Netflix Instant Watch Recommendations

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:56 am

All I can say after finishing Bloodline is:

1) You should watch Bloodline, and
2) I have no idea how a Season 2 could possibly live up to Season 1.

Captain Caveman · Post by **Captain Caveman** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 10:11 am

hepcat wrote:I'm a pretty big Mendelsohn fan, but Banks chocking back sobs while uttering "I broke my boy" will haunt me for the rest of my life. I can't imagine a world in which that doesn't win an Emmy.

Agreed. That scene was incredible. But watch Bloodline: if the Emmy is honoring work over the course of an entire season, I think Mendelsohn has to come out on top. The character progression from the first episode to the last is amazing. I've never seen anyone better nail being both so menacing and so controlled at the same time. Of course, I'd also be happy to have Banks win, so maybe I'll just root for a tie.

Truth be told, Mendelsohn should be up for a lead actor Emmy. He's the heart and soul of the show, and every bit the lead that Chandler is. Chandler is also incredible in Bloodline, but I guess he gets a lead actor nod simply out of name recognition (and as the face of the show in marketing).

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 10:41 am

Finished Hell on Wheels Season 4. I am still enjoying this series. It's always interesting to see how each season ends with a few of the cast members getting killed off, a few new characters being introduced, and the rest being shuffled around.

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 10:40 am

Just finished Bojack season 2 and I consider it nearly as strong as season 1. It's actually more cohesive and polished, but loses a bit of its edge trying to outdo its first chapter. It builds upon season 1 fantastically though, and the penultimate episode is crushing.

Yeah, if you hate puns or find the at times wacky/forced bits of humour grating, season 2 won't do anything to change your mind. But the show balances this with well done satire and superb tragedy. Half the episodes close with me feeling like my heart's been ripped out of my chest.

Moliere wrote:Finished Hell on Wheels Season 4. I am still enjoying this series. It's always interesting to see how each season ends with a few of the cast members getting killed off, a few new characters being introduced, and the rest being shuffled around.

I will miss this one when it's gone. I can't believe season 5 just debuted! (Though not on Netflix yet, of course.)

sgoldj · Post by **sgoldj** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 6:15 pm

Sudy Nym wrote:Just finished Bojack season 2 and I consider it nearly as strong as season 1. It's actually more cohesive and polished, but loses a bit of its edge trying to outdo its first chapter. It builds upon season 1 fantastically though, and the penultimate episode is crushing.

Yeah, if you hate puns or find the at times wacky/forced bits of humour grating, season 2 won't do anything to change your mind. But the show balances this with well done satire and superb tragedy. Half the episodes close with me feeling like my heart's been ripped out of my chest.

I agree, but I think I liked it more than Sudy Nym. Much more drama than comedy. Actually, I think that this is a good place to end the series.

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 7:23 pm

As sad as I'd be to see it go, it probably would be. Few good shows ever surpass their first couple of seasons. I feel like this tied up a lot of threads. I think the show could continue to succeed with a major shakeup though.

paulbaxter · Post by **paulbaxter** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 10:25 pm

I watched one called Mr Nobody today. Thought it was terrific. If you like philosophical/high concept films, like, say Synecdoche NY or Eternal Sunshine, then I highly recommend this one. It was a European film which really didn't play American theaters at all, but it's a big budget film with some top notch people in it.

Also watched Fruitvale Station. It's a reenactment of the events leading up to and including a fatal shooting in SF a few years ago. Also highly recommended.

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 10:49 pm

Has anyone watched the British show Black Mirror? I've only watched a few episodes but they've all been good in a really fucked up kind of way. Each episode completely stands on its own and usually (from what I've seen so far) deals with some theme of technology's (real or futuristic) effect on society. In any case, worth a watch. But definitely not for the squeamish.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 8:51 am

Yes, I watched both seasons of Black Mirror. Loved it.

