Stream on Demand: Bond hits No. 24 with ‘Spectre’
What’s new for home viewing on video-on-demand and Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming services.
Pay-Per-View / Video-On-Demand
“Spectre,” the 24th James Bond film, adds to the comic book origins of Daniel’s Craig’s 007 with the birth of a supervillain (Christoph Waltz). The opening scene, set in Mexico City on the Day of the Dead, is one of the best. PG-13. Also on Blu-ray and DVD.
“Crimson Peak,” directed by Guillermo Del Toro and starring Mia Wasikowska and Jessica Chastain, delivers gothic romance and ghost-story chills with baroque style and melodramatic flourish. R. Also on Blu-ray and DVD.
Also new: the drama “99 Homes” with Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon (R), Lily Tomlin as a frank and funny “Grandma” (R), the dysfunctional family Christmas comedy “Love The Coopers” with Diane Keaton and John Goodman (PG-13), and the horror comedy “Freaks of Nature” (R).
Netflix
“Dope” (2015) is a quirky tale of hip-hop-loving high school geeks in the hood with sarcastic banter and comic escapades. Rated R for language, nudity and drugs.
The documentary “A Ballerina’s Tale” (2015) profiles Misty Copeland, the first African-American woman to become a principal dancer for American Ballet Theater. Not rated.
Streaming TV: “Bates Motel: Season 3” continues the story of Norman Bates: the early years. For the kids there’s “Care Bears & Cousins: Season 2” and “Turbo: F.A.S.T.: Season 3.”
Amazon Prime Video
“Lost In Translation” (2003), starring Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray, won an Oscar for Sofia Coppola’s screenplay. R.
Also new: “A Better Life” (2012), featuring an Oscar-nominated performance by Demián Bichir (PG-13), and the coming-of-age odyssey “The Kings of Summer” (2013) (R).
Streaming TV: “Girls: Season 2,” created for HBO by Lena Dunham, and the MTV high school comedy “Awkward: Season 5.”
Hulu
“A Merry Friggin’ Christmas” (2014), yet another dysfunctional-family holiday comedy, stars Robin Williams and Joel McHale as an estranged father and son on a road trip through a blizzard. PG-13.
“Blood Simple” (1985), the debut feature from the Coen Brothers, is timely again with their new film “Hail, Caesar!” in theaters. R.
HBO Now
“A Walk Among the Tombstones” (2014) stars Liam Neeson as Matt Scudder, Lawrence Block’s ex-cop turned recovering alcoholic detective, in a gritty, lean crime drama. R.
Showtime Anytime
Helen Mirren is an imperious restaurateur in “The Hundred-Foot Journey” (2014), a feel-good foodie drama about French cooking, cross-cultural inspiration, and fusion cuisine. PG.
Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart star in “Clouds of Sils Maria” (2014) from French filmmaker Olivier Assayas. R.
Now available at Redbox
“The Martian,” “Grandma,” “Love the Coopers,” “99 Homes,” “Sinister II.”
Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His reviews of streaming movies and TV can be found at http://streamondemandathome.com.