Finally starting The Expanse. Am a little nervous because I really loved the first two books (the farthest I've read so far), but damn if the opening title sequence isn't really good.
Getting around to Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, now that I've picked up Hulu again. It's completely different from the book, in that "there's a character named Dirk Gently in it" is the only similarity I've seen so far, but it at least has a similar tone.
Completed the first season. It ends in a cliffhanger, which I'm never enthusiastic about, but otherwise good.
Few episodes into season 2 of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, and I am here for this.
I actually am having a great time with WU Assassin after bailing on Carnival Row. I really, really, wanted to like the latter but it just wasn't doing it. I'm thinking I'll try again with weed at a later date.
“Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears.”
― Marcus Aurelius
I think that the best thing I can say about Carnival Row is that it does an alright job of setting itself up for a second season. The world building's interesting enough but I don't think there's that much else to latch onto; the characters feel almost completely forgettable for the most part, and the plot is just on the wrong side of being intricate enough.
Finally starting The Expanse. Am a little nervous because I really loved the first two books (the farthest I've read so far), but damn if the opening title sequence isn't really good.
I watched the show first and then read the first book and honestly I liked the show better. They managed to condense some of the interesting political stuff from book two into season 1. Book 1 seemed kind of slow and was a bit lacking without that wider context from the inner planets.
CommunistCow on
No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
+1
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Ninja Snarl PMy helmet is my burden.Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered Userregular
Finally starting The Expanse. Am a little nervous because I really loved the first two books (the farthest I've read so far), but damn if the opening title sequence isn't really good.
I watched the show first and then read the first book and honestly I liked the show better. They managed to condense some of the interesting political stuff from book two into season 1. Book 1 seemed kind kind of slow and was a bit lacking without that wider context from the inner planets.
I wholly agree, I enjoy the show a lot more than the books. They expand on some things that deserve expanding and honestly, I feel like the show writers are a good bit better than the author for the books. They stay reasonably close to the books, but literally everything in the books that irritated me so far they've managed to improve to at least "acceptable".
I've actually given up on the books for how eye-rollingly grim they get, plus how groups will flip-flop between laughably incompetent to superhumanly unstoppable. The show is MUCH better about keeping things consistent without the crutch of just cranking up the grimdark at every chance.
Finally starting The Expanse. Am a little nervous because I really loved the first two books (the farthest I've read so far), but damn if the opening title sequence isn't really good.
I watched the show first and then read the first book and honestly I liked the show better. They managed to condense some of the interesting political stuff from book two into season 1. Book 1 seemed kind of slow and was a bit lacking without that wider context from the inner planets.
I hope the show and book series one day fulfill its original destiny: MMORPG setting.
Bought a new couch and it was delivered last night so I figured I'd kick back and watch a movie on it to break it in.
It's simply amazing that I pay for Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime and can't seem to find a movie that I want to watch. There's just so much content there and the fact that I scroll endlessly for 20 minutes only to come up empty never ceases to amaze me.
It's the same problem I have with my Steam catalog. I can scroll through the 400+ games and end up watching YouTube videos instead. Less commitment.
I ended up just watching another episode of the Arrow, which is a fun show. But it's starting to feel very teen soap opera like.
Bought a new couch and it was delivered last night so I figured I'd kick back and watch a movie on it to break it in.
It's simply amazing that I pay for Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime and can't seem to find a movie that I want to watch. There's just so much content there and the fact that I scroll endlessly for 20 minutes only to come up empty never ceases to amaze me.
It's the same problem I have with my Steam catalog. I can scroll through the 400+ games and end up watching YouTube videos instead. Less commitment.
I ended up just watching another episode of the Arrow, which is a fun show. But it's starting to feel very teen soap opera like.
The sheer volume of content I've got access to and the just utter lack of interest is real.
I noticed that if I load up the service with a basic idea of what I want then I'm fine. Like "80s horror" or something. But if I just open it up looking for ANYTHING to appeal to me then I search forever.
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That_GuyI don't wanna be that guyRegistered Userregular
Bought a new couch and it was delivered last night so I figured I'd kick back and watch a movie on it to break it in.
It's simply amazing that I pay for Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime and can't seem to find a movie that I want to watch. There's just so much content there and the fact that I scroll endlessly for 20 minutes only to come up empty never ceases to amaze me.
