Notable Nexflix / Amazon / Premium Channel Series & Movies

[May Day 10]

I watched The Last Dance (Bulls/Micheal Jordan Doc Series)

It was pretty awesome.  At the time, through high school, I rejected basketball and the NBA thinking that if I identified with 'tough' hockey and put down basketball it would make me appear stronger or something.  I hated the Bulls and knew some 'fans' who I loathed as I always suffered as a Buffalo sports fan whose teams never win anything.  It shouldn't be easy to just pick the best team, fill your locker with all sorts of *****, wear a starter jacket, and celebrate wins, right?  So as a result, from a distance, I always rooted against the Bulls and MJ.

Anyways, watching the series makes me kind of regretful I didn't enjoy any of that era.  It started off in the early/mid 80s which I did follow as a young kid (and liked the Nuggets), and I got nostalgic seeing the Lakers and Celtics and such.

[Nextmanup]

On 12/2/2021 at 11:43 AM, Metal Man said:

Anyone check out Foundation on Apple+?

 

I have read a lot of Asimov short story collections but never any of the source material for this show. I'm a big fan of sci-fi so this is on my radar but still not sure if I should give it the time as reviews seem to be a little mixed on it.

I'm curious if anyone has any insight to it on here.

Out of curiosity, what is your favorite (or top 3) sci-fi movie of all time?

 

I like the genre a lot, but find most offerings in this category are not well done.

 

HBO has been playing this movie called "VOYAGERS" mercilessly for a month or so now.  It's a really interesting idea and could have been a fantastic movie, but like so much Sci-fi, just isn't particularly well done and it misses the mark.

 

It kind of represents the genre for me, though of course we also have all time greats like 2001 and Forbidden Planet, so there's that as well.

 

 

[Metal Man]

On 12/3/2021 at 1:31 PM, Nextmanup said:

Out of curiosity, what is your favorite (or top 3) sci-fi movie of all time?

 

I like the genre a lot, but find most offerings in this category are not well done.

 

HBO has been playing this movie called "VOYAGERS" mercilessly for a month or so now.  It's a really interesting idea and could have been a fantastic movie, but like so much Sci-fi, just isn't particularly well done and it misses the mark.

 

It kind of represents the genre for me, though of course we also have all time greats like 2001 and Forbidden Planet, so there's that as well.

 

 

 

That is a pretty tough question as these kinds of things tend to shift a lot. Forbidden Planet is a great choice. It is an amazing story with pretty decent effects considering it was made in the 50s. 2001 is also great as is most of Kubrick's stuff.

 

You are right in that so much sci-fi misses the mark but I tend to consume most of it regardless.

 

As for my list I'm sure I will be forgetting some stuff but off the top of my head:

Aliens - The original is awesome too but the sequel just seemed to really get the suspense/action mix and I recall really being scared for those characters the first time I saw it.

Gattaca - Probably not a very well known movie but I thought they really nailed the concepts and the performances are great.

The Matrix -  This one probably has some recency bias as I just watched it again last week for the first time in a long time but the script and movie really is a masterpiece. I know it has reached the status of being a cliche of sorts since so many films have been derivative of it over the years and it is parodied so much. However forgetting all of that and getting right back to the core of that story, and the ideas it puts forth, you can see how monumental it was at the time.

 

Like I said I'm sure I am missing a lot but lists like this tend to change a lot depending on the day of the week.

[The Poojer]

On 11/28/2021 at 9:44 PM, Just Jack said:

Apple TV - The Fight Before Christmas. 

 

It's a documentary. 

 

You're gonna take the side of the guy fighting the HOA at first.  But within half an hour, you'll be siding with the HOA.

 

 

Couple minutes in and I already am against this guy.  

[WhoTom]

30 minutes ago, The Poojer said:

Couple minutes in and I already am against this guy.  

 

I just watched the trailer and I'm against that guy.

[The Poojer]

53 minutes ago, WhoTom said:

 

I just watched the trailer and I'm against that guy.

I don't understand how that idiot can think that he was getting any compassion.  FFS, he was whining to his wife on camera that his young kids were causing him to not allow him to verbalize his thoughts.  I was hoping that the end was them divorcing and the wife getting the house and the neighbors she'd always dreamt of

[Nextmanup]

9 hours ago, Metal Man said:

 

That is a pretty tough question as these kinds of things tend to shift a lot. Forbidden Planet is a great choice. It is an amazing story with pretty decent effects considering it was made in the 50s. 2001 is also great as is most of Kubrick's stuff.

