Stream on Demand: ‘Rogue One’ lands on VOD and Netflix presents ‘The BFG’
Ruby Barnhill and Mark Rylance star in Steven Spielberg's "The BFG." (Walt Disney Studios)
What’s new for home viewing on video-on-demand and Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming services.
Pay-Per-View / Video-On-Demand
Felicity Jones is an unlikely hero in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” taking on the Empire with a team of outcasts and mavericks. This action-packed mission thriller plays out in the margins of “Star Wars” with a darker portrait of rebellion and war (PG-13). Also on DVD and Blu-ray.
“Paterson,” Jim Jarmusch’s meandering tour through a week with Adam Driver’s bus driver-poet, is a warmly eccentric character piece that celebrates everyday American dreamers (R). Also on DVD and Blu-ray and at Redbox.
Also new: the comedy “Office Christmas Party” with Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston (R), drama “We Don’t Belong Here” with Catherine Keener and Anton Yelchin (R), and retirees-in-revolt comedy “Silver Skies” with George Hamilton and Valerie Perrine (not rated).
Available same day as select theaters nationwide is the romantic drama “The Ticket” with Dan Stevens as a blind man who regains his vision and loses his way (not rated). Also new: Werner Herzog’s thriller “Salt and Fire” with Michael Shannon and Gael García Bernal (not rated), the comedy “Speech & Debate” based on the off-Broadway play (not rated), and “Aftermath” with Arnold Schwarzenegger (R).
Netflix
Steven Spielberg’s “The BFG” (2016), based on Roald Dahl’s storybook fantasy of an orphaned girl and a big friendly giant (Mark Rylance), has a sense of wonder and a playfully childish sense of humor (PG).
The award-winning documentary “Tower” (2016) explores Charles Whitman’s shooting spree at the University of Texas in 1966 with animation and dramatic recreations (not rated).
Crotchety baseball scout Clint Eastwood and estranged daughter Amy Adams team up in “Trouble with the Curve” (2012) for one more recruiting trip (PG-13).
Jack Black and James Marsden take “The D Train” (2015) in the R-rated comedy and Ethan Hawke stars in the drone warfare drama “Good Kill” (2014, R).
The comedy “Win It All” from filmmaker Joe Swanburg and star/co-writer Jake Johnson comes direct to Netflix from SXSW
Foreign affairs: the drama “The Lighthouse of the Orcas” (2016) begins in Spain and comedy “The Tenth Man” (2016) opens in New York, but both end up in Argentina (both subtitled and not rated).
Streaming TV: “Wynonna Earp: Season 1” (2016) images the great granddaughter of Wyatt as demon hunter in the modern day west. Jennifer Love Hewitt stars in “The Client List: Seasons 1-2” from Lifetime and the Netflix original music drama “The Get Down: Part 2” offers six more episodes.
Also with new seasons:
The comedy “Chewing Gum: Season 2“” from Britain
British murder mystery “Midsomer Murders: Series 19”
“Good Witch: Season 2” from hallmark channel
The animated series “Dawn of the Croods: Season 3” for kids
Stand-up: “Louis C.K. 2017“
The new month brings a new slate of older movies and TV shows. Here are few highlights newly added to the streaming library:
Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning “Schindler’s List“ (1993, R)
“Something’s Gotta Give“ (2003) with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton (PG-13)
Ben Stiller’s comedy “Tropic Thunder“ (2008) with Robert Downey Jr. (R)
Oscar-nominated “Whale Rider“ (2002) from New Zealand (PG-13)
John Carpenter’s cult science fiction thriller “Escape From New York” (1981, R)
“The Midnight Meat Train” (2008) based on the Clive Barker story (not rated)
“The Legend of Drunken Master” (1994) from Hong Kong with Jackie Chan (R, with subtitles)
animated feature “An American Tail” (1986, G)
More British TV comedy:
“Absolutely Fabulous: Seasons 1-4“ with Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders
“Extras: Seasons 1-2” from Ricky Gervais
“Fawlty Towers: Series 1-2” from John Cleese
More British drama and mysteries:
The original “The House of Cards Trilogy” with Ian Richardson
“Death in Paradise: Seasons 1-5” with Ben Miller
“Father Brown: Seasons 1-5” based on the stories of G.K. Chesterton
The espionage mini-series “Spies of Warsaw” (2013) with David Tennant and “London Spy” (2015) with Ben Wishaw
Amazon Prime Video
The ten-part original series “American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story” profiles the man, the brand, and the lifestyle he advocated through his magazine and his clubs with a mix of documentary and dramatic recreation.