It's the same problem I have with my Steam catalog. I can scroll through the 400+ games and end up watching YouTube videos instead. Less commitment.
I ended up just watching another episode of the Arrow, which is a fun show. But it's starting to feel very teen soap opera like.
The sheer volume of content I've got access to and the just utter lack of interest is real.
The overwhelming vast majority of all streaming platform's content is garbage no one wanted to watch when it was new, much less now. I think our standards have gotten a lot higher too. 20 years ago if you wanted entertainment, you were stuck with whatever was in your collection or happened to be on TV at the moment. We have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to streaming options. It lets us be more critical so we don't have to just settle for whatever is on.
It's the fault of platform creators that we can't find anything good even if it's there. Go back 8ish years and you see Netflix going out of it's way to make sure you can find quality content to watch. The highest rated movies and shows were featured front and center. The public rating system allowed very quickly pick out the grain from the chaff. Likewise with Steam. You had to go out of your way to find bad games. Fast forward to today and most of the prominently featured and "trending" content is garbage, not even worth my time. Netflix and Steam have lost the fucking plot when it comes to discovering genuinely good new content.
Meanwhile you have platforms like Youtube. For all it's controversy surrounding monetization and the suggestion algorithm, I hardly ever have trouble finding something worthwhile to watch. There are so many content creators on Youtube that cater to my very specific tastes and interests that I could spend a lifetime exploring the site and never find even half of the good stuff. I almost never have to even venture off the recommended bar.
Ninja Snarl PMy helmet is my burden.Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered Userregular
I feel like that has to be due to all the different content "providers" chopping up all the good content and splitting it onto dozens of services, whereas all Youtube content remains squarely under control of Google. Youtube wants you find quality content in what you're looking for, but the likes of Netflix has waged a years-long effort to obfuscate that they've lost a huge amount of what they once offered while trying to use their original productions as cover.
I very clearly remember when you could sort Netflix movies by year, genre, and ranking, but that pretty much all went away when Netflix started making originals in earnest. Once they realized that anything shitty of theirs was going to get rated as really shitty, all those sort and rating functions went out the window. I could reliably judge whether or not I'd like a film based on community ratings, but this thumbs up/thumbs down system is a total waste for viewers but great for Netflix in that none of their shows can actually get a rating they deserve, one way or another.
Yeah holy shit that's a good point. If I'm looking for an 80s horror flick on Netflix, how would I browse by that genre?
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lwt1973King of ThievesSyndicationRegistered Userregular
We finished the Matrix today and my son asked about the next one. I told him they nerfed Neo for the sequels and gave him a rough rundown of the plot. Suffice to say he was a bit upset and kept on saying “What?” and “Really?”.
"He's sulking in his tent like Achilles! It's the Iliad?...from Homer?! READ A BOOK!!" -Handy
The problem I'm having with Netflix at the minute is I can't just go on and find what I want anymore. I can't get Ghostbusters, I can't get the Matrix (at least in the UK) and I can't get some decent long-running tv series to throw on in the background like Family Guy/American Dad/Cheers, etc. I've rewatched It's Always Sunny about 10 times now. I click on the Films tab to find something to watch and there's just nothing here for me anymore.
Getting around to Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, now that I've picked up Hulu again. It's completely different from the book, in that "there's a character named Dirk Gently in it" is the only similarity I've seen so far, but it at least has a similar tone.
Completed the first season. It ends in a cliffhanger, which I'm never enthusiastic about, but otherwise good.
Few episodes into season 2 of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, and I am here for this.
Completed the second season. I liked it more than the first; I think the metaplot works better, mostly because it doesn't need to spend as much time explaining things to the audience, and the production as a whole feels less rough.
The overwhelming vast majority of all streaming platform's content is garbage no one wanted to watch when it was new, much less now.
Speak for yourself, I for one am glad to be able to watch Deathstalker 1&2 without the embarrassment of having to present them to a Blockbusters clerk.
full disclosure: I could not make it through Deathstalker 2
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
The overwhelming vast majority of all streaming platform's content is garbage no one wanted to watch when it was new, much less now.
