To make this week's requisite "Game of Thrones" reference, winter is coming for Netflix.
Disney's rival streaming service is fast approaching – and quickly in pursuit are Warner Bros., Apple, NBCUniversal and just about everyone else who makes entertainment. Last year, people scoffed at the Big Red Streaming Monolith spending $100 million to keep reruns of "Friends," but now we know why: Viewers reportedly spend more time watching that and "The Office" than any of Netflix's vaunted mountain of original programming. Now NBCUniversal execs are talking pretty openly about taking those hits – and "Parks and Rec," plus anything on The CW – back for their own streaming service.
But while the White Walkers may be coming for Netflix soon, judging by the newly released list of departures for the month of June, we're still in the Ned Stark smiling, Arya taking fun fencing classes and Bran innocently climbing walls phase of the Big Red Streaming Monolith. (I may have killed this "Game of Thrones" metaphor, as well as all future "GoT" ones.)
Disney's taking a few more movies back, but other than "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," they don't include many of the crown jewels. Some classics are on the way out – "Apollo 13," the "Kill Bill" films, "Apocalypse Now" – but nothing that'll have you looking at your Netflix account bill with a raised eyebrow. In general, it's a fairly tame culling.
But it's coming. And when you play the Game of Streams, you win or you get stuck watching two seasons of "Friends from College."
Anyways, here's the lineup of movies and shows going on a permanent summer vacation from Netflix in June.
June 1
"101 Dalmatians"
"An Extremely Goofy Movie"
"Apollo 13"
"The Bone Collector"
"Cold in July"
"The Constant Gardener"
"Doom"
"The Fox and the Hound 2"
"Freddy vs. Jason"
"Friday the 13th"
"Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves"
"I Am Legend"
"In the Army Now"
"Inspector Gadget 2"
"Jason X"
"The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story"
"Kill Bill: Vol. 1"
"Kill Bill: Vol. 2"
"Legally Blonde"
"Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde"
"My Bloody Valentine"
"Playing It Cool"
"Pretty in Pink"
"Reindeer Games"
"Stargate"
"Terminator Salvation"
June 4
"District 9"
June 5
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
June 6
"The Soloist"
June 14
"Grand Designs: Australia" season 4
"I Own Australia's Best Home" season 1
"I Own Britain's Best Home" season 1
"Mother"
June 15
"Apocalypse Now"
"Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things"
"National Lampoon's Van Wilder"
"The Pianist"
June 16
"Death Race"
June 24
"Mulan 2"
As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.
When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.
