By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.
Have you ever heard of Tubi? Owned by Fox, it’s an ads-supported free streaming service available on your computer, mobile phone or streaming device, such as Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Xfinity X1 set-tops and Sony and Vizio Smart TVs.
The Tubi lineup consists of thousands of TV shows and movies from studios such as Fox, Lionsgate, Paramount, MGM and Warner Bros. And many of those shows and movies are among the greatest ever made. By example, below are five great classic films that you can stream right now on Tubi – for free! (Even better, the ad interruptions on the Tubi movies are minimal, if there are any at all!)
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Scarface (1983)
The brilliant Brian De Palma-directed drama stars Al Pacino as Cuban refugee Tony Montana who discovers crime does pay, and exceedingly well, in coke-fueled 1980s Miami. While Scarface may be — okay, is — too violent for some, the film perfectly chronicles the era’s thirst for excess and hedonism through the eyes of Montana. Michelle Pfeiffer is flawless as Montana’s ice-cold, white powder-sniffing moll and the splendid supporting cast also includes Steven Bauer, Robert Loggia, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and F. Murray Abraham. Great movie, and don’t forget to say hello to Tony’s little friend.
Taxi Driver (1976)
The Martin Scorsese classic about urban alienation stars Robert DeNiro as a war veteran who returns to America in search of a purpose. Unable to make connections in the cold streets of 1970s Manhattan, DeNiro’s Travis Bickle turns to all the wrong things, including a friendship with an underage prostitute (Jodie Foster) and an infatuation with an icy blonde (Cybill Shepherd) who works for a presidential candidate. Powerful film.
Bullitt (1968)
This gripping crime thriller directed by Peter Yates stars Steve McQueen as the super-cool police lieutenant Frank Bullitt who’s assigned to protect a witness in a Mafia case. The operation goes south when the witness is murdered, triggering a high-speed pursuit unlike any you’ve ever seen. The film’s iconic Mustang car chase is still the best ever put on film.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
The sexy psychological drama from director Stanley Kubrick stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as a glamorous couple trying to preserve their marriage amid temptation and deceit. (No, it’s fiction.). The movie, the great Kubrick’s last, delves into the mysterious and secretive world of masked orgies and hidden desires.
Platoon (1986)
Director Oliver Stone’s 1986 Vietnam drama stars Charlie Sheen as a grunt in the brush who’s torn between two sergeants (Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe) who have violently different views of how to conduct the war. This is Stone’s masterpiece, perhaps even surpassing 1991’s JFK, in large part because it feels so authentic thanks to the director’s personal experience in the war. Sheen is particularly good and a rewatching of this film and 1987’s Wall Street will make you wonder why he didn’t become a top-tier actor instead of a late-night punchline.
Other great films now available for free on Tubi: Suspicion, A Streetcar Named Desire, North by Northwest, The Third Man, The Maltese Falcon, Lawrence of Arabia, In the Heat of the Night, Lolita, and Midnight Cowboy. The list just goes on and on. See more here.
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Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
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.
