Last Chance Streaming: "The Hustler" and "The Way of the Dragon"
Friday, May 26, 2017 at 2:22PM I haven't quite dared to cut the Netflix cord yet, but I get closer every month since I find myself downloading movies more and more from iTunes or streaming on Amazon instead. Since Netflix is systematically erasing all traces of cinema pre 2000 (and even their 2000-2010 collection is tremendously lacking!) as they focus more and more on becoming a TV channel, you have until June 1st to watch the following 20th century films which are leaving the service.
We'll play our little streaming roulette game and screengrab whatever comes up as we bid adieu to the following. Which will you watch before it's hard to find them again?
-Would you like another cup?
-Alright.
The Hustler (1961)
It's the role Paul Newman finally won the Oscar for playing... albeit 25 years before he actually won for it (via The Color of Money, its sequel of sorts in 1986). The Hustler was nominated for 9 Oscars including Best Picture, winning two: Cinematography (b&w) and Art Direction (b&w)
Now just think how you'd play with two good wrists.
D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994)
The video store / pizza place I worked at in college used to play these Mighty Duck movies all the time.
What about you, Amy? He saved you too.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
Check out those giant blades of grass behind them. There's a joke about learning CPR from French class in this scene. I don't remember or didn't get this joke back when the movie came out.
HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON?!?
The Way of the Dragon (1972)
These Chinese restaurant workers are being harassed by a group of rude racist thugs. The thugs didn't count on the iconic Bruce Lee sitting quietly nearby, ready to show them the "whip" of the dragon's tail when their disrespect gets physical. Future 80s action star Chuck Norris plays a villain.
Trivia Note: Not only is this Bruce's penultimate film before his death the following year, it's his only completed directorial work.
Also leaving Netflix at the end of May
This Is Spinal Tap (1984), The Little Rascals (1994), The Blair Witch Project (1999), House of Wax (2005), Heterosexual Jill (2013), Kidnapped (2010), Knuckleball! (2012), L'Auberge Espagnole (2002), Serendipity (2001), The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011), The Prince & Me (2004), The Three Musketeers (2011), We are the Giant (2014)
LEAVING HULU
I was just going down to the pond. Do you want to go?"
Man in the Moon (1991)
Have you ever seen this? It was Reese Witherspoon's debut at 14 and she's just terrific in it, immediately proving herself a born movie star.
Also leaving Hulu at the end of May
A Simple Plan (1998), The Big Kahuna (2000), The Care Bears Movie (1985), Dangerous Curves (1989), Eight Below (2006), Gang Related (1997), Ides of March (2011), Hostel (2005), Hostel: Part 2 (2007), The Hours (2002), King of the Mountain (1981), Kiss the Bride (2002), The Phantom of the Opera (2004), Sister Act (1992), Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), Up in the Air (2009)
Reader Comments (3)
The one movie expiring from my Netflix list this month was Susanne Bier's After the Wedding, which Netflix used to recommend to me before they abandoned their star-based-rating algorithm for the awful thumbs-up/thumbs-down system (now their recommendations are useless). I wasn't that enthused about watching it, but what do you know? It was terrific, really affecting.
I read that they're adding Daughters to the Dust in June, so that's one older movie on Netflix I'm really excited to see.
Piper Laurie is breathtaking in The Hustler.
Oh, THE HUSTLER! If you've not seen it, do yourself a favour! One of my all-time faves.