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Streaming Consumer Guide: June 3, 2014

Annie Hall

The great Blu-ray Consumer Guide may be moving back to Some Came Running but the Streaming Consumer Guide continues (and we'll try to pick up some great new Blu-rays in feature form...don't panic). What's new on the streaming services you know and love like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu Plus? What could you buy On Demand this weekend? Look no further.

As this feature has grown, we've noticed a pattern. There are batches of Netflix updates that feature recent indie films from studios like IFC or Cinedigm that seem to alternate with batches of older, often "classic" films. We recently had one of the latter, with a massive Netflix update that includes films by Woody Allen, Terry Gilliam, Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola, and Richard Linklater. Before we get to the big ten, which will all link to Roger's review of the film, it should be noted that "Leviathan," "The Triplets of Belleville," and Chan-wook Park's Vengeance Trilogy ("Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance," "Oldboy," and "Lady Vengeance") are all new to the service as well. I know. We're supposed to stick to ten. We cheat sometimes.

TEN NEW TO NETFLIX

"The Adventures of Baron Munchausen"
"Annie Hall"
"Apocalypse Now"
"Carrie"
"Five Easy Pieces"
"Ishtar"
"Julia"
"Popeye"
"Tetro"
"Waking Life"

THREE NEW TO ON DEMAND

Pick your service: Amazon Streaming, Sony Entertainment Network, Vudu (my personal favorite), iTunes, Comcast, Google Play, whatever new service has popped up while I'm writing this piece. Here are three interesting new On Demand releases, including a film that Matt Zoller Seitz loved in his theatrical review, a Bobcat Goldthwait movie that we'll review on Friday, and one that's not even coming out until next month that stars Aaron Paul, Pierce Brosnan, and Toni Collette. Check out the previews and pick your favorite.

"The Cold Lands"

"A Long Way Down"

"Willow Creek"

THE BEST OF THE REST

The biggest news in the world of streaming media since we last spoke was that Amazon Prime has added HBO programs to its service, the first time such a thing has happened outside of HBO Go. "The Sopranos," "Deadwood," "Band of Brothers," "The Wire," and more, with the promise of current shows to come a few years after they air. This really could be a game-changer for Amazon. If you're looking for a movie, the Amazon folks added "Stories We Tell," "Ever After," "Cold Mountain," and "The Best Years of Our Lives" to the service. Hulu Plus? Kind of asleep. As Amazon and Netflix really gain ground, Hulu seems to be losing traction. Let's hope that changes soon.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

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