Hidden Gems of Netflix's Watch Instantly

Chaz wrote:

Is there anything there for people who've never seen Karate Kid?

Pssst. Netflix has Karate Kid, too.

(Don't worry about the others past the first one).

EDIT: Maybe not. JustWatch claimed that they had it, but there's no way to play it from that page? Weird. Looks like maybe streaming at Showtime.

They had Karate Kid last month but it went away from Netflix on Sept 1

Chaz wrote:

Is there anything there for people who've never seen Karate Kid?

As pizzaddict mentioned they do a great job giving you context via the flashbacks. But imho, watch the movie first.

Chaz wrote:

Is there anything there for people who've never seen Karate Kid?

It's worth tracking down just for Pat Morita's Mr. Miyagi performance. Or a young Elizabeth Shue.

Paleocon wrote:

Enjoying Cobra Kai far more than I think I should.

I was really happy this moved to Netflix, but I finally saw a preview last night, and it seems to take itself totally seriously? I was hoping for gluttonous 80s exploitation. I know the original was perfectly serious about its material, but I'm not sure I'm looking for that over 30 years later.

Then again, lots of folks here are enjoying it, so maybe I'll just check it out and see.

Fedaykin98 wrote:
Paleocon wrote:

Enjoying Cobra Kai far more than I think I should.

I was really happy this moved to Netflix, but I finally saw a preview last night, and it seems to take itself totally seriously? I was hoping for gluttonous 80s exploitation. I know the original was perfectly serious about its material, but I'm not sure I'm looking for that over 30 years later.

Then again, lots of folks here are enjoying it, so maybe I'll just check it out and see.

It takes itself as serious as the original movie. It's just made like it was made back then in that 80's style, not as much a modern style. It's not making fun of the 80's, it almost is as if it was made in the 80's in a lot of ways.

It does have the requisite out of touch gags, especially with Johnny.

Fedaykin98 wrote:
Paleocon wrote:

Enjoying Cobra Kai far more than I think I should.

I was really happy this moved to Netflix, but I finally saw a preview last night, and it seems to take itself totally seriously? I was hoping for gluttonous 80s exploitation. I know the original was perfectly serious about its material, but I'm not sure I'm looking for that over 30 years later.

Then again, lots of folks here are enjoying it, so maybe I'll just check it out and see.

w/o giving anything away, I would say that the show was two very specific tones. I feel like Ralph Macchio (Daniel San)takes the show way too seriously, while Willian Zabka (Johnny Lawrence) has fun with his character in pretty much every scene he's in.

I think the thing I like most about it (and at time find frustrating) is the sort of Greek tragedy style inevitability it seems to have about a tragic outcome. The pieces you see moving all telegraph tragic misunderstandings to the point you can practically hear the chorus chanting about hubris, but in this case it isn't so much pride that drives it but rather shared trauma and the inability to face it or confront what is really at the heart of it.

I love how Johnny Lawrence seems sincere in his desire to grow emotionally despite his clinging onto a toxic masculine identity. I like how Larusso can't really see past his own injury and pride. I like how his wife seems to be the guardrail at times and how Miguel is Johnny's conscience. I haven't watched it all the way through yet to see if the shoe drops, but it all seems headed there with a slow, inexorable vengeance.

That it's predictable about it's misunderstandings of the opposing camps is what makes it feel so 80's to me.

Kind of like why I think my wife watches Hallmark Christmas movies.

Quintin_Stone wrote:

The Haunting of Hill House was really good up until the end.

Spoiler:

So the concept that Nell herself is the bent-neck lady was great, her spirit not being bound by time. People see flashes of the future but of course are unable to recognize it.

I liked the reveal that Steve had seen ghosts he just didn't realize it. He'd spent his whole life in denial.

The "everyone who dies in the house stays as a ghost" was done in the first season of another show I won't mention so as not to spoil anyone.

The house is a malevolent force the entire series, but suddenly at the end mom, dad, and Nell all become coherent, kindly ghosts in time for exposition. (And the caretakers (in the past) are awfully quick to embrace Ghost Abigail. The implication is that they continue to visit her long after the Crain family has left the house. But apparently nothing terrible happened to them?) In the end, it's just a big family reunion and everyone parts happy, including ghost mom, dad, and Nell. Really? That's what this has all been leading up to?

Spoiler:

I kept waiting for the happy ending to be spoiled and then...then it didn't get spoiled.

I didn't find the ending happy in the least.

Started ARES as a early start to Halloween. I'm not completely sure if the show is horror or scary or a good Halloween show. The first episode had a horrific scene. A few strange things happen but they could have been dreams. After two episodes I have no idea what the show is about but I like it.

There is a secret society. Are they evil, just a bunch of kids, a sex cult, demon worshipers, I don't know. I haven't seen anything regarding the god of war but that could change.

