Saturday, October 3, 2015

P.S. But Did You See October's New Titles?

Aubrey Plaza, Liam Aiken in Ned Rifle
I know I said I was done. But with more classic titles arriving this month than have all year, I couldn't in good conscience look the other way. Props to Netflix—they've actually given me reason to end things on a positive note (just when I thought I was out, they keep pulling me back in). So, consider this a bonus post.

Not too much to note among new releases—not until later in the month, anyway—but there is Hal Hartley's latest, Ned Rifle (2014), which I can heartily recommend for fans of the director's work or anyone curious to see how his Henry Foole trilogy winds up. (Aubrey Plaza fans will likewise be pleased.)

But as is evident in the lists below, the real attention grabbers are some high-quality returns (Glengarry Glen Ross! The Impostors!), a few surprisingly distinguished debuts (Boogie Nights! Million Dollar Baby! Risky Business!), and enough new and returning classics to partly make up for the dearth (and disappearance) of so many pre-1982 titles throughout the year. Be still my beating heart: are those two Stanley Kubrick films (two of his very best)—2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange? Is that really Grace Kelly in High Society, and Gene Tierney in the sublime Laura? How about all those Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra movies? And are we really seeing the return of many Nova, Nature, and other PBS programs? Color me impressed.

No idea how long any of these will stick around, but kudos to Netflix for not (yet) entirely abandoning those of us who enjoy a little vintage cinema with our blockbusters.

Okay, that's it, this time for real. Goodnight, folks! (And yes, I'm still canceling in November.)

2000s

American Wedding (2003)
Art & Copy (2009)
Batman Begins (2005)
The Bourne Identity (2002)
The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Ned Rifle (2014)
This Must Be the Place (2011)
RETURNED:
 Alexander: Theatrical Cut (2004)
 Corpse Bride (2005)
 The Good Thief (2002)
 Heartbreakers (2001)
 Hotel Rwanda (2004)
 The Punisher (2004)

1990s

American Pie (1999)
Boogie Nights (1997)
The Relic (1997)
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
RETURNED:
 Anna and the King (1999)
 Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
 The Impostors (1998)
 Kingpin (1996)
 The Wedding Singer (1998)

1980s

Max Dugan Returns (1983)
Risky Business (1983)

Classics

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Anchors Aweigh (1945)
Carousel (1956)
A Christmas Carol (1938)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The Devil at 4 o'clock (1961)
High Society (1956)
Laura (1944)
On the Town (1949)
Pal Joey (1957)
Pepe (1960)
Some Came Running (1958)
Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
RETURNED:
 Daddy Long Legs (1955)
 The Graduate (1967)
 The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)
 King Kong (1976)
 The Odd Couple (1968)
 There's No Business Like Show Business (1954)

TV

Many Nature, Nova and other PBS programs
Murdoch Mysteries: Seasons 4-7 (2011-2013)
Richard Pryor: Icon (2014)
Robin Williams Remembered (2014)
Spiral: Seasons 1-4 (2005-2012)

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

But the thing of it is, you STILL could see most of these films on TCM if you waited. AND FOR FREE!

David Speranza said...

Perhaps, but only if you have cable. It's been 15 years since I cut the cord, so streaming and discs are my only option.

ChapelHillNC said...

@Anonymous: 'Round here TimeWarner ain't free. Netflix is cheaper than cable.

Carol said...

Great P.S., David. I thought of you as I kept scrolling down and down the October 1 list on instantwatcher. I was also happy to see Seasons 4 - 7 of Murdoch Mysteries. It took Netflix long enough for that!

David Speranza said...

Thanks for mentioning that--wasn't sure how significant it was. Now added to the list!

Anonymous said...

Disappointing, seems Netflix doesn't care about TV shows anymore.

Lee K said...

Thanks or the update David. What's the plan for keeping this information flowing for those of us remaining Netflix subs? I guess I need to start looking into some of the other services like Hulu, but until then is someone going to maintain the pages here?

And is there an October expirations list?

Thanks

David Speranza said...

Sorry, Lee, but this is it for WoNN, unless at some point in the future Netflix changes course in its back catalog and interface. As mentioned in the update to my previous post ("This Is The End"), Carol has generously picked up the responsibility for compiling expiring titles on her new blog, which I highly recommend: http://expiringonnetflix.blogspot.com. As for tracking what's new, http://instantwatcher.com provides a thorough, updated list, while http://exstreamist.com/service/netflix is a great source for upcoming titles and other news.

Lee K said...

Thanks for those links David and thanks for what you've done here. I certainly understand your disappointment in the direction Netflix is taking.

Sho 'Nuff said...

Your blog is still the best hope you change your decision like a Boxer who unretires!

But at least thank you for the links to alternate blogs.

Unknown said...

Thank you for everything you have done! :)

The Angry Internet said...

...aaaaand a bunch of these titles are leaving at the end of December. I genuinely think they picked them up just to take some of the sting out of the Epix departures and convince wavering subscribers like me to stick with the service. So you can stamp me a certified grade-A sucker, but after this month I'm done.

David Speranza said...

Frankly, I wouldn't put it past them, but I'm still sorry to hear about it. Meanwhile, I finally cancelled a week ago, and boy does it feel good! And FWIW, the service rep I talked to seemed genuinely appreciative of all my complaints about the interface and dwindling catalog. He said he had a lot of the same problems himself, and had in fact filed his own complaints about the UI while regularly receiving calls about the same issues (pre-play, post-play, etc.). So if/when you do cancel, be sure to give it to them with both barrels. Maybe one day the company will actually listen.