Hidden Gems of Amazon Prime instant videos

ruhk wrote:

I tried watching Discovery and managed to get maybe 3/4 through the first season, but the tech macguffin of the ship is the most eye-rolling nonsense to come out of a franchise known for it’s cringe eye-rolling nonsense. Everything else about the show was actually pretty good, but as soon as they start talking about secret fungus dimensions and giant microscopic bugs it feels like bad high school fanfic.

A mushroom driven intergalactic hyperdrive is no more more "eye-rolling cringe" than pretty much any other explanation of Faster than Light travel I've seen in any science fiction setting, and considerably more imaginative than most. I don't recall reading about mushroom driven FTL methods in any other Sci-Fi I've read or watched. The closest I can think of is the use of Spice in Dune.

I think a lot of reason why so many people disliked Discovery is that it just isn't Star Trek (actually it's greatest strength). Picard was so obsessed with being Star Trek, closing up loose threads from TNG (TV series and films) and shoe-horning in as many TNG stalwarts as it could (and Seven of Nine of course) it ended up being very dull indeed.

Discovery isn't old-Trek because it isn't about discovery, exploration, first contact, or problems that can be solved with technology, diplomacy.

It does have great characters though. Few get any chance to shine past all the pew pews and punching and desperate missions Burnham goes on (or just all of Burnham's screen time. This show is about her).

low grade S2 spoiler here:

Spoiler:

I am pleased that they appear to have at least removed Discovery from all the canon crushing presence so close to TOS era action for S3

Also I'm displeased we can't watch this on Amazon in the US :/

I'm just gonna recommend this one that I watched the other night.

Sorbicol wrote:
ruhk wrote:

I tried watching Discovery and managed to get maybe 3/4 through the first season, but the tech macguffin of the ship is the most eye-rolling nonsense to come out of a franchise known for it’s cringe eye-rolling nonsense. Everything else about the show was actually pretty good, but as soon as they start talking about secret fungus dimensions and giant microscopic bugs it feels like bad high school fanfic.

A mushroom driven intergalactic hyperdrive is no more more "eye-rolling cringe" than pretty much any other explanation of Faster than Light travel I've seen in any science fiction setting, and considerably more imaginative than most. I don't recall reading about mushroom driven FTL methods in any other Sci-Fi I've read or watched. The closest I can think of is the use of Spice in Dune.

I think a lot of reason why so many people disliked Discovery is that it just isn't Star Trek (actually it's greatest strength). Picard was so obsessed with being Star Trek, closing up loose threads from TNG (TV series and films) and shoe-horning in as many TNG stalwarts as it could (and Seven of Nine of course) it ended up being very dull indeed.

Mostly, I think it doesn't feel like Trek sometimes because it's character-driven in a way that Trek usually is not. Most Star Trek is about outside events that a crew has to solve together. Discovery is ostensibly about that, but more often its about the internal drama that happens while they solve an external conflict. Arguably, Star Trek needed more of this, but I don't think they needed it to eclipse the main storyline. (This is one of the reasons why I think the second season was a lot better) I also think this is why Captain Pike is so effective in this series. When he's onscreen, everyone pulls together and works as a team. The focus is rarely on Pike's own problems (although it does make very effective use of those problems in small doses) and more on external threats and, weirdly, team-building.

DudleySmith wrote:

Picard has a wonderful cast, but it's safe, and fanservicey, and takes no risks.

Spoiler:

They killed Data! I mean, I mostly agree with you, except for this one huge exception. It's kinda wild that this wasn't a bigger deal.

kazooka wrote:
Spoiler:

They killed Data! I mean, I mostly agree with you, except for this one huge exception. It's kinda wild that this wasn't a bigger deal.

I take it you’ve not seen Nemesis then?

Spoiler:

they killed data years ago!

Sorbicol wrote:
kazooka wrote:
Spoiler:

They killed Data! I mean, I mostly agree with you, except for this one huge exception. It's kinda wild that this wasn't a bigger deal.

I take it you’ve not seen Nemesis then?

Spoiler:

they killed data years ago!

Spoiler:

One of the many reasons that movie didn't work was because they didn't have the courage to follow through with any potentially interesting decisions. So they killed Data, but then copied him and left him in place as an earlier version so that Star Trek could remain in amber for all time, I suppose. I thought Picard The Show's decision to go, "No, actually that didn't work at all and Data is absolutely dead" was a big deal.

Incidentally, one of the reasons I like and defend that show is that I think the world-building did a really good job of figuring out how to deal with some of the more baffling decisions from Abrams and some of the later movies and shows, as well as trying to update the Federation to better reflect contemporary goings on.

Kehama wrote:

I'm just gonna recommend this one that I watched the other night.

As much as I loved this movie it is a hard one to recommend because I think it is going to be a love it or "what did I just watch?" movie.

