Netflix/Prime/Hulu Discoveries

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Since it's the time of year for 'scary' or 'horror' movies, I finally got around to watching Crimson Peak last night. Unfortunately, even my celebrity crush on Tom Hiddleston (and his fantastic ass) couldn't make me like this one. Most of the acting was good, but overall the plot was blah (and the accents terrible).

But aside from that, I'm currently rewatching the show Community, which I'm enjoying just as much as the first time around. Now, we've got the 6 seasons, where's the movie!!???
 
mpal2 said:
@Cachoo

Thanks for the review of Sabrina. I was trying to figure out if it was worth watching. I don't mind dark but I'ms not a fan of typical horror movies.
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Ita. I finally figured out that I must have a rooting interest for the "good guys" in the film. In the Friday the 13th series I found cardboard characters who were there simply as fodder for Jason. I hate that. At least with a film like "30 Days of Night" you get to know the small band of survivors and the tension is ratcheted up because you give a damn about their survival. I felt the same way about "Get Out" and "A Quiet Place."

The Vera Farminga/Patrick Wilson "Conjuring" series interested me because I saw the couple they played, the Warrens, speak at my university years ago. Naturally when I heard a film was coming about their experiences I was interested.
 
I like cooking shows. And I liked food travel series and will miss Anthony Bourdain. I did see a series that was a revelation to me because the chef involved is as lovable as Julia Child and as interesting as Bourdain imho. Her name is Samin Nosrat and the four part series carries the same name as her book "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat." I hope this is just the beginning for her.
 
I'm watching The Girl's Speech on Amazon Prime which is about a meek Japanese girl who is in a special admissions program where poor students get to go to this elite high school for free and it's run by these rich people who do as they please because their parents donate tons of money to the school and the teachers and admin let it happen. The rich students seriously bully everyone else and even try to get students expelled without a care. With the help of who seems to be a former student, she becomes a revolutionary of sorts gaining victories and supporters little by little. I have some issues with some storylines and every episode is sort of formulaic but I'm enjoying it. I'm sort of taking notes because this show is heavy on social commentary and revolutionary tactics.
 
Cachoo said:
So Netflix released "Sabrina" just in time for Halloween and I find myself entertained. Kiernan Shipka plays Sabrina---it took me awhile to figure out she was on "Mad Men." I think she does a good job. This "Sabrina" is a shade or two darker than the network television series that we've seen in the past. But it is still a fairly lighthearted show. The setting is excellent and it is well cast too. Happy Halloween!
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I've been home sick so I binge watched Sabrina. I don't know that I would call this a fairly lighthearted show. :lol: I would call it completely dark. It definitely wasn't for small children and I would even be concerned about some preteens. Know your kid and all. Some of the more sensitive probably wouldn't be able to handle it. But most teenagers and adults should be fine with the suspense and darkness of it. I do know quite a few that will never be able to handle this type of show. :)

I initially had reservations with the actress because she just doesn't look young enough to be a high school teenager. We are used to seeing adults playing teenagers but I had a harder time accepting Kiernan. I got used to her halfway through and just went with the show. She actually did a good job with the role.

If you like suspense without excessive blood and guts this is a great show. There was some violence but given any action film out today it would be considered tame in comparison. I will watch a second season if they make one.


I fully expect to see zombie brother make a reappearance. Harvey said he shot his brother and they used a different funeral home but never showed it. I can't explain how witch girl recovered unless Harvey got rid of dad. But I still somehow expect zombie brother to return.
 
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New season of House of Cards dropped today.

Don’t know if it’s available on Netflix in other countries, but watched a documentary called “The 34th” about the journey to Ireland’s marriage equality referendum. Good insight into how it was won.
 
mpal2 said:
I initially had reservations with the actress because she just doesn't look young enough to be a high school teenager. We are used to seeing adults playing teenagers but I had a harder time accepting Kiernan.
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Shipka turns 19 next week. So at the time the show was filmed she would have been within, albeit at the upper end of, typical high school age.

I haven't watched the show (yet?), so I don't know what she looks like there.
 
mpal2 said:
:lol: I would have guessed her to be older. She comes off as more mature than that.
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My kid looked 20-21 when she was 16. It's a weird age that way. You have kids who look 12 and kids who look 20 and everything in between.
 
mpal2 said:
:lol: I would have guessed her to be older. She comes off as more mature than that.
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I thought she looked exactly like a teenager. Maybe that's because I watched her grow up on Mad Men. I thought she was a talented actress then and she has only grown better.

I mostly loved the series, it was the right mix of camp, horror and angst. Sometimes it was downright hilarious. There is clearly a message about female empowerment and I am interested to see where they go in the next season.
 
