Cinephemera

This is a good time to be a film lover. I’m not sure how cinephiles were able to live before the days of video cassettes. These days, we don’t even have to go to the store or even pay to see a ton of classic and newer movies. There are now many sites out there that host movies that you can watch for free! Here are some of the best ones that I’ve found out about.

Crackle
Looking at the movie selection on Crackle , I refused to believe that they were completely free. I clicked on a few and to my great astonishment, they are completely 100% free to watch on demand. Like Hulu, they are interrupted by commercials every so often but this is certainly one of the best selections of movies you’re going to find on the web for free.

Notable Choices: A Few Good Men, Big Fish, El Mariachi, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, The Karate Kid trilogy, Muppets from Space, The Professional, Spider-Man 2, St. Elmo’s Fire, and at least 9 Godzilla movies!

Hulu
I mentioned Hulu in my last post and I’ll mention it again now because it’s such a great source for movie watching. They recently added a documentary channel and they update their available movies frequently. There currently have around 300 choices making it one of the biggest offerings of free movies on the net. You can see all of them here .

Notable Choices: Africa Screams, Anastasia, House on Haunted Hill, The Lady Vanishes, Carnival of Souls, Inherit the Wind, Slacker, Air Force One.

Joost
This site is harder to get around and find something you might want to watch but if you dig around you might just find that diamond in the rough. They have a good collection of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton shorts and a lot of classic cult horror films. There’s a lot of good content here but the difficulty in navigating the site is rather annoying.

Notable Choices: The 39 Steps, Carnival of Souls, McLintock, His Girl Friday, Nosferatu, The Toxic Avenger, Metropolis, Gojira, Road to Bali.

SnagFilms
SnagFilms is your place for documentaries. There are so many documentaries here (over 500) I don’t even know where to begin. They’ve got documentaries on nearly every subject you can think of from panda bears to Led Zepplin. Most of these are independently made so you won’t find “bigger” docs like Mad Hot Ballroom or Fog of War but there are a few notable docs and there’s more than enough here to keep you interested for a very long time.

Notable Choices: Confessions of a Superhero, Super Size Me, Farther Than The Eye Can See, The Times of Harvey Milk, Heavy Metal in Baghdad.

YouTube
I mentioned YouTube in my last post as being a shadier method of movie watching but now YouTube has begun releasing movies legitimately. Most are in high quality and best of all, no ads beyond the usual occasional YouTube pop up. Their selection seems to primarily consist of old horror movies with some other movies thrown in.

Notable Choices: Carrie, Day of the Dead, The Little Princess, Casino Royale (1967), Satan’s School for Girls, Who’s Harry Crumb?, 7 Days in September.

Movies Found Online
Movies Found Online is a great directory of movies that have been located across multiple sources. They have a ton movies and documentaries available for free.

Notable Choices: Battle Royale, Night Watch, Akira, Waking Life, Yellow Submarine, Battleship Potemkin, Freaks, M, It’s A Wonderful Life, Don’t Copy That Floppy.

Source

If you’re like me, you love movies but you don’t have a lot of money to spend on them and with theater’s charging around $10 a pop, going to the movies often can leave your wallet feeling empty and little to show for it. Fortunately, there are a few ways that you can see a lot of movies cheaply or completely free (and legally for the most part) if you don’t mind waiting a couple months for newer releases.

Everyone knows Netflix. The Blockbuster killer (potentially) is a great way of getting a lot of movies and TV shows for little money. For just $9 a month you can get one DVD and unlimited watch instantly movies. With over 100,000 DVDs and more than 12,000 available for instant streaming, you aren’t going to run out of movies or TV to watch anytime soon. I always have 100+ titles in my respective queues because I just keep finding new movies that I want to see. My instant queue currently has 250 titles and fluctuates constantly. Maybe someday I’ll get my queue down but at this rate, it doesn’t seem likely.

These aren’t shabby titles either. Looking at the watch instantly page they have a variety of titles ranging from popular to obscure and older to newer. A few examples are His Girl Friday, Animal House, Bottle Rocket, Barton Fink, Let The Right One In, Man On Wire, Ratatouille, Casablanca, Ghostbusters, No Country For Old Men, Eraserhead, Blade Runner, and Maniac Cop.

Again, for the price of one movie at a regular theater you could potentially watch all of those movies in a week. My current record stands at six movies in one day.

Good ol’ standby Blockbuster hasn’t been doing so well lately. They’re a household name in movie rental but did you also know that they sell used DVDs for pretty dang cheap? If you go in store they usually have stacks of recently released DVDs available to buy. The newer ones generally run for $15 but you can get two of those for $20 and their older (but not old) titles go for anywhere between $10 and $3 and you can get four of those for a mere $20.