Stealthpizza wrote:
Kehama wrote:

I'm just gonna recommend this one that I watched the other night.

As much as I loved this movie it is a hard one to recommend because I think it is going to be a love it or "what did I just watch?" movie.

To me it was more of a "what did I half-watch?" because I couldn't find it in myself to finish the movie. But I'm in the minority, because people love it. I wish I had too!

Didn't like The Lighthouse at all, despite the basic style being soemthing I like. It just felt a bit dull and the old style format was unnecessary IMO

kborom wrote:

Didn't like The Lighthouse at all, despite the basic style being soemthing I like. It just felt a bit dull and the old style format was unnecessary IMO

Never hurt a seabird kborom

Almost done with Upload. The show is pretty good, like a funny black mirror episode.

Baron Of Hell wrote:

Almost done with Upload. The show is pretty good, like a funny black mirror episode.

I finished it last night and loved it!

I'm on 6 of Upload. It has gotten significantly better as it goes.

I liked Upload, but the final episode left me... wanting... I hope there's a second season that will remedy that. Many shows can have a season finale that can resolve major questions or plot points but leave open room for the characters to continue. I didn't get any feeling of resolution here, instead it was one complication after another added in the final episode with none given their proper time for us to take in all the implications.

Also (spoiler about my favorite character):

Spoiler:

I loved Fran, the cousin who was investigating the main character's death. She was hilarious and I was rooting for her to win. With the comments about how she loved escape rooms, I was expecting her to return with a major new revelation after her apparent "death". That never happened. It could possibly still happen when/if there's a season 2, but I felt it was something they set up but never followed through.

Also, I'm not sure where to put this but I just started a 30 day free trial of Acorn TV through Amazon Prime (after 30 days it'll be 4.99 a month). I got it because it has Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries which used to be on Netflix but now isn't and that show now has a new movie, Miss Fisher & The Crypt Of Tears, and a season of a spin-off/sequel called Miss Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries where a lost niece of Miss Fisher, Peregrine Fisher, follows in her aunt's footsteps in the 1960s.

Anyone know anything else is worth watching on this service after I finish these? The service claims to stream "world-class mysteries, dramas, and comedies from Britain and beyond"

Midsomer Murders is nice comfort TV. Just start at the beginning.

I watched Coherence on UK Prime last night. I thought it a very good example of how to do science fiction on a low budget well, very much in the same mold as Primer. I found it to be well acted and scripted. If you like character driven and slightly introspective science fiction i would recommend and it comes in at a nice 90 minutes watch time.

bbk1980 wrote:

I watched Coherence on UK Prime last night. I thought it a very good example of how to do science fiction on a low budget well, very much in the same mold as Primer. I found it to be well acted and scripted. If you like character driven and slightly introspective science fiction i would recommend and it comes in at a nice 90 minutes watch time.

I've watched Coherence a couple of times, and I think it is fantastic.

We're loving Upload having just passed episode 8. The characters are likeable and/or intriguing. There's a good "whodunit" vibe to the main plot. Great recommendation Goodjer crew. Thanks!

Just started Upload It's no The Good Place but it's got the right ideas and is passably amusing. One I'll be seeing through.

LeapingGnome wrote:

Midsomer Murders is nice comfort TV. Just start at the beginning.

Tom Barnaby has such a soothing voice, IMO. (Midsomer Murders is also available on Netflix)

Watched Homecoming and liked it. The show did remind me of Mr. Robot A couple of characters were similar in style to the characters in Mr. Robot.

Quintin_Stone wrote:
LeapingGnome wrote:

Midsomer Murders is nice comfort TV. Just start at the beginning.

Tom Barnaby has such a soothing voice, IMO. (Midsomer Murders is also available on Netflix)

We started these last August and went on a merry ride through all 21? series of this. It was a joy to watch! Definitely will be jumping on any new series as they come out.

Acorn has at least one more series than Netflix had last time I looked.

IMAGE(https://www.chaostrophic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Terrence-Howard-and-Don-Cheadle-Iron-Man1.jpg)
I am unsure of the game we're playing, can I play too?

Spoiler:

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Couple of eps into Bosch s6 and it is another extremely strong performance. This is one of my favorite shows. Well acted, paced, shot and plotted.

Hobbes2099 wrote:

I am unsure of the game we're playing, can I play too?

Spoiler:

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Apparently not! You can't hotlink googleusercontent.com like that. It might work for you but no one else.

Sooo, nobody was going to tell me there's a show based on a John leCarre novel starring Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston. Just gonna keep that one to ourselves, huh?

Frankly, I can't keep up any more!

kazooka wrote:

Sooo, nobody was going to tell me there's a show based on a John leCarre novel starring Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston. Just gonna keep that one to ourselves, huh?

It’s rather good. The Little Drummer Girl is even better.

Florence Pugh is phenomenal.