I have yet to see a title listed as part of this "curated" section that isn't already on Criterion or just something being branded "classic" because it was made more than ten years ago.

I've perused the list briefly and indeed, there is significant overlap with Criterion Channel. Lots of Kurosawa, early Australian works by Peter Weir, early British Hitchcock. I've added a few films I've been meaning to watch that's not on CC right now to my list (Malick's Tree of Life, some Jacques Tati stuff, Rio Bravo.) A lot of its usefulness will depend on how they are going to rotate/curate this part of the service. Obviously not at the amazing level CC folks do, I imagine, but it's something.

Do you get all the current HBO stuff with the new service as well? Because it looks like it's the same price I'm currently paying for HBO, I'm which case I'll just switch.

Yep. It's a bit like Disney+. There is a section called "HBO" that has all your old HBO stuff, plus sections for "TCM", "Adult Swim," "DC," "Studio Ghibli," etc. I haven't seen a ton of Ghibli (have only seen Mononoke, Spirited Away and Totoro) so immediately added most of the stuff I haven't seen to the list. Goodness, so many things to watch, so little time!

The switch from HBO Now I had (streaming only) to HBO Max was automatic and painless. I did hear that it was more tricky for folks who get HBO via their cable package. Also, HBO Max app is not yet available through Amazon Fire Stick or via Roku, which is a big downside.

Yes, for people who have HBO they can just upgrade for the same price but it depends how you access it. The Math Greek subscribes to HBO already, but Max isn't yet available for Roku so we haven't bothered.

FireOS is always the last to get new streaming services. Boo.

We get HBO through Prime, but I don't see the new content listed there yet, but I could cancel that and switch it to Hulu.

I've seen it specifically stated that it is not available through Prime subscriptions (or at least, won't be in the near future).

ETA: Hulu is offering me a free week of the HBO upgrade so I might do that just to check it out. But there is still so much I want to see on Criterion that I'm not in any rush. Honestly though, I really should give up Netflix and/or Hulu before adding something else to the mix. I really don't watch them. Even MUBI, which used to be my go-to streaming service barely gets a glance these days.

Thanks, Megan. I was thinking of signing up for the Criterion service. Is it good?

If you like classic films, it's great. It definitely leans art house, but the library goes way beyond the Criterion films they offer on DVD. They are also really good at highlighting female filmmakers. They are not so great in certain genres, for example, westerns, but films are getting added all the time.

More importantly, they put together fantastic collections. Beyond director (Godard, Tarkovsky, Sirk) or star-specific (Jean Arthur, Rita Hayworth, Catherine Deneuve) ones, right now in my queue I have collections based on Saul Bass title sequences, Frances Marion scripts, German Expressionism, film noir, and foreign-language Oscar winners. Often these collections have 15 or so films so you could spend a whole month just going through 1 or 2 of those.

Of course, those are often the films that end up in the "expiring this month" list, which is frustrating since then I feel I have to prioritize them, but that is my issue, and at least their interface makes it really easy to see what will be expiring at the end of the month and planning accordingly. In some collections, the films don't have too much cohesion (the Scores of Quincy Jones comes to mind, and I expect Saul Bass will be similar), but they result in great discoveries.

I have a yearly charter subcription which means it is $7.50/month plus I seem to get random $10-off certificates for the Criterion store from time to time. I currently have 2, one of which is a charter member thing but I don't think the other is. I believe there is a two-week free trial period if you want to check it out.

If HBO Max hits Roku I may give it a go. The interface seems less clunky than Hulu or Prime, to me.

Of course, those are often the films that end up in the "expiring this month" list, which is frustrating since then I feel I have to prioritize them, but that is my issue, and at least their interface makes it really easy to see what will be expiring at the end of the month and planning accordingly.

This section of CC is such a mixed blessing. On one hand, I get super stressed out as we near the end of each month about all the movies in that section I haven't gotten around to watching. On the other hand, it often forces my hand into FINALLY watching a film I've been meaning to for ages.

I watched a bunch of musicals this past week since I wasn't in a mood for anything heavy. Ridiculous plots aside, those Fred Astaire/Rita Hayworth flicks made for fun distractions. You Were Never Lovelier in particular had some fabulous numbers. And for reasons unclear to me, I had never watched Only Angels Have Wings before, which has Cary Grant/Jean Arthur/Howard Hawks trifecta, with bonus Rita Hayworth. A surprisingly dark film (I would not qualify that ending as necessarily happy) with some tremendous aerial photography, especially for the time.

Jean Arthur is probably my favourite Golden Age Hollywood actress (neck and neck with Barbara Stanwyck) and I am psyched that Criterion is spotlighting her right now. Of the 15 (!) Jean Arthur movies available on the channel right now (not counting Only Angels, which expired yesterday), I've seen around half, and excited to check out the rest. Of the ones I've seen, I'd particularly recommend History Is Made At Night (a lush Frank Borzage romantic extravaganza with a bonkers plot) and The More The Merrier, which is probably my favourite film of hers. Mr. Deeds and Mr. Smith are better known, but I like the other 2 better. A little bummed they don't have A Foreign Affair, which I adore, and Easy Living, which I've been meaning to check out for a while.

Oh! And on the topic of "expiring this month" section: Last night, I was scrolling through the list on CC to knock out another expiring film before the clock hit midnight (it's like cramming for finals!), and went with Leos Carax's Mauvais Sang. I'd watched his latest, Holy Motors, when it came out in theaters several years back, so I sort of knew to expect offbeat nonsense plot. What I did not realize was that this had the SAME leading man (Denis Lavant) as Holy Motors, with that same perpetually scowly face and compact acrobat's body (clearly the director stand-in), only 25 years younger! It had a nominal plot about a heist, which didn't really matter much, as it was just an excuse for various digressions. The film is a paean to romanticism, and MY GOSH, was young Juliette Binoche (the object of our protagonist's affection) ever so beautiful. Accordingly to Wikipedia, she was dating the director at the time, and I have rarely seen a camera more in love with its subject. Plus, baby Julie Delpy! The music! That whole "Modern Love" sequence! ♥ ♥ ♥ I kinda feel like I should have watched this in my 20's though. Ah well. Better late than never.

Carax has a musical coming out with Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard (it was supposed to have debuted at the Cannes this year, but who knows when it will come out now), which is apparently almost sung through. Can't wait.