Classic Movies on Hulu: What You Can Watch While Self-Quarantining
We are living in an unprecedented time in which world events (the COVID-19 pandemic) and modern life have combined in such a way that we are shut off from each other physically yet never more connected virtually through the internet, social media, and steaming culture. While our human interactions are limited, our need to connect with people hasn't changed, nor has the brain stopped needing stimulus. That is where movies, television shows, and books come in: they help to stimulate the parts of our brain that keep us thinking and creating and while they don't fully replace human interaction, they help us to think of others in the world, create empathy, give perspective, and at times provide necessary escapism as well.
Many lists have been published in recent days about what new TV shows to binge or which movies to watch, though most have focused only on recent decades. I decided it might be helpful to suggest some classic movies available on streaming services you likely already have, so here goes.
See Also:
NETFLIX - AMAZON PRIME - CRITERION CHANNEL
Next: HULU
Though mostly associated with television shows, Hulu actually has quite a few quality movies, including several classic films...
A Pair of Off-Beat Westerns
The Furies (1950) dir. Anthony Mann
Johnny Guitar (1954) dir. Nicholas Ray
These brilliant 1950s westerns deviate from the "classic" western formula - male-centric, focused on big themes, and external conflicts - and re-write the script. Anthony Mann would become renowned in the fifties for the series of westerns he made with James Stewart like Winchester '73 and The Far Country, but in the 1940s Mann directed mostly tough, violent film noir such as T-Men and Raw Deal. The Furies was Mann's first western and it is informed much more by the past crime films than the future westerns: it's a vicious "psychological" western, more concerned with the internal emotions and conflicts of the characters, and shot in a moody chiaroscuro style reminiscent of film noir's expressive cinematography:
The appearance of Johnny Guitar (shot in "Trucolor"), on the other hand, is all about Nicholas Ray's blazing use of extravagant colors. In the same way that the moody shadows of The Furies represent the anxiety and stress of the characters, the blazing bright reds, yellows, and greens in Johnny Guitar mirror the inflamed passions of the leads as they face off. Like the color, there is nothing "subtle" about the extravagant Johnny Guitar, at least not in the traditional sense, but there is a lot of subtext going on under the surface, particularly in the relationship between Vienna and Emma. Both movies use the trappings of the western but operate in different areas and genre conventions freely.
Both The Furies and Johnny Guitar are also unconventional because their protagonists are women, and not gentle wives or schoolmarms, but tough, ruthless characters that use violence and cruelty to get what they want and wreck vengeance on those that have wronged them. Crucially, these women aren't femme fatales, one dimensional "bad girls" but multi-faceted characters capable of deciding their destinies and fighting for what they believe is theirs. That these women are played by two of Hollywood's toughest stars Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Crawford, only adds to the effect.
A Pair of Horror Movies
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) dir. Wallace Worsley
The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) dir Terence Fisher
The 1923 version of Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) has the honor of being the first of the famous "Universal monster" films which would latter include Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the Invisible Man and more. Though the film, like the novel, is more of a romantic tragedy (with macabre moments) Lon Chaney's performance Quasimodo pushes the film towards horror in parts. Chaney (not to be confused with this son Lon Chaney Jr.) was one of the biggest stars of the silent era, known as the Man of a Thousand Faces because of his skill with makeup (which he did himself), transforming into a wide variety of horrific figures. Chaney was also a sort of early method actor, pushing himself to extremes and staying in character for long periods of time, even when it required extreme discomfort such as in The Unknown (1927) where he played Alonzo the Armless and had his arms bound behind his back for hours on end. What made Chaney so special though (and what would make Boris Karloff special in the thirties) is that Chaney could break your heart as easily as chill your spine: he often played tragic characters and was a great dramatic actor, a skill which he puts to great use as the abused and pathetic Quasimodo. Chaney died at just 47 after only making a single talking film, all the rest of his work was in silent films, so many audiences, even horror buffs, may not have ever seen one of his movies. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is also an excellent example of what big budget Hollywood movies looked like in the twenties. Remember this is before the stock market crash of 1928 when the movie business was booming. Thus you have massive sets, huge amounts of extras, and no bit of production expense spared.
The Man Who Could Cheat Death on the other hand is a decidedly lower budget production, produced by British production company Hammer Films, famous for the lurid, bloody updates of many of Universal's classic monster films. Originally filmed as The Man in Half Moon Street in 1945, the plot is a classic "eternal youth story" exemplified by Oscar Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), in which there is a cost that must be paid by the protagonist in their quest to stay young forever. The Man Who Could Cheat Death is a decidedly middle-tier Hammer Film but there are enough lurid moments and interesting special effects to satisfy fans of horror or just someone looking for an afternoon diversion of mindless entertainment.
