Whether the threat comes from zombies, homicidal maniacs, or the Devil himself, you can get your streaming fix this Halloween weekend without leaving your home. Once again, it is amazing how the various services differ in their offerings. Notice how Blockbuster is offering streaming rentals for $2.25 on some titles. It is surprising how some of the older and classic films are still only available via DVD-By-Mail (“Qwikster” good riddance).
Halloween (1978/2007)
John Carpenter’s landmark horror film put fear back in the soft kid-friendly holiday. It was remade in uninspired fashion in 2007 by rocker Rob Zombie who continued with a sequel in 2009 presumably because he was so devoted to getting it right. Perhaps he shouldn’t have remade a classic to begin with. It will be good to see Zombie return to his own material with “The Lords of Salem” due up next year. And director/horror icon John Carpenter isn’t through either. His “The Ward” is available now.
1. Netflix: 1978 – DVD-By-Mail Only http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Halloween/569090?trkid=2361637; 2007 -DVD-By-Mail Only of the Unrated Director’s Cut http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Halloween/70059991?trkid=2361637
2. Amazon: 1978 – Not Available; 2007 – $2.99 Rent/$6.95 Buy http://www.amazon.com/Halloween/dp/B003CWTIO2/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1319722911&sr=1-1
3. Blockbuster: 1978 – DVD-By-Mail Only; 2007 – DVD-By-Mail Only of the Unrated Director’s Cut http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/287589
4. CinemaNow: 1978/2007 Not Available
5. YouTube Movies: 1978 – Not Available; 2007 – $2.99 Rent
6. iTunes: 1978 – Not Available; 2007 Unrated Director’s Cut – $12.99 Buy HD/$3.99 Rent HD/$9.99 Buy SD/$2.99 Rent SD
Friday the 13th (1980/2009)
The 1980 “Friday the 13th” film directed by Sean S. Cunningham spawned numerous sequels, a television series, and even a 2009 remake. The best-known “dead teenager” franchise is available via various streaming video providers.
1. Netflix: DVD-By-Mail Only: 1980 – http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Friday_the_13th/525111?trkid=2361637;
2009 – http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Friday_the_13th/70104894?trkid=2361637
2. Amazon: $2.99 Rent – 1980 – http://www.amazon.com/Friday-the-13th/dp/B003COE90S/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1319722165&sr=1-1; Due to licensing agreements the 2009 Version is not available for streaming rental or purchase. http://www.amazon.com/Friday-the-13th/dp/B002BCJZ60/ref=sr_1_11?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1319722165&sr=1-11
3. Blockbuster: 1980 – $2.25 Rent/$9.99 Buy http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/12645; 2009 – DVD-By-Mail Only http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/375372
4. CinemaNow: 1980 – Not Available; 2009 – $2.99 SD Rent http://www.cinemanow.com/Rent/Movies/10471,0,5,,1,4,0/1000,0,5,,1,4,341066/Friday-the-13th-%282009%29.htm
5. YouTube Movies: Not Available
6. iTunes: 1980 – $2.99 SD Rent/$3.99 HD Rent/$4.99 Buy; 2009 – $2.99 Rent/$4.99 Buy
Nightmare on Elm Street (1984/2010)
Wes Craven directed the original in 1984 with Heather Langenkamp as his starlet and Johnny Depp in the cast. The 2010 sequel is really not worth watching even though the casting of Jackie Earle Haley in the Robert Englund role as Fred Krueger seemed inspired.
1. Netflix: 1984 – DVD-By-Mail Only http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/A_Nightmare_on_Elm_Street/806456?trkid=2361637; 2010 – DVD-By-Mail Only http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/A_Nightmare_on_Elm_Street/70119457?trkid=2361637
2. Amazon: 1984 – $2.99 Rent/$9.99 Buy http://www.amazon.com/A-Nightmare-on-Elm-Street/dp/B002R1UTAQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1319723526&sr=1-1; 2010 – Due to licensing agreements it is not available for purchase or rental. http://www.amazon.com/A-Nightmare-on-Elm-Street/dp/B0041VMSL8/ref=sr_1_4?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1319723526&sr=1-4
3. Blockbuster: 1984 – $2.25 Rent/$10.99 Buy http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/24866; 2010 – Available for DVD purchase only. http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/390631
4. CinemaNow: Not Available
5. YouTube Movies: Not Available
6. iTunes: 1984 – $2.99 Rent/$4.99 Buy; 2010 – Not Available
The Exorcist (1973)
Writer William Peter Blatty adapted his own book and William Friedkin (“The French Connection”) directed what was an instant classic in 1973. But it was re-released as “The version you’ve never seen” in 2000 and included even more terrifying material. Both versions are available online.
