Launching this week on Disney+ is a new channel, simply entitled Disney Channel, which has been hard to miss with the advertising bombardment surrounding it.
Disney bought 20th Century Fox two years ago which means it now has an enormous library of films and TV shows which do not first on Disney+ and Disney+ does not screen films rated 15s and over. So here are six films on the service which are worth a watch.
Broadcast News : When you talk about the all time best performances in film, you think Marlon Brando in Streetcar and Jack Nicholson in Cuckoo’s Nest. Put Holly Hunter in Broadcast News up there. An absolutely electric and hilarious script brilliantly and hilariously read by the three leads. At the time it came out it did not have the legs that When Harry Met Sally did, but it is the better film.
The Colour of Money : The only sequel Martin Scorsese ever directed. This is a direct sequel to 1961's The Hustler (written by Walter Tevis, who also wrote The Queen's Gambit ). Paul Newman reprises his role as Fast Eddie Felson. Long retired from playing pool for money he gets drawn back to the game by mentoring young hot shot Vince (Tom Cruise ). This is absolute peak Cruise and one of the all time great soundtracks. Look out for an electric Forest Whitaker cameo.
Bad Times at the El Royale : Not a perfect movie, but enjoyable despite its flaws. It does remind me of that spate of Tarantino-lite films that came out after Pulp Fiction was a massive hit. It is funny, with some flashes of violence, and a great soundtrack. The best thing about it is everyone is having great fun.
Dead Presidents : A forgotten classic from 1995, and one which holds up surprisingly well more than a quarter of a century on. It is quite a good companion piece for Spike Lee’s most recent release Da Five Bloods. The black experience in Vietnam is not really dwelled on in cinema but these two films have really captured it well.
Martha Marcy May Marlene : Very interesting psychology thriller about a young woman who has left a violent cult in the Catskills Mountains and is trying to readjust to normal life. She suffers from delusions and paranoia. This was the first role for Elizabeth Olsen who has never been better than she is here.
Miller's Crossing : Really excellent gangster movie from 1990, one of the Coen Brothers' first. You could describe it as the Irish-American Godfather. Terrific turns from Gabriel Byrne and Albert Finney, but it is John Turturro who steals the show. As always with the Coens, it is beautifully shot and has a stunning aesthetic.