Speak for yourself, I for one am glad to be able to watch Deathstalker 1&2 without the embarrassment of having to present them to a Blockbusters clerk.
full disclosure: I could not make it through Deathstalker 2
The best way to watch those bad movies is through Best of the Worst/MST3K/Rifftrax, because they really are an absolute slog to get through. I thought I would try and watch Miami Connection when I found it on youtube because of all the hooplah (looks like there's still a copy of it up), and it was pulling teeth.
And seeing how the lead actress for Deathstalker 2 was so over the top and bad in BOTW, you'd probably be yelling at the screen yourself for her to shut up.
0
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Ninja Snarl PMy helmet is my burden.Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered Userregular
The problem I'm having with Netflix at the minute is I can't just go on and find what I want anymore. I can't get Ghostbusters, I can't get the Matrix (at least in the UK) and I can't get some decent long-running tv series to throw on in the background like Family Guy/American Dad/Cheers, etc. I've rewatched It's Always Sunny about 10 times now. I click on the Films tab to find something to watch and there's just nothing here for me anymore.
I'd struggle less with justifying the subscription if they were consistent about the quality of their original content. For everything original and interesting like the Dark Crystal series or Stranger Things, they've got at least three crappy movies or series to offset them. I don't begrudge them switching over to original content considering the futility of trying to economically license a lot of shows/movies that get snapped up by fragmenting services (WHY THE FUCK would I install the IMDB movie app to watch movies with ads that used to be on subscription services?), I just wish they had better quality control besides checking some boxes on a list and throwing money in a studio's lap.
First Man is on HBO right now and I rec it not for the story but for the direction. The cinematography, effects, and direction showing the transitions around low earth orbit are tense, terrifying, and just goddamn beautiful. I haven't seen anything that portrays the challenge of space flight like this at all. It's amazing.
The rest is pretty mediocre - lots of amazing actors reading historical lines or sitting around in shirtsleeves looking concerned - but the direction - oh man, there's a reason this guy still has heat. I don't care if you hated his previous stuff or don't care about space movies or have some kind of grudge with the whole murica flag controversey - if you like film, watch this.
+3
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That_GuyI don't wanna be that guyRegistered Userregular
First Man is on HBO right now and I rec it not for the story but for the direction. The cinematography, effects, and direction showing the transitions around low earth orbit are tense, terrifying, and just goddamn beautiful. I haven't seen anything that portrays the challenge of space flight like this at all. It's amazing.
The rest is pretty mediocre - lots of amazing actors reading historical lines or sitting around in shirtsleeves looking concerned - but the direction - oh man, there's a reason this guy still has heat. I don't care if you hated his previous stuff or don't care about space movies or have some kind of grudge with the whole murica flag controversy - if you like film, watch this.
Full disclaimer: I am a NASA fanboy and have been studying the Space Race since I was a small child. In fact, the first thing I wrote myself was a brief summary of the 1969 landing, copied from my favorite book (naturally about space). That's all to say I may be slightly bias and less than objective with my opinions on this movie.
First Man was one of my favorite movies of last year. The direction was intentional and great. You gotta realize that Neil Armstrong was the motherfucking Iceman. He kept his cool in every situation at all times. If anything, they injected a little too much character into him. There's a reason Buzz Aldrin became the media darling and Neil just kind of faded away into a quiet life. He hardly ever gave interviews, never had much to say and was hardly interesting outside of the providence of his accomplishments. Another thing to realize is just how jankey NASA was in the early days. Many of the rockets they were flying were being held together by shoestring and bubblegum. They couldn't let the general public know just how close to utter failure the entire organization was so you ended up with a bunch of guys sitting around just looking concerned. NASA lent the production crew a bunch of historians and technical consultants to make sure almost every detail was perfect. They did an amazing job with the hard lighting and very nearly every shadow was consistent with the sun vs studio lights. I watched in in the theater and again on my home theater and it was an incredible experience. I can't get over the sound design. NASA scientists worked with the sound engineers to recreate the actual sounds you would hear from inside the cockpit. My favorite was the sound the Saturn 5 made as it took off. It seriously gave me goosebumps hearing it for the first time.
I also think this movie should finally put a nail in the "moon landing was faked on a soundstage" coffin. Even with millions of dollars and the most cutting edge special effects you could still tell it wasn't real, even if almost every detail was perfect. A few of the shadows weren't quite perfectly parallel and the lunar dust was clearly just wet sand instead of an ultrafine magnetically charged powder. And they did flub the "one small step for [a] man" line but these are such minor quibbles I almost feel like I shouldn't even bring it up.