A Pair of Classic Television Comedies
The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961 - 1966)
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970 - 1977)
One of the first great sitcoms, The Dick Van Dyke Show remains hilarious to this day not just because of the great cast of performers that star in it but because its observations on human nature and relationships are so on point that they hit home just as strongly (and funnily) nearly sixty years after the fact. This show is a joy to watch and will invariably make you laugh and occasionally make you cry as well, and not just because you're laugh so hard. It is also a very progressive show for one made in the early sixties and is thankfully free of problematic material and representations.
This theme of social progressiveness is pushed even further in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, starring (duh) Mary Tyler Moore, who also starred in The Dick Van Dyke Show. Though perhaps not quite as funny, The Mary Tyler Moore Show makes up for it by containing far more complex plots and characters, dealing with a wide variety of serious subjects that were hot-button issues in the seventies. Even though that may seem like a recipe for dated television, you may be surprised to find that much of what was relevant in that era still is today: topics may have progressed or regressed since then, but most of the core issues remain the same and unsolved. Of course, it is also a very fun and funny show which makes the way it deals with serious issues all the more remarkable.
A Pair of Anime Classics
Grave of the Fireflies (1988) dir. Isao Takahata
Akira (1988) dir. Katsuhiro Otomo
1988 was a big year for Japanese anime, marking the release of two of the most famous and well-regarded entries into the genre. Though both set in war-torn worlds, Grave of the Fireflies and Akira couldn't be more different. Grave takes place in 1945 Japan just as World War II is winding down and follows a young brother and sister as they attempt to survive the devastation. If this sounds like a brutal premise, it is: despite looking like a kids film and having moments of whimsy, Grave of the Fireflies is one of the most heart-breaking, tear-jerking films ever made. It is also a definitive but never preachy or vilifying anti-war film (the villain isn't the American military but war itself) and one of the most moving films ever made, animated or otherwise. Grave of the Fireflies is the second film produced by Japan's famous Studio Ghibli, best known for the work of Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, many other amazing movies) but Isao Takahata was just as big of a part of the studio's success and one could easily argue that three of his movies (Grave, Only Yesterday, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya) are the best Ghibli ever made.
Akira is also not for kids, though not in the same way as Grave of the Fireflies: it is a hyper-violent action film set in a cyberpunkian, post-apocalyptic world where biker gangs run wild and super-ESP powered individuals can rip a human apart with their mind (among other things). If this sounds like a cliched anime setting there is a reason why: Akira is an immeasurably influential film in both Japan and the rest of the world, defining the look and plot of many movies, television shows, books, comics, and video games that followed. It is also a super fun, entertaining, scary, moving, and great movie with stunning animated visuals that packs more excitement, creativity, backstory, plot, characters, and lore into its two hours than twenty Marvel movies.
The Bellboy (1960) dir. Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is a decidedly "love-him-or-hate-him" performer, rarely does one experience Lewis and come away without a definitive opinion one way or another. Well, if you've never seen a Jerry Lewis movie, now is your chance to form your own opinion on him. The Bellboy is a good starting point for Lewis because it isn't his best (The Nutty Professor, The Ladies Man) nor is it his worst (too many to list) so it shouldn't give you either an unfairly good or bad first impression. There really isn't much more to say about Lewis, if you watch The Bellboy you're either going to laugh a lot and generally enjoy yourself or you're going to finish the movie (if you get that far) and think, "boy that hyper-active man sure was annoying."
The Outer Limits (1963 - 1965)
The "other" science fiction anthology show of the 1960s, The Outer Limits is often unfairly overshadowed in comparison with The Twilight Zone. Yes, The Outer Limits isn't as good, it isn't as smart, and there are more dud episodes (and at twice the length per episode that can be a killer) but for someone looking for a more traditional science fiction and horror experience, The Outer Limits can be just the ticket. The series contains less (but far from zero) overt social commentary and jokey episodes and goes in more for serious science fiction, including episodes written by renowned science fiction authors Harlan Ellison and Clifford D. Simak. In most cases, this is a good thing though occasionally the show goes too far beyond the outer limits and veers into the ridicules, and not in a good way. Regardless, The Outer Limits is an entertaining ride for fans of classic science fiction.
Here's five episodes to start out with...
1. "It Crawled Out of the Woodwork" (Season 1, Episode 11)
2. "The Zanti Misfits" (Season 1, Episode 14)
3. "Don't Open Till Doomsday" (Season 1, Episode 17)
4. "Soldier" (Season 2, Episode 1)*
5. "Demon with a Glass Hand" (Season 2, Episode 5)
*Ellison, who wrote this episode, later sued the production and distribution companies behind The Terminator (1984) due to obvious similarities between the two stories and later received a settlement and screen credit.
