Norma Desmond proclaimed in Paramount's Sunset Boulevard, "I am big. It's the pictures that got small!" True to the word of one of the studio's greatest films, Paramount has brought its bigger pictures to the small screen: by making them available to watch for free on YouTube.
Named "The Paramount Vault," the studio's newly-minted YouTube channel allows viewers to stream a plethora of the studio's titles, ranging from the timeless screeners (Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Star Trek I) to more off-beat indies (The Chumscrubber, Margot at the Wedding).
While some of the organizational tendencies of the channel's playlists, which divvy up movies based on genre, can seem a bit dubious (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is listed under "Drama"), the selection is generally veritable, mixing popular selections with forgotten gems.
Paramount Vault also gives a gift to would-be GIFers and movie buffs: clips from indelible moments in cinema history, such as Indiana Jones taking some lackeys to task after they mess with the wrong guy in the aforementioned Raiders, Cher Horowitz ferreting out driving tips in Clueless, a creepy neighbor making a seemingly normal housecall in Rosemary's Baby, and — you guessed it — Norma Desmond getting ready for her close-up in Sunset Boulevard.
What remains unclear is the shelf life of each movie: whether each title will remain on the channel after it's posted or if they'll be on a type of rotation or phase cycle (i.e., phased in and out), essentially on a system akin to a streaming site like Netflix.
Check out the Paramount Vault promo — and some of its listed features — in the clip below.
Via: A.V. Club
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