Have you all tried those Netflix codes, then?

[Phil_A]

Here you go, I'll save you the trouble of looking them up even though they're everywhere right now. After you've logged in just put this as your url, http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/ then stick one of the numbers below on the end of that.



A
Action & Adventure: 1365
Action Comedies: 43040
Action Sci-Fi & Fantasy: 1568
Action Thrillers: 43048
Adult Animation: 11881
Adventures: 7442
African Movies: 3761
Alien Sci-Fi: 3327
Animal Tales: 5507
Anime: 7424
Anime Action: 2653
Anime Comedies: 9302
Anime Dramas: 452
Anime Fantasy: 11146
Anime Features: 3063
Anime Horror: 10695
Anime Sci-Fi: 2729
Anime Series: 6721
Art House Movies: 29764
Asian Action Movies: 77232
Australian Movies: 5230
B
B-Horror Movies: 8195
Baseball Movies: 12339
Basketball Movies: 12762
Belgian Movies: 262
Biographical Documentaries: 3652
Biographical Dramas: 3179
Boxing Movies: 12443
British Movies: 10757
British TV Shows: 52117
C
Campy Movies: 1252
Children & Family Movies: 783
Chinese Movies: 3960
Classic Action & Adventure: 46576
Classic Comedies: 31694
Classic Dramas: 29809
Classic Foreign Movies: 32473
Classic Movies: 31574
Classic Musicals: 32392
Classic Romantic Movies: 31273
Classic Sci-Fi & Fantasy: 47147
Classic Thrillers: 46588
Classic TV Shows: 46553
Classic War Movies: 48744
Classic Westerns: 47465
Comedies: 6548
Comic Book and Superhero Movies: 10118
Country & Western/Folk: 1105
Courtroom Dramas: 528582748
Creature Features: 6895
Crime Action & Adventure: 9584
Crime Documentaries: 9875
Crime Dramas: 6889
Crime Thrillers: 10499
Crime TV Shows: 26146
Cult Comedies: 9434
Cult Horror Movies: 10944
Cult Movies: 7627
Cult Sci-Fi & Fantasy: 4734
Cult TV Shows: 74652
D
Dark Comedies: 869
Deep Sea Horror Movies: 45028
Disney: 67673
Disney Musicals: 59433
Documentaries: 6839
Dramas: 5763
Dramas based on Books: 4961
Dramas based on real life: 3653
Dutch Movies: 10606
E
Eastern European Movies: 5254
Education for Kids: 10659
Epics: 52858
Experimental Movies: 11079
F
Faith & Spirituality: 26835
Faith & Spirituality Movies: 52804
Family Features: 51056
Fantasy Movies: 9744
Film Noir: 7687
Food & Travel TV: 72436
Football Movies: 12803
Foreign Action & Adventure: 11828
Foreign Comedies: 4426
Foreign Documentaries: 5161
Foreign Dramas: 2150
Foreign Gay & Lesbian Movies: 8243
Foreign Horror Movies: 8654
Foreign Movies: 7462
Foreign Sci-Fi & Fantasy: 6485
Foreign Thrillers: 10306
French Movies: 58807
G
Gangster Movies: 31851
Gay & Lesbian Dramas: 500
German Movies: 58886
Greek Movies: 61115

I've tried a couple and so far it just shows how weighted the service is towards particular kinds of content, and how much of the vast back catalogue of cinema is given short thrift.

"Cult Horror Movies" is particularly disappointing, with a total of just eighteen films. "Film Noir" is just as bad and in fact only has two genuine b/w films in the whole selection, which is pathetic.

"Art House Films" produced a much higher number of results, but as you might expect, it's nearly all stuff from the last ten - twenty years. I just checked and the oldest film listed under that specification is "She's Gotta Have It." Really.

Is this just a UK specific thing or is every other region getting equally stiffed when it comes to the classics?

[Noodle Lizard]

I mean, Netflix has never promoted itself as being a purveyor of classic movies, and in the past 5 years or so has geared itself more towards original (or "originally acquired") content.  Its primary demographics aren't there to watch old films, by and large.  There are other services which are geared more in that direction.

[Emotional Support Peacock]

I mean, Netflix has never promoted itself as being a purveyor of classic movies, and in the past 5 years or so has geared itself more towards original (or "originally acquired") content.  Its primary demographics aren't there to watch old films, by and large.  There are other services which are geared more in that direction.

What is the best service for a back catalogue of critically acclaimed old movies?

[chveik]

What is the best service for a back catalogue of critically acclaimed old movies?

the pirate bay

[Phil_A]

I mean, Netflix has never promoted itself as being a purveyor of classic movies, and in the past 5 years or so has geared itself more towards original (or "originally acquired") content.  Its primary demographics aren't there to watch old films, by and large.  There are other services which are geared more in that direction.

I'm well aware of that but even so I was truck by the paucity of their back catalogue in that regard. Which is why I was interested to know if it was partly the UK getting the shitty end of the stick when it comes to licencing content. It did seem to be the case the US version had a much wider selection of older stuff when I could still get access to it.

It could also be the case that their cataloguing system is a load of shit, of course I noticed under "Science Fiction & Fantasy" only Robocop 1 is listed and not the two sequels, even though all three are available.

[big bottomed anarchist]

What is the best service for a back catalogue of critically acclaimed old movies?

Criterion are about to launch a service in the US/Canada, with plans to expand to the UK at some point.

[Pranet]

What is the best service for a back catalogue of critically acclaimed old movies?

DVD and Blu ray rental.

https://www.cinemaparadiso.co.uk/

[Noodle Lizard]

What is the best service for a back catalogue of critically acclaimed old movies?

There was one called Filmstruck (or Filmrise, one of the two) but I think they stopped recently.  If you have Amazon Prime, they already have a decent selection, as well as addition subscription channels - some of which I'm sure contain a lot of oldies.  Amazon has been best bang-for-buck for me.

[Beagle 2]

It's never been more difficult to find, watch and enjoy films and television programmes in my lifetime.

[St_Eddie]

It could also be the case that their cataloguing system is a load of shit, of course I noticed under "Science Fiction & Fantasy" only Robocop 1 is listed and not the two sequels, even though all three are available.

Arguably, that's a good thing.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I've watched a fair few old classics on the Netflix, but I too was surprised and disappointed by how quickly the well seemed to run dry. I don't know what the going rate is for that sort of thing, but I would have thought it makes for a better investment than the mountains of schlock they seem to have. A well stocked golden oldies section would be an actual selling point, for cinephiles and old farts alike.