I feel like I could spend the rest of my life jazzing about how much I love First Man. I feel like it was a movie made specifically for me to cater to my exact tastes. It definitely earned a spot in my regular rewatch rotation along side the good Star Wars and Trek movies.
The problem I'm having with Netflix at the minute is I can't just go on and find what I want anymore. I can't get Ghostbusters, I can't get the Matrix (at least in the UK) and I can't get some decent long-running tv series to throw on in the background like Family Guy/American Dad/Cheers, etc. I've rewatched It's Always Sunny about 10 times now. I click on the Films tab to find something to watch and there's just nothing here for me anymore.
I'd struggle less with justifying the subscription if they were consistent about the quality of their original content. For everything original and interesting like the Dark Crystal series or Stranger Things, they've got at least three crappy movies or series to offset them. I don't begrudge them switching over to original content considering the futility of trying to economically license a lot of shows/movies that get snapped up by fragmenting services (WHY THE FUCK would I install the IMDB movie app to watch movies with ads that used to be on subscription services?), I just wish they had better quality control besides checking some boxes on a list and throwing money in a studio's lap.
I think the key phrase here is "core competencies". Netflix's core competencies are the technical challenges of serving streaming video to a LOT of people, and choosing which existing shows/movies to license. It's not in producing their own content, and that's how you get Netflix throwing money at both good and bad ideas. Maybe they'll manage the transition, but they haven't yet.
The overwhelming vast majority of all streaming platform's content is garbage no one wanted to watch when it was new, much less now.
Speak for yourself, I for one am glad to be able to watch Deathstalker 1&2 without the embarrassment of having to present them to a Blockbusters clerk.
full disclosure: I could not make it through Deathstalker 2
The best way to watch those bad movies is through Best of the Worst/MST3K/Rifftrax, because they really are an absolute slog to get through. I thought I would try and watch Miami Connection when I found it on youtube because of all the hooplah (looks like there's still a copy of it up), and it was pulling teeth.
And seeing how the lead actress for Deathstalker 2 was so over the top and bad in BOTW, you'd probably be yelling at the screen yourself for her to shut up.
For the truly bad ones, I like RLM too just to get the main beats. They suffer so I don't have to.
The overwhelming vast majority of all streaming platform's content is garbage no one wanted to watch when it was new, much less now.
Speak for yourself, I for one am glad to be able to watch Deathstalker 1&2 without the embarrassment of having to present them to a Blockbusters clerk.
full disclosure: I could not make it through Deathstalker 2
The best way to watch those bad movies is through Best of the Worst/MST3K/Rifftrax, because they really are an absolute slog to get through. I thought I would try and watch Miami Connection when I found it on youtube because of all the hooplah (looks like there's still a copy of it up), and it was pulling teeth.
And seeing how the lead actress for Deathstalker 2 was so over the top and bad in BOTW, you'd probably be yelling at the screen yourself for her to shut up.
For the truly bad ones, I like RLM too just to get the main beats. They suffer so I don't have to.
The overwhelming vast majority of all streaming platform's content is garbage no one wanted to watch when it was new, much less now.
Speak for yourself, I for one am glad to be able to watch Deathstalker 1&2 without the embarrassment of having to present them to a Blockbusters clerk.
full disclosure: I could not make it through Deathstalker 2
The best way to watch those bad movies is through Best of the Worst/MST3K/Rifftrax, because they really are an absolute slog to get through. I thought I would try and watch Miami Connection when I found it on youtube because of all the hooplah (looks like there's still a copy of it up), and it was pulling teeth.
And seeing how the lead actress for Deathstalker 2 was so over the top and bad in BOTW, you'd probably be yelling at the screen yourself for her to shut up.
For the truly bad ones, I like RLM too just to get the main beats. They suffer so I don't have to.
If you want to look for a specific subgenre of movie on Netflix, one thing I've found useful is searching for a specific movie of the type you're in the mood for, and then browsing through the resultant "movies like..." list. Like, if you want comedy horror, search for "Army of Darkness" or something, then see what pops up.
It works best if you search for a movie they don't have, which is easy, because they don't have fucking anything.