1. Netflix: Theatrical – http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Exorcist/14546619?trkid=2361637; Director’s Cut – DVD-By-Mail Only http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Exorcist_The_Extended_Director_s_Cut/60003999?trkid=2361637
2. Amazon: Theatrical – Due to Licensing Restrictions not available for rent or purchase; Director’s Cut – $2.99 Rent/$9.99 Buy http://www.amazon.com/The-Exorcist-Extended-Directors-Cut/dp/B0049MAXQG/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1319724788&sr=1-1
3. Blockbuster: Theatrical – DVD-By-Mail Only http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/10920
4. CinemaNow: Not Available
5. YouTube Movies: Theatrical – $2.99 Rent http://www.youtube.com/movie?v=sFuY0icpASA&feature=mv_sr
6. iTunes: Theatrical – $2.99 Rent/$9.99 Buy; Director’s Cut – $2.99 Rent/$9.99 Buy
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)/The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Tobe Hooper started the chainsaw trend in 1974 with his raw low budget horror entry. He made a sequel in 1986 with Dennis Hopper headlining. Of course, it was remade the first time in 2003 and found several other forms since.
1. Netflix: 1974 – DVD-By-Mail Only http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Texas_Chainsaw_Massacre/15815343?trkid=2361637; 2003 – DVD-By-Mail Only http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Texas_Chainsaw_Massacre/60035292?trkid=2361637
2. Amazon: 1974 – Due to licensing restrictions not available for rental or purchase. http://www.amazon.com/Texas-Chainsaw-Massacre/dp/B003E4AXVU/ref=sr_1_5?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1319724114&sr=1-5; 2003 – $2.99 Rent/$5.99 Buy http://www.amazon.com/The-Texas-Chainsaw-Massacre/dp/B000YJ0U0M/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1319724114&sr=1-1
3. Blockbuster: 1974 – DVD-By-Mail Only http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/34727; 2003 – $2.99 Rent/$9.99 Buy http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/226531
4. CinemaNow: 1974 – Not Available; 2003 – $2.99 Rent SD http://www.cinemanow.com/Rent/Movies/10471,0,5,,1,4,0/1000,0,5,,1,4,143603/Texas-Chainsaw-Massacre-%282003%29.htm
5. YouTube Movies: 1974 – Not Available; 2003 – $2.99 Rent http://www.youtube.com/movie?v=weoRdH-QTEQ&feature=mv_sr
6. iTunes: 1974 – Not Available; 2003 – Two versions available Theatrical – $2.99 Rent/$9.99 Buy, Unrated – $2.99 Rent/$9.99 Buy
The Omen (1976)/The Omen (2006)
The Richard Donner (“Superman”) 1976 version was an eerie movie with some good scares that was somewhat soft compared to the others on this list. The 2006 remake was equally soft despite solid work from Liev Schreiber and a creepy Mia Farrow.
1. Netflix: 1976 – DVD-By-Mail Only
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Omen/60002150?trkid=2361637; 2006 – DVD-By-Mail Only http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Omen_666/70044884?trkid=2361637
2. Amazon: 1976 – Not Available; 2006 – $2.99 Rent/$9.99 Buy http://www.amazon.com/The-Omen/dp/B000O3P62A/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1319725256&sr=1-1
3. Blockbuster: 1976 – DVD-By-Mail http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/25467; 2006 – $3.95 Rent/$9.99 Buy http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/269562
4. CinemaNow: 1976 – Not Available; 2006 – $2.99 Rent http://www.cinemanow.com/Rent/Movies/10471,0,5,,1,4,0/1000,0,5,,1,4,89783/The-Omen.htm
5. YouTube Movies: Not Available
6. iTunes: 1976 – Not Available; 2006 – $2.99 Rent/$9.99 Buy
Dawn of the Dead (1978)/(2004)
George Romero is the father of the zombie genre, although he disputed that when I interviewed him years ago. His 1968 “Night of the Living Dead” was ground-breaking, but his 1978 continuation, “Dawn of the Dead,” is a superior film that plays extremely well today. Zack Snyder’s 2004 remake is more a triumph of style over substance missing the social commentary that made Romero’s 1978 film was effective. But Snyder’s terrific visual style and changes to the mythology including the introduction of “fast-moving zombies” helped launch his career.
1. Netflix: 1978 – DVD-By-Mail Only http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Dawn_of_the_Dead/423744?trkid=2361637; 2004 – DVD-By-Mail Only http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Dawn_of_the_Dead/60033340?trkid=2361637
2. Amazon: 1978 – Not Available; 2004 – $2.99 Rent/$5.49 Buy http://www.amazon.com/Dawn-of-the-Dead/dp/B001OBLNKK/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1319725793&sr=1-1
3. Blockbuster: 1978 – DVD-By-Mail Only http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/8233; 2004- $2.25 Rent/$9.99 Buy http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/230678
4. CinemaNow: 1978 – Not Available; 2004 – $2.99 Rent http://www.cinemanow.com/Rent/Movies/10471,0,5,,1,4,0/1000,0,5,,1,4,338360/Dawn-of-the-Dead.htm
5. YouTube Movies: 1978 – Not Available; 2004 – $2.99 Rent http://www.youtube.com/movie?v=Gjq_QbyOh58&feature=mv_sr
6. iTunes: $2.99 SD Rent/$4.99 SD Buy/$3.99 HD Buy/$14.99 HD Buy