 

You are right in that so much sci-fi misses the mark but I tend to consume most of it regardless.

 

As for my list I'm sure I will be forgetting some stuff but off the top of my head:

Aliens - The original is awesome too but the sequel just seemed to really get the suspense/action mix and I recall really being scared for those characters the first time I saw it.

Gattaca - Probably not a very well known movie but I thought they really nailed the concepts and the performances are great.

The Matrix -  This one probably has some recency bias as I just watched it again last week for the first time in a long time but the script and movie really is a masterpiece. I know it has reached the status of being a cliche of sorts since so many films have been derivative of it over the years and it is parodied so much. However forgetting all of that and getting right back to the core of that story, and the ideas it puts forth, you can see how monumental it was at the time.

 

Like I said I'm sure I am missing a lot but lists like this tend to change a lot depending on the day of the week.

I agree Aliens is pretty much just as good as the first one, or at least close.

 

I have heard of "Gattaca" but never seen it; I'm going to look into that one and I'll report back after I see it.

 

 

[Nextmanup]

EUPHORIA on HBO returns January 9th!

 

New Season!

 

 

[DD4Bills]

Now watching Get Back on Disney+. This is essentially a 9 hr fly on the wall documentary pieced together by Peter Jackson from audio and video recordings made over the course of 3 weeks in 1969 while the Beatles were writing and rehearsing for a planned live TV "come back" performance. If you are a Beatles fan, or are curious about a glimpse into what was essentially the final days of an iconic band, this is a must see.

 

I am 1/3 of the way through, and am totally fascinated. A couple of observations:

 

- Paul & John absolutely drive this bus, with George and Ringo (in particular) as passengers. George even gets off the bus at one point, quitting the band about a week into the project.

- Yoko...ugh

- Very cool watching them work through the early stages of what will become all-time classic songs. The scene where Paul is working out Let It Be on the piano, and the fact that it's portrayed primarily as background audio while the main scene is John and the director discussing stage options for the live performance, is amazing. I was like "People! He is writing Let It Be RIGHT NOW and no one cares!" 

 

Great stuff

[Greybeard]

On 11/5/2021 at 1:48 PM, DD4Bills said:

Started watching Locke & Key on Netflix. Part supernatural mystery, part family drama. A few episodes in, and liking it so far. Based on a graphic novel/comic series by Joe Hill (Stephen King's son)

       That explains the cameo by Stephen.  This was worth the time.  I would like to see a third season.

[TBBills]

Don't look up, on Netflix.

 

 

[Punching Bag]

On 12/6/2021 at 7:53 AM, Metal Man said:

 

Gattaca - Probably not a very well known movie but I thought they really nailed the concepts and the performances are great.

 

 

There is on concept in that film which would be very applicable to football. 

 

[SPOILER] The star has an operation in which his legs are broken and bone grows to make the star taller.  Imagine if we could do that for some DBs [/SPOILER]

Edited January 3, 2022 by Limeaid

[stuvian]

The Times Square (Torso) Killer was a very good true crime documentary

[Punching Bag]

On 12/2/2021 at 11:43 AM, Metal Man said:

Anyone check out Foundation on Apple+?

 

I have read a lot of Asimov short story collections but never any of the source material for this show. I'm a big fan of sci-fi so this is on my radar but still not sure if I should give it the time as reviews seem to be a little mixed on it.

I'm curious if anyone has any insight to it on here.

 

Big Isaac Asimov fan; as a kid I sent a letter to him about a correction and he said yes I was correct and it was an editing mistake and he already contacted publisher to correct it on next edition.

 

Not paying for any + channels although you could call Amazon Prime one which I got when it primarily was for free shipping.

 

Foundation and its sequels are extremely complicated books and hard to translate to media.

[Metal Man]

11 hours ago, Limeaid said:

 

Foundation and its sequels are extremely complicated books and hard to translate to media.

 

 

That is what a lot of people seem to think about it. Haven't had a chance to watch it yet but I am hoping at the very least that it is a decent sci-fi show even if not completely true to the source material.

[Rockpile233]

15 hours ago, TBBills said:

Don't look up, on Netflix.

 

 

I was almost turned away by some bad reviews I read, but we watched over this past weekend and I really enjoyed it.

 

I got my wife into Succession finally and watching that again with her. 

