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What are you watching via streaming? (and discussion of said titles)

149K views 860 replies 56 participants last post by  Exid0r 
#1 ·
We've got a thread for movies viewed on Blu-ray and one for flicks on DVD, so maybe it's time for a thread specifically for movies viewed via streaming (iTunes, Netflix, etc.).

The thread should work the same way as the other two threads, the only difference being that a contributor should indicate which service s/he used to obtain the movie being reviewed.

(Optionally, a contributor could include additional info. such as whether the movie was streamed in SD or HD, 720p or 1080p, etc., if/as applicable.)

If the mods think this thread makes sense, please make it a "sticky" (like the other two threads).

Thanks. :)
 
#2 ·
Okay, we watch a lot of streamed shows. Here's a few that are recommended:

Netflix Series: Happy Valley, The Fall, Call the Midwife, Low Winter Sun, Louie the Series, Hell on Wheels, The Glades, Longmire, Orange is the New Black, Top Gear. House of Cards, HOC BBC

Netflix Movies: Bond Movies, Croupier, Homefront, Redwood Highway, Hunt for Red October, Berlin Job

Vudu Movies: Need for Speed , Philomena, Wolf of Wallstreet, Captain Phillips, The Butler, Heaven is for Real, Lone Survivor.

Some of these the wife chose but I still enjoyed them. Theres a lot more that don't come to mind. at this time The problem with Netflix is finding out what to watch. A lot of the Brit series have turned out to be great.

WRT PQ, there have been no problems.....very happy here. The Need for Speed PQ was exceptional. WRT AQ, there is either 5.1 or pro logic, again no problems. There will be the odd older selection that is 2 channel stereo.

cheers....
 
#3 ·
Ever since I got unlimited internet and turned the Netflix PQ up to max, the video quality has been excellent (should be said that both my smart TV and PS3 (two two main methods of watching Netflix) are wired into the router. However upstairs I use my Android tablet and a ChromeCast dongle -- even with the Bell wifi router being downstairs the PQ is good enough that I've never noticed any issues.

As to what we watch, quite a few UK crime dramas (Luther, Life on Mars, The Fall, Broadchurch, The Escape Artist and, likely, a few I've forgotten); House of Cards; Arrested Development (the reason I got Netflix in the first place). My kids consume large quantities, too (I don' think they'll ever be able to watch regular weekly TV). Even though I have all Lost seasons on BD they've watched it now on Netflix; same with Firefly (although that one's on DVD).

The interesting thing about our Netflix watching habits is that we hardly ever watch movies (and have access to both Canadian and US content).
 
#4 ·
No Cameras Allowed - A sort of real-life Almost Famous, about a USC film student who sneaks his way into music festivals, befriends Mumford & Sons, gets a commission from HBO to shoot the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona where he gets hoofed in the head, catches a ride from a Welsh trucker who looks like Sean Connery and takes 14 of his closest friends on a cross-country road trip in an RV.
Oh yeah, it's a documentary.
A fun little romp about the importance of always carrying yourself like you belong.
iTunes via Apple TV, PQ was a mixed bag due to the source material.
 
#6 ·
The Honourable Woman

Just an excellent series well worth watching. It takes place in the UK and Middle East and involves the Israeli/Palestine conflict. Its exciting and really clever/involved. You do need to pay attention.

I watched it on Vudu but its available for free on the CBC starting next week.
 
#7 ·
The Honourable Woman: Agreed - total blast. Kept me on the edge of my seat through the twists and turns.
Watched it on BBC iPlayer Download - to get 28 days' playback.
(Unfortunately, didn't twig there were eight episodes - only downloaded available seven - so am waiting for CBC to catch up).
 
#9 ·
I suspect the usual pair of CBC scissors will be wielded to fit in commercials at inappropriate places in the script, having seen some of their past butchery (remember Dr Who?).

Delightful to watch it on BBC - just didn't realize there was one more episode to grab off their website, as it hadn't been broadcast yet.
 
#11 ·
Begin Again - John Carney musical follow-up to Once has a much bigger budget, slicker look and top-line cast including Keira Knightly, Mark Ruffalo and Catherine Keener. But he's still got a keen ear for music and a strong sense of storytelling and relationships in this rousing fable of a songwriter spurned by her musician boyfriend as he hits the bigtime, only to connect with disenchanted music executive eager to find a new star while staying true to his roots as a musician's musician.
Fine performances, good chemistry between the leads and a musical tour of New York City make for an enjoyable way to spend 100 minutes.
 
#12 ·
The F... Word - Daniel Radcliff and Zooey Kazan meet at a party and hit it off. But Zooey already has a boyfriend. So the two agree to become friends. Although it's quite apparent there's a mutual attraction between them.
This is a slight, charming rom-com with some engaging characters. A pleasant evening of entertainment. And, as a bonus, the film is unabashedly set in Toronto.
 
#13 ·
Love is Strange - After nearly 40 years together, Alfred Molina and John Lightgow decide to make their union official. But their marriage brings an unintended consequence that tests their relationships with friends and family.
A tender, bittersweet little film about commitment and adversity with quiet, gentle performances by the two leads.
 
