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From Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter to Zardoz, Disney+ is about to release a host of movies and TV shows to its streaming service under a new banner called Star.
The streamer promises nearly 800 new films by the end of the year, but the first batch, launching Feb. 23, already features more than 500 titles and 150 TV shows. That includes such so-so content as the 2012 action/fantasy Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and Zardoz, a 1974 cult sci-fi movie starring Sean Connery in the weirdest mankini this side of Borat.
There are also some weird omissions that probably have to do with licensing rights. While Star will feature all four films of the Predator franchise, and all six Alien movies, as well as the two Alien/predator crossovers, it’s not quite completist when it comes to the films of Wes Anderson. You’ll get Rushmore, The Life Aquatic, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited and The Grand Budapest Hotel, but no Bottle Rocket or Moonrise Kingdom. (The animated Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs are already on Disney+)
Even stranger is the decision to include 1988’s Cocoon: The Return, but not Ron Howard’s 1985 original. And while it makes sense not to show the 1984 comedy Revenge of the Nerds (since it features a scene of rape by deception played for laughs), why even remind people by including the 1987 follow-up Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise?
But hey, they can’t all be winners. Here are 10 hidden gems from among the new content. (Titles are specific to Canada. Also, be aware that Disney+ will raise its monthly fee to $11.99, but existing subscribers will remain locked in at their old price for another six months.)