For movie lovers, HBO Max is probably the best streaming service out there today. And that’s for lovers of almost all kinds of movies, including comedies. Not only does HBO Max feature HBO’s current lineup of films and titles from the vast Warner catalogue, but it also has a large selection of movies currently in rotation on Turner Classic Movies. Unlike other streaming services, which pointedly seem to ignore almost all movies made before the ‘90s, HBO Max digs deep, all the way back to the silent era. There’s so much variety that it’s very easy to get overwhelmed, which is about the only bad thing I can say about HBO Max.
That large library means there’s a large amount of flux in what the service is streaming every month. HBO Max seems to have more churn than Netflix or Hulu, but fortunately the streamer makes it easy to see what’s new and what’s about to leave. HBO Max’s Last Chance section lists every movie that will be leaving at the end of the month, making it really easy to make sure you watch what you want to watch before it disappears. At this point when I load up HBO Max it’s almost exclusively to watch a movie from the Last Chance section; it’s not like I’m ever in a rush to watch the original Get Carter, but when I see that it won’t be available at the end of the month I’ll make it a priority. It’s a very convenient and thoughtful feature that more streaming services need to copy.
With April almost over, you only have a few days left to catch up on the movies leaving HBO Max this week. To save you time, we’ve gone through the list of what’s leaving and cooked up this list of the best comedies that will be gone from HBO Max by Saturday. Almost every movie below is a true classic, and the two I wouldn’t quite use that word for still feature a couple of must-see comic performances. If you’re looking for something to watch this week, and have a preference for comedy, here are some great comedies that only have a few days left on HBO Max.
After Hours
Year: 1985
Director: Martin Scorsese
Stars: Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Teri Garr, Linda Fiorentino, Catherine O’Hara, John Heard, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
Rating: R
Runtime: 97 minutes
The SoHo-set After Hours, still probably the most overtly comedic movie Martin Scorsese has ever made, is as razor sharp today as it was in 1985. This pitch black comedy updates the screwball formula in the Lower Manhattan of the mid ‘80s, with the drugs, violence, and general grime you’d expect from that era of the city. Griffin Dunne is our yuppie in peril in a madcap journey through art world pretension, punk mayhem, decaying dive bars, and the general sort of chaos that made New York City seem like the most frightening place in America back in the ‘80s. Dunne’s fine as the central dupe, but it’s the women who really make After Hours fly, from Linda Fiorentino’s terminally hip artist, to Teri Garr’s sweet, ‘50s-besotted waitress. It even hints at the gentrification that would completely transform SoHo and the rest of New York over the next 15 years, with Dunne’s yuppie one of the first to struggle with the old spirit of the city.—Garrett Martin
An American Werewolf in London
Year: 1981
Director: John Landis
Stars: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
Rating: R
Runtime: 97 minutes
Few directors have ever displayed such an innate tact for combining dark humor and horror the way John Landis does. At the height of his powers in the early ’80s, one year removed from The Blues Brothers, Landis opted for a much grittier, scarier story that stands as what is still the best werewolf movie of all time. When two travelers backpacking across the English moors are attacked by a werewolf, one is killed and the other, David (David Naughton), infected with the wolf’s curse. Haunted by the simultaneously unnerving and hilarious visions of his dead friend, David must decide how to come to terms with the monster he has become, even as he strikes up a relationship with a beautiful nurse (Jenny Agutter). The film lulls you into comfort with its witticism before springing shocking, gory dream sequences on the viewer, which repeatedly arrive unannounced. The key moment is the protagonist’s incredibly painful, traumatic full transformation, set to the crooning of Sam Cooke doing “Blue Moon,” which is still unsurpassed in the history of the genre. Legendary FX and monster makeup artist Rick Baker took home the first-ever Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for creating a scene that has given the wolf-averse nightmares ever since. —Jim Vorel
Year: 1979
Year: 1990
Year: 1982
Year: 1983
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