Yehudi said:
Watched the first two episodes of The Romanoffs. I can see what they are trying to say about privilege and entitlement, but the execution (excuse the bad pun) was uneven. The resolution of the first story came out of nowhere. Meanwhile the second story just fell flat.
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The acting from selected cast members in each episodes is actually quite good, but I agree, their performances are wasted on plot arcs that aren't particularly compelling and some of the Romanoffs descendants are just plain odd.
 
I just watched "What We Do In The Shadows" - a mockumentary about a group of vampires living together in New Zealand, starring Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) and Jermaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords). I went in with high hopes (it's at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's a cult hit, and has great word of mouth) but I was a bit underwhelmed. FX is making a TV series based on the movie, set to premiere in 2019.
 
Sad news. Both Filmstruck and Dramafever will cease to exist...well in the latter's case it's already shut down.

https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/filmstruck-shutdown-warnermedia-turner-1202998364/

WarnerMedia through AT&T are streamlining "niche" services. I wonder where the 1,800 titles hosted by FilmStruck full of Criterion, Indie, and classic films are going to go. I missed it when Hulu used to have almost every Criterion title and was mad when they made FilmStruck. But then I realized FS was made so it could dedicate itself to host restored and remastered version of classic and Indie and foreign films and provide a film lover's dream that had extra content and extra information on that site. Oh well. As for Dramafever, I guess it was getting too expensive to license all those Korean shows that are now demanding like $1 mill per season. I was surprised about it because I saw tons of ads and stuff on trains for Dramafever this past year.

Maybe many of those titles will find its way to Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu (all services I have) which would be nice, but they won't have the extra content/special features nor way for fans to discuss the shows with each other. Nor will they host every title FS and DF had...not even close. At least there's still Viki for Asian drama fans and Netflix and Amazon and Hulu will continue to add more Asian shows to their lineup.
 
I'm currently binge watching Line of Duty.

So many British cop shows and thrillers. So many same actors playing different characters from one to the other. I should dilute with other genres.
 
"Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" is the best show I've seen in a while. The best show of the season for me. Can't wait for season 2.
 
Cachoo said:
So Netflix released "Sabrina" just in time for Halloween and I find myself entertained. Kiernan Shipka plays Sabrina---it took me awhile to figure out she was on "Mad Men." I think she does a good job. This "Sabrina" is a shade or two darker than the network television series that we've seen in the past. But it is still a fairly lighthearted show. The setting is excellent and it is well cast too. Happy Halloween!
Click to expand...
I am definitely not a horror fan but I have been enjoying Sabrina. I think there are some great performances in it, particularly Miranda Otta as Zelda. She is fabulous. And I really like Lucy Davis as Hilda and Michelle Gomez as Madam Satan. I started watching it because I used to love Sabrina the Teenage Witch and it also because Kiernan Shipka who I remembered so well as Sally Draper. She was a brat in Mad Men but she is really likable in this. And the other surprise is Bronson Pinchot who was Balki in Perfect Strangers. I always wondered what happened to him. The show is very dark but the humour does shine through nicely although it seems as if everything is very dark, even the school.
 
screech said:
I just watched "What We Do In The Shadows" - a mockumentary about a group of vampires living together in New Zealand, starring Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) and Jermaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords). I went in with high hopes (it's at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's a cult hit, and has great word of mouth) but I was a bit underwhelmed. FX is making a TV series based on the movie, set to premiere in 2019.
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I really enjoyed this one. I loved the Kiwi feel about it. Best scene - why do werewolves need to wear trakky daks? And Peter gets away with not doing the housework.
 
Sabrina isn't what I'd call 'Horror' it's more supernatural suspense thriller. It does get a bit teeny bopper in places (I'm sure high school girls would just love it to bits) but it's still very good watching.

I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what time period it was set in. The costumes are sort of not of any particular era and there isn't technology in it which gives it away. It sort of felt 60s, then it opened up with 'Bad Moon Rising' by Creedence Clearwater Revival (which is 1970's) and then out of nowhere someone produced smartphone lol.

I actually watched Sabrina after watching several documentaries on cults (Children of God, Wild Wild Country, The End of the World Cult, Messiah on Trial, Holy Hell) and it had some interesting perspectives on religion in relation to the Church of the Night.

Anyway, my biggest take away from watching Sabrina is that I want to buy more candles.