I tend to visit the store next door to my work at least once a week to see what new DVDs I can score and I usually walk out with a stack of new DVDs. On my latest trip I got The Bank Job, El Dorado, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Ruins, The Forbidden Kingdom, Doomsday, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Lars and the Real Girl for just over $40.

For the most part I’ve had few problems with the DVDs themselves and have only had to return one because it had some skip inducing scratches on it but they replaced it straight away without asking for a receipt. Perhaps we’re just gotten to the recognition stage of our relationship.

Hulu is well known as a streaming TV provider but they also host a wide variety of movies as well and like their TV service, it is completely free. Most of the provided titles tend to be older or pretty obscure but with a decently sized collection and relatively frequent additions, you’re likely to find something that you may have glossed over or that sounds interesting. Also like the TV shows, the movies are interrupted about six times for a commercial but they break at appropriate times and it’s a small price to pay for a completely free movie.

Specialty Theaters

If you live in or near a place like Los Angeles there are plenty of small specialty theaters that are often cheaper and/or offer double features. In L.A. there’s the New Beverly and The Silent Movie Theater (which shows more than just silent films) where you can see themed double features for less than $10. These places also usually have special guests such as the directors and stars of the films they’re showing. Last Halloween night I went to the New Bev to see Shaun of the Dead and Riki-Oh with SotD director Edgar Wright and it was enormous fun. The theaters are small and the staff all very personable and obviously have a great love of cinema. Anyone who claims to love movies should go out and support these small theaters.

The Internet Archive is a tremendous source for all things free. They have an extensive music library of copyright free songs and concert bootlegs and a large database of free movies. The only downside to this site is that the movies are either incredibly old or incredibly bad or both. Look hard enough and you can find some gems such as Night of the Living Dead. Most videos also come in a wide variety of formats to download in.

This is a more shady method of movie watching and it’s difficult to find a particular movie without randomly stumbling across it. Google video allows for movies to be uploaded in their entirety but YouTube is confined to 15 minute chunks so it makes watching spotty at best. It’s also usually not great quality and sometimes downright awful but there are a few gems out there if you look hard enough. It’s also generally a good source for films who’s copyright has expired. A friend of mine tells me that someone has uploaded Twilight onto YouTube so if you want to get your angsty teen vampire out of your system, go for it.

Now I’m not about to condone piracy and I certainly do not condone downloading movies illegally but in the name of completeness I’m going to list this option as well. Though I will say that in general I agree with this guy.

So there you have it. Happy watching.

Were there any movie sources that I missed? How do you watch your movies?

Ahh, 2008. You gave us some great movies this year. You managed to get me out to the theater more often this year than any other. In all, I saw 32 movies released this year with 22 being at the theater. With average ticket prices being 10 bucks, that’s around 300 dollars I’ve shelled out to my local cineplex. You’re welcome movie industry. There’s been so many great movies that I’m actually excited to see the Academy Awards this year. I’ve got a few choices that I’ll really be pushing for but with such great choices all around, it’ll be hard to be disappointed. So here they are in ascending order: my 10 best movies of 2008.

10. Cloverfield

I think a lot of people have forgotten all about this one. Not surprising since it came out in January but what a way to kick off the year. I still remember the insane amount of hype and irritating level of secrecy that led up to its release. I must give a standing ovation to whoever was in charge of marketing this thing because he/she/they are a genious. From that first image of a decapitated Lady Liberty to the first trailer without an actual title it all just made me want to see it more and more. It seemed impossible that it would be able to live up to expectations but this movie not only met those expectations, it surpassed them. If any movie deserved the descriptor of being a rollercoaster ride, it is Cloverfield. This movie also holds the 2008 record for most times I saw a movie in the theater at 3.

9. City of Ember

I know very few people who have seen this and I only hope that it becomes a hit on DVD because it really is a fun little children’s film. I saw this at a local dollar theater one day when I was bored and had a few hours to kill. Nothing else there sounded appealing and I remembered hearing that Bill Murray was in this so I decided to give it a shot. In the theater was just me, a homeless looking guy and two young women. I propped my feet up and pretty soon, I was swept up in this fantastic adventure tale. The production designer deserves some major kudos for this. The story is a rather simple one but I was so captivated by it that I didn’t care. And honestly, sometimes you just need a break from heavy material and this is just the movie to see if you’re looking for a fun, adventure movie. I walked out of the theater an hour and a half later feeling like a kid again.

8. The Wrestler

Darren Aronofsky is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. The Fountain is one of my favorite movies ever and The Wrestler is yet another fantastic movie on his resume. It’s been said many times before but Mickey Rourke truly does give the best performance of the year. Seriously, if he doesn’t get the Oscar, the academy is off their rocker.