#14 ·
Lucy - A reluctant drug mule gets an accidental overdose of a synthetic drug that gives her increasingly extraordinary powers but will eventually kill her...but only if the mobster who thinks she stole his product doesn't kill her first.

Comments: The movie started off well and was entertaining for a while, then seemed to lose focus, got wildly improbable and "metaphysical" and ended with a "meh".

(The movie was a 720p HD download off iTunes. For some reason, the 5.1 track wasn't part of the download - I've sent an inquiry e-mail to iTunes Support about this - so I made do with the stereo track which was surprisingly good and which NEO:6 matrixed nicely into 5.1.)
 
#15 ·
John Wick - Former elite assassin John Wick has a nice car and a cute dog his deceased wife gave him as a parting gift. The foolish and impetuous son of a Russian mobster steals John Wick's car and kills his dog. As a result, very many people die.

Comments: The story is simple and the violence is plentiful. But it was entertaining. :)

(The movie was a 720p HD download off iTunes. No 5.1 track with this one, either. iTunes doesn't have an explanation. I'll start a separate "please help" thread to see if anyone might know what's going on.)
 
#16 · (Edited)
The Equalizer - His past long behind him, ex-Special Forces operative Robert McCall leads a very quiet and unassuming life in Boston. When a friend of his - a young prostitute from his neighbourhood coffee shop - is severely beaten by some local Russian mobsters, Robert takes matters into his own hands. As a result, very many people die.

Comments: The story was simple and the violence was plentiful. It was almost - but not quite - as entertaining as "John Wick".
 
#17 ·
Nightcrawler - Jake Gyllenhall and Rene Russo star in this dark movie about an ambitious (and psychopath) man who will stop at nothing to succeed in the TV news business. Well-written and entertaining. Easily the best movie I've seen this year.

Rented from itunes store. PQ & SQ was very good. Better than Rogers on demand, just slightly below blu ray (projected on a 100" screen).
 
#18 ·
Bloodline

This is a great Netflix new series.....keeps you on the edge of your seat.

....Bloodline is a dramatic thriller that explores the demons lurking beneath the surface of a contemporary American family. The Rayburns are hard-working pillars of their Florida Keys community. But when the black sheep son comes home for the 45th anniversary of his parents' hotel, he threatens to expose the Rayburns' dark secrets and shameful past, pushing his siblings to the limits of family loyalty....

Looks and sounds great...its also available in 4K.
 
#19 ·
Kingsman: The Secret Service - A promising young man is recruited by an ultra-secret intelligence agency and quickly put to work when an eco-terrorist threatens to decimate the human population in order to save the planet.

Comments: The premise was alright and, overall, the movie wasn't bad, but it would have been much better had it not run quite as long or gotten quite as ridiculously violent.
 
#20 ·
Red Army - A compelling documentary about the Army hockey team and what it symbolized to the Soviet Union. The history stuff is interesting, how Tarasov became the father of Soviet hockey, how he was deposed and replaced by Tihkonov, whose only qualification seemed to be good standing with the KGB. But the film really comes alive as it tells the story of Peristroika and the migration of Russian stars like Fetisov, Kasatonov, Krutov, Bure, Mogilny to the NHL. There's still tension between Fetisov and Kasantonov, and Krutov is a sad, melancholy figure whose interview for the film preceded his death by only a month.
 
#21 ·
Focus - Three years after a series of successful heists ended with a broken heart, professional con-man Nicky Spurgeon finds himself face-to-face with his old flame just as he is about to pull off a final and very lucrative con. Although it won't be easy, Nicky needs to maintain focus long enough to get the job done.

Comments: This was a well-paced and entertaining flick, with a decent story and a few good twists.
 
#22 ·
It Follows - A young woman has sex with a man she fancies, only to find out that he has passed on to her a curse: A relentless, murderous evil will pursue her until such time as it catches her or she passes the curse on to someone else.

Comments: I have mixed emotions about this movie. On the one hand, it had an intriguing - if minimalist - story; a slick retro vibe; steady but laid-back pacing; a solid performance from the lead; and a score that was often effective. On the other hand, the plot was a little too thin at times; the ending was a bit flat; and the score was often irritating.
 
#23 ·
All things must pass: the rise and fall of Tower Records - A documentary by Colin Hanks that tells the story of Tower Records' rise from an annex to a drug store to a billion-dollar international music empire and its speedy plummet to bankruptcy in the new digital reality.
A little too heavy on the talking heads, the story never really captured my imagination until it started to chronicle the chain's demise. It's 87-minute run time could have been cut by about 15 minutes.
 
#24 ·
Right now I am almost finished watching Mako Mermaids. It's an Australian show on Netflix, I have really gotten into it. I have Fibe here in Newfoundland So I watch it on my PVR via the Netflix app. I also have a Roku and Apple TV 3. I watch Shomi on my Apple TV and use Roku to buy movies and such.
 
#26 ·
Solace - A powerful clairvoyant enlisted to help the police track down and capture a serial killer quickly comes to the disturbing conclusion that the man they are after is more than his match.

Comments: This underwhelming drama - with its bland characters, quirky visual flourishes and weak final act - was watchable thanks to the saving grace of Anthony Hopkins.
 
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