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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

New service streams classics, cult faves

Sean Axmaker

What’s new to watch this week on pay-per-view and streaming services:

There’s a new streaming option vying for your attention. Shout! Factory, which made its mark in the DVD and Blu-ray market with a mix of cult movies and classic TV, is launching its own free, ad-supported streaming service. The initial 1,000 hours of programming includes classic films (the original “Stagecoach,” “Room With a View ), cult movies ( “A Boy and His Dog ) and programs (30 episodes of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” to start), and vintage TV shows from “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Route 66” to “Mary Tyler Moore” and “Hill Street Blues” to Steve Martin TV specials. You can currently stream from the web on your computer or mobile device for free, and through a new Roku app for a small fee per program. More movies and programs will be added each month. Access it at www.shout factorytv.com.

Pay-per-view / on demand

“Nightcrawler,” a brutal satire of tabloid TV journalism, is dark and violent and fascinating, thanks to its Oscar-nominated screenplay, vivid nighttime photography, and committed performance by Jake Gyllenhaal as a freelance video reporter and borderline sociopath. It’s also on Blu-ray and DVD this week.

Two true stories of reporters under assault: Jon Stewart directs “Rosewater,” about the real-life imprisonment and torture of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari in Iran, and Gael García Bernal plays the journalist. “Kill the Messenger” stars Jeremy Renner as Gary Webb, who was targeted by a CIA smear campaign after he exposed their illegal activities arming the Contras in Nicaragua and importing cocaine in the U.S.

Also based on a true story is the lovely drama “Tracks,” with Mia Wasikowska as Robyn Davidson, the young Australian woman who hiked 1,700 miles across the Outback with four camels and her dog in 1975.

And for the kids there is “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” based on the book by Judith Viorst and starring Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner as the hapless parents.

Netflix

“The Two Faces of January” stars Viggo Mortenson, Kirsten Dunst and Oscar Isaac as Americans in Greece tangled in a plot of con-men and murder. In a more lighthearted vein is “Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” about an animated, erudite, time-traveling dog and his boy.

Amazon Instant Prime

“Bosch,” Amazon’s newest original series, stars Titus Welliver as Los Angeles homicide detective Harry Bosch, the hero of more than a dozen novels by Michael Connelly. The entire 10-episode season debuts this week.

Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His work appears in Parallax View, Turner Classic Movies online and the “Today” show website. Visit him online at seanax.com.