It’s Time to Cancel Max and Sign up for the Criterion Channel
Since taking over as head of Warner Bros. Discovery in mid-2022, David Zaslav succeeded in undermining his brand’s reputation among film lovers as quickly as possible. He started by announcing plans to blow up HBO Max (which I once called one of the best streaming services for classic movie lovers ) and merge it with the reality show Discovery+. He then canceled the nearly finished Batgirl movie to write off taxes . Then he horrified the likes of Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and David Fincher—not to mention just about the entire movie Twitter community —with high-profile layoffs at TCM , cable’s last stronghold for true movie buffs. And just this week, Warner Bros. Discovery appears to have pressured GQ magazine to remove an article that called him “the most hated man in Hollywood”, which is definitely not a sign that the headline was 100% accurate (let alone the alleged conflict interests in the game ).
If this all sounds like a typical corporate power and profit struggle, consider the real implications for consumers paying $16 a month for HBO Max: less ambitious original movies and TV shows, a much smaller collection of classic movies , and a crappier user experience . an experience that makes it hard to find what you want to watch.
To me, that means it’s time to cancel Max and subscribe to a streaming service that really cares about movies and the people who love them. And I think you should too. Here are four safe bets that are worth your subscription dollars. (And one of them is even free)
Channel Criteria
Since its inception in the 1980s, when Criterion was founded as a distribution company for classic artsy films, it has been the gold standard for film lovers. His boutique lineup of special edition DVDs, which compiles influential films from over a century of film history—with in-depth documentaries, insightful commentary, and more—is so beloved that it has inspired an entire filmmaking community to invest in physical media. . ( Barnes & Noble’s 50% bi-annual sale is legendary.)
In 2019, Criterion brought this rich experience to the world of streaming in the form of The Criterion Channel, a service entirely dedicated to highlighting the most “important” (in terms of both quality and cultural relevance) classic and contemporary films. which include the bells and whistles that were created for the DVD releases. With an ever-changing lineup and thematic collections that let you explore vast swaths of film history, from erotic thrillers to 1980s Asian-American films and fancier categorizations such as films that explore the image of a gay best friend, this Essentially, the school of streaming movies. with tuition $10.99 per month.
Sign up for The Criterion Channel (Cost: $10.99/month or $99.99/year).
Shudder
Horror is rarely respected by mainstream film critics, but the creators of The Shadder know it can be pretty damn fantastic. This inexpensive subscription is a must for both slasher and giallo fans . Not only did Shudder premiere new horror films like the pandemic-era thriller The Host , it also brought attention to long-forgotten cult hits like 1981’s ” Obsession “ (never before released in the US in its original version) and Mexican film about the supernatural “Poison”. Fairies . The Shudder is also home to The Last Ride with Joe Bob Briggs show, with a dedicated cult following known as “mutants”. Briggs, who is a regular on the streamer, presents two horror movies each week, usually related to a theme, along with deep historical dives, rambling tangents, interviews with the cast and crew involved in the making of the films, and the occasional charity event. . (Usually the trips take place during the holidays, but he arranged one in favor of saving the turtles when they showed “The Cannibal Holocaust ” at the urging of postman Darcy.)
Sign up for Shudder (Cost: $5.99/month, $56.99/year)
MUBI
Think of it like another prestigious streaming service for movie lovers. MUBI is both a streaming service and a film distributor. Like the latter, it has recently launched arthouse films such as Celine Sciamma’s Little Mama and Park Chang Wook’s Decision to Leave, and brings the same curated look to its ever-evolving catalog of foreign, arthouse and non-fiction films. MUBI’s “hand-picked” collection aims to add at least one new film each day, and the offbeat selection – from recent indies to deep cuts from celebrity creators to select imports – means you’ll always find something. new for you.
Sign up for MUBI (Cost: $12.99/month, $107.88/year).
Tooby
Tubi may rhyme with MUBI, but the two services couldn’t be more different. If MUBI picks its pick with the precision of a gimlet, Tubi prowls the bottom of the cinematic seas with a huge fishing net, scooping up anything that can get broadcast rights. Which doesn’t mean it’s a lot of junk, although the free, ad-supported service definitely has a lot of stuff that would be right at home on a Dollar Tree DVD shelf. But moviegoers are flocking to Tubi for the sheer variety of weirdness on offer — more than 50,000 of them, according to the company — and seemingly no viewership niche is considered too obscure (Vulture recently called it a “weird free streamer [that] won the heart of the internet.” )
Sign up for Tubi (Cost: $0/month, $0/year)