In this blog, I discuss my recent dive into vintage movies, after the launch of Paramount Plus in the UK.
Hello and welcome to another edition of the Vintage Media Millennial. I’m sorry that I haven’t kept this blog up for a while, I have had issues with major writer’s block. It always seems to come in waves. Sometimes I am on a roll, others the words just don’t come forward. In the last week, I have taken steps to find some motivation, and improve my word count. I set up Old Time Review to discuss vintage media, and that is precisely what I intend to do.
In the last week, I have been generally pessimistic about the UK version of Paramount Plus. When the service launched a few weeks ago, there was a distinct lack of content. Being one of the legacy movie companies with a large back catalogue of films and television shows, consumers expected more from day one. Sadly, this wasn’t to be. I spoke about this issue at length on the first episode of The Streaming Stop Podcast.
As time has passed, I have found myself mellowing toward the new streaming service. Looking over the list of movies currently available, I couldn’t help but notice a small but impressive row of classics; Many of which I have heard of but never seen. My wife and I have been slowly working our way through our accumulated watch list, viewing slices of Paramount history. The list of films viewed includes Sunset Boulevard (1950), Catch 22 (1970), Airplane (1980), The Odd Couple (1968) and Foul Play (1978). Many of these movies rarely seem to get aired on broadcast television anymore, so I relished the opportunity to see them; Fully restored and uncut.
Out of all the films I have viewed this week, I can highly recommend checking out the aforementioned Sunset Boulevard, starring Gloria Swanson and William Holden. Directed by Billy Wilder, I enjoyed this haunting take on Hollywood fame that mixes tension-filled drama with sprinkles of dark humour. Swanson’s role as a faded silent movie star is utterly spellbinding, her real career helping to make it feel all too real. If you’re looking to watch a classic movie this week, THIS is the movie to watch.
There are a lot of things which Paramount Global got wrong about the launch of their streaming service, but having a stable collection of classic movies wasn’t one of them. It’s true there could be more, but I believe they will come in time. Until then, I have a long list of movies including Roman Holiday (1953), Sabrina (1954) and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) to watch through. If you’re wondering about what films are currently available to watch on Paramount Plus in the UK, you can see the recent list of pre-2000 titles that I collated.
If you’re unsure where to start with the selection currently available, I can highly recommend the original version of True Grit starring John Wayne; It’s the movie that finally won him an oscar.
Thank you for reading this edition of the Vintage Media Millennial blog! If you want to get in contact, please email Jamie@OldTimeReview.co.uk.
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