I submitted an entry to Lego Ideas, and if 10,000 people support me, it'll be turned into an actual Lego set!If you'd like to see and support my submission, follow this link.
If you want to look for a specific subgenre of movie on Netflix, one thing I've found useful is searching for a specific movie of the type you're in the mood for, and then browsing through the resultant "movies like..." list. Like, if you want comedy horror, search for "Army of Darkness" or something, then see what pops up.
It works best if you search for a movie they don't have, which is easy, because they don't have fucking anything.
Hey! They have everything*!
*as long as you're willing to use the original service and wait for a disc like some kind pathetic peasant
No joke I've been tempted to sign up for the bluray disc service because the movie selection has just tanked.
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Ninja Snarl PMy helmet is my burden.Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered Userregular
If you want to look for a specific subgenre of movie on Netflix, one thing I've found useful is searching for a specific movie of the type you're in the mood for, and then browsing through the resultant "movies like..." list. Like, if you want comedy horror, search for "Army of Darkness" or something, then see what pops up.
It works best if you search for a movie they don't have, which is easy, because they don't have fucking anything.
Hey! They have everything*!
*as long as you're willing to use the original service and wait for a disc like some kind pathetic peasant
No joke I've been tempted to sign up for the bluray disc service because the movie selection has just tanked.
It's going to be an incredible irony if they end up being propped up by being a disc rental service after also being the company that essentially broke open the streaming movie market, then also not being able to do anything as the streaming market fell into a million pieces because everybody decided they wanted to be Netflix.
Yeah and I don't think it's really because of anything Netflix did specifically. The money got so big for them that of course everyone and their grandmother wanted a piece of that pie.
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That_GuyI don't wanna be that guyRegistered Userregular
I think it's ironic that you have to search for good or popular movies and shows Netflix doesn't have just to find something obscure that might be interesting to watch.
The problem I'm having with Netflix at the minute is I can't just go on and find what I want anymore. I can't get Ghostbusters, I can't get the Matrix (at least in the UK) and I can't get some decent long-running tv series to throw on in the background like Family Guy/American Dad/Cheers, etc. I've rewatched It's Always Sunny about 10 times now. I click on the Films tab to find something to watch and there's just nothing here for me anymore.
I'd struggle less with justifying the subscription if they were consistent about the quality of their original content. For everything original and interesting like the Dark Crystal series or Stranger Things, they've got at least three crappy movies or series to offset them. I don't begrudge them switching over to original content considering the futility of trying to economically license a lot of shows/movies that get snapped up by fragmenting services (WHY THE FUCK would I install the IMDB movie app to watch movies with ads that used to be on subscription services?), I just wish they had better quality control besides checking some boxes on a list and throwing money in a studio's lap.
I’ve actually been using the IMDB app of FireTV lately to watch Franklin and Bash and it isn’t a terrible viewing experience if I just go to the show page and select watch on IMDB.*
*I made the mistake of actually opening the app once and my eyes started bleeding.
If you want to look for a specific subgenre of movie on Netflix, one thing I've found useful is searching for a specific movie of the type you're in the mood for, and then browsing through the resultant "movies like..." list. Like, if you want comedy horror, search for "Army of Darkness" or something, then see what pops up.
It works best if you search for a movie they don't have, which is easy, because they don't have fucking anything.
Hey! They have everything*!
*as long as you're willing to use the original service and wait for a disc like some kind pathetic peasant
No joke I've been tempted to sign up for the bluray disc service because the movie selection has just tanked.
the disc rental service is good! i canceled my streaming netflix sub ages ago and only have the discs. i watch way more content from netflix this way because it's actually got movies you want to watch.
I would get the Criterion service for all the obscure interesting films of that collection, but no app for it on PS4 means a no go for me
It's also another $10 a month and I've already got Netflix, Amazon Prime, and VRV. At a certain point it's like, how many services do I want to pay for?
I just dropped Hulu Live because I realized I pretty much never watch live TV. I'm sure I can find a better use for that $40 or whatever.
I now get Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime for a total of like $40 per month, and I have access to pretty much any show I give a shit about.
Overall, this isn't a bad deal. It's cheaper than cable ever was. Still not likely to shell for any additional services, though.
I submitted an entry to Lego Ideas, and if 10,000 people support me, it'll be turned into an actual Lego set!If you'd like to see and support my submission, follow this link.
