James R | On 27, Oct 2015

November is looming large on the streaming horizon, which means that titles have a chance to slip away into the digital shadows. Luckily, we’ve got a torch and we’ve shone it in the direction of both NOW services: the NOW Cinema Membership, which gives non-Sky customers contract-free access to the Sky Movies catalogue for £9.99 a month, and the Entertainment Membership, which gives non-Sky customers contract-free access to Sky TV channels, as well as FOX UK, for £6.99 a month.

Whether you’re subscribing for The Walking Dead or the Alien franchise, here’s what’s leaving NOW in October and November 2015.

Movies

Hook – 30th October

Steven Spielberg’s take on Peter Pan, which sees the young boy all grown up, remains as divisive as ever, but if you can embrace your inner child, there is much to admire here. From Robin Williams’ superb performance as the increasingly jovial grown-up to the Goonies-style child-friendly combat, Hook is a sweet blockbuster that has just enough Hollywood clout to avoid being sickly. If Bob Hoskins as Smee doesn’t make you chuckle, you’ll be wowed by Dustin Hoffman’s unrecognisable transformation into the scene-stealing villain: Spielberg’s take on Peter Pan may not be for everyone, but it certainly gave us the definitive Captain Hook.

25th Hour – 31st October

Edward Norton stars in Spike Lee’s moving drama about a drug dealer reevaluating his life on the final day before he heads to prison.

A Few Good Men – 31st October

Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson star in this classic legal drama about two US Marines who killed a fellow Marine at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.

Alien / Aliens / Alien 3 – 31st October

Ridley Scott’s Alien (one of the best sci-fi movies and, indeed, horror movies ever made) is worth a subscription to any movie website alone. James Cameron’s action-packed sequel and David Fincher’s uneven but intriguing follow-up are a bonus. If you’ve never seen the first three Aliens films, this is the perfect excuse for a marathon.

All the President’s Men – 31st October

Alan J. Pakula’s account of how journalists Woodward and Bernstein uncovered the Watergate scandal is not only gripping, but also becomes more relevant and topical every year that goes by.

Bonnie and Clyde – 31st October

Arthur Penn’s 1967 classic brings the two infamous runaway criminals – Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway – to vivid life in a film that is a landmark not just in terms of quality but in terms of taboo-breaking violence.

Godzilla (2014) – 5th November

Gareth Edwards followed up small indie flick Monsters with this gargantuan reboot of the king of monsters. The impressive result manages to be serious rather than silly (hello to the 1998 effort), not only capturing the size of the beast, but the awe felt by the puny humans looking up at it from the ground. Marvellous.

Boogie Nights – 8th November

Paul Thomas Anderson’s fantastic film about a high-school drop-out who finds himself becoming a porn star boasts excellent turns from Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds and Julianne Moore.

Last Vegas – 8th November

Kevin Kline, Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro and Morgan Freeman star in this tale of old friends who go to Las Vegas for a stag do. Four ageing men going to drink, gamble and ogle young women? This should be sleazy, but Last Vegas has a surprisingly warm vein of humour and heart that becomes a look at mature romance rather than a peer down a teenager’s bikini.

Lone Survivor – 8th November

Mark Wahlberg stars in Peter Berg’s thrilling – and shocking – war movie, which reduces conflict to an adrenaline-fuelled attempt to survive.

Liar Liar – 9th November

Jim Carrey stars in this entertaining family drama about a lawyer who finds himself only able to tell the truth.

Monsters, Inc. – 12th November

Are monsters more terrified of us than we are of them? That’s the cute starting point for Pixar’s fluffy flick, which sees John Goodman and Billy Crystal play a double-act of scarers, whose job is to make enough kids scream to provide power for the city. A beautiful piece of world-building and a cute slice of emotion make this a charming Disney adventure that’s definitely not terrifying.

TV

Arrow: Season 2 – 30th October

Reader, you have failed this city… if you haven’t watched any of Arrow before. After an uneven Season 1, Season 2 is where The CW’s comic book series really finds its form and delivers action, entertainment and humour aplenty.

The Flash: Season 1 – 31st October

If you love Arrow, you’ll probably like The Flash, The CW’s companion series about the popular super-speedy superhero. With Season 2 on now, you’ll have to be equally fast to catch up on the first run before it zooms over the horizon.

Kids’ TV Shows – 31st October

Kids’ TV shows are a valuable commodity in the streaming world, with programmes bouncing around between Netflix, Amazon and NOW as new deals are signed and others expire. Halloween, then, will be scary for young viewers not just because of the ghosts and weird masks but because Season 1 of Dora the Explorer, Spongebob Squarepants, Go Diego Go!, Peppa Pig and iCarly are all leaving NOW.

The Walking Dead: Season 1 to 5 – 2nd November

With The Walking Dead Season 6 off to a scarily brutal start this month, NOW added Seasons 1 to 5 as a box set for people to binge-view and catch up. If you’ve never dabbled in AMC’s brilliant horror hit, this is the cheapest way to give all five previous seasons a go.

Rick and Morty: Season 2 – 7th November

Adult Swim’s animated series finally arrived in the UK earlier this year, thanks to a new deal with FOX Uk. Now, though, it’s preparing to bid farewell from NOW – don’t miss it. It’s very, very funny.

 

Other titles leaving NOW in October / November 2015

25th October
Prom

27th October
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

28th October
Spooky Buddies

30th October
How the Universe Works

31st October
A Civil Action
Cheaper by the Dozen
Coffee Town
Decoding Annie Parker
Easy Rider
Eight Legged Freaks
Friday the 13th
Get Smart
Hollow Man
Life Is Beautiful
Looking Back to the Future
Plush
Predator
Predator 2
Sleepless in Seattle
Summer of Sam
Syrup
The Devils
The Goonies
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Three Fugitives
X-Men
Awkward Season 4
Broadchurch: Season 2
Seinfeld: Season 8

5th November
Blended
Poseidon
The Butler
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure

7th November
March of the Penguins

 

Photo: Gene Page/AMC

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