By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.
Paramount+ with Showtime tomorrow (February 1) plans to add 177 new movies and TV shows to its streaming lineup. Here are the four best, in my humble opinion:
Magnolia (1999)
The satirical drama from director Paul Thomas Anderson features the lost souls of San Fernando Valley as played by the brilliant ensemble cast of Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Melora Walters. Magnolia doesn’t get the love of PTA’s previous film, Boogie Nights, but it’s a thrilling piece of cinema that will leave you wanting even more after three hours and eight minutes.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
The Coen Brothers’ flawless neo-western stars Josh Brolin as a good old boy who stumbles upon a jackpot of money but is then pursued by a ruthless, coin-flipping killer, played deliciously by Javier Bardem. (And let’s not overlook the commanding performance of Tommy Lee Jones as the weather-beaten sheriff.) Joel and Ethan Coen have conspired to make cinema brilliance over the years with films such as Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and Miller’s Crossing. But there may be no better Coen Brothers film than No Country for Old Men. If you haven’t seen it, start streaming.
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Hell Or High Water (2016)
Written by Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone) and directed by David Mackenzie, this neo noir Western stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster as two bank robbing brothers in modern day Texas who are pursued by two Texas Rangers (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham). The film is basically Michael Mann’s Heat set in the dusty plains of the New West and that’s a good thing. Hell or High Water offers a fascinating portrait of the meticulous methods of the good guys and bad and Pine and Bridges are fantastic in the Pacino/De Niro roles. A real hidden gem here.
Lincoln (2012)
The Steven Spielberg-directed 2012 bio film stars Daniel Day-Lewis as our 16th president. The movie gets a bit maudlin at times, but it’s a must-see for Day-Lewis’ channeling of the man who guided us during the most critical time in our nation’s history. There may not be a better living actor than DDL and Lincoln is the perfect showcase for his unique talents. Watch this film and you’ll think Lincoln is still alive.
Honorable mentions to Zodiac, Sunset Boulevard and Swingers.
Complete List of New Titles Coming to Paramount+ On February 1
12 Years a Slave
23 Walks
A River Runs Through It
A Thousand Words
A Walk on the Moon
Agent Revelation
Alfie (1966)
Alfie (2004)
All Styles
American Hangman
An Unfinished Life
Animal Kingdom
Another Kind of Wedding
Arrivederci, Baby!
Barefoot in the Park
Bangkok Dangerous
Beastly
Beautiful Girls
Benefit of the Doubt
Birthday Girl
Bounce
Bound
Boys and Girls
Bridget Jones’s Baby
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Brown Girl Begins
Captive
Carolina
Case 39
Chicago
Chocolate City
Clue
Cold Brook
Cold in July
Colewell
Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind
Daniel
Dead Water
Dirty Dancing
Dirty Pretty Things
Don’t Look Now
Downeast
Drillbit Taylor
Echo in the Canyon
Ella Enchanted
Ellie and Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)
Enduring Love
Enough Said
Extraordinary Measures
Fade to Black
Fancy Pants
Foxfire
Freedom Writers
Freedom’s Path
French Postcards
Fresh
Friedkin Uncut
Friends with Benefits
Fully Realized Humans
Fun in Acapulco
Funny Face
Game 6
G.I. Blues
Girls! Girls! Girls!
God’s Pocket
Hamlet (2004)
Hands Up
Harlem Nights
Harold and Maude
Hell or High Water
Hellion
Home for the Holidays
Hoop Dreams
In & Out
It Started In Naples
International Falls
Interview With the Vampire
Italian for Beginners
Jersey Girl
Just a Kiss
KEVIN GARNETT: Anything Is Possible
Kinky Boots (2006)
Labor Day
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life
Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Like Water for Chocolate
Lincoln
Love Jones
Love Spreads
Love Story
Lucky Them
Magnolia
Maid in Manhattan
Malena
Margot at the Wedding
Mindhunters
Moonlight and Valentino
Morning Glory
Murder On The Orient Express (1974)
Muriel’s Wedding
Night Falls On Manhattan
No Country for Old Men
No Strings Attached
Once Upon A Time In The West
Passion Play: Russell Westbrook
Perfect Sense
Phil
Premature
Project Ithaca
Red Tails
Rhapsody of Love
Risky Business
Roman Holiday
Romeo and Juliet
Run with the Hunted
Sabrina (1954)
Sahara
Savage
Save the Last Dance
Shaft (2000)
Shuttlecock: Director’s Cut
Sidewalks of New York
Sirens
Slow Burn
Sound of Violence
Sunset Boulevard
Superpower
Superstar
Swingers
The Appearance
The Cider House Rules
The Fighting Temptations
The First Nudie Musical
The Get Together
The Good Girl
The Great Gatsby (1974)
The Harder They Come
The Help
The Honeymooners
The Iron Giant
The Ladies Man
The Ledge
The Long Kiss Goodnight
The Long Shadow
The Love Guru
The Loved Ones
The Original Kings of Comedy
The Out-of-Towners (1970)
The Out-of-Towners (1999)
The Ramen Girl
The Romantics
The Secret Life of Bees
The Sunlit Night
The Weather Man
The Wrong Todd
Tigerland
Tone-Deaf
Trading Places
True Grit (1969)
Urban Cowboy
Vampire in Brooklyn
Virtuosity
Walkaway Joe
We Own the Night
We Were Soldiers
What Breaks the Ice
What Women Want
When a Stranger Calls
When We Were Kings
Wuthering Heights (2003)
Why Stop Now
William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet
Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!
Wish You Were Here
Your Sister’s Sister
Zodiac
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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