Chaz · Post by **Chaz** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 9:00 am

Black Mirror is some of the best TV I've seen in a while. Eight tentacles up.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Jul 22, 2015 9:32 am

Black Mirror is the show that made me realize Rory Kinnear is one hell of a great character actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster on Penny Dreadful just emphasized that.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 8:59 pm

The Guest is available to stream now. If you haven't seen it, do so now. That is all.

PLW · Post by **PLW** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 8:59 am

Been watching AMC's Hell on Wheels. The cinematography and musical style are amazing. There are some truly interesting characters, like the Swede . The story is a little convoluted/soap operatic, but some of the streams are also quite good.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 9:17 am

The wife and I can not recommend Zombeavers. Go watch Dead Snow instead.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 12:28 pm

I highly recommend Creep. I've been watching a lot of horror the past couple of weeks, but that's the first one in awhile that's really gotten under my skin.

P.S. There is no gore, it's very much a psychological thriller.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 12:38 pm

Thanks. I was eying that one for a while, but wasn't sure if it was worth the time. I'll give it a watch.

Archinerd · Post by **Archinerd** » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:18 pm

Isgrimnur wrote:The wife and I can not recommend Zombeavers. Go watch Dead Snow instead.

Despite me not liking Dead Snow, I'll second this.

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:28 am

Sudy Nym wrote:Just finished Bojack season 2 and I consider it nearly as strong as season 1. It's actually more cohesive and polished, but loses a bit of its edge trying to outdo its first chapter.

I'm halfway through season 2 and still enjoying it. Todd suing Diisneyland and SIR Paul McCartney jumping out of a birthday cake to an empty room!

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Thu Jul 30, 2015 5:40 pm

Beasts of No Nation to garner the first Netflix Oscar nomination?

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 1:34 pm

The 10 Most Underrated Adventure Movies on Netflix

Into the Mind (2013)
Rescue Dawn (2007)
All Is Lost (2013)
The Hunter (2011)
The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)
Tracks (2014)
Alive (1993)
The Way Back (2010)
Valhalla Rising (2009)
A Lonely Place to Die (2011)

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 2:28 pm

I'm an unabashed Nicolas Winding Refn fan boy, but I can't recommend Valhalla Rising if you're looking for an adventure film. It's a deeply philosophical film that moves slowly toward the finale. If you go in expecting something like the 13th Warrior, you're going to be gravely disappointed. However, if you want a thoughtful study on the nature of man, you'll love it.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 4:40 pm

hepcat wrote:I'm an unabashed Nicolas Winding Refn fan boy, but I can't recommend Valhalla Rising if you're looking for an adventure film. It's a deeply philosophical film that moves slowly toward the finale. If you go in expecting something like the 13th Warrior, you're going to be gravely disappointed. However, if you want a thoughtful study on the nature of man, you'll love it.

I didn't recognize the name at first. Had to go look it up.

I didn't put much thought into it, but I did enjoy it. It is definitely not a mainstream movie. Kind of surreal. I'm still not sure what exactly to think about it.

nasai · Post by **nasai** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 6:01 pm

The Ghost and The Darkness, FTW.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 6:55 pm

nasai wrote:The Ghost and The Darkness, FTW.

It's been a long time since I watched it. But I recall it being really intense. And very good.

nasai · Post by **nasai** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 6:58 pm

I've seen it a few times, and I loved it. Genuine and frightening.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:07 am

Are we allowed to use this thread to post lukewarm recommendations?

Watched "Would You Rather?" last night. The premise is rather intriguing. A wealthy psycho gathers a group of desperate people together for a dinner party game. Winner gets money to help solve their problems.

Unfortunately for the guests, the game takes the form of stuff like "would you rather beat this guy with a staff, or stab this lady in the leg with an icepick?" And things escalate from there.