If you like what you've read here, be sure to check out the book I've written!
Also, consider donating to the Art-House America campaign, which is raising money to keep independent movie theaters afloat during this crisis.
And also follow me on Twitter!
See Also:
NETFLIX - AMAZON PRIME - CRITERION CHANNEL
Next: HULU
Though mostly associated with television shows, Hulu actually has quite a few quality movies, including several classic films...
A Pair of Off-Beat Westerns
The Furies (1950) dir. Anthony Mann
Johnny Guitar (1954) dir. Nicholas Ray
These brilliant 1950s westerns deviate from the "classic" western formula - male-centric, focused on big themes, and external conflicts - and re-write the script. Anthony Mann would become renowned in the fifties for the series of westerns he made with James Stewart like Winchester '73 and The Far Country, but in the 1940s Mann directed mostly tough, violent film noir such as T-Men and Raw Deal. The Furies was Mann's first western and it is informed much more by the past crime films than the future westerns: it's a vicious "psychological" western, more concerned with the internal emotions and conflicts of the characters, and shot in a moody chiaroscuro style reminiscent of film noir's expressive cinematography:
The appearance of Johnny Guitar (shot in "Trucolor"), on the other hand, is all about Nicholas Ray's blazing use of extravagant colors. In the same way that the moody shadows of The Furies represent the anxiety and stress of the characters, the blazing bright reds, yellows, and greens in Johnny Guitar mirror the inflamed passions of the leads as they face off. Like the color, there is nothing "subtle" about the extravagant Johnny Guitar, at least not in the traditional sense, but there is a lot of subtext going on under the surface, particularly in the relationship between Vienna and Emma. Both movies use the trappings of the western but operate in different areas and genre conventions freely.
Both The Furies and Johnny Guitar are also unconventional because their protagonists are women, and not gentle wives or schoolmarms, but tough, ruthless characters that use violence and cruelty to get what they want and wreck vengeance on those that have wronged them. Crucially, these women aren't femme fatales, one dimensional "bad girls" but multi-faceted characters capable of deciding their destinies and fighting for what they believe is theirs. That these women are played by two of Hollywood's toughest stars Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Crawford, only adds to the effect.
A Pair of Horror Movies
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) dir. Wallace Worsley
The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) dir Terence Fisher
The 1923 version of Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) has the honor of being the first of the famous "Universal monster" films which would latter include Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the Invisible Man and more. Though the film, like the novel, is more of a romantic tragedy (with macabre moments) Lon Chaney's performance Quasimodo pushes the film towards horror in parts. Chaney (not to be confused with this son Lon Chaney Jr.) was one of the biggest stars of the silent era, known as the Man of a Thousand Faces because of his skill with makeup (which he did himself), transforming into a wide variety of horrific figures. Chaney was also a sort of early method actor, pushing himself to extremes and staying in character for long periods of time, even when it required extreme discomfort such as in The Unknown (1927) where he played Alonzo the Armless and had his arms bound behind his back for hours on end. What made Chaney so special though (and what would make Boris Karloff special in the thirties) is that Chaney could break your heart as easily as chill your spine: he often played tragic characters and was a great dramatic actor, a skill which he puts to great use as the abused and pathetic Quasimodo. Chaney died at just 47 after only making a single talking film, all the rest of his work was in silent films, so many audiences, even horror buffs, may not have ever seen one of his movies. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is also an excellent example of what big budget Hollywood movies looked like in the twenties. Remember this is before the stock market crash of 1928 when the movie business was booming. Thus you have massive sets, huge amounts of extras, and no bit of production expense spared.
The Man Who Could Cheat Death on the other hand is a decidedly lower budget production, produced by British production company Hammer Films, famous for the lurid, bloody updates of many of Universal's classic monster films. Originally filmed as The Man in Half Moon Street in 1945, the plot is a classic "eternal youth story" exemplified by Oscar Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), in which there is a cost that must be paid by the protagonist in their quest to stay young forever. The Man Who Could Cheat Death is a decidedly middle-tier Hammer Film but there are enough lurid moments and interesting special effects to satisfy fans of horror or just someone looking for an afternoon diversion of mindless entertainment.
A Pair of Classic Television Comedies
The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961 - 1966)
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970 - 1977)
One of the first great sitcoms, The Dick Van Dyke Show remains hilarious to this day not just because of the great cast of performers that star in it but because its observations on human nature and relationships are so on point that they hit home just as strongly (and funnily) nearly sixty years after the fact. This show is a joy to watch and will invariably make you laugh and occasionally make you cry as well, and not just because you're laugh so hard. It is also a very progressive show for one made in the early sixties and is thankfully free of problematic material and representations.