This is a Dutch show. I think the dub is one of the better dubs I have heard.

There has been a lot of speculation about who Tory's parents are with some folks saying it is Ali. I don't think that matches up though. I suspect that if they do a tie in at all, it will be that the Harley girl at the bar that Jonnie walked out on is her mom.

Damn you Netflix, I just cain't quit you.

I'm away for what, two months, and now I see previews for unskippable things like Enola Holmes, Away, Cursed (which I had mentally prepared myself to hold off on), Project Power which I ended up watching thanks to a friend, the imminent Haunting of Bly Manor, Cobra Kai...

Wait, Cobra Kai? Really? Am I really going to watch that? All signs point to yes, and also that I will enjoy it.

And there's a lot more.

So yeah, Netflix is back on the menu. I need to figure out what I can do without.

I'm coming back for Cobra Kai and Dark myself. Never started Dark but I saw good talk here that it had a decent finish, so I'm in for 3 seasons.

BadKen wrote:

So yeah, Netflix is back on the menu. I need to figure out what I can do without.

I've heard that running water is overrated.

Emily’s Wonder Lab is a great fun science show if you have kids. We watched the first two episodes today.

I blew through the latest trollhunters/arcadia series. I really enjoyed it.
I was going to start the main series but 60+ episodes was too much of a commitment. (plus I was bummed Doucie was not a part of it)
So I started Below and like it so far. Seems like a total change of direction for the series but aliens are cool. Plus you have to love the cultural dig right from the start: society's invisible people are girls, Latinos and seniors.

Also, "Cursed" I was into but just got bored after the 3rd episode.

My wife wanted to watch I'm Thinking of Ending Things because she had recently listened to the audiobook. All I can say is "Not for me. Seriously not for me."

1994 is pretty good if you like political documentaries

My spoiler-free take on I'm Thinking Of Ending Things:

If you're familiar with the source material, it's amazing.

If you're not, it's a baffling and entirely incomprehensible two hours of Kaufman pointing at a book you haven't read and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, while magical realism for it's own sake plays out on the screen.

I fell into the latter camp, and while I enjoyed some of it, I felt cheated out of a story by the end.

Jonman wrote:

If you're not, it's a baffling and entirely incomprehensible two hours of Kaufman pointing at a book you haven't read and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, while magical realism for it's own sake plays out on the screen.

I fell into the latter camp, and while I enjoyed some of it, I felt cheated out of a story by the end.

That was me, all right. What I enjoyed the most out of the experience was coming up with theories to explain what was going on. At some point, though, it started to become clear that my own theories were all I was going to get in terms of an explanation, and then that joy went away.

I hope people enjoy it a lot more than I did.

I also might have been wrong about it being amazing if you know the source material - my friend had recently read the book, loved it and was super excited to see it get the Kaufman treatment. She said that as the credits rolled, she was shouting "f*ck YOU CHARLIE KAUFMAN" and had to pace the house for a while to calm down.

Sounds like a totally appropriate response. My wife really liked the book and said the movie was "fine," so your mileage may vary.

Dark 1x10 season final

The S hit the fan and it was all good. This is the most sci fi episode and things go to more places. I have to say the season was near perfect. Also so far this is one of the best and consistent time travel shows.

Alive was pretty good. Much better than train to busan 2 but that isn't saying much. The scale is pretty small. The movie mainly stays with one guy and he is mainly in one spot. Most zombie movies will have a group traveling somewhere but this is showing how a dude survives during a zombie outbreak. I guess it is kind of like Omega Man but with a stupid person.

I thought the movie was a little long but it held me. It has a modern touch that I loved. Zombies looked cool. Acting was good. If you like zombie movies you will probably dig it. Don't watch train to busan 2, terrible movie.

I saw Alive yesterday as well. Pretty much on point with BoH's comments. Quite enjoyable for the most part. You really relate with the main character early on and just cheer him on.

I was looking forward to Busan 2, I wasn't aware it had been released.
quick Justwatch search gives little information. It seems like it's still "in theaters", or whatever that means in 2020.

I'll try to watch #Alive today.
Yesterday I saw the sequel to The Babysitter. I wasn't a fan of the first one, but it was entertaining enough so i gave it a try. The sequel's fine. It has its funny moments, but there's also more of the same and some characters do a complete 180 from the first movie, which is explained in a kind of hand-waving way. If you liked the first one, give it a try, otherwise you should try something else.

I watched The Babysitter sequel last night too. More of the same, so if you liked the first here's more. I do think events here neutered the ending of the first movie a bit, and the ending was one of the things I liked most about the original.

Just watched the end of ARES. The final was crazy and good. I'm not sure if there will be a season 2. There were somethings I didn't understand but I don't think I need to understand them. So it kind of wrapped up but it could still go on.