7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

David Fincher is another one of my directors and Benjamin Button is a departure from his usual work which is rather kinetic and stylish. One could almost see his previous feature Zodiac as being a stepping stone toward this film. This is not to downplay Zodiac because I love it dearly but both of these movies are rather slow and have long running times. Normally this would entail the movie would be boring but somehow he manages to keep it interesting. Despite the fact that Benjamin Button is 20 minutes shy of 3 hours in length, I never felt the length. The cinematography is absolutely stunning and special effects are fantastic. I never thought I’d be able to say it but I actually respect Brad Pitt as an actor. He’s a keeper.

6. The Fall

The Fall is one of the most visually dynamic films I’ve ever seen. The amount of imagination on display is, at times, jaw dropping. There are things in this movie that you have never seen and will probably never see again. It is a fascinating story to watch unfold as you learn more and more about this stuntman and the demons he is battling within himself and how it correlates with the story he tells to the little girl he befriends. I don’t want to give too much away here but the ending is truly a thing of beauty and incredibly moving.

5. Burn After Reading

I’ve always been more of a fan of the Coen brothers’ comedies than their serious material although I think they do both spectacularly. Burn After Reading is just absurd comedy that only gets better the more absurd it gets. Every actor in this movie is completely ridiculous and obviously having a great time. Old Coen film standby George Clooney and newtimer to the Coen world Brad Pitt are delightful to watch and side-splittingly funny. Their first meeting (you know the one I’m talking about) had me rolling for minutes afterward. This year we got to see Brad Pitt at his goofiest in this movie and at his most subdued in Benjamin Button and he’s just fantastic in both of them.

4. Slumdog Millionaire

As I said in my previous review, this movie is bursting at the seams with life, energy and optimism. Not an easy thing for a movie that also features brutality and heartbreaking sadness. It’s a story about rising up out of the dirt and grime and being alive. What really got me was the love story and the never tiring search for one’s true love.

3. The Dark Knight

Honestly, what can I say about this that hasn’t already been said a billion times before? Heath Ledger’s performance alone is enough to give this movie a high ranking but it also benefits from deep subject matter and great direction. There is simply no way that any superhero movie will be able to topple this film. Seeing this in IMAX was one of the best theater going experiences of my life.

2. In Bruges

This movie caught me completely off guard. Me and a friend were hanging out in Downtown Brea and decided we wanted to see a movie. It was still pretty early in the year so there weren’t a whole lot of standout movies yet. My friend suggested we see In Bruges because he’d heard some good things about it. First of all, I was bowled over by the fact that I actually liked Colin Farrell. Secondly, I was impressed by the both hilarious and emotionally engrossing script. I’m very glad I hadn’t seen the trailer beforehand because it makes this movie look like a rollicking madcap shoot-em-up. It’s much better and deeper than that. The dialogue is fast, fun and witty.

1. WALL-E

Who woulda thunk it? The movie that tugged my heart strings the hardest, that made me fall in love with the characters the most, that brought tears to my eyes, is a movie about two robots in love. The space dancing scene was simply the most beautiful moment of any film that I’ve seen this year and I never wanted that moment to end. WALL-E is my favorite Pixar film right before Finding Nemo. Coincidentally, both are by the same director, Andrew Stanton. This post is taking forever to write because every time I think about the movie, I start remembering different scenes and remembering just how in love I am with this movie. I just can’t convey how in love with this movie I am.

2009 is now upon us. A year of possibilities and promises. New Years resolutions to be broken, movies to be seen. With a whole year of movies ahead of us, it is a good time to plan out those movies that really matter. Here are the top 18 movies that I’ll be looking forward to this year.

Coraline - February 6
A new claymation film from the director of Nightmare Before Christmas and based on a story by Neil Gaiman? Yes PLEASE!

Fanboys - February 6
A group of friends journey to Skywalker Ranch to steal Star Wars: Episode I before its release. This film has been on a long and difficult road to getting released but now it’s finally coming to theaters. The story behind the film itself is worthy of a film or at least an inspirational TV movie.

Watchmen - March 6 (hopefully)
It’s no stretch to call this the most anticipated movie of the year. With the release date threatened by legal action, fans can only hope that both Fox and Warner’s can pull their heads out of their butts and come to an agreement soon.

The Great Buck Howard - March 20
This out-of-nowhere film stars John Malkovich and Colin Hanks. From the trailer it looks rather charming. That, and Conan O’Brien and Jon Stewart appearing as themselves doesn’t hurt either.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - May 1
The trailer makes this look like it could actually be a decent spinoff. I just hope they don’t screw up Gambit. That guy is pretty cool in the comics.

Star Trek - May 8
I’m not a Trekkie by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve never seen any of the series and I’ve only seen the second and third movies but thanks to J.J. Abrams, I am super excited about this movie. The presence of Simon Pegg also helps a lot too.

