The Film Experience

If you're new to the site this is how we share new streaming offerings for the month. We select a handful or two of titles and just randomly hit a place on the scroll bar to see what the film looks like - no cheating. Ready? Let's play...

I CAN'T WATCH!!!

Muppets Now (2020) Season 1 on Disney Plus
Let's HOPE Kermit isn't being prophetic about the quality of his new show with this random shot/dialogue. Maybe because we grew up with them, we always give new Muppet content a chance. Will you?

-We were just talking about Felix.

-What about him?

Exotica (1994) on Criterion Channel
You guys. Young Nathaniel was SOOOO into this arthouse hit. Sadly the Nathaniel of now does not remember a single thing about Atom Egoyan's international breakthrough movie beyond that there was some kind of strip club where Mia Kirschner danced and that it was exciting that Canada had a new famous director to add to the small pool we knew about at the time (Cronenberg and Arcand... that was the extent of the list!). LOOK AT HOW YOUNG THESE FAMOUS ACTORS ARE... That's Bruce Greenwood, Sarah Polley, and Victor Garber! The "Felix" they're talking about is the parrot on Victor's shoulder.

One look at him and I can tell he has rubber in his blood.

Miss Annie Rooney (1942) on Criterion Channel
Wait, what? Sometimes dialogue out of context is just "!?!?!" This movie is famous for one single reason: It gave Shirley Temple her first screen kiss (with fellow former child star Dickie Moore, who claimed it was also his first kiss, period). She was 14 but would retire from acting by 1950.

There are those that say my radium is making them sick. Are you sick?

Radioactive (2020) on Amazon Prime
We reviewed. There have been at least five filmed versions of this story: Madame Curie (US, 1943) nominated for 7 Oscars starring Greer Garson, Marie Curie (UK, 1977) a miniseries starring Jane Lapotaire, Les palmes de M Schutz (France, 1997) starring Isabelle Huppert, Marie Curie (Poland, 2016) starring Karolina Gruszka and now Radioactive (2020) starring Rosamund Pike.

[Coughing]

Harriet (2019) on HBOMax
Harriet's escape is the best stretch of the movie, culminating in a beautiful scene (not this one) where she walks in the sunshine, after crossing enough borders to finally breathe. We wish the movie had had more of that pause for feeling as previously stated. It's a typical biopic problem, the rush to hit as many important plot points in a life as possible. Though we didn't think Erivo deserved an Oscar nod for this performance (too many powerhouse leading women last year), we're pissed that Emmy skipped her for The Outsider just this past week since she was just riveting in it playing a fascinating character. Apparently they didn't like that horror drama since it got only one measly nomination for "guest" Jason Bateman who is the star of the first couple of episodes.

Just as you were going leaving me all at sea
The clouds broke | They broke and oh what a break for me! ♫ ♬

Top Hat (1935) on HBOMax
HBO Max has a few Fred & Ginger movies

-You know that Wanda Jean now lives with a woman in Abilene and she delivers for the UPS.

-It all tracks back. [Laughing]

Sordid Lives (2000) on Hulu
Have any of you seen this cult classic piece of camp? We imagine it will find some new fans now that Leslie Jordan is so popular on Instagram. He plays "Brother Boy," whose been locked up for 23 years in an institution for his cross-dressing gayness by his family.

Hide me somewhere deeper, somewhere really buried.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) on Netflix
To think that this very obvious (at the time) masterpiece wasnt granted a Best Picture nomination (in a weak field of competitors at that) remains enraging.

ALSO STREAMING RIGHT NOW...