Culture Crash: Accessing Film Classics

Welcome to Culture Crash, where we examine American culture – what’s new and old in entertainment.

In the world of streaming, it can seem like every show and every movie is at our fingertips. Of course, that’s not true. Countless movies and shows are largely forgotten as the streamers continue to push for new content all the time. What is often lost are the gems of decades past and, as a film fan who wants to have a more well-rounded perspective, that can make life more difficult when seeking out great foreign films or even just American films from the New Hollywood renaissance of the 1960s and 70s.

Luckily, the Criterion Channel plugs a big hole, but another, more widely utilized service actually has a ton to offer on that front, too. HBO Max often centers its classic HBO library or franchise events like Batman movies or Harry Potter films, but it also has a deep bench of Warners classics.

Streamers have been able to watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Easy Rider, Picnic at Hanging Rock, and so many others on HBO Max. Masters of cinema like Stanley Kubrick or the Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai can both be found on HBO Max, as can older classics like Citizen Kane or the original Godzilla films.

For many film fans, exploring film’s past can be intimidating, and Criterion collection films can be inaccessible. To those fans, my highest recommendation is to use the TCM portal on HBO Max. It can really help you explore essential voices from the past and around the world. I know it has helped me.

I’m Evan Rook.