But Is It on Netflix? - Streaming Video Service Thread: Hulu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Disney+, Peacock, YouTube TV, AT+T Watch, Philo, Playstation Vue, HBO Max, HBO Now, Facebook Live and many more

book and show are both great, though I felt RDJ was the weakest link (as much as I liked the basic idea of all the characters he played representing the various modes of Western imperialism). Show also did well in fixing some of the iffy-er parts of the book eg the main character’s relationship with Lana, which came across as weirdly creepy and inappropriate in the novel

So used to seeing this thread on the front page... probably been a while since it fell off

Anyone watch Expats on Hulu? Maybe a little depressing but I loved the directing, the depictions of Hong Kong, and many of the details related to expat life. The fifth episode, which is movie-length (the rest are normal length), will definitely stick with me

I think that's on Amazon in the US. Might have a look. I'm currently watching three different Spanish gangster shows on Netflix and they're all kind of blurring together.

Oh sorry, yes it is Amazon not Hulu

i watched the first episode of that and forgot about it until now, should go back to it.

I'm still watching Shogun which is great fun even when it gets cheesy as fuck

Shogun rules -we have a whole appreciation thread if you are so inclined

Presumed Innocent on Apple+ is wall to wall red herrings ie classic David E Kelley energy - scratching my summer legal drama itch but in kind of a dumb way

i watched Fast Charlie on Hulu you don't need to see it. Pierce Brosnan and James Caan are deep south mobsters. directed by Philip Noyce! from the old days! #DeadCalm4ever. its not a great one in the *grizzled expert kills wistfully and dreams of a villa in Italy* genre.
and i watched The Animal Kingdom on Hulu. a sci-fi movie about French people turning into animals.

I've been watching The 100 with Cyrus on Netflix for awhile now. We have been enjoying it. This is my 2nd time watching the whole thing. The last season is so daffy. I kinda love it.

I’m struggling to get through the final season. One of the show’s best qualities initially was keeping everything tight and now it’s all full episode flashbacks of new characters and stuff.

I've decided to just start watching everything Netflix has with Luis Tosar, who's rapidly becoming my favorite Spanish actor.

So used to seeing this thread on the front page... probably been a while since it fell off

Anyone watch Expats on Hulu? Maybe a little depressing but I loved the directing, the depictions of Hong Kong, and many of the details related to expat life. The fifth episode, which is movie-length (the rest are normal length), will definitely stick with me

Yeah I ignored the negative parts in my post because the positives were enough to make it worth watching. The three main characters are unlikable and strangely I didn't think Nicole Kidman or the girl who played Mercy acted well, though everyone else is good. But I liked the themes the show explored. Would have preferred the wider scope of episode 5 from the beginning; I have no doubt it would have been a stronger show

The Animal Kingdom one of my fave films of last (this?) year.

Yeah I ignored the negative parts in my post because the positives were enough to make it worth watching. The three main characters are unlikable and strangely I didn't think Nicole Kidman or the girl who played Mercy acted well, though everyone else is good. But I liked the themes the show explored. Would have preferred the wider scope of episode 5 from the beginning; I have no doubt it would have been a stronger show

― Vinnie, Sunday, July 14, 2024 bookmarkflaglink

I think Nicole Kidman was probably the worst thing about the show. I found her portrayal of her character insufferable.

Watched the first two episodes of Sunny on AppleTV - new show with Rashida Jones and a robot in Japan. It’s fun so far! Scratches the same itch as Severence—a sci-fi mystery and dark comedy with great aesthetics.

new season of barbecue showdown on netflix is great. i enjoy that show a lot. its really friendly and everyone on it is always really talented and nice. you root for everyone! but you wouldn't like it if you don't like meat. there is a lot of meat. maybe its so soothing because it takes them so long to cook things. its a slow competition.

So the Emmy nominations came out. I have to say, I don’t necessarily care that much about who wins but I do really enjoy going through all the nominees across all the categories. The obsessive list maker in me can’t help but try to cross as much off my list as possible, even if I know the Emmys are not the ultimate barometer of quality (true of all awards shows).

So, looking through the list, some initial thoughts on what’s not there:

In the comedy categories, I’m happy for the Bear and especially Reservation Dogs but their best qualities are not related to comedy. If you are looking for comedy shows that are actually funny, you’d do better to look at the writing category which includes Girls5eva and The Other Two, both of which are probably the two shows of the last year that actually made me laugh out loud the most.

(Speaking of shadow “best” categories, I am weirdly fascinated by the two “multicamera” awards which are essentially technical awards but are the only categories where the old-school network-style categories even have a chance—like The Conners or Frasier or whatever. Not that any of those shows deserve to be the best comedy category but I just think it’s a weird parallel universe category.)

And then there’s the comedies that I loved that were totally ignored, chief among them Our Flag Means Death, which had two excellent seasons and will never see any more, sadly. I also still think Life & Beth is a very good show (even if I don’t love Amy Schumer so much). Glad to see Loot get one nom but would have been happy to see it get more. And I always have mixed feelings about Righteous Gemstones but would have been thrilled if, at minimum, Edi Patterson got a supporting actress nod.

It’s wild to me how I haven’t even heard of these Apple TV+ shows on the list (Loot, Palm Royale, Slow Horses, Loot, Palm Royale, Lessons in Chemistry…)

(Whoops, I haven’t heard of some of them twice, lol)

people have talked about them here. i don't have apple+. fuck an apple.

The Bear as comedy is a legit pet peeve, but I guess what can you do.

the Bear isn't even as funny as Slow Horses (which is vv a excellent UK spycraft show)

Yeah I heard somewhere that the Bear is the most-nominated comedy ever now - breaking 30 Rock’s record. And that is just ridiculous.