Edited January 4, 2022 by Rockpile233

[Nextmanup]

20 hours ago, stuvian said:

The Times Square (Torso) Killer was a very good true crime documentary

Thanks for mentioning this.  I had seen it and wondered if it would be good.

 

If I have time, I may give this a shot tonight.

 

[PastaJoe]

Finished Hawkeye on Disney+. I think it’s the best of the new Marvel short series. Lots of tie-ins to previous movies and series. I’d rank the series: Hawkeye, Loki, Wandavision, then Falcon & Winter Soldier.

 

And I highly recommend the Netflix series Daredevil through Defenders, as there is a tie-in to Hawkeye.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

Yellowjackets on Showtime is excellent so far.  About 3 episodes in.  

[TBBills]

52 minutes ago, PastaJoe said:

Finished Hawkeye on Disney+. I think it’s the best of the new Marvel short series. Lots of tie-ins to previous movies and series. I’d rank the series: Hawkeye, Loki, Wandavision, then Falcon & Winter Soldier.

 

And I highly recommend the Netflix series Daredevil through Defenders, as there is a tie-in to Hawkeye.

I am so glad they brought back Vincent D'Onofrio as kingpin.

[PastaJoe]

3 hours ago, TBBills said:

I am so glad they brought back Vincent D'Onofrio as kingpin.

No spoilers!

[Nextmanup]

Finally watched Episode 1 of "Squid Game" on Netflix last night.

 

I liked it well enough, though it took a long time to get to the actual "game" part of the show.

 

Is everyone else watching this?

 

 

[Tierlifer]

1 hour ago, Nextmanup said:

Finally watched Episode 1 of "Squid Game" on Netflix last night.

 

I liked it well enough, though it took a long time to get to the actual "game" part of the show.

 

Is everyone else watching this?

 

 

Autumn called and it wants its show du jour back. I kid I kid….I watched it and really enjoyed it. Interesting take on society and humanity. 

[DD4Bills]

Just watched the first episode of Station Eleven on HBO Max. I had read the book years ago and really liked it, but never saw it translating well to the screen. That fear aside, episode 1 grabbed my attention and am looking forward to watching more.

 

If you're not familiar, Station Eleven is essentially the story of a post-apocolyptic America after a highly contagious and extremely deadly flu wipes out most of the population. Yes, it's hard to watch without viewing it through the lens of COVID, but the book was written in 2015 and other than that premise/setup, the flu is not the story. The main story (barely touched upon in episode 1) takes place years later and follows a group of traveling performers wandering across a decimated America staging plays for the small communities they encounter along the way.

[Nextmanup]

1 hour ago, DD4Bills said:

Just watched the first episode of Station Eleven on HBO Max. I had read the book years ago and really liked it, but never saw it translating well to the screen. That fear aside, episode 1 grabbed my attention and am looking forward to watching more.

 

If you're not familiar, Station Eleven is essentially the story of a post-apocolyptic America after a highly contagious and extremely deadly flu wipes out most of the population. Yes, it's hard to watch without viewing it through the lens of COVID, but the book was written in 2015 and other than that premise/setup, the flu is not the story. The main story (barely touched upon in episode 1) takes place years later and follows a group of traveling performers wandering across a decimated America staging plays for the small communities they encounter along the way.

I have heard of this but not seen any of it yet.  Sounds like an interesting setup for a story.

 

And it just goes to show that a story can be about absolutely ANYTHING as long as its good and well told.

 

It's also why it can be so frustrating to see the same formulaic ideas over and over and over.

 

 

[The Avenger]

I just watched Dopesick on Hulu and it was amazing - truly riveting. It follows the development and marketing of OxyContin and how it spurred the opioid crises.  A company and family of owners somehow convinced everyone that a powerful opioid was not addictive and made billions while people and communities were ruined. Michael Keaton is excellent as a rural coal community doctor. 8 part series - you'll want to binge it.

[4merper4mer]

11 hours ago, The Avenger said:

I just watched Dopesick on Hulu and it was amazing - truly riveting. It follows the development and marketing of OxyContin and how it spurred the opioid crises.  A company and family of owners somehow convinced everyone that a powerful opioid was not addictive and made billions while people and communities were ruined. Michael Keaton is excellent as a rural coal community doctor. 8 part series - you'll want to binge it.

Agreed.  I thought it was great.  Try “The Pharmacist” if you haven’t seen it.  It’s a documentary about a specific aspect of the same thing…..OxyContin….although it starts with something else.  It was great.  Great.