It's not really a great movie by any means, but the setup is enough to keep you interested for 90 minutes. It's bogged down by a plodding start and rushed ending. What I found more entertaining is picking out all the famous faces:

- Brittany Snow - Pitch Perfect
- Lawrence Gilliard, Jr. (The Walking Dead)
- Eddie Steeples (My Name is Earl, Raising Hope)
- Robin Lord Taylor (Penguin from Gotham)
- Sasha Gray (Porn Star)
- Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator)
- John Heard (character actor, he's in everything - you'll recognize him)

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Aug 06, 2015 10:37 pm

Re: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: finished it up tonight. I doubt I'll come back for a second helping. Tina Fey should have stayed behind the camera. Kimmy's stepdad was painful to watch. Hell, I think my favorite part was the theme song.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 11:05 am

Isgrimnur wrote:Re: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: finished it up tonight. I doubt I'll come back for a second helping. Tina Fey should have stayed behind the camera. Kimmy's stepdad was painful to watch. Hell, I think my favorite part was the theme song.

Your opinion is incorrect.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 2:02 pm

El Guapo wrote:
Isgrimnur wrote:Re: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: finished it up tonight. I doubt I'll come back for a second helping. Tina Fey should have stayed behind the camera. Kimmy's stepdad was painful to watch. Hell, I think my favorite part was the theme song.
Your opinion is incorrect.

Not entirely. The theme song is pretty awesome. Tina Fey was pretty bad. I disagree with the rest though.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 2:13 pm

So ... I didn't finish it last night and I will come back for a second helping?

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 2:24 pm

Isgrimnur wrote:So ... I didn't finish it last night and I will come back for a second helping?

Correct.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 2:26 pm

Good to know.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 2:27 pm

I'm here to help.

msteelers · Post by **msteelers** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 2:41 pm

The Wet Hot American Summer series has been fantastic. All of the original cast is back. You absolutely should watch the movie first, which is also on Netflix.

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Mon Aug 10, 2015 11:37 am

Zaxxon wrote:All I can say after finishing Bloodline is:

1) You should watch Bloodline, and
2) I have no idea how a Season 2 could possibly live up to Season 1.

I finished the first 4 episodes over the weekend. Two observations:
1) People drink a lot of alcohol on this show. Is it sponsored by beer companies? In almost every scene everyone is guzzling beer, wine, and/or whiskey.
2) Having every episode include truncated flashbacks that tease you with one more second of detail every 10 minutes is getting a bit gimmicky.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Aug 10, 2015 11:42 am

msteelers wrote:The Wet Hot American Summer series has been fantastic. All of the original cast is back. You absolutely should watch the movie first, which is also on Netflix.

Rudd is that rare comic actor that can make me laugh with just a facial expression. I'm two episodes in, and while I'm finding Janeane Garofalo to be uncharacteristically stiff and unfunny in this, the rest of the cast is fantastic.

msteelers · Post by **msteelers** » Mon Aug 10, 2015 11:47 am

hepcat wrote:
msteelers wrote:The Wet Hot American Summer series has been fantastic. All of the original cast is back. You absolutely should watch the movie first, which is also on Netflix.
Rudd is that rare comic actor that can make me laugh with just a facial expression. I'm two episodes in, and while I'm finding Janeane Garofalo to be uncharacteristically stiff and unfunny in this, the rest of the cast is fantastic.

I felt like she was the same way in the movie though, so it doesn't bother me in the TV show. She has had a couple of really funny scenes in the series so far. I'll probably watch the last episode later today.

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Mon Aug 10, 2015 3:44 pm

hepcat wrote:Banks choking back sobs while uttering "I broke my boy" will haunt me for the rest of my life. I can't imagine a world in which that doesn't win an Emmy.

His early work doesn't get enough appreciation.

cheeba · Post by **cheeba** » Tue Aug 11, 2015 9:20 pm

Wet Hot American Summer. The movie was decent, not bad. The show, I'm not sure if I can watch the rest after the first 3. I can only take so much "intentionally dumb" schtick and they are relentless with it.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Wed Aug 12, 2015 12:16 am

msteelers wrote:The Wet Hot American Summer series has been fantastic. All of the original cast is back. You absolutely should watch the movie first, which is also on Netflix.

I watched the first episode and found it painfully unfunny. Can't manage to dredge up any interest to go back to it.