Brothers Bloom - May 15
The second feature by writer/director Rian Johnson. I saw his first film Brick in the theater and was blown away by it. This one looks to be a lot of fun and is one of my most anticipated of 2009. If you haven’t seen Brick yet, do yourself a favor and go buy it.

Avatar - May 22
I don’t know a whole lot about this movie other than it is directed by James Cameron. That’s enough for me.

Monsters vs. Aliens - May 22
If the title alone doesn’t do it for you, then maybe the voice talent will: Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Rainn Wilson, Stephen Colbert, Will Arnett. How can this not be good? I submit that it cannot not be good.

Up - May 29
One word: Pixar.

The Boat That Rocked - probably May
Written and directed by Richard Curtis who was also a frequent colaborator of Rowan Atkinson’s Mr. Bean series and starring awesome people like Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy and Nick Frost. According to IMDb, there’s no US release date yet but it comes out in the UK in mid May so I assume it’ll be state bound a little while after that.

The Hangover - June 12
The premise sounds merely okay, but it’s got Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis in it.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - July 17
This was the most intense in the series of books and I pray to God that they rertain that intensity in the film.

District 9 - August 14
I saw banners for this at Comic-Con and had no clue what it was. It wasn’t until yesterday when I was putting this list together that I saw that it is written and directed by Neill Blomkamp who made the fantastic short film Alive in Joburg (which you may still be able to find on YouTube) and was signed to direct the Halo movie before it went under. Little is known about this movie but I eagerly await this visionary director’s new film.

Inglorious Basterds - August 21
Quentin Tarantino. He may be overrated, but his movies are pretty fun. This one gets me excited because it looks unlike anything Tarantino has done before.

9 - September 9
I hadn’t heard anything about this movie before seeing the trailer and it absolutely blew me away. You can see it in high quality on apple’s trailer site. Produced by Tim Burton, this looks like a steampunk adult’s CG movie. September is much too far away.

Where the Wild Things Are - October 16
I never read the book that this is based on but I absolutely love Spike Jonze and this looks amazing. I’ve heard that Jonze and the studio have had difficulties with each other but all that seems to be panning out nicely.

The Wolf Man - November 6
Family friendly Joe Johnston isn’t the first person you’d think of to bring this classic horror remake to the screen. From screenshots I’ve seen, this won’t be like his typical fare. And with makeup wizard Rick Baker doing the effects, it’ll look spectacular. I don’t know if he’ll ever top his werewolf transformation from An American Werewolf in London, but I’m crossing my fingers it at least won’t be a CG transformation.

The Lovely Bones - December 11
Written and directed by Peter Jackson. Need I say more?

What movies are you looking forward to in 2009?

So I’m late getting this list out but Christmas pretty much extends to the end of December anyhow. Yeah. That’s a good enough excuse. And now, in no particular order except as they come to me, 8 Christmas movies that bring on the cheer.

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Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

Despite the title, there is no war between little men in green and little green men. That would have been so much more awesome but no! In fact, Santa conquers the martians with the joy of Christmas! This is a good one to watch when you need a good Christmas laugh.

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Die Hard

Yes! This is a Christmas movie! It takes place during a company Christmas party, therefore it is a Christmas movie. Not only that, but it is likely the best Christmas movie ever made! Eat that, Miracle on 31st Street!

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A Christmas Story

This is a classic. Nothing can ever beat that leg lamp. I’ve wanted one for myself ever since I first saw this movie.

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The Muppet Christmas Carol

The Muppets + Michael Caine = massive amounts of win. Michael Caine can make any movie good and the Muppets can make any story fun. Combine them both and you get good fun. Muppet Treasure Island is my favorite muppet movie but this one comes in at a close second.

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Jingle All the Way

Yeah, yeah. It’s a pretty bad, cheesy movie but there are a lot of moments in this that still make me laugh. It has Arnold beating up a freaking midget Santa for crying out loud! And watching Arnold Schwarzenegger act is always at least amusing.

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It’s a Wonderful Life

The Christmas movie to end all Christmas movies. If you don’t like this one, you either don’t have a heart or your heart is so black and twisted and evil that you probably spend all day plotting some superhero’s demise in your fortress of solitude. Where was I? Oh yeah. Love it or go away, you grouch!

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The Nightmare Before Christmas

The great thing about this is that it works as both a Christmas movie and as a Halloween movie. Besides that, it’s freaking Tim Burton. Pay no attention to all those goths who have taken over this movie as their own. Enjoy it for what it is: a joyous, claymation romp through the imaginations of Tim Burton and director Henry Selick (that guy never gets enough credit for this)

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Elf

I don’t remember this one at all. I think I remember it being good though.

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What are some of your favorite Christmas movies? Let me know in the comments.