This theme of social progressiveness is pushed even further in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, starring (duh) Mary Tyler Moore, who also starred in The Dick Van Dyke Show. Though perhaps not quite as funny, The Mary Tyler Moore Show makes up for it by containing far more complex plots and characters, dealing with a wide variety of serious subjects that were hot-button issues in the seventies. Even though that may seem like a recipe for dated television, you may be surprised to find that much of what was relevant in that era still is today: topics may have progressed or regressed since then, but most of the core issues remain the same and unsolved. Of course, it is also a very fun and funny show which makes the way it deals with serious issues all the more remarkable.
Grave of the Fireflies (1988) dir. Isao Takahata
Akira (1988) dir. Katsuhiro Otomo
1988 was a big year for Japanese anime, marking the release of two of the most famous and well-regarded entries into the genre. Though both set in war-torn worlds, Grave of the Fireflies and Akira couldn't be more different. Grave takes place in 1945 Japan just as World War II is winding down and follows a young brother and sister as they attempt to survive the devastation. If this sounds like a brutal premise, it is: despite looking like a kids film and having moments of whimsy, Grave of the Fireflies is one of the most heart-breaking, tear-jerking films ever made. It is also a definitive but never preachy or vilifying anti-war film (the villain isn't the American military but war itself) and one of the most moving films ever made, animated or otherwise. Grave of the Fireflies is the second film produced by Japan's famous Studio Ghibli, best known for the work of Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, many other amazing movies) but Isao Takahata was just as big of a part of the studio's success and one could easily argue that three of his movies (Grave, Only Yesterday, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya) are the best Ghibli ever made.
Akira is also not for kids, though not in the same way as Grave of the Fireflies: it is a hyper-violent action film set in a cyberpunkian, post-apocalyptic world where biker gangs run wild and super-ESP powered individuals can rip a human apart with their mind (among other things). If this sounds like a cliched anime setting there is a reason why: Akira is an immeasurably influential film in both Japan and the rest of the world, defining the look and plot of many movies, television shows, books, comics, and video games that followed. It is also a super fun, entertaining, scary, moving, and great movie with stunning animated visuals that packs more excitement, creativity, backstory, plot, characters, and lore into its two hours than twenty Marvel movies.
The Bellboy (1960) dir. Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is a decidedly "love-him-or-hate-him" performer, rarely does one experience Lewis and come away without a definitive opinion one way or another. Well, if you've never seen a Jerry Lewis movie, now is your chance to form your own opinion on him. The Bellboy is a good starting point for Lewis because it isn't his best (The Nutty Professor, The Ladies Man) nor is it his worst (too many to list) so it shouldn't give you either an unfairly good or bad first impression. There really isn't much more to say about Lewis, if you watch The Bellboy you're either going to laugh a lot and generally enjoy yourself or you're going to finish the movie (if you get that far) and think, "boy that hyper-active man sure was annoying."
The Outer Limits (1963 - 1965)
The "other" science fiction anthology show of the 1960s, The Outer Limits is often unfairly overshadowed in comparison with The Twilight Zone. Yes, The Outer Limits isn't as good, it isn't as smart, and there are more dud episodes (and at twice the length per episode that can be a killer) but for someone looking for a more traditional science fiction and horror experience, The Outer Limits can be just the ticket. The series contains less (but far from zero) overt social commentary and jokey episodes and goes in more for serious science fiction, including episodes written by renowned science fiction authors Harlan Ellison and Clifford D. Simak. In most cases, this is a good thing though occasionally the show goes too far beyond the outer limits and veers into the ridicules, and not in a good way. Regardless, The Outer Limits is an entertaining ride for fans of classic science fiction.
Here's five episodes to start out with...
1. "It Crawled Out of the Woodwork" (Season 1, Episode 11)
2. "The Zanti Misfits" (Season 1, Episode 14)
3. "Don't Open Till Doomsday" (Season 1, Episode 17)
4. "Soldier" (Season 2, Episode 1)*
5. "Demon with a Glass Hand" (Season 2, Episode 5)
*Ellison, who wrote this episode, later sued the production and distribution companies behind The Terminator (1984) due to obvious similarities between the two stories and later received a settlement and screen credit.
If you like what you've read here, be sure to check out the book I've written!
Also, consider donating to the Art-House America campaign, which is raising money to keep independent movie theaters afloat during this crisis.
And also follow me on Twitter!
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