Netflix. It's on the 360, it's on PS3, it's on the Wii, it's $8 a month, it doesn't require a disc, and it's now even in Canada (with a severely reduced selection). So. Unless you're really poor, a picky Canadian, a hater of the 7th art, or European, there's no excuse for not having it!

What movies has the streaming service allowed you to discover?

Because of the limited selection here in Canada, which denies us access to some of the more recent and popular movies on the service, I've been using Netflix to watch 2 different kinds of movies: terrible crap that I'd never make any effort or pay anything to see (The Happening, Teen Wolf Too), and highly respected and acclaimed foreign movies that for some reason I always put back on the shelf without renting when I'm at the video store.

So here's a recommendation for you:

Amores Perros - This movie received much acclaim, won many prizes, and I'm probably one of the last chumps to see it. But hey, maybe you haven't seen it either, so at least I'm better than you. From looking at the title, you may recognize the word "amores" (love) and get totally the wrong idea about the movie. You may also recognize "perros" (dog) and be completely befuddled. Basically, the movie contains three vignettes in which cruelty and, yes, love, are central themes.

For one third of the movie, you follow the story of a kid using his dog to participate in dog fights and win money so he can elope with his brother's wife. For the second part, you follow a couple's crumbling relationship and oh god you're getting totally the wrong idea again. Don't worry, it's totally interesting and plays out a bit like a thriller. Actually, watching it I felt like I was reading an Edgar Allan Poe short story, but maybe it's just because it features... sounds... coming out of the floorboard. The third story is about this vagrant who abandoned his family to become a guerillero, went to prison, and now takes on hitman jobs from the corrupt cop who arrested him.

The characters cross each others' paths a couple of time, so you could say it's a bit like Pulp Fiction in that way, except I found the stories and characters in this film infinitely more interesting. Heh.

I don't know what your experience with foreign movies is or what you think of them, all I can say is that this movie is absolutely not boring. From the first scene to the last, I was hooked.

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@TriforceBun
It's also pretty annoying to see shows on there that have only a fraction of their available seasons up. Torchwood HAD season 4 up and they took it down! I have no idea why this is.

Netflix is quite a mess, I agree. There should be some way to know WHEN things are going to appear on the service (aside from their "Netflix Originals").

I just started watching some show from the BBC called "Copper". It's actually not bad. It's about an Irish detective in New York in 1865 in the Five Points area.

Fairly entertaining. I watched like seven episodes straight.

Ricky Gervais new series called Derek is up on Netflix. I highly recommend it, the show has so much heart. Someone please watch League of Gentlemen.

Instant Watcher is a great site for monitoring the latest releases.

@warerare

What if I really don't like Gervais? Will I be able to overlook that dislike for the other positives of the show, you think?

@V_s

Its really not very Gervais at all, he plays a mentally handicapped guy working in a nursing home, you become very invested in his character. He does very well and it really shows hes got some versatility.

Suits is way better than Mad Men*. There I said it.

(*disclaimer: I've only been able to get through one episode of Mad Men)


Watched Orange is the New Black very quickly when it was first released, verrry good show. Emmy worthy for sure, and just funny and marathonable.

I hadn't seen Sons of Anarchy before watching it on Netflix, and that also is hard not to blitz through.

I've never taken the time to get into Stargate, Trek yes (oh boy yes), but not SG. Stargate Atlantis was added in the UK recently, it's the only SG series on there, and so I'm watching one a day while cycling. It's a pretty good way to spend 42 minutes, and there are five series of it.

I finished Doctor Who the other week and this weekend I finished the entire Rules of Engagement comedy series. I've moved Orange Is The New Black into my hour drama slot. I'm enjoying it a lot. It's a nice normal drama, but a bit weird too in a Jenji Kohan way, and all around a fascinating setting for a show. But I need a half hour comedy now...

What can I fall asleep with? Watch through. Maybe I should get back into my favorite show as a kid, Beakman's World. But I feel I want something else...

So just browsing Netflix this morning and lo and behold I come across a documentary about Calvin & Hobbes. Fantastic.

Both seasons of Hannibal are now up on the Canadian Netflix.

I was looking on instantwatcher.com (great site for new Netflix releases) the other day and I came upon this.......



I was going to click it out of curiosity and then I thought.....



I'm staying away from that title. Won't click on it with a ten foot mouse.

@sirmastersephiroth

What the...I don't even.



