TV/Streaming Series or Movie Reviews

Ken Anderson

Ken Anderson

Greeter
Staff member
Whatever you might come across that you think others might like to watch, this thread can be used to make these recommendations. It doesn't have to be something new. I know I often come across old movies or series that I haven't seen before, or even ones that you did watch years ago that might be of interest to others. Something you might see at the theater could go here too, although I find myself at a theater no more than once a year.

Today, I will recommend "Corner Gas," a Canadian sitcom that ran from 2004-2009, and which also has a movie. I had never heard of this show until I was at my brother's house and he recommended it. So far, I am only about halfway through the second season but it is very funny and your brain doesn't have to be in fourth gear in order to enjoy it. It's available in several places, including YouTube, although I'm watching it on the Roku channel.
 
Last night I watched two documentaries on HBO. One was about George Carlin and the other about Robin Williams. It's interesting to me to learn more about personalities that were such a big part of the "culture of my life."

I need to check to see which Carlin standup routines are available on Youtube, because the clips in the documentary were astonishingly on point and "current," even though some were taped many years ago. Toward the end of his life, Carlin's comedy was kind of boring and he seemed to be a bit over-the-top for my taste. I did not find his later routines funny but more like lectures.

Robin Williams was pretty much a tragic figure, for all his upbeat comedy. He suffered from depression and an untimely death. Very sad end to a creative life.
 
We are watching lots of old TV stuff including Corner Gas (which I join Ken in endorsing). We also watch Night Court, The Middle, And I watch The Avengers (the old British series) but wife doesn't enjoy that she just isn't old enough. I watch or have watched a lot of the old British TV detectives too, such as Touch of Frost, Morse, The Forgotten, Endeavor (newer), and my wife likes Vera but usually falls asleep watching it.:)
 
Beth Gallagher said:
Last night I watched two documentaries on HBO. One was about George Carlin and the other about Robin Williams. It's interesting to me to learn more about personalities that were such a big part of the "culture of my life."

I need to check to see which Carlin standup routines are available on Youtube, because the clips in the documentary were astonishingly on point and "current," even though some were taped many years ago. Toward the end of his life, Carlin's comedy was kind of boring and he seemed to be a bit over-the-top for my taste. I did not find his later routines funny but more like lectures.

Robin Williams was pretty much a tragic figure, for all his upbeat comedy. He suffered from depression and an untimely death. Very sad end to a creative life.
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I like documentaries, may watch them tonight. Thanks Beth.
 
Don Alaska said:
We are watching lots of old TV stuff including Corner Gas (which I join Ken in endorsing). We also watch Night Court, The Middle, And I watch The Avengers (the old British series) but wife doesn't enjoy that she just isn't old enough. I watch or have watched a lot of the old British TV detectives too, such as Touch of Frost, Morse, The Forgotten, Endeavor (newer), and my wife likes Vera but usually falls asleep watching it.:)
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We liked the British series ,' Keeping Up Appearances'.
USA, 'Person of Interest, starring Jim Caviezel'. 'Royal Pains'.
 
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Beth Gallagher said:
Yes, she's a beautiful woman and I loved her in that part. When she got killed off I stopped watching the show. She's gone on to star in a lot of great movies, including "Hidden Figures" which is a favorite of mine.
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She is very talented. We missed her when the show killed her off, although I think she was quitting.I'll watch the trailer, 'Hidden Figures'.

We saw the movie, it was a good one, and a true story.
 
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Not a review, but I just watched the trailer for the new “Melania” movie that just came out a few days ago. When it makes it to an online version, I think I would like to watch it, and the things I have been reading about from people who have seen the movie are very supportive of it.
I was amazed to see in the trailer that MGM is now owned by Amazon ! I seldom watch movies anymore , and had not read that Amazon owned it.
Maybe the movie will be on Amazon Prime eventually, and I can watch it from there.

 
Ken Anderson said:
Whatever you might come across that you think others might like to watch, this thread can be used to make these recommendations. It doesn't have to be something new. I know I often come across old movies or series that I haven't seen before, or even ones that you did watch years ago that might be of interest to others. Something you might see at the theater could go here too, although I find myself at a theater no more than once a year.

Today, I will recommend "Corner Gas," a Canadian sitcom that ran from 2004-2009, and which also has a movie. I had never heard of this show until I was at my brother's house and he recommended it. So far, I am only about halfway through the second season but it is very funny and your brain doesn't have to be in fourth gear in order to enjoy it. It's available in several places, including YouTube, although I'm watching it on the Roku channel.
Click to expand...
I guess I feel a bit like Oscar @Ken Anderson :rolleyes:
 
Here is a 1981 movie some of you might enjoy.

It is basically a police procedural and action flick with a definite "High Noon" flavor to it that just happens to be set in space in the not-too-distant future. The main cast is small but good. The budget wasn't high and the effects are... 1981, but look past that. It is gritty without being gory.

Right now YouTube offers it free with ads. Here is a trailer:

 
I'm not sure how familiar people are with the blockbuster Terminator franchise.

It began with a 1984 cyberpunk sci-fi horror movie The Terminator. This dealt with artificial intelligence, time travel, and more than a little bit of the Frankenstein folly of creating what may destroy us.

The second film was more of a straight-up action flick, following up with Sarah Connor, the protagonist of the first film, and her young teenage son John. It doesn't go into her intervening years much, when she fled to Mexico for "safety" among drug cartels where her treatment there turned her from innocent to a dangerous, feral man hater. This culminated in a belief that one of the Terminator machines would be a better father to her son than any man.

From there the timeline splits (the time travel factor makes this more plausible since it already brought up parallel universe ideas). Most of those movies are enjoyable, but a little dicey in various ways. They never really lived up to the first two.


However one of the post-T2 splits was the short-lived TV series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles from 2008.

TTSCC.jpg

Here Sarah has worked through a lot and even begun to settle down with a new partner. This is a strong and stable guy, John likes him, and things are looking very good for them.

But the AI from the beginning of the franchise isn't done with Sarah. She made herself its primary threat in every timeline which had prompted it to send back Terminators through time in the first place, setting up the cycle.

Things start slow and then get crazy. She resumes her mission to sniff out and extinguish the developing AI and those responsible in her time. Along the way many things are explored including religious aspects of it all for some characters.

Without giving too much away, there are unexpected developments, such as a future split in AI factions. One faction might actually want a productive truce and partnership with humanity. Another tangent is more elaboration on the creation of Terminators with a cooperative purpose (as we saw in the 2nd movie T2).

There is a lot of exploration of humanity here and parts of the story have a lot of heart. There is also plenty of food for thought, eeriness, and outright horrific stuff here.

It's a favorite. I have it on DVD. I don't think it is free to stream anywhere right now But Amazon and YouTube are offering it for a price.
 
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