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Few episodes into season 2 of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, and I am here for this.
― Marcus Aurelius
Path of Exile: themightypuck
That’s really funny to me for some reason. Of course he made a Dark Crystal series, he grew up around puppets.
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Taramoor on Youtube
I watched the show first and then read the first book and honestly I liked the show better. They managed to condense some of the interesting political stuff from book two into season 1. Book 1 seemed kind of slow and was a bit lacking without that wider context from the inner planets.
I wholly agree, I enjoy the show a lot more than the books. They expand on some things that deserve expanding and honestly, I feel like the show writers are a good bit better than the author for the books. They stay reasonably close to the books, but literally everything in the books that irritated me so far they've managed to improve to at least "acceptable".
I've actually given up on the books for how eye-rollingly grim they get, plus how groups will flip-flop between laughably incompetent to superhumanly unstoppable. The show is MUCH better about keeping things consistent without the crutch of just cranking up the grimdark at every chance.
I hope the show and book series one day fulfill its original destiny: MMORPG setting.
It's simply amazing that I pay for Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime and can't seem to find a movie that I want to watch. There's just so much content there and the fact that I scroll endlessly for 20 minutes only to come up empty never ceases to amaze me.
It's the same problem I have with my Steam catalog. I can scroll through the 400+ games and end up watching YouTube videos instead. Less commitment.
I ended up just watching another episode of the Arrow, which is a fun show. But it's starting to feel very teen soap opera like.
The sheer volume of content I've got access to and the just utter lack of interest is real.
The overwhelming vast majority of all streaming platform's content is garbage no one wanted to watch when it was new, much less now. I think our standards have gotten a lot higher too. 20 years ago if you wanted entertainment, you were stuck with whatever was in your collection or happened to be on TV at the moment. We have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to streaming options. It lets us be more critical so we don't have to just settle for whatever is on.
It's the fault of platform creators that we can't find anything good even if it's there. Go back 8ish years and you see Netflix going out of it's way to make sure you can find quality content to watch. The highest rated movies and shows were featured front and center. The public rating system allowed very quickly pick out the grain from the chaff. Likewise with Steam. You had to go out of your way to find bad games. Fast forward to today and most of the prominently featured and "trending" content is garbage, not even worth my time. Netflix and Steam have lost the fucking plot when it comes to discovering genuinely good new content.
Meanwhile you have platforms like Youtube. For all it's controversy surrounding monetization and the suggestion algorithm, I hardly ever have trouble finding something worthwhile to watch. There are so many content creators on Youtube that cater to my very specific tastes and interests that I could spend a lifetime exploring the site and never find even half of the good stuff. I almost never have to even venture off the recommended bar.
I very clearly remember when you could sort Netflix movies by year, genre, and ranking, but that pretty much all went away when Netflix started making originals in earnest. Once they realized that anything shitty of theirs was going to get rated as really shitty, all those sort and rating functions went out the window. I could reliably judge whether or not I'd like a film based on community ratings, but this thumbs up/thumbs down system is a total waste for viewers but great for Netflix in that none of their shows can actually get a rating they deserve, one way or another.
Completed the second season. I liked it more than the first; I think the metaplot works better, mostly because it doesn't need to spend as much time explaining things to the audience, and the production as a whole feels less rough.
Speak for yourself, I for one am glad to be able to watch Deathstalker 1&2 without the embarrassment of having to present them to a Blockbusters clerk.
full disclosure: I could not make it through Deathstalker 2
The best way to watch those bad movies is through Best of the Worst/MST3K/Rifftrax, because they really are an absolute slog to get through. I thought I would try and watch Miami Connection when I found it on youtube because of all the hooplah (looks like there's still a copy of it up), and it was pulling teeth.
And seeing how the lead actress for Deathstalker 2 was so over the top and bad in BOTW, you'd probably be yelling at the screen yourself for her to shut up.
I'd struggle less with justifying the subscription if they were consistent about the quality of their original content. For everything original and interesting like the Dark Crystal series or Stranger Things, they've got at least three crappy movies or series to offset them. I don't begrudge them switching over to original content considering the futility of trying to economically license a lot of shows/movies that get snapped up by fragmenting services (WHY THE FUCK would I install the IMDB movie app to watch movies with ads that used to be on subscription services?), I just wish they had better quality control besides checking some boxes on a list and throwing money in a studio's lap.
