Streaming Roulette (April Pt 1): Clive Owen's breakthrough, a Marvel dud, and the Rocky franchise

And the state didn't even think to verify it just once? To check on this madman who got into every hospital. Just once to check this stuff used by all the hospitals!

Reminder: Collective, which is up for Best Documentary Feature AND Best International Feature is now streaming on Hulu.

Yes it's time for another round of streaming roulette where we point out titles that are new(ish) to streaming or about to leave and just for fun, freeze frame them at totally random places in the scroll bar and whatever comes up we share. Let's go...

He was Jack. And he was Jake. And he had discovered their was a price to pay for this double life of his...

CROUPIER (1998)
Have you ever seen this casino noir with Clive Owen? It was his seventh picture but the breakthrough role at 34 (his second feature, Close My Eyes, from 1991 is also quite good and has the added bonus of him being very naked in it). After this sleeper success he started getting prestige pics like Gosford Park and mainstream action flicks like The Bourne Identity.  Seems like ages since he's had a real movie success though right. Next up: Playing Bill Clinton in season 3 of American Crime Story

Well, you not gonna sleep in my stables.

CONCRETE COWBOY (2021)
This is a modest but charming urban western about a young boy (Stranger Things) sent to live his estranged father (a very good Idris Elba) who is a member of a tight knit community of horse-tending city-dwellers. Lorraine Toussaint pictured above, who always makes everything better, has a supporting role.

also streaming

• At Eternity's Gate (2018) - Willem Dafoe Oscar nomination
• B The Beginning Succession s2 (2021) - animated
• Bad Trip (2021) - Lil Rel Howery & Eric Andre comedy
• Coven of Sisters (2020) -make sure you check your audio so you don't get the English dub of this Spanish Goya winner
• Escape from Planet Earth (2013) -animated
• Friends with Benefits (2011) Mila Kunis & Justin Timberlake rom-com
• Irul (2021) - thriller from India (Mollywood)
• Jiu Jitsu (2020) - Nicolas Cage and Tony Jaa in a sci-fi action flick
• Just Say Yes (2021) - Dutch romantic comedy
• Kovan (2020) - Turkish drama about a woman and beehives
• Madame Claude (2021) - French period drama set in the 1960s
• Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
• Octonauts and the Ring of Fire (2021) -animated
• The One (2021) - series
• Pagglaint - comedy from India (Bollywood)
• Philomena (2013) - Judi Dench
• The Serpent (2021) - Tahar Rahim stars in this BBC limited series set in the 1970s about a wanted killer
• Sky High (2020) - Spanish thriller about petty criminals and the real estate crash
• Time Traveler's Wife (2009) -Eric Bana & Rachel McAdams romance
• A Week Away (2021) - Christian movie musical 
• Yes Day (2021) jennifer garner & edgar ramirez

Polly put the kettle on. And you shall have a cup of tea the minute I can get it to boil.

Cast a Dark Shadow (1955)
So eager to dig into this "Starring Dirk Bogarde" series on Criterion Channel. I've already watched Victim. Which more on which soon (hopefully). In this one he's "a charming psychopath" 

also streaming on Criterion Channel

• STARRING DICK BOGARDE:  The Sea Shall Not Have Them (1954), Cast a Dark Shadow (1955), Victim (1961), The Servant (1963), Darling (1965), Accident (1967), The Damned (1969), Death in Venice (1971), The Night Porter (1974), Despair (1978), Daddy Nostalgia (1990)
• ESSENTIAL FELLINI Variety Lights (1950), The White Sheik (1952), I vitelloni (1953), La strada (1954), Il bidone (1955), Nights of Cabiria (1957), 8½ (1963), Juliet of the Spirits (1965), Amarcord (1973), City of Women (1980), And the Ship Sails On (1983), Intervista (1987)

• Giuseppe Makes a Movie (2014)
• Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami (2018) REVIEW
• Home (2008)
• Sister (2012)

[LAUGHTER]

 Genius: Aretha (2021)
Have any of you watched this new miniseries with Cynthia Erivo aiming for an Emmy to go with her Tony.

