Ten Movies To Watch On Disney’s New Streaming Service
Plus: We dish out our thoughts on some new releases in theaters
The streaming world has a new challenger that wants your money — and it’s a formidable one. Disney has tossed its hat into the ring with Disney+, the Mouse’s subscription streaming service that launches on Tuesday, November 12th. For just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 a year), Disney is offering almost their entire library of TV shows and movies. That’s almost 100 years of content.
Disney+ is smartly positioning themselves as the family-friendly streaming option. No R-rated movies here, buddy. Only classics and nostalgia hits from the last several decades, including Disney animated and live-action films and shows, as well as (eventually) the full library of Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar movies. If you have kids, Disney+ is a no-brainer.
With this new streaming service debut, Do You Like Apples is bringing you ten movies to watch on Disney+. These picks will be less canonized classics and more of our personal faves. You can find the entire list that will be on the service here.
(ALSO: Do You Like Apples is on Twitter now! Find us @youlike_apples where we will be commenting on all things movies — news, trailers, and much more. Head over to our page and hit that follow button.)
Drew recommends…
Inside Out (2015)
Pixar owns an unparalleled batting average, releasing a smash hit just about every year. Everyone has their favorite — mine is what I think is the best animated film of the decade, Inside Out. Representing inner emotions via a “control center” in our minds is a brilliant idea that is tricky to pull off, but this movie succeeds with exuberance, intelligence, and grace, all while teaching kids the importance of sadness within our emotional lives. If you have a beating heart, Inside Out draws unexpected feelings out of it like a rabbit from a hat. This movie is magic.
The Parent Trap (1998)
My wife would kill me if I didn’t give her the opportunity to speak on this Disney movie very close to her heart. Here she is:
Emily: Truth be told, there isn’t much to say about Lindsey Lohan’s breakout role that hasn’t already been said. While technically a remake of the 1961 original, 1998’s The Parent Trap is the only version of the film that matters in my heart and is, without question, the movie I have seen more times than any other. Lohan plays twin sisters separated at birth when their parents divorce. Annie (Lohan) lives with her fashion designer mom in London while Hallie (Lohan) is with her dad at his Napa Valley vineyard. Neither knows that the other exists until the sisters are reunited a decade later at summer camp and, after more than a few high-jinks, concoct a plan to make their parents fall back in love. For your own good, grab your Oreos and peanut butter and continue to watch this movie at least once a month until you die. I know I will.
Big Hero 6 (2014)
Of the recent Disney Animation Studios output, Big Hero 6 is the one that delighted me the most (Moana would be a close second). This action-adventure about a kid prodigy and his inflatable robot Baymax features stunning animation set in a high-tech world. But it’s more than just a technical accomplishment. Big Hero 6 is also surprisingly funny and heartfelt; it sneaks up on you near the end when you realize how invested you had become in these characters.
Brink! (1998)
Where my Disney Channel Original kids at? This is purely a nostalgia selection (and not an actually good movie), but if you’re a Millennial that wishes to take a trip back to Disney Channel productions of yore, Brink! Is a wonderful choice. For those unfamiliar, it’s a SoCal sports movie about an inline skating crew (led by Brink) that call themselves the Soul Skaters (yes, really) because they skate for the love of the game, not for the money, MAN. But then Brink betrays the Soul Skaters when he secretly joins Team X-Bladz, the rival crew of sponsored sellouts. The action is cheesy and the writing is ridiculous, but the nostalgia factor is super strong.
Dan in Real Life (2007)
Steve Carell was just hitting his stride in 2007. The Office was in its fourth season — near the height of its powers — and Carell was just starting to get leading movie roles. One of these was a dramedy called Dan in Real Life, which coasts on the charms of Carell. He’s really natural as a widowed father of three girls that is just getting his life together when sparks fly on a chance meeting with a woman that just happens to be his brother’s new girlfriend. The screenplay may not be all that inventive (and you can definitely tell that it's 2007 because Dane Cook plays Carell’s brother), but it’s a perfectly pleasant little film. And it’s Carell’s likable persona that carries Dan in Real Life as far as it can go.
