Amazon Prime Instant Video Rec

[char_]

The original UK Utopia is fantastic!
Scary, absurd, visually stunning, well acted, incredible score, etc.

I watched the first episode of the American version and it was utter shite, imho. I have no desire or need to watch the rest of it (boring direction, visually dull, crap score, and horrible actors--or maybe decent actors just horribly directed); a prime example of Hollywood totally cocking up a great concept and dumbing it down for the masses.

Wife and I watched a few episodes and decided that it was a shit plot, acting, etc with a bunch of violence to make up for it.

[dookeyXXX]

War Witch

A richly beguiling coming-of-age tale about a young girl in the Congo who is captured by rebels. Guns, ghosts, love, suffering, and redemption abound.

RIYL
Theeb, Zombi Child

[Tippster]

"The Expanse" is back. Fucking stoked.

[This End Up]

"The Grand Tour" is back as well, with a Massive Hunt

[MontuckyFried]

Guess I'm a bit late to the party on this one, but been enjoying the hell out of Red Oaks. It's REALLY good. It'll transport you right back to the 80s. Super well done and really funny, even if in a sort of subdued way. If you like 80s teenager/college movies, then this one's for you. Blasted through the first 2 seasons in no time.

[skaredshtles]

Guess I'm a bit late to the party on this one, but been enjoying the hell out of Red Oaks. It's REALLY good. It'll transport you right back to the 80s. Super well done and really funny, even if in a sort of subdued way. If you like 80s teenager/college movies, then this one's for you. Blasted through the first 2 seasons in no time.

Yeah. They def ended that series too soon, IMO. It's like a Caddyshack sit-com. The tennis pro is the star, IMO.

[dookeyXXX]

The Last Circus
Spanish cult director Alex de la Iglesia's 2010 film is a twisted love triangle involving two seriously f$%ed up circus clowns and the woman they both yearn for. Nods to The Dark Knight's Joker, Phantom of the Opera, and King Kong topped off with absurdist moments, jarring (But sporadic) violence, and a political undertone (The film takes place during Franco's reign) make for a gonzo and slightly surreal experience.

In Spanish with subtitles.

[ntblanks]

just watched Hang 'em High for the [insert large number here] time. just as good as the first.

[dookeyXXX]

Kontroll
I saw this Hungarian arthouse cult classic when it initially made the rounds on the circuit back in 2003 and really dug it.
It is a strange blend of thriller, comedy, and drama all wrapped up in slick visual insanity.
Sadly, the director went on to make a string of lackluster horror movies in Hollywood in the wake of this near brilliant exercise in cinema.
But this film is great if you like demented stories about riding the underground.

[schindlerpiste]

Vikings final season now available

[bobz]

Yes, really liked Kontroll.

[dookeyXXX]

The Double Hour
If you dig richly layered, slow-burn thrillers in the Hitchcockian vein, then this 2009 Italian film is worth a watch.

RIYL
Shallow Grave; The Bridesmaid; Vertigo; Martha Marcy May Marlene

[yeahman]

Is it just my imagination or is prime offering fewer and fewer options for streaming and/or purchase as media companies take back their content to populate their own streaming services. My wife wanted to rent Moonstruck the other night--nope, not available for rent or purchase through Roku (we did eventually figure out we could watch it WITH ADS by hooking the laptop up to the TV). Tonight my kid wanted to rent The Ring to watch with her friend--nope, gotta subscribe to some service to watch it. WTH? Seems like most movies were at least available to rent on prime, if not included in the cost of prime. But not anymore?

Apologies if this has been discussed before. It's a disturbing trend. I don't want to have to subscribe to 12 different streaming services, but that seems to be where we're heading.

[splat]

Moonstruck just dropped off Netflix. Caught it there a few days ago.

Did your wife read the piece NYT mag did on it last week?

[yeahman]

Moonstruck just dropped off Netflix. Caught it there a few days ago.

Did your wife read the piece NYT mag did on it last week?

She may have. She likes that movie and wanted our daughters to see it.

[MontuckyFried]

Is it just my imagination or is prime offering fewer and fewer options for streaming and/or purchase as media companies take back their content to populate their own streaming services. My wife wanted to rent Moonstruck the other night--nope, not available for rent or purchase through Roku (we did eventually figure out we could watch it WITH ADS by hooking the laptop up to the TV). Tonight my kid wanted to rent The Ring to watch with her friend--nope, gotta subscribe to some service to watch it. WTH? Seems like most movies were at least available to rent on prime, if not included in the cost of prime. But not anymore?

Apologies if this has been discussed before. It's a disturbing trend. I don't want to have to subscribe to 12 different streaming services, but that seems to be where we're heading.

It's not just your imagination. On Amazon, I've had a lot of stuff in my watchlist go from Prime (free) to available for rent to "not available to stream." On Netflix, stuff just magically disappears constantly and never to come back like they used to. Big part of that is due to Disney corp gobbling up EVERYTHING, with 21 Century Fox being their latest assimilation into their Borg empire, along with Peacock (NBC) getting launched. Same for CBS All Access, etc., etc., etc.

So yeah. Streaming used to be awesome but now it's quickly getting VERY fragmented. I've been saying this for years, but this is why I believe there's still a case for physical media and this is precisely why. My own stash never magically vanishes into thin air. Back when we had video rental stores, you could often rely on them too. Certainly for older flicks like what you're looking for. I miss those days of browsing the store shelves on a Friday night and stocking up for the weekend. Or chatting with your friends and being like "Hey, remember that one movie?" "Oh yeah. Let's go grab it from the video store real quick!" Those were the days. Le sigh.

Remember when Netflix streaming had like EVERYTHING? That golden age of streaming is over. On the plus side, it's made a great case for exploring more indie and foreign films so that's been fun at least. Also, Hulu has a great feature which is having a sub-category from your queue of stuff that's going to expire soon. I think HBO used to have that too. VERY handy so you can catch stuff before it goes "poof."

[PB]

What's that? Too many choices/not centralized?? Smells like Freedum!

[skaredshtles]

It's not just your imagination. On Amazon, I've had a lot of stuff in my watchlist go from Prime (free) to available for rent to "not available to stream." On Netflix, stuff just magically disappears constantly and never to come back like they used to. Big part of that is due to Disney corp gobbling up EVERYTHING, with 21 Century Fox being their latest assimilation into their Borg empire, along with Peacock (NBC) getting launched. Same for CBS All Access, etc., etc., etc.

So yeah. Streaming used to be awesome but now it's quickly getting VERY fragmented. I've been saying this for years, but this is why I believe there's still a case for physical media and this is precisely why. My own stash never magically vanishes into thin air. Back when we had video rental stores, you could often rely on them too. Certainly for older flicks like what you're looking for. I miss those days of browsing the store shelves on a Friday night and stocking up for the weekend. Or chatting with your friends and being like "Hey, remember that one movie?" "Oh yeah. Let's go grab it from the video store real quick!" Those were the days. Le sigh.

Remember when Netflix streaming had