What's worth watching on Netflix Streaming??

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 11:55am

Okay, so every damn time I sign into my Netflix account to watch something, I take a half hour (minimum) to figure out what I want to watch. And half the time, I'm so overwhelmed and indecisive, I end up watching nothing at all.

So, what do you guys recommend checking out on Streaming? Any under-the-radar gems I should check out?

Side note: Two of my favorite sites, streamingsoon.com and instantwatcher.com used to have a list of upcoming streaming movies, but apparently Netflix disabled the ability to see what will be available to stream in the future. So now, I'm back to digging through the Netflix site to find the good new releases, which are usually hidden somewhere and not displayed very prominently. Annoying.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 12:02pm

Are you looking for shows or movies? What kind of things interest you?

[strummergirl]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 12:13pm

Bernie directed by Richard Linklater
-A black comedy that has some touches of Christopher Guest but is still very much Linklater in quite possibly his most Texas film ever made (at least since Slacker but this is way more accessible). Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and Matthew McConaughey star but it is the ensemble of Texas townspeople 'interviewed' about the titular Bernie that make the movie.

This Is England by Shane Meadows
-In wake of Margaret Thatcher's death the really personal, semi-autobiographical story of a young boy's coming of age by way of a group of pre-co-opted by racism skinheads is a must-see. Joseph Gilgun (better now known for Rudy on Misfits) and Stephen Graham as the racist skinhead give great turns.

Jackie Brown by Quentin Tarantino
- Watch Tarantino adapting another work. Oddly polarizing work, almost the go-to movie pick for non-Tarantino people but uniquely unheralded when you consider lesser movies of his are more celebrated and in the zeitgeist.

Michael Apted's Up Series- Watch every 7 years chronicling the growth of children who by now are in their 50s. Not all of them are there for streaming but a one in a kind series.

TV Shows/Mini-Series

Top of the Lake- I am not sure how to categorize this but it could easily make either of my Top Ten in television or film for 2013. It is that good. Everything the American adaptation of The Killing wished it was.

Friday Night Lights- You don't have to like football to like this show.

Bob's Burgers- Catch up with the best animated program on network.

Mad Men- Best show on TV.

Breaking Bad- On par with Mad Men in quality but I warn against binge-watching this unless you want to have a heart attack.

Freaks & Geeks/Undeclared- If you are iffy on Judd Apatow at least know he worked much better on TV.

The Sarah Silverman Program- Easily the most underrated TV comedy in the last 10 years. Good writing and a who's who of comedians showing up, particularly Tig Notaro as a cop.


Updated On: 4/21/13 at 12:13 PM

[artscallion]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 12:18pm

I never find anything I like in the movies. I think it's great for marathon sessions of TV shows. It's got some really great gems like the entire 7 years of Julia Child's original PBS series, "The French Chef"

ETA: I take that back...The French Chef is on Amazon Prime free streaming.

Updated On: 4/21/13 at 12:18 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 12:24pm

Bob's Burgers is fantastic, but sadly only the first season is on Netflix.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 12:42pm

Strummer, I'm a huge Tarantino fan and JACKIE BROWN is still my favorite of all his films (followed by KILL BILL).

[strummergirl]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 12:45pm

It is among my favorites too. Then again, I also like Death Proof which is probably the least remembered of Tarantino canon. And I have run into a good amount who qualify their liking of Jackie Brown with, 'I don't like Tarantino but I do like Jackie Brown'. I now may just watch it again or play 'Across 110th Street'.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 12:47pm

If I wasn't on my way to class, I'd watch it right now. I could seriously watch it every day.

[supportivemom]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 1:29pm

Funny- I'm on netflix right now watching "The West Wing". I LOVE that show!

[carolineorchange21]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 1:34pm

Downton Abbey is a wonderful show and one that is easy to get into. If you enjoy period pieces of great detail this is a can't miss.

