but, boy, I sure want to when I read the official description:
Hugh O’Brian, Doug McClure and Tony Franciosa rotate leads as elite high tech espionage operatives for Probe Division of World Securities Corporation in this spy-sensational SF-flavored actioner from Leslie Stevens (creator, The Outer Limits) and Robert Justman (Producer and one of the guiding lights of Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation).
And in streaming...
Netflix followed up a lackluster January 1 monthly catalog add with an even weaker February 1 catalog add. In fact, Netflix has been adding a few interesting titles here and there but not bringing it in terms of volume lately. Perhaps the highest-profile add this past week was The Croods. Several WWE titles have been added lately, which may be a good sign that their deal will continue despite the imminent launch of the WWE Network.
Sunset Boulevard, MASH, and Marathon Man are good adds, and the Airplane! movies and the first Naked Gun are welcome, but overall it's been an inauspicious start to 2014 for Instant Watching.
Crackle pleased me by adding Drive. I started to watch this on Netflix several months ago, then fell asleep, and it expired the next day. Now I get a chance to finish it!
Hulu was quiet this week. I guess it's focusing on all the new network shows right now.
Acorn TV added Slings and Arrows, Father Brown, the recent comedy You, Me, and Them, and new episodes of Miss Marple. It is also adding a new episode of George Gently each week this month.
The real action this week, as it has been most weeks lately, is at Warner Archive Instant. Yes, I bemoaned the disappearance of scores of titles yesterday, but at least the service is also adding a bunch of stuff. Lots of goodies this week, including pre-Codes, genre action, and some outright classics. Here are some highlights of the Friday update:
Bedside (Allen Jenkins, Warren William), Air Force (John Garfield), Destination Tokyo (Garfield and Cary Grant), You'll Find Out ( Kay Kyser with Lugosi and Lorre).
A slew of early Hollywood female-driven pictures are new, including They Call it Sin with Loretta Young, Illicit with Babs Stanwyck, Guilty Hands with Kay Francis, and Female (Ruth Chatterton). I also see some Joan Blondell movies and a bunch of new William Powell titles. Star-studded wartime efforts Thank Your Lucky Stars (WWII) and Starlift (Korea) are here, and so is the infamous Wonder Bar.
Escape Plan: Sly and Arnold are trapped inside an unbreakable prison. They attempt a daring escape but are interrupted when Kevin Hart gets them to box each other. Wait, am I confusing this with something else?
Free Birds: Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson voicing a kids movie? I guess it's OK, but I can't shake the nagging fear that it's a gateway movie to the R-rated stuff.
About Time: The latest (maybe the last?) Richard Curtis romcom comes with this description:
About Time is a comedy about love and time travel, which discovers that, in the end, making the most of life may not need time travel at all.
It doesn't? Well, I guess I'll give up my time machine and get back to work on that perpetual motion device I've been working on for years.
Baggage Claim: It's nice we're in an era when African-American audiences can be targeted by the same kind of generic romantic comedies as white audiences.
Justice League: War: I hate to be one of those complainers about how comics used to be, but these DC animated movies are getting pretty dark. It would be nice to see something like Super Friends: Heated but Ultimately Nonfatal Fights.
Romeo and Juliet: I guess the kids got enough of this in English class, because nobody went to see this umpteenth reimagining of the tale. Why does every generation get one of these, yet "Troilus and Cressida" sits around gathering dust?
Three Stooges Collection: Budget-priced box set containing 6 of the team's feature films, and it sounds like a great deal, though knowing Mill Creek, I wouldn't be surprised if it was all crammed on one flipper disc.
Family Matters Season 4 and Laverne and Shirley Season 7: You know, I pair these two TV releases because, initial appearances to the contrary, the shows actually have a lot in common. For instance, they both...are sitcoms...and...OK, I'll admit it, I just don't have anything to say about them.
Warner Archive went totally nuts, releasing several noirs, including a couple George Rafts; a few 1930s films, a couple Brother Rat movies, and the 1972 TV series Search. Now, I've never seen that one, but, boy, I sure want to when I read the official description:
Hugh O’Brian, Doug McClure and Tony Franciosa rotate leads as elite high tech espionage operatives for Probe Division of World Securities Corporation in this spy-sensational SF-flavored actioner from Leslie Stevens (creator, The Outer Limits) and Robert Justman (Producer and one of the guiding lights of Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation).
And in streaming...
Netflix followed up a lackluster January 1 monthly catalog add with an even weaker February 1 catalog add. In fact, Netflix has been adding a few interesting titles here and there but not bringing it in terms of volume lately. Perhaps the highest-profile add this past week was The Croods. Several WWE titles have been added lately, which may be a good sign that their deal will continue despite the imminent launch of the WWE Network.
Sunset Boulevard, MASH, and Marathon Man are good adds, and the Airplane! movies and the first Naked Gun are welcome, but overall it's been an inauspicious start to 2014 for Instant Watching.
Crackle pleased me by adding Drive. I started to watch this on Netflix several months ago, then fell asleep, and it expired the next day. Now I get a chance to finish it!
Hulu was quiet this week. I guess it's focusing on all the new network shows right now.
Acorn TV added Slings and Arrows, Father Brown, the recent comedy You, Me, and Them, and new episodes of Miss Marple. It is also adding a new episode of George Gently each week this month.
The real action this week, as it has been most weeks lately, is at Warner Archive Instant. Yes, I bemoaned the disappearance of scores of titles yesterday, but at least the service is also adding a bunch of stuff. Lots of goodies this week, including pre-Codes, genre action, and some outright classics. Here are some highlights of the Friday update:
Bedside (Allen Jenkins, Warren William), Air Force (John Garfield), Destination Tokyo (Garfield and Cary Grant), You'll Find Out ( Kay Kyser with Lugosi and Lorre).