We don't have Netflix here, but I figured I should post something that encourages Stephen to recommend Stargate SG1 . Then I saw this:


Infinitywave said:

I've never taken the time to get into Stargate, Trek yes (oh boy yes), but not SG. Stargate Atlantis was added in the UK recently, it's the only SG series on there, and so I'm watching one a day while cycling. It's a pretty good way to spend 42 minutes, and there are five series of it.

I know this is a way old post now, but if you see this IW...How did you find the show? I assume you've finished by now? Be interesting to get the perspective of someone who hasn't actually seen SG1 before watching Atlantis.

And if you did like it, then I cannot recommend SG1 strongly enough if you ever get access to it. It's twice as good and twice as much content

Hey, yes I finished pedalling through all five series of Atlantis. It felt like it was spinning its wheels storywise a lot of the time, and the changes in leadership felt random, but I did really enjoy it. McKay and Shepherd are great characters, Ronan could be a lot of fun (in a Worf kinda way) - and although it didnt seem to have much of a budget it always had a lot of ideas.

I moved on to SGU last month and have nearly finished season one of that. So bleak. I'm still enjoying it though. I don't know how much of the creative team aside from Joe Mallozzi moved from show to show, but it's still compelling tv. I nearly started SG-1 after Atlantis but I figured I'd go with the continuity for now and then finally get around to the ten series that kicked it all off. :)

I'm excited for Orange is the New Black, season 2.

@Infinitywave

Ugh Universe . A direct result of Stargate trying to be BSG, when it isn't. Had potential with some of the storylines, but they took away so much of what makes SG what it is and replaced it with emo drama. I think it got better in Season two, but I was only half paying attention by that stage.

Atlantis might have suffered a bit of BSG influence too when it comes to some of the character changes you mentioned. 2 of those were a direct result of Mallozzi and Co. trying to be 'shocking', but they just pissed fans off. Carter's inclusion for Season 4 was a direct result of SG1's cancellation (she still had another season to run on her contract at the time). Made it feel a bit disjointed, I agree. The unfinished arc at the end didn't help either, we were supposed to get a movie, but MGM's financial troubles killed it off.

Still unlike SGU, SGA continued the classic SG template, thanks in no small part to the antics of Sheppard & McKay, so I enjoyed it. McKay might be my all-time favourite SG character- and yes I'm counting Jack O'Neill when I say that .

Shadowlink said:

@sirmastersephiroth

What the...I don't even.

I know! It doesn't even have boxart or anything. I bet you click on it and the police are in your house in 5 minutes.

@Shadowlink, McKay is in one of the SGU episodes isn't he? Probably will be the best one. :)

SGU feels like it's aimed at a different audience, not just exploring a different facet of stargate exploration. The dark BSG influence is really obvious but it doesn't have the intrigue and action BSG had in its early sesons. That seems to be its big flaw, but I'm enjoying it on its own merits a fair bit.

@DrFinkelstein

Yup. The missus and I will be ON IT this weekend.

@Infinitywave

Haha. I'm thinking to myself 'He was?'. And yeah, I checked, he was. That shows you how much attention I paid to Season 2

Best character in SGU was easily Rush. I'm seriously impressed with Robert Carlyle these days.

I finished season 2 of Orange Is The New Black last night. The season was good as expected. Definitely had some Kohan humor in it... looking forward to season 3.

I highly recommend that everyone and all watch, The Killing. I don't know when it first aired exactly, or on which network, but seasons 1-3 are on Netflix now, with season 4 (the final season) debuting exclusively on Netflix tomorrow, August 1st. Netflix actually commissioned season 4, just as they did with Arrested Development. I just finished up season 3 tonight, and wow... What a show! It's obvious the series was cut short and canceled, thus there are only ten episodes from season 3 and the last episode was painfully hackneyed and rushed (but still good), and at the start it may seem a little shaky... but stick with it. It's a thrilling ride, and easily one of my almost favorite shows.

Edit: I just finished up the six episodes of the commissioned final season (4) of, The Killing, and wow... was it awful! So, if anyone chooses to watch, The Killing (which is still an amazing show, up to a point), I would strongly recommend stopping at season 3, ep 9. Or, if you want to see how it all ends, finish up season 3, and watch the last 30min of season 4, ep 6. I don't know who took hold of the writing, but my goodness was this last season a mess. It went from a smart, interesting drama, to a generic, sloppy stinky mess. That being said, the last bit of the last episode of the last season, was totally worth watching. It was as if things were back to normal, from a quality stand point. Good stuff. I almost didn't make it through season 4, but wanted to finish it through. I'm glad I didn't give up on it just because of how it ended. But, save yourself the torture, and please head my suggestion!