2020 will always be looked at as a year of uncertainty, strife and people overcoming problems. It’ll also possibly go down as the year when streaming completely took over the world. Sure, an argument could be made that the format had become mainstream, before then. A part of most people’s lives, to one degree or another. The difference being that 2020 was the point where every network or studio, who didn’t already have a platform, launched one. As well as the fact of having an audience, trapped at home, searching for any and all manner of entertainment. For all the HBOMaxs, Netflixs and Disney+s though, there’s one service that still hasn’t gotten enough attention: Tubi.
Something we here at the site look to put and end to. Now! Or at least we’re gonna bring a fair deal of attention to it. We don’t want to be too hasty. Not right off the bat. Which is why we are proud to announce a short series entitled “Tubi Or Not To Be“.
For those of you who may not be in the know, Tubi is a free streaming service, with a ridiculous amount of movies and TV shows to watch. The word “free” is probably what you’re focusing on, but there’s 2 small catches. First, there are ads. They’re mostly small and unobtrusive (some films have none at all), for the most part. The second catch, is that films are on constant rotation. This likely comes down to licensing agreements, as a part of mitigation costs. It’s standard practice for all streaming services. What this means to you, at home, is that new movies get cycled in, on. A regular basis. While sites like Hulu and Netflix also have their own rotations, Tubi’s crop seems to be on a quicker turnaround. Thankfully there’s a “leaving soon” category on the app, so that you’re never left wondering.
So, if this is but one of many services out there, why then Tubi? Variety! Variety is the answer to all. Across the board, most streaming services, can be a wash. You have a few really big recent films, a couple classics and then a wasteland of low budget fodder, seemingly released withing the past few months. And to a degree, Tubi has that too. What they also have, is a ridiculous back catalog of genre titles, from the past 50 years. A lot of which, has flown under the radar. It should be pointed out, they’re not sponsoring this. Nope, not at all. Though, if you take a recent look on Twitter or any number of other social media sites, you’ll see the name cropping up more and more.
Another element that makes them a great choice, is they also have films from boutique labels like Severin, Arrow, Shout! Factory and Full Moon Pictures. Those are absolutely brilliant companies, championing physical media, in a digital age. Making this a real treat. If one of their films does show up here, we’ll make sure to link to the Blu-ray, should that be of interest. That said, streaming-wise, there’s not many other services that let you spend a day watching Killer Crocodile, Catch Me If You Can, I Am Not Your Negro, Lady Karate, My Friend Dahmer, Greaser’s Palace, Ali and Monster Dog. To be fair, that’s probably not an advisable use of your time. Yet, it’s an option with Tubi and a fun one, at that.
With that out of the way, you’re probably wondering what this is all about. Well, it’s very simple. Each day here on the site, a new review, as part of the Tubi Or Not To Be series, will run. One written by either a film critic, podcaster, actor, filmmaker, what-have-you from within the world of film or a small collection of the aforementioned group. The twist here, is that the movies they’re writing about, are films they’ve either never seen or heard of before. Some of them will be names you might know. Some of them, you might not. Same goes for the myriad of titles, you’ll see whizzing by. It’s an admittedly goofy idea. Yet one we’re sure will end up providing interesting results.
The impetus here is to highlight a bunch of different voices, that exist out in the film world. As well as bringing attention to those film’s being viewed. At worst, you’ll end up walking away with a list of films you should definitely check out. Not all of them will be great, but that shouldn’t dissuade you from diving in, regardless. There’s also a chance that you end up finding a voice here that speaks to you and decide to follow their career. That’s really the heart of this. Tubi Or Not To Be is a silly little project, that hopefully, even in a fraction of a degree, can help bring a community closer together. That may seem like a lofty or foolish goal, but we’ll see. Doesn’t make the journey any less enjoyable. So sit back, relax, fire up Tubi and let’s see what happens!
If you happen to be a critic, podcaster, actor, writer, director, producer, etc. and would like a chance to help contribute to Tubi Or Not To Be, email us at boomhowdyteam@gmail.com.