 

Having seen The Pharmacist it made me realize that the dramatized parts of Dopesick probably weren’t way off.  What a tragedy this crisis has been.  

[Augie]

Just checking in looking for our next obsession. Out of curiosity I googled Ted Lasso and it looks like next summer before a new season comes out. It appears that the Bosch spinoff (that isn’t a “spinoff”, but a “continuation” - that had to be a money thing in some way) started filming about last June. Those were my favorites. 

 

Thinking of starting Ozark or Yellowstone with the wife. Open to suggestions for something fairly light.  I’m afraid the Oxy shows would just depress me. 

[dhg]

We just binge watched The Mandalorian. We aren't huge Star Wars fans, but both me and my wife though it was great. Very entertaining. 

Edited January 11, 2022 by dhg

[davefan66]

On 1/8/2022 at 5:39 PM, Augie said:

Just checking in looking for our next obsession. Out of curiosity I googled Ted Lasso and it looks like next summer before a new season comes out. It appears that the Bosch spinoff (that isn’t a “spinoff”, but a “continuation” - that had to be a money thing in some way) started filming about last June. Those were my favorites. 

 

Thinking of starting Ozark or Yellowstone with the wife. Open to suggestions for something fairly light.  I’m afraid the Oxy shows would just depress me. 

Rewatching Ozark now in anticipation of season 4.  Forgot how good it is.  
 

Easily bingeable.  Great show.

[Nextmanup]

I'm all caught up with Ozark and agree it's a great show.

 

 

[Just Jack]

The Boys is coming back in June.

 

 

[Awwufelloff]

Ozark is overrated. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are both better. If you enjoyed game of thrones both Vikings and The Last Kingdom are fantastic.

Edited January 12, 2022 by Awwufelloff

[BritBill]

After Life series 3 starts on Netflix tomorrow. 

[Johnny Hammersticks]

On 1/12/2022 at 6:41 PM, Awwufelloff said:

Ozark is overrated. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are both better. If you enjoyed game of thrones both Vikings and The Last Kingdom are fantastic.

 

Uhhhh...no.  I think it’s appropriate rated.  It’s not up there with shows like Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad and GoT, but it’s very, very good IMO.

[Max Fischer]

On 1/7/2022 at 9:35 AM, DD4Bills said:

Just watched the first episode of Station Eleven on HBO Max. I had read the book years ago and really liked it, but never saw it translating well to the screen. That fear aside, episode 1 grabbed my attention and am looking forward to watching more.

 

If you're not familiar, Station Eleven is essentially the story of a post-apocolyptic America after a highly contagious and extremely deadly flu wipes out most of the population. Yes, it's hard to watch without viewing it through the lens of COVID, but the book was written in 2015 and other than that premise/setup, the flu is not the story. The main story (barely touched upon in episode 1) takes place years later and follows a group of traveling performers wandering across a decimated America staging plays for the small communities they encounter along the way.

 

I read Station Eleven as well and also thought it would be difficult put on screen. The screenwriters seem to agree and significantly altered the story.  One or two things bothered me but overall, I thought it was very good. Sorry to see it end. 

 

 

[Nextmanup]

2 hours ago, Johnny Hammersticks said:

 

Uhhhh...no.  I think it’s appropriate rated.  It’s not up there with shows like Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad and GoT, but it’s very, very good IMO.

Yeah I agree with that.  I agree that BB and BCS are better shows, but that doesn't mean Ozark is somehow bad or not worth your time.

 

There are very few really good TV series going at any one point in time--Ozark is one of them.

 

Worth a watch.

 

 

[Just Jack]

On 1/14/2022 at 11:44 AM, Max Fischer said:

 

I read Station Eleven as well and also thought it would be difficult put on screen. The screenwriters seem to agree and significantly altered the story.  One or two things bothered me but overall, I thought it was very good. Sorry to see it end. 

 

 

 

As someone that has not read the book, would it still be entertaining? 

[Rampage]

If you can get through the first four-five episodes of Ozark it turns into a pretty good show. I was falling asleep on the early episodes and actually stopped watching it at one point before going back to it a year later and binging it.

[Max Fischer]

5 hours ago, Just Jack said:

 

As someone that has not read the book, would it still be entertaining? 

Could be more entertaining. Won’t think about changes and how you remembered the book. I believe it’s fairly easy to follow along.