also streaming

• 2012 (2009) 
• 28 Days Later (2003) 
• A Hologram for the King (2016) 
• A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994) 
• A Simple Plan (1998) 
• The Abyss (1989)
• Ammonite (2020)
• Before We Go (2015) 
• Boss Level (2021) REVIEW
• Bug (2007)
• Bulworth (1998)
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) 
• Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974)
• Changing Lanes (2002)
• Chappaquiddick (2017) 
• Chato’s Land (1972)
• Cheech & Chong’s Still Smokin’ (1983) 
• Cohen and Tate (1989)
• The Color Purple (1985)
• The Dead Zone (1983)
• The Devil’s Double (2011)
• Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) 
• Die Hard (1988)
• Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995)
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
• Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000)
• Farewell Amor (2020) REVIEW
• Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) TRIBUTE
• Frankie & Alice (2014)
• Friends With Benefits (2011)
• Garden State (2004)
• The Gift (2000) 
• Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003) 
• Guess Who (2005) 
• Hancock (2008)
• Hysterical (2021) REVIEW
• The Hunting Party (1971)
• In The Mix (2005)
• Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport (2000) - OSCAR WINNER BEST DOC
• Lady in a Cage (1964) REVIEW
• Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector (2006)
• Life Of Crime (2014)
• Live Free Or Die Hard (2007)
• Mad Max (1980) 
• Madea Goes To Jail (Theatrical Feature) (2009) 
• The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)
• The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) 
• Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2004)
• Monster’s Ball (2001) - OSCAR WINNER BEST ACTRESS
• Motel Hell (1980)
• Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
• Never Back Down (2008)
• New in Town (2009) 
• Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)
• The Out-Of-Towners (1999)
• The Pawnbroker (1964)
• Platoon (1986) OSCAR WINNER BEST PIC
• The Polar Express (2004)
• The Preacher’s Wife (1996)
• The Program (1993)
• Ramona and Beezus (2009)
• The Replacement Killers (1998)
• Rio (2011)
• The Sandlot (1993) 
• Scary Movie 4 (2006) 
• Sex and the City (2008)
• Sex And The City 2 (2010)
• Shaft (2000) 
• Shrek 2 (2002) 
• The Skull (1965) 
• Sleeping With The Enemy (1991) 
• Sliver (1993)
• So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)
• Star Trek: Generations (1994)
• Step Up Revolution (2012)
• The Sum of All Fears (2002)
• That Thing You Do! (1996)
• The Upside (2017) 
• Vanilla Sky (2001)
• Virtuosity (1995)
• Waiting to Exhale (1995)
• War (2007)
• Warriors of Virtue (1997)
• We Work: or the Making and breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn (2021) REVIEW
• What About Bob? (1991)
• Where the Heart Is (2000)
• Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
  
  

[CARS HONKING]

What's he doing?

UNHINGED (2020)
The Russell Crowe thriller -- i guess he's on a vehicular rampage? -- was the 6th biggest hit among films that opened during the pandemic last year, grossing $20 million at the US box office. A bit more than the action flick Monster Hunster but a bit less than the comedy The War with Grandpa. If you've seen it do tell: what did you think? 

also streaming most of what Hulu has plus...

• Anna Karenina (2012)
• Because I Said So (2007)
• Blair Witch (2016)
• Bob Roberts (1992)
• Brüno (2009)
• Did You Hear About the Morgans (2009)
• Evan Almighty (2007)
• Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
• Ghost Writer (2010)
• Gunfighters of Abilene (1959)
• The Happening (2008)
• Head of State (2003)
• How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
• Inception (2010)
• Johnny English (2003)
• Lady in a Cage (1964)
• Larry Crowne (2011)
• League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
• Lincoln Lawyer (2012)
• Lords of dogtown (2005)
• Men of Honor (2000)
• Milk (2009) OSCAR WINNER BEST ACTOR
• Minority Report (2002)
• Monsters Ball (2001)
• Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
• My Cousin Vinny (1992)
• Open Range (2003)
• Out of Africa (1985) OSCAR WINNER BEST PICTURE
• Smiley Faced Killers (2020)
• Untraceable (2008)
• Valerie (1957)

[FIGHT NOISES]

The Falcon and the Winter Soldiers S1 (2021)
The first three episodes are out. We'd planned a full review celebration after realizing we should have done just that with the fascinating if uneven WandaVision but this series turns out to be... exceptionally dull. There's a bit of action in each episode but of the least inspired variety and the pacing is deadly. Three episodes in we're betting there was enough here to make exactly one movie but the powers that be opted for a six hour TV season. Only the episode 1 aerial rescue and this trucktop sequence from episode 2 manage to budge the needle towards excitement. And that's being generous. It's not Marvel's first dud exactly (the movies have been uneven and thus overpraised the whole time) but it's the first to be ungood AND no fun at all. The heavy angst marginally works especially Winter Soldier's guilt over his past crimes (Sebastian Stan is far above his material but the material isn't great) but the attempts at banter comedy are uniformly cringeworthy.

