By Paul Hall
With movie theaters across the United States closing their doors to combat COVID-19, Hollywood has taken to releasing a number of currently-in-theaters titles to your home alongside their normally scheduled Blu-ray and streaming releases. But what are they and how do you watch them at home?
Some of the titles that are currently available for 48-hour rental periods include Emma, The Invisible Man and The Hunt. You can rent them through a variety of online retailers such as Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV+, Vudu, Google Play and FandangoNOW. I Still Believe gets added to the mix as well.
Other titles including Onward, Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, Bloodshot and The Way Back can be purchased as part of your digital library to watch anytime through many of the same outlets.
Once you add titles to your favorite digital platform, it will be essential to have a device to bring that platform to your television unless you have a smart TV with the apps already activated. Sure, you can enjoy these titles on your computer or tablet, but as cinephiles, we really want to take advantage of the best equipment in our house. To do that, invest in a simple platform like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, AppleTV or Roku that plugs into your television and allows for all of the glory of digital streaming to be added to your home entertainment system.
And for viewers who like to own their product via digital download or a physical Blu-ray or DVD, don’t worry, that content is coming. The movies that are getting early premieres now should have been in theaters for multiple weeks more; these digital rentals are just an early chance to see things in your own home and help us all get through these trying times. And more will be coming in the weeks ahead. We will make sure you get a chance to get ready for those titles, but for now, enjoy this whole new world in the comfort of your home.
Stay safe, everyone.
Paul’s Top Recommendations:
Rentals
The Invisible Man — Creepy and a bit of a throwback; Elisabeth Moss makes it all worthwhile.
I Still Believe — Inspirational story of Christian singer Jeremy Camp, based on his true story.
Purchases
Onward — A very different but relatable film from Disney/Pixar that will hit the young teen market and how they deal with loss.
Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey — Margot Robbie brings her best in this look at the development of some characters in the DC Universe. If you are a fan of this story, it should be in your collection.