A slew of early Hollywood female-driven pictures are new, including They Call it Sin with Loretta Young, Illicit with Babs Stanwyck, Guilty Hands with Kay Francis, and Female (Ruth Chatterton). I also see some Joan Blondell movies and a bunch of new William Powell titles. Star-studded wartime efforts Thank Your Lucky Stars (WWII) and Starlift (Korea) are here, and so is the infamous Wonder Bar.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching
Lee Daniels' The Butler: Remember when this was coming out and we wanted to mock the hell out of the pretentiousness of the director putting his name in the title? And then we found out it was actually because a greedy corporation put in a frivolous copyright claim and made him do it? Well, unfortunately, I still remember that second part, so I'm still not gonna mock the title.
Enough Said: A delightful romantic comedy with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the late James Gandolfini. If you're wondering why I don't have a wise-ass remark about this, it's not because I think it's too soon to disrespect the deceased. No, it's because the guy still scares the hell out of me.
Carrie: You mean this is NOT the vintage Europe World Tour concert movie we've all been waiting for? It's another version of the Stephen King story? Yawn.
Riddick: I get the ominous feeling Vin Diesel is just gonna keep bringing this character back every few years whether we like it or not. Hey, wait, Karl Urban is in this? I might have to take a look.
Wow, my man crush is way out of control.
Wow, my man crush is way out of control.
Fruitvale Station: I thought this dramatization of the story of a young man who was killed by a rapid transit police officer was a significant, meaningful film. But it didn't get any Oscar nominations, so now I know I can skip it.
20 Feet from Stardom: This documentary about backup singers DID get a nomination, so we can all be sure it's worth watching.
You're Next: Don't prejudge this one just because it was made in 2011 and released in 2013. Prejudge it because it's a slasher movie.
Rewind This!: A documentary of the rise and fall of VHS? How awesome is it that it comes out just after Blockbuster closes? I gotta see this one.
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Season 2: For you cheapskates that didn't buy the complete series, you can keep buying 'em one season at a time.
And in streaming...
Hey, I like to make fun of Hulu here a lot, but it did two cool things lately: It made its interface on my Blu-Ray player a lot better, and it added 71 episodes of the classic Naked City, a mix of half-hour and hourlong installments. Score one for the good guys!
I noticed this week that Crackle now has the complete run of The Larry Sanders Show, and I was worried it would be edited until I fired up an episode and heard Hank Kingsley fire a glorious F-bomb. Hey, now!
I'm still catching up with the big updates Warner Instant made at the end of December/beginning of January. Last week, the service added more noir, like Larry Tierney in Born to Kill, Deadline at Dawn, Nobody Lives Forever, and The Set-Up. Plus there is proto-noir (if there is such a thing) Strangers on the Third Floor with Peter Lorre. Ape fans can enjoy Mighty Joe Young and Son of Kong. I believe From the Earth to the Moon was also just added, cult hit Snow Devils is new, along with a few Errol Flynns--Virginia City and Gentleman Jim,. And if I mentioned this last week, I apologize, but it's always worth mentioning an appearance by the great Dick Powell--this time, it's Varsity Show.
Netflix has been pretty slow so far this year, but it has added some quality titles. New original documentary The Square joins the also just-added The Act of Killing as fresh Oscar nominees that are available.
Ricky Gervais brings us travelogue series An Idiot Abroad, and all of it is now on Instant Watching. Last year's Kevin Hart concert film Let Me Explain is another new add.
Some WWE videos are back on, and it's disappointing that they're "reruns" but cool that they are back. It'll be interesting to see if the WWE/Netflix arrangement continues, and to what extent, when the WWE Network (which promises to offer the entire WWE home video library) next month.
And in streaming...
Hey, I like to make fun of Hulu here a lot, but it did two cool things lately: It made its interface on my Blu-Ray player a lot better, and it added 71 episodes of the classic Naked City, a mix of half-hour and hourlong installments. Score one for the good guys!
I noticed this week that Crackle now has the complete run of The Larry Sanders Show, and I was worried it would be edited until I fired up an episode and heard Hank Kingsley fire a glorious F-bomb. Hey, now!
I'm still catching up with the big updates Warner Instant made at the end of December/beginning of January. Last week, the service added more noir, like Larry Tierney in Born to Kill, Deadline at Dawn, Nobody Lives Forever, and The Set-Up. Plus there is proto-noir (if there is such a thing) Strangers on the Third Floor with Peter Lorre. Ape fans can enjoy Mighty Joe Young and Son of Kong. I believe From the Earth to the Moon was also just added, cult hit Snow Devils is new, along with a few Errol Flynns--Virginia City and Gentleman Jim,. And if I mentioned this last week, I apologize, but it's always worth mentioning an appearance by the great Dick Powell--this time, it's Varsity Show.
Netflix has been pretty slow so far this year, but it has added some quality titles. New original documentary The Square joins the also just-added The Act of Killing as fresh Oscar nominees that are available.
Ricky Gervais brings us travelogue series An Idiot Abroad, and all of it is now on Instant Watching. Last year's Kevin Hart concert film Let Me Explain is another new add.
Some WWE videos are back on, and it's disappointing that they're "reruns" but cool that they are back. It'll be interesting to see if the WWE/Netflix arrangement continues, and to what extent, when the WWE Network (which promises to offer the entire WWE home video library) next month.
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