Leaving Soon
With the end of July approaching, I decided to take a look at what would soon be leaving Tubi. I should mention that just because these films are leaving Tubi, that doesn’t mean they’re not going to start streaming somewhere else. In fact, I imagine the reason that they’re leaving is because they’re going to start streaming somewhere else. Here’s a few worthwhile films that are currently listed as “leaving soon” on Tubi.
Sweet Smell of Success (1957) stars Burt Lancaster as a viscous columnist and Tony Curtis as his henchmen. When Lancaster discovers that his sister is dating a jazz musician, Lancaster decides to destroy the man’s life. One can view this film as a satire on the tabloids, a metaphor for McCarthyism, or a commentary on cancel culture. All those interpretations are legitimate. Then again, it can also be viewed as just being a tremendously enjoyable and endlessly quotable pulp masterpiece, a noir where the damage isn’t done by bullets but instead by words. Here’s the link on Tubi.
Terence Malick’s Song to Song (2017) is an intriguing Texas-set film. It’s a Malick film and, in many ways, it’s Malick at his most self-indulgent. There are times when the film, with its languorous shots and its multiple narrators, almost becomes a self-parody. But there are also images that are so strikingly beautiful that they stick with you. A talented cast — Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling, Natalie Portman, Val Kilmer, and others — wanders through the film and offers up tantalizing hints of what’s going on underneath the surface of their ennui-drenched lives. It’s left to the viewer to decide what it all means. It’s a Malick film and, because of that, worth taking a chance on. Here’s the link on Tubi.
Based on a novel by Don DeLillo and directed by David Cronenberg, Cosmopolis (2012) is a surreal film that follows a businessman (Robert Pattinson) as he is driven around New York. This is one of those films that people seem to either love or hate. I loved it and I thought this was the first film that showed Pattinson was capable of doing more than just Twilight. In a key supporting role, Paul Giamatti gives a notably disturbing performance. Here’s the link on Tubi.
What would you do if you had the chance to live the last day of your life over and over again? That’s the question asked by one of my favorite films of the past ten years, Before I Fall (2017). This is a film that brough back memories of me and my friends in high school and left me wondering if I needed to apologize to anyone. Here’s the link on Tubi.
I’m still annoyed (if not necessarily surprised) that Nightcrawler (2014) was thoroughly ignored by the Academy. Jake Gyllenhaal definitely deserved, at the very least, a nomination for his performance as a sociopath who finds a successful career in crime journalism. Bill Paxton and Rene Russo give excellent supporting performances. This may be a mainstream film but its heart belongs to the grindhouse. Here’s the link on Tubi.
Finally, what can I say about Chinatown (1974) that hasn’t already been said by a hundred other critics? It’s one of the best noirs ever made and it’s debatable whether or not Jack Nicholson has ever been better than he was here. Along with an intriguing mystery, the film features one of the most loathsome villains of all time, John Huston’s Noah Cross. Faye Dunaway is excellent as the femme fatale with a devastating secret. Here’s the link on Tubi.
Odds and Ends
After watching Chinatown, why not check out Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation (1974)? I have to admit that I envy those who were alive in 1974 and who got to see the second Godfather, Chinatown, and The Conversation when they were all first released. What’s it like to live during a cinematic golden age? The Conversation is a brilliant thriller, featuring Gene Hackman at his best. This is a true masterpiece of paranoia and it can be viewed on Prime.
If you’re in the mood for something completely different, the dramedy Class (1983) features Andrew McCarthy as a nerdy student who has an affair with the mother (Jacqueline Bisset) of his roommate (Rob Lowe). It’s a very 80s film and definitely a guilty pleasure. It can be viewed on Prime.
Speaking of Rob Lowe, he plays a bad guy in the enjoyably melodramatic Bad Influence (1990). James Spader plays the good guy for once, an adorably nerdy guy who discovers that his new best friend doesn’t exactly have his best interests at heart. Directed by Curtis Hanson, Bad Influence is sordid fun. It can be viewed on Prime.
Finally, I should mention that I bought a copy of Gianni Russo’s autobiography this week. Russo is the entertainer who played Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather and who appeared in a handful of other films, usually playing a gangster. I’m disappointed to say that Russo did not write about the experience of co-starring in the gloriously absurd, totally 70s sci-fi flick, Laserblast (1978). Fortunately, you can watch the film for yourself. Russo’s role is actually pretty small but the Claymation aliens are just adorable! This is also probably the only film ever made to feature Eddie Deezen as a bully. Laserblast is on Prime.
You can check out last week’s films but clicking here!
Through the Shattered Lens 