I read more than I watch, but if stuff is available on Amazon Prime I use that, downloading shows at Data Saver rates when near open wifi.

Movies

  1. Scary - Oculus (2013). I’m on the hunt for genuinely terrifying movies and this one is scary.
  2. Recommended - Dredd (2012, not the Stallone one). Surprisingly stylish and even meditative in places.
  3. Recommended – Death of Stalin – Kafkaesque comedy about totalitarian bureaucracy
  4. Recommended – Portrait of a Lady on Fire.  Lyric, pensive French-language film (subtitled)
  5. Recommended – John Wick series – beautifully-choreographed “gun fu”, and Keanu is so watchable
  6. Worth the watch for free – Red – Willis, Mirren, et al in a retired spy caper.  Clearly informed by John Wick.
  7. Avoid - League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003). Peta Wilson is delicious here, the steampunk design is cool, and the first half wasn’t terrible. After they hit Paris it turned into a very stupid action movie. I stopped paying attention. I saw it for free on Amazon Prime and I want my data back.
  8. Avoid  – Aeon Flux .

Streaming TV

  1. must see - Chernobyl. Compelling, infuriating, heartbreaking.
  2. exceptional – BBC’s Prime Suspect 1973. Murder/crime series with excellent acting, writing, costumes, etc.
  3. recommended – Altered Carbon (1st season) – excellent scifi
  4. recommended – THe Magicians. I usually don’t like fantasy, but wow.
  5. recommended – THe Witcher, first two seasons. Bailing on the third.
  6. recommended - Slow Horses
  7. recommended – Glitch – Australian scifi
  8. meh - Foundation, bailed. Will read the book.
  9. meh - Silo. Bailed, read the book series.
  10. avoid - Twisted Metal. Fastest bail ever.

OTA TV

I have an OTA window antenna on the van and can pick up shows when near town. I prefer the low-budget channels because they tend to broadcast at very low bitrates. I capture the OTA in a Pi-based DVR described in the multimedia section of the build parts list.

current TV

relatively modern stuff

  1. recommended - Match Game. Surprsingly funny, unsurprisingly canceled.
  2. recommended iZombie - creative and fun.
  3. fell apart - What We Do in the Shadows - first three seasons, then it goes bad.
  4. fell apart - Bones - first few seasons, then it goes bizarrely bad.

retro TV

  1. recommended – Gunsmoke – exceptional TV, and I don’t even like westerns
  2. recommended – Perry Mason – clever, occasionally naughty
  3. recommended – Kolchack, the Night Stalker – supernatural neo-noir, good fun.
  4. recommended – Cannon – the best of the 1970s detectives shows

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