Some really great Adult Swim programs have been added recently as have several other Cartoon Network classics. Speaking of cartoons, I've recently been watching King of the Hill and I think it may have Family Guy and Southpark beat in terms of social commentary. Mike Judge is a genius.

Parks and Recreation with Amy Poehler might be the funniest show on television at the moment. I'm hard put to think of a better comedic ensemble. 30 Rock is also available for streaming and I think the shows might be better when watched back to back. I found a pleasant surprise in Raising Hope - god, Martha Plimpton is funny and 88 year old Cloris Leachman runs amok so no one wants to miss that.

I love all the History Channel specials. Modern Marvels and a ton of interesting things. America's Castles is a guilty pleasure for me - it satisfies my inner history geek.

I really find I use Netflix more for non film streaming but only because I've pretty much watched any available movies I would want to see.

I apologize for any typing errors as I am on my phone at the moment.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 1:34pm

Top of the Lake is going to win Elisabeth Moss an Emmy, finally. She is remarkable in this mini-series and you don't have to commit to more than 7 episodes...Holly Hunter is, well, intriguing, too.
If you like a good mystery/procedural with really flawed and fully developed characters, this is the show for you.

[HoldThatThought]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 2:18pm

Check out "MI-5" - start with season 1. If you like the whole espionage thing, it's an incredible show. Well written and produced, it keeps you engaged the whole time.

House of Cards is pretty good, and if you liked Arrested Development in its day, they are bringing that back.

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 5:25pm

I hate Bobs Burgers. One of the very few shows that I have ever wished cancelation on.

[Plum]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 5:40pm

Slings and Arrows

[sally1112]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 6:44pm

I love the Bob's Burgers love here! I discovered it on Netflix and really love it. I can't wait to watch it in a few minutes on the TV. Start with Tina's bday epiosde where Bob gets a second job driving a cab, then start at one and go chronologically.

I also watched all 4 (at the time) seasons of Mad Men last summer. I became obsessed and watched two a day. I am a teacher, so I was off work.
Downton Abbey is great too, but you only get one season.

I also watched all the seasons of Damages, b/c I love Glen Close and legal shows, so it was a match made in heaven.

You can't go wrong with Arrested Development.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 7:23pm

"Start with Tina's bday epiosde where Bob gets a second job driving a cab, then start at one and go chronologically."

Yes! That's really the episode where the show found its footing. It's consistently great from there.

[Luscious]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 8:21pm

Just finished a marathon viewing of the new Netflix series, HEMLOCK GROVE. All 13 episodes. Can't really "highly" recommend it, but it's worth checking out if you're into the horror/mystery genre. The whole thing is more than a little derivative, and really goofy, but the two male leads are hot, at least IMO. There was a lot about it I liked, and a lot I didn't. Although I was hoping for more, I was never bored.

Updated On: 4/21/13 at 08:21 PM

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 4/22/13 at 2:45am

Movies:

Safety Not Guaranteed

Submarine

TV:

Samurai Jack (cartoon)

I do the exact same as you a lot of the time.
Sometimes, depending on my mood, I might choose a old movie from the 40s to 60, and other times I'll pick some random indy flick and give it 10 or 15 minutes to grab my interest (which the two films mentioned above did).

[Eris0303]

Posted: 4/22/13 at 9:41am

I watch a lot of TV shows on Netflix streaming. What I like to do is watch a season of a show and then bounce on to another show. A few on my list are:

Magnum PI
Murder, She Wrote
Monk
Charmed
Buffy
Angel
Ghost Whisperer
Crossing Jordan
Hart of Dixie
Desperate Housewives
Nip/Tuck
Alias

I've also found that Netflix Instant is a good way to find older films that I might not have heard of before:

Love is a Ball
The Girl Rush
The Honey Pot
I'll Take Sweden
Let's Dance
Eight on the Lam
Those Redheads from Seattle

There are a lot of "period pieces" on there. My mom enjoys them so I add them to our list whenever I see a new one come up:


The Way We Live Now
The Buccaneers
Angel

I don't know how your screen is set up but when I log in through my TV I see the "new releases" and "recently added" right away. The first row is "recently watched", second is "new releases" and third is "recently added". My mom and sister, who use Roku boxes, have a different set up and "new releases" are harder to find.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 8:56pm

They just added THE PAPERBOY, with Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron, which I've wanted to watch for a while. Just watched it and holy crap, that was painful to sit through.