Also new: family friendly “Ella Enchanted” (2004) with Anne Hathaway (PG) and modern romance “What If” (2013) with Daniel Radcliffe (PG-13).
Streaming TV: the British family comic-drama “The Durrells in Corfu: Season 1” follows a widow (Keeley Hawes) and her four kids to a new life in Greece in the 1930s.
Rockumentary: “Scott Walker: 30th Century Man” (2009), a profile of the enigmatic musical genius (not rated), and the concert film “Who Took the Bomp? Le Tigre on Tour” (2011).
More new arrivals:
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Oscar-winning “There Will Be Blood“ (2007) with Daniel Day-Lewis and Oscar-nominated breakthrough “Boogie Nights“ (1997) with Mark Wahlberg (R)
David Cronenberg’s “A History of Violence“ (2005) with Viggo Mortensen (R)
“Dark Horse“ (2012) from Todd Solondz (not rated)
Amazon / Hulu
The comedy “Hello, My Name Is Doris“ (2015) stars Sally Field as a middle-aged cubicle worker who pursues a handsome young workmate (Max Greenfield) (R) (Amazon Prime and Hulu).
Older films cycling through Amazon Prime and Hulu libraries include:
Biographical drama “Chaplin“ with Robert Downey Jr. (1992, PG-13) (Amazon Prime and Hulu)
The satirical comedy “Election“ (1999) with Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick (R) (Amazon Prime and Hulu)
chess prodigy drama “Searching for Bobby Fischer“ (1993) with Ben Kingsley and Laurence Fishburne (PG) (Amazon Prime and Hulu)
The indie comedy “The Puffy Chair“ (2007) from the Duplass Bros. (R) (Amazon Prime and Hulu)
and the horror films “The Burrowers“ (2008, R) (Amazon Prime and Hulu) and “The Last Exorcism“ (2010, PG-13) (Amazon Prime and Hulu)
Hulu
Dominic Cooper is a reformed crook turned small town “Preacher” in the debut season of the AMC series about angels, demons, miracles, and sin. This is another comic book series with a gritty edge of violence, blood, and the grotesque. Ten episodes.
Older titles added to the streaming library include:
Oscar-winning natural history documentary “March of the Penguins” (2005, G)
“Serpico” (1973) with Al Pacino (R)
“Affliction” (1998) with Nick Nolte and James Coburn (R)
The cult movies “The Usual Suspects” (1995) and “The Warriors” (1979) (both R)
HBO Now
“Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie” (2016) brings British TV comedy bad girls Patsy and Edina (Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders) to the big screen (R).
True stories: “Abortion: Stories Women Tell“ talks to women on both sides of the contentious issue and “Saving My Tomorrow Part 5“ continues the documentary series on the environment from the perspective of today’s children (not rated).
The seventh and final episode of the mini-series “Big Little Lies” is now streaming.
Plus:
Oscar winners “Slumdog Millionaire“ (2008), “Unforgiven“ (1992), and “The Deer Hunter“ (1978) (all R)
“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (2007) with Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck (R)
The adventure fantasy “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe” (2006, PG)
The big screen animated feature “The Simpsons Movie” (2007, PG-13)
New on disc: “Rogue One,” “Paterson,” “Office Christmas Party,” “We Don’t Belong Here,” “Three”
At Redbox:
“Jackie,” “Paterson,” “Office Christmas Party,” “Incarnate”
Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His reviews of streaming movies and TV can be found at http://streamondemandathome.com.