24 Movies to Watch on FilmStruck While You Still Can

The world of film lovers is still reeling over the announcement that their beloved FilmStruck will shut down permanently on November 29.

Naturally, with their grief comes a desire to get as much out of the streaming service as possible before it becomes a footnote in digital history. The home of the Criterion Collection and TCM Movies, FilmStruck was — and is for a few more weeks — a true film fan’s paradise, filled with acknowledged all-time classics as well as more obscure international fare. It’s the place one goes if they’re looking for the work of Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, Yasujirō Ozu, and so many more.

For guiding your way through the catalog of FilmStruck while you still can, we’ve put together this list of two dozen films according to some pretty strict rules. First, we excluded anything currently streaming for free on other paid services like Hulu, Netflix, or Amazon Prime. Many of these are available to rent on services like iTunes or Vudu, but none are included in a subscription package as they are now with FilmStruck. Also, with so many classic movies to choose from, we limited ourselves to one film per director. You could do 24 films by Bergman or Kurosawa alone; we figured it better to spread the wealth to offer a real taste of what FilmStruck meant to so many people.

A Star Is Born (1937, 1954 & 1976)

So you’ve seen the new version with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga and want to know the origin of this story? FilmStruck has all three previous versions of the timeless tale: the 1937 one with Fredric March and Janet Gaynor (which, okay, is the only film on this list that’s also available on Amazon Prime), the 1954 take with Judy Garland and James Mason, and the 1976 classic with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. As Cooper’s A Star Is Born continues its march through awards season, be the person at the Oscars party who knows the differences between all four versions.

Brief Encounter (1945)

The David Lean Directs Noël Coward boxed set is one of the best releases in the history of Criterion, and you can still watch the whole thing, special features included, on FilmStruck. The set includes Blithe SpiritIn Which We ServeThis Happy Breed, and what is arguably Lean’s best film, Brief Encounter. This story of an illicit romance that stems from a chance meeting on a train platform has influenced hundreds of films in the seven decades since its release and has lost none of its emotional power.

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

They can’t all be Criterion films from around the world, right? Sometimes you just want to chill out and relax with a bona fide, undeniable modern American classic. And you don’t get much more “American” than Paul Newman in his iconic role in Stuart Rosenberg’s 1967 classic.

(Excerpt) Read More at: Vulture.com

 

24 Movies to Watch on FilmStruck While You Still Can

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