Loot is a solid comedy and I think it got better in the second season. It doesn’t do anything innovative but it’s a good ensemble show that generally makes you feel happy as you watch it. It’s hard for Maya Rudolph to make something that isn’t watchable.

Slow Horses is a great show in the spycraft genre, and in its own way gives me the same feeling that Loot does. I don’t know that I’ve had thought of it as one of the best shows of the year but it’s very good at its genre and is always enjoyable.

I haven’t watched Palm Royale or Lessons in Chemistry yet, though a friend of mine directed one or two eps of Lessons so I’m rooting for the show on her behalf.

I would def check out anything with Rudolph (if I could)

Actually looking at the Drama category, most of those shows (besides Shogun), I wouldn’t have put on my own list. The Gilded Age is a soap in good costumes. I found the second half of the last season of the Crown super tedious. Fallout and Mr & Mrs Smith were both a lot of fun but I guess I just didn’t think of them for this category (Fallout seems super niche to me!). And it’s just insane that 3 Body Problem got nominated for best drama yet got zero acting, directing, or writing noms. For a sci-fi show it didn’t even get nominated for visual effects or costumes or makeup or production design! (On the other hand, the vastly superior sci-fi epic, Foundation, was fully ignored.)

I am very much late to the party on Scavengers Reign, but I'm three episodes in and this shit rules. Except for the one guy who keeps having alien-induced memory hallucinations. He sucks and should die.

Scavengers Reign gets even better as it goes.

So, in my efforts to watch various nominated things I’ve been watching a bunch of the standup specials that were nominated in various categories. Really enjoyed the Ramy Youssef special. I like him as a standup much more than his eponymous tv show, which ran hot and cold for me.

I also watched the Trevor Noah special which was pleasant and funny on the same level as vanilla ice cream.

And then I watched Jacqueline Novak: Get On Your Knees (Netflix) which was a straight up work of genius—a 90 minute monologue about blow jobs that is hilarious, never cheap, and just a wonder of storytelling.

I struggled through The Sympathizer. I can't really recommend it, but I don't regret watching it. I don't think multiple RDJs were the problem but it didn't help. Seven episodes of that is a lot, but if those roles were cast with seperate actors I can't say I wouldn't be "meh" at the end anyway.

starting Sierra Madre: No Trespassing tonight

So, in my efforts to watch various nominated things I’ve been watching a bunch of the standup specials…

(Kyle Kinane’s Shocks & Struts, on YouTube, is also terrific and from last year)

can cosign Shocks & Struts, so good

I found Scavengers Reign a bit of a chore. It was beautiful and really smart and very grown up, but so bleak and serious. Any time we started a new episode, I found myself slightly squaring my shoulders and thinking, alright, here we go. But it was also one of the few shows where I never skipped the opening titles because the music really was lovely.

These Emmy noms are weird. Why is Fargo under "Limited or Anthology Series or Movie" and not just standard Drama?

Why is the drama section feeling so lacking in noms? I know Ive watched twice as many TV series as that this past year. Did anyone give a fuck about the Morning Show this year, seriously?

i watched a double feature on Peacock of Abigail (little girl ballerina vampire) and M3gan Unrated (little girl killer robot doll). both pretty fun. M3gan was better though and had some funny moments. Abigail had the dead guy from Euphoria on it. his last role i think and he could barely speak a sentence coherently. he was like Biden on Fentanyl. M3gan had Ronny Chieng in it but he didn't get to be super-funny.

These Emmy noms are weird. Why is Fargo under "Limited or Anthology Series or Movie" and not just standard Drama?

Because it's an anthology series, with a new cast each season.

So Homicide is coming to Peacock in August. Missed it during the 90s. Looking forward to checking it out.

yaaaaaay <3

i have complete Homicide on DVD but i'm lazy so would probably watch it streaming! haven't seen it in years but loved it so much back in the olden times.

Fair warning: They've re-cropped it to 16 x 9 so young people won't be frightened and confused by the square image.

booo

COWARDS

I was just planning to pull out my DVDs and start a rewatch so this is very timely.

Also Kyle Secor is currently writing a whole series of essays about Homicide on Substack and also doing some interviews with ppl from the show. It all looks promising enough that I may actually have to pay for it.

i was going to do a mega Homicide/Wire DVD watch but god only knows when i would ever get it together to do it. i've never actually watched any of the extra DVD stuff.

oh so cyrus and i finished The 100 and god help me i miss it. wish they had done a spinoff. i do like the last season a lot. its insane. i remember reading that they had to rush to finish the last season before the whole covid shutdown. such a satisfying ending. i can't say that about too many 7-season shows.

now i have to get back to watching The Expanse with Maria. we have about a season & a half left.

also, all three of us are watching Master Chef: Generations (4 teams of boomers/x/millennials/z) after it airs on Hulu and we started the last season of The Amazing Race for old time's sake. now with scarier climate change, i worry more about someone actually dying during the amazing race! the first two episodes in Mexico looked friggin' brutal.

now i have to get back to watching The Expanse with Maria. we have about a season & a half left.

OMG have you gotten to Amos escaping Earth yet?!?! best TV episode of the decade.

no, but i loved the episode in the woods after the prison stuff. that was weirdly one of my fave episodes of the show. weird because it was so not in space. i'll be honest i am not a big fan of the terrorist and the kid. i like the main dudes but i'll be honest the women are the reason i keep watching. naomi is #1. without her and drummer and draper i doubt i would have watched this long.

I’m watching that season now. The Marco storyline feels like a big step backward.