I know nothing of the Citadel. It's an evil mountain, a killer mountain. It's been left alone now for 16 years and it's best to be left alone forever. 

Third Man on the Mountain (1959)
Something tells us the kid in the feathered cap isn't going to take this advice and is going to climb that mountain, damnit! (Excuse me, darnit. This is a Disney family adventure film). James MacArthur plays the kid here (the leading role). Turns out he was nominated for a BAFTA two years earlier for "Most Promising Newcomer" for a film called The Young Stranger about a troubled youth (Oscar winner Kim Hunter played his mom). He was apparently a minor film star of the 1960s and later a series regular on the original Hawaii Five-O (1968-1979)

also streaming

• Island at the Top of the World (1974)
• The Big Year (2011) forgotten comedy starring John Cleese, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson
• Miss Peregrine's School for Gifted Children (2016) Eva Green in a Tim Burton picture
• Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) - for an extra $$$$ charge

The master of disaster. The one and only Apollo Creed.

Rocky (1975-2006)
HBOMax is showing all six Sly Stallone boxing movies now. The image above is from Rocky IV with Dolph Lundgren as the new adversary "Ivan Drago". No Creed or Creed II at the moment though.

But boys will be boys, right?

Genera+ion, S1 (2021)
A week after watching this still thinking about the characters and giggling about certain scenes, especially this one where twin siblings (fighting over a boy they both fooled around with) are pretending to be cheerful while welcoming guests to their sisters wedding rehearsal. Martha Plimpton plays there mom and since I just said the words "Martha Plimpton" you know their mom is an excellent character. And a real character if you know what I mean.

I was becoming stagnant. I knew that there was something else.

Tina (2021)
Glenn recently reviewed this new doc. 

also streaming

• A Shock To The System, 1990 
• Abandon, 2002 
• Adam’s Rib, 1949
• All Is Lost, 2013 
• Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl
• Barbarosa, 1982 
• Black Dynamite, 2009
• Blindness, 2008 
• The Bodyguard, 1992
• Boogie Nights, 1997
• Bringing Up Baby, 1938
• The Butcher’s Wife, 1991 
• Caddyshack, 198
• The Collection, 2012 
• The Color Purple, 1985
• Dante’s Peak, 1997 
• Dark Shadows, 2012 
• Dead Silence, 2007 
• Dirty Harry, 1971
• The Eagle Has Landed, 1977 
• Early Man, 2018 
• Easy Rider, 1969
• Ella Enchanted, 2004 
• The Evil That Men Do, 1984 
• Eye For An Eye, 1996 
• Fear, 1996 (HBO)
• Ghost Rider, 2007
• Godzilla vs Kong (2021) MORE ON THIS SOON
• Goodfellas, 1990
• The Great Pottery Throwdown, S4
• Green Lantern, 2011
• Hardball, 2001 
• Happy Endings
• Haywire, 2012 
• In & Out, 1997 
• Kicking & Screaming, 2005 
• King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword, 2017 
• Lassiter, 1984 
• Leatherface Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, 1990 
• Let’s Go To Prison, 2006 
• The Longest Yard, 1974 
• Made for Love, Max Original Series Premiere
  
• Man Up, 2015 
• The Mask of Zorro, 1998
• The Man With The Iron Fists, 2012 (Unrated Version) 
• Missing In Action 2 – The Beginning, 1985 
• Missing In Action, 1984 
• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939
• My Super Ex-Girlfriend, 2006 
• The Nanny
• The Natural, 1984
• Now, Voyager, 1942
• One Day, 2011 
• Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, 1985 
• Police Academy 3: Back In Training, 1986 
• Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol, 1987 
• Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach, 1988
• Police Academy 6: City Under Siege, 1989 
• Police Academy: Mission To Moscow, 1994 
• Primal Fear, 1996 
• Reasonable Doubt, 2014 
• Red Dawn, 1984 
• The Return, 2006 
• Risky Business, 1983 
• Roger & Me, 1989
• Sneakers, 1992 
• Space Jam, 1996
• Speed 2 Cruise Control, 1997 
• Spellbound, 200
• Stuart Little, 1999
• The Shack, 2017 
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, 2006 (Extended Version) 
• Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family, 2011
• Wanderlust, 2012 
• The Warriors, 1979 (Director’s Cut) 
• The Watch, 2012 
• White Noise, 2005 
• The Wild Life, 2016 
• Within, 2016
• Wolves At The Door, 2017

Comments

[Rob]

I def have to watch Clive-Owen-very-naked movie, whatever it's called (don't even care).