The rest is pretty mediocre - lots of amazing actors reading historical lines or sitting around in shirtsleeves looking concerned - but the direction - oh man, there's a reason this guy still has heat. I don't care if you hated his previous stuff or don't care about space movies or have some kind of grudge with the whole murica flag controversey - if you like film, watch this.
Full disclaimer: I am a NASA fanboy and have been studying the Space Race since I was a small child. In fact, the first thing I wrote myself was a brief summary of the 1969 landing, copied from my favorite book (naturally about space). That's all to say I may be slightly bias and less than objective with my opinions on this movie.
First Man was one of my favorite movies of last year. The direction was intentional and great. You gotta realize that Neil Armstrong was the motherfucking Iceman. He kept his cool in every situation at all times. If anything, they injected a little too much character into him. There's a reason Buzz Aldrin became the media darling and Neil just kind of faded away into a quiet life. He hardly ever gave interviews, never had much to say and was hardly interesting outside of the providence of his accomplishments. Another thing to realize is just how jankey NASA was in the early days. Many of the rockets they were flying were being held together by shoestring and bubblegum. They couldn't let the general public know just how close to utter failure the entire organization was so you ended up with a bunch of guys sitting around just looking concerned. NASA lent the production crew a bunch of historians and technical consultants to make sure almost every detail was perfect. They did an amazing job with the hard lighting and very nearly every shadow was consistent with the sun vs studio lights. I watched in in the theater and again on my home theater and it was an incredible experience. I can't get over the sound design. NASA scientists worked with the sound engineers to recreate the actual sounds you would hear from inside the cockpit. My favorite was the sound the Saturn 5 made as it took off. It seriously gave me goosebumps hearing it for the first time.
I also think this movie should finally put a nail in the "moon landing was faked on a soundstage" coffin. Even with millions of dollars and the most cutting edge special effects you could still tell it wasn't real, even if almost every detail was perfect. A few of the shadows weren't quite perfectly parallel and the lunar dust was clearly just wet sand instead of an ultrafine magnetically charged powder. And they did flub the "one small step for [a] man" line but these are such minor quibbles I almost feel like I shouldn't even bring it up.
I feel like I could spend the rest of my life jazzing about how much I love First Man. I feel like it was a movie made specifically for me to cater to my exact tastes. It definitely earned a spot in my regular rewatch rotation along side the good Star Wars and Trek movies.
I think the key phrase here is "core competencies". Netflix's core competencies are the technical challenges of serving streaming video to a LOT of people, and choosing which existing shows/movies to license. It's not in producing their own content, and that's how you get Netflix throwing money at both good and bad ideas. Maybe they'll manage the transition, but they haven't yet.
For the truly bad ones, I like RLM too just to get the main beats. They suffer so I don't have to.
Except it's RLM so you're still suffering
boom gottem
Slide Whistle
Would you call it a catch-22?
It works best if you search for a movie they don't have, which is easy, because they don't have fucking anything.
Hey! They have everything*!
*as long as you're willing to use the original service and wait for a disc like some kind pathetic peasant
No joke I've been tempted to sign up for the bluray disc service because the movie selection has just tanked.
It's going to be an incredible irony if they end up being propped up by being a disc rental service after also being the company that essentially broke open the streaming movie market, then also not being able to do anything as the streaming market fell into a million pieces because everybody decided they wanted to be Netflix.
I’ve actually been using the IMDB app of FireTV lately to watch Franklin and Bash and it isn’t a terrible viewing experience if I just go to the show page and select watch on IMDB.*
*I made the mistake of actually opening the app once and my eyes started bleeding.
the disc rental service is good! i canceled my streaming netflix sub ages ago and only have the discs. i watch way more content from netflix this way because it's actually got movies you want to watch.
Getting a roku is really worth the investment. It does everything
It's also another $10 a month and I've already got Netflix, Amazon Prime, and VRV. At a certain point it's like, how many services do I want to pay for?
I now get Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime for a total of like $40 per month, and I have access to pretty much any show I give a shit about.
Overall, this isn't a bad deal. It's cheaper than cable ever was. Still not likely to shell for any additional services, though.