I hope Lee Daniels' next (and more promising-sounding) movie, THE BUTLER, is...a lot better. Updated On: 4/23/13 at 08:56 PM

[GoSmileLaughCryClap]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 9:37pm

House of Cards is worth the investment of time. Robin Wright gives a great performance, Kevin Spacey has nothing to be ashamed about either.

Six different directors helmed pairs - and a trio- of the 13 episodes, but David Fincher seems to have set the tone and high standards of the whole show.

Love it.

But streaming Netflix is also full of steaming crap. 75% of the programming is garbage, and I fully agree with the original poster. You can spend half an hour searching through new releases and genres and find nothing of value to watch.

Did they get every Mario Bava mystery/slasher/suspenser from the 70s for free?

[strummergirl]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 10:30pm

Are we implying that Mario Bava is garbage? And considering my instant queue was verging on 250 titles of mostly movies at last check, I reject the idea it is hard to find good stuff on Instant.

Anyway, I liked The Paperboy as sweaty, pulpy trash and maybe that is because the 'artiste' label for Lee Daniels after Precious (which I HATED) was undeserved.

More Titles:
Slap Shot- Greatest sports movie ever made.

The Host- Forget JJ Abrams, the monster movie of the aughts is this K-horror movie.

Wet Hot American Summer- A pastiche of the comedies like Meatballs that had an ensemble of EVERY significant comedy actor of the last decade along with some actors like Chris Meloni and Bradley Cooper giving memorable turns.

Hunger- Speaking of Margaret Thatcher, IRA hunger strike movie that got Michael Fassbender and director Steve McQueen major notice.

The Kid with a Bike- The Dardenne brothers are not for everybody and this movie can easily destroy you emotionally. You were warned but it could be very rewarding.

Double Indemnity/The Lady Eve- Cuz, Barbara Stanwyck.

The Panic in Needle Park- Want a grim movie of a grim New York City with a very vulnerable junkie played by pre-Godfather Al Pacino? This is your movie then.

Raising Arizona- Early Coen Brothers and there is just something genius about Holly Hunter's character in that movie.

Docs:
Marwencol- Less said the better.
How to Surive A Plague
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Paris is Burning
Grizzly Man
Making the Boys
The Queen of Versailles

[Kbradstein]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 10:36pm

Arrested development

[Eris0303]

Posted: 4/23/13 at 10:45pm

Strummer, ever see "Birds & the Bees"? It's a musical version of "The Lady Eve" with Mitzi Gaynor? Not as good as the original but still fun.

Updated On: 4/23/13 at 10:45 PM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 4/24/13 at 10:38am

"The Awakening" - fairly well done gothic horror with Rebecca Hall, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton. I don't want to oversell it but besides the fine cast, it's well directed by Nick Murphy in a style similar to the great Spanish and Mexican helmed "humanist horror" movies - Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth, The Others, etc. Stellar cinematography and some very scary moments.

I also liked a smart, whimsical little movie called Dean Spanley with Jeremy Northam, Peter O'Toole, Bryan Brown, Sam Neil and Judy Parfitt.

If you've never seen the original "Let the Right One In," or "The Forsyte Saga" with Damian Lewis and Gina McKee - treat yourself.

And I highly recommend the new "House of Cards" series. It takes a while to impress - but once it gets going it's very enjoyable; Spacey is very good, Corey Stoll is sexy and Robin Wright is magnificent.