[Mirko]

CROUPIER is Clive’s breakthrough but (for me) also his best perf (I know many will disagree and that’s good since he has been awesome often). I remember he enjoyed some buzz in 2000 but the film was ineligible for Ampas since it was already aired on tv screen. Among his previous roles I remember also Bent, when he delivered a drama perf as a gay who finishes in a nazi lager. Based upon the stage play which was a sensation with Sir Ian McKellen as the leading man

[cal roth]

The Servant. Please see The Servant. One of the best movies ever.

[Working stiff]

Genius: Aretha is a bit of a disappointment. I have to admit, I generally hate traditional biopics and this is a biopic stretched over seven hours. There are some great sequences (especially in the recording studio), but on the whole it's superficial and reductive. And Erivo is wrong fpr the part—she has great presence and passion, but her Aretha is as airless as her Harriet.

[Jonathan]

Ursula Meier's HOME and to a slightly lesser degree SISTER are highly underrated small masterpieces of modern cinema. It makes me so sad Meier has made nothing since.

[Dave in Hollywood]

Well shoot, it's painful to see James MacArthur dissed so easily. Those of us of a certain age admired his Disneyish hunkiness in things like Swiss Family Robinson, Kidnapped, and Spencer's Mountain. Sure he might not have lived up to the promise of having a double Oscar winner as his Mother (Helen Hayes), but he made an impact on some of us.

[Marsha Mason]

I watched Unhinged during the dog days of lockdown. It's sort of like the angry white male Trump voter version of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, where Russell Crowe lives out the NRA fantasy of going after every aspect of society that had wronged him. It's fun watching the film abandon all pretense of restraint or believability to keep outdoing itself, and daring us to like its arrogant and misogynist villain, but more than a little disturbing in how Crowe is by far the most magnetic performance and in the film's clear desire to provoke and antagonize p.c. culture.

[thevoid99]

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier a dud?

COME ON! That show rules. Plus, how can you not love dancing Zemo?

You must be into Party City Cap so therefore, you suck!

[NATHANIEL R]

Dave -- i wasn't trying to diss him. I was legit totally unfamiliar. Which is rare for me for actors who had some leading roles.

thevoid99 -- i have no idea what Party City Cap is... is that Wyatt Russell? Anyway. I have taste. That's how come i know it's a dud. I am not a Marvel stan. And know i can judge them objectively because i understnad that they've done everything from great genre elevating stuff to messy assembly line crap. It's the people who think they've *only* done crap or *only* made greatness that you have to worry about their taste levels. Most studios make a variety of quality. Marvel is no exception.

Mirko -- i liked him in Bent too.

[NewMoonSon]

@WorkingStiff I agree 101%. Along with the shallow writing and choppy editing, Erivo is once again portraying a real person she has no historical or cultural connection to -- and it shows. She also does not possess the soulful vocal power or magnetism of Aretha, while the girl portraying young Re, Sanai Victoria, nails both the music and the drama.

[joel6]

Croupier is a wonderfully dark sexy, thanks to Clive thriller. He hasn't gone as far as I thought he would but he's still had a decent career.

James MacArthur didn't have the greatest range but he could be decent if the role fit him. The Young Stranger was an interesting watch.

Dirk Bogarde has a lot of fun with his villain role in Cast a Dark Shadow. A fantastically subtle actor who was able to move back and forth between hero and bad guy.

Victim and The Servant are essentials for him and he offers solid support to Judy Garland in her final film, I Could Go on Singing but there are many other of his films worth tracking down.

I'd say his top 10 beside the three mentioned would be in no particular order:
So Long at the Fair
The Fixer
Campbell's Kingdom
Hot Enough for June
Death in Venice
The Sleeping Tiger
Accident
Doctor in Distress
Cast a Dark Shadow
Ill Met by Moonlight

[markgordonuk]

Unhinged is a horrible little thriller with tons of unnecessary violence,after Boy Erased I thought Russell had his acting mojo back after seeing this how wrong was I,don't bother

[thevoid99]

@Nathaniel R.-Really? You have taste? Yet you suck Ryan Murphy's cock.

[NATHANIEL R]

TheVoid99 -- someone clearly has not been paying attention when they read. I am NOT a fan of Ryan Murphy I wish he would go away and I regularly diss his work. Seriously what are you smoking?