Streaming sites offer a wide range of viewing options

Above: Rosie Perez stars in the 1997 exploitation film "Perdita Durango." (Photo/Severnin Films)

If the past year has taught movie fans anything, it’s that there are more ways to see movies than just going to a theater. And I’m talking about all kinds of movies.

I was just on the Film Movement website and saw an ad for a film titled “Perdita Durango.” Released in 1997, and also known under the title of “Dance With the Devil,” the film was directed by the Spanish cult filmmaker Alex de la Iglesia. Advertised as a “newly restored director’s cut,” the film boasts an intriguing description:

“The seductive and psychotic Perdita Durango (Rosie Perez) finally meets her match in Romeo Dolorosa (Javier Bardem), a black-clad bank-robber, murderer and practitioner of Santeria who is transporting stolen fetuses for the illegal cosmetics trade. After kidnapping two teens for an intended sacrifice, the wild lovers barrel through a voodoo-laced odyssey of crime, blazing a trail of death and destruction from Mexico to Las Vegas.”

Film Movement is a subscription service ($5.99 monthly or $59.99 a year, following a 30-day free trial). Paying a monthly or annual charge is likely to turn off some people, which is understandable. So many movie sources, so little time – and money.

Another viewing option, which actually is cheaper, is to purchase movies through Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum. I just purchased a movie titled “Phoebe’s Father” and was given the option of paying on a sliding-scale plan as little as $5. (I ended up paying $20 simply because I want to support what the organization is trying to do.)

And one thing NWFF is attempting to do is support regional film. “Phoebe’s Father,” for example (embed below), is a 2015 film written and directed by Seattle filmmaker John Helde. Shot entirely in Seattle, the film played at the Forum during its initial run and is now part of the group’s virtual cinema offerings.

True to its independent soul, “Phoebe’s Father” is an intimate portrayal of a young woman (played by Marie Lazzaro) who is caught between her developing interest in bicycle racing and reconnecting with her estranged father (played by Lawrence Driscoll).

So, OK, “Phoebe’s Father” is no cult classic “voodoo-laced odyssey of crime.” But renting it at least gives you the opportunity to support regional film – and at a bargain price.

And the best part? You can do it while reclining in the comfort of your own living room.

Some of us have gotten pretty accustomed to doing just that.