Billy recommends…
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
There is a lot with Disney that is up for debate. The morality of their empire and the state they are forcing cinema into, but the one absolute positive is having all of their Disney classics at your disposable with Disney+. Beauty and the Beast came out in the year of our Lord 1991. Coincidentally, the same year I was born and I would like to discuss with you which is more iconic? OK, fine, it is Beauty and the Beast but I hope you have seen the greatest animated movie of all time. My wonderful mother tells me that when I had pneumonia as a kid I would not take my medicine unless I had Beauty and the Beast on tv. Wonderfully crafted and animation that still holds up wonderfully. This one never gets old.
Heavyweights (1995)
Ben Stiller being Ben Stiller makes for the best Ben Stiller movies. One of the weirdest hot guys in cinema history. Maybe that is in his own mind, but he has classic roles as the fit man in a movie. My favorite being his character of Tony Perkis as the formerly fat camp counselor from hell. He may have perfected his craft of being a douche in Dodgeball, but here he is the most evil and it is glorious. A movie that probably doesn’t age well with it’s yelling at fat kids subject matter, but the humor still lands because of the cartoon nature of Stiller’s character.
The Sandlot (1993)
The Sandlot may seem like it will speak to one particular type of childhood experience, but where The Sandlot goes from a fun movie to an all time sweet coming-of-age tale is the topics it covers outside of baseball. Legacy, childhood insecurity, young love, divorce, and many others. All of those themes culminate in a riveting chase sequence that symbolizes a young kid defying all odds. Showing himself and friends that those daunting outside forces do not define you.
Remember the Titans (2000)
Looking back on it Remember the Titans may have been irresponsible in the way it approached its subject matter. Altering many facts while also claiming to be a “true story.” The biggest being that many other schools in the area were already integrated by the time T.C. Williams integrated (thanks for that tidbit, The Rewatchables podcast). Despite all that revisionist history we get a movie that is more enjoyable than it ever should be. Having Denzel helps, but the relationship between Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell drives the movie. There are probably ways to tell a more authentic tale, but inexplicably Remember the Titans still works wonderfully.
Turner and Hooch (1989)
Why did you have to make me laugh so hard and then make me cry even harder? Oh I can’t be mad at you, Tom Hanks. Turner and Hooch may have the most iconic dog in any movie? He is sweet and he helps solve crimes. No better combo. All joking aside Turner and Hooch is sweet in the most exploitative way and I love that about this movie. Sometimes it is time for a movie that you can turn on and it will make you feel things on the entire emotional spectrum. While also feeling extremely joyful in the end. To sum up what I mean, my cousin Michael when we were young experienced sadness for the first time when this came up. Leading to a mixture of laughing and crying while trying to process what he was watching. A story that lives on in my family forever and I thank Tom Hanks for that.
Recent Release Mini-Reviews
In addition to guiding your streaming decisions, we want to keep you current on the latest movie releases in theaters and elsewhere. So this week we are debuting a mini-reviews section of the newsletter. Enjoy! And visit our Letterboxd page for more reviews.
The Lighthouse
Billy: The tale I always wanted to see. If Jack Sparrow found the rum and never got off the island. - 4 out of 5 apples
Jojo Rabbit
Drew: This whimsical Nazi satire is maybe a little too lighthearted considering its subject matter, but there’s no denying the humor and fun to be had. It jacks the style of Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, even if it can’t quite summon the same depth of feeling. Still, Jojo is an enjoyable experience with entertaining performances. - 3.5 out of 5 apples
Dolemite Is My Name
Billy: One of the more fun Netflix movie experiences I have had plus being a wonderful gateway into blaxploitation films. Definitely a genre I have not gone into at all and will be doing so now. Eddie Murphy is back, baby! - 3.5 out of 5 apples
Links to get you hyped
Speaking of Pixar, they just dropped a teaser trailer for Soul, their upcoming release in June 2020. It stars the voices of Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey and looks like it’s firmly in the Inside Out lane.
Netflix has a few Oscar hopefuls this year, including The Two Popes, which has a new trailer. It’s in theaters November 29th and on Netflix December 20th.
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