James R | On 07, May 2016

Heard of BFI Player? Well, there’s also BFI Player+, a subscription service that offers an all-you-can-eat selection of hand-picked classics.

Every Friday, Mark Kermode highlights one of the collection’s titles with a video introduction. This week, it’s The Company of Wolves.

Neil Jordan’s take on Little Red Riding Hood combines wolves, humans, sexuality and Gothic sets to magical effect. “If you like your fairytales t have teeth, then this is the film for you,” says Kermode, looking back at the sterling work of the technicians who crafted a believable world from a limited budget for the horror, highlighting the film’s iconic animatronic effects for a wolf transformation – and the creation of entire forest from around 12 trees.

What else is available to stream? Every week, we bring you a round-up of the latest titles on BFI Player+:

Finisterre

Paul Kelly and Kieran Evans chart the influence of London upon indie pop band Saint Etienne in this journey from the capital’s suburbs into its heart over an imaginary 24 hours.

What Have You Done Today Mervyn Day?

Director Paul Kelly continues his trilogy of collaborations with Saint Etienne, tracing the history of Lea Valley before it was redeveloped to become the Olympic Park.

This Is Tomorrow

Kelly’s final collaboration with Saint Etienne was commissioned by the Royal Festival Hall to mark its reopening in 2007 and charts the renovation of the venue, complete with interviews of the Hall’s designers.

Fun at St. Fanny’s

Maurice Elvy’s 1955 caper follows 25-year-old Cardew, who is the beneficiary of a wealthy will but has been kept at the bottom of his class at St. Fanny’s School by a sneaky headmaster. Watch out for a young Ronnie Corbett.

Penny Points to Paradise

From Ronnie Corbett to The Goon Show, Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe all make their feature debut with this 1951 caper from Tony Young, which stars Secombe as a football pool winner who goes on a summer holiday to Brighton – only for everyone else in his B&B to try and snatch his prize money.

Let’s Go Crazy

Sellers and Milligan also star in Alan J. Cullimore’s 1951 comedy, which combines music-hall sequences with sketches and was filmed at the same time as Penny Points to paradise.

The Gigolos

BFI Player+ makes a rare journey into the noughties with this 2006 comedy. Directed by Horrible Histories and Bill veteran Richard Bracewell, it follows a pair of male escorts and their interactions with their over-50s regulars – but when an injury puts Sacha out of action, his younger manager, Trevor, has to step in and take care of business.

A BFI Player+ subscription costs £4.99 a month with a 30-day free trial. For more information, visit http://player.bfi.org.uk.

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