I've been watching 'Bodyguard' which is very very good too.

made_in_canada said:
I just finished The Good Cop and I totally agree. Despite the annoying tech guy, and the not much of a mystery mysteries, it does have a bit of charm. I wouldn't be heartbroken if it didn't get a second season but if it did I'd probably give it another shot.
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I tend to mostly watch 'big ticket' shows on Netflix ... the really intense ones. So I enjoyed The Good Cop for some light entertainment (a bit like The Good Place). It actually hits its peak of quality in the last couple of episodes. I think because the characters of Cora and TJ get better chemistry with each other and TJ isn't played so one dimensionally *straight*. If they make a second season I hope that they work more in that direction.
 
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I wasn't sure about Bodyguard but people keep saying it's good. I might have to put it in my list.

I have been watching Pushing Daisies on Amazon Prime. :lol: It's pretty quirky and funny. If you liked the movie "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" it's narrated the same way and possibly by the same guy (need to check on that one). It's also has the same feel in it's comedy delivery and weirdness. Kristin Chenoweth plays Olive who is in love with Ned (Lee Pace) the main character and pie maker. Ned is in love with a dead girl (Anna Friel). Chi Mcbride plays a detective that uses Ned's special gifts to earn reward money.

And the fun begins.
 
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starrynight said:
Sabrina isn't what I'd call 'Horror' it's more supernatural suspense thriller. It does get a bit teeny bopper in places (I'm sure high school girls would just love it to bits) but it's still very good watching.

I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what time period it was set in. The costumes are sort of not of any particular era and there isn't technology in it which gives it away. It sort of felt 60s, then it opened up with 'Bad Moon Rising' by Creedence Clearwater Revival (which is 1970's) and then out of nowhere someone produced smartphone lol.

Anyway, my biggest take away from watching Sabrina is that I want to buy more candles.
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It kind of won me too when they play K Flay.

A boom for the candle industry?
 
Babes in Toyland is up on Amazon Prime. Talk about a blast from the past with a very young Drew Barrymore and Keanu Reeves. :lol:

Even better, it's a Christmas musical! :rofl: The cheese is real!
 
mpal2 said:
Babes in Toyland is up on Amazon Prime. Talk about a blast from the past with a very young Drew Barrymore and Keanu Reeves. :lol:

Even better, it's a Christmas musical! :rofl: The cheese is real!
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I used to love the 1961 Babes in Toyland with Annette Funicello as Mary Contrary, and Ray Bolger as Barnaby.
 
mpal2 said:
I wasn't sure about Bodyguard but people keep saying it's good. I might have to put it in my list.

I have been watching Pushing Daisies on Amazon Prime. :lol: It's pretty quirky and funny. If you liked the movie "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" it's narrated the same way and possibly by the same guy (need to check on that one). It's also has the same feel in it's comedy delivery and weirdness. Kristin Chenoweth plays Olive who is in love with Ned (Lee Pace) the main character and pie maker. Ned is in love with a dead girl (Anna Friel). Chi Mcbride plays a detective that uses Ned's special gifts to earn reward money.

And the fun begins.
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Jim Dale is the narrator. He also narrated the Harry Potter audio books.
 
I’ve been rewatching Rome and had forgotten how good the acting was. There’s actors who were already famous like Ciaran Hinds and others who went on to more popular work, like Kevin McKidd, Tobias Menzies, Allen Leech (he was cute then but has only gotten even more good looking), and Guy Henry.
 
Buzz said:
There is something called Dogs on Netflix. It is a documentary series exploring the relationship between man and dogs through six different individual stories. You i’ve Gotta watch this!

https://uproxx.com/tv/dogs-netflix-review/
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We watched the first two episodes. I made it as far as the opening credits before I started crying. Two very different stories (a disabled girl getting a service dog; a refugee trying to smuggle his dog out of Syria) but both highlighting how important and meaningful and life saving our relationships with dogs are. I cried pretty much non stop watching it. So touching and moving and well done.

We watched it with our dog cuddled between us so she got lots of cuddles, which was her favorite part.
 
Buzz said:
There is something called Dogs on Netflix. It is a documentary series exploring the relationship between man and dogs through six different individual stories. You i’ve Gotta watch this!
https://uproxx.com/tv/dogs-netflix-review/
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:dog::dog::dog:
oleada said:
We watched it with our dog cuddled between us so she got lots of cuddles, which was her favorite part.
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In a dog's eye, the sole purpose of television is cuddles! We usually have our dinner while watching TV, in which case Bandit, a velcro golden retriever, is consigned to 'his place' (soft cushion for the poor abused creature).

Once dinner is over, there he is sitting by the couch, those sad soft soulful eyes looking up at his saying 'please please, humans, can I join you? Must be touching my humans, always in need of more pets so ensure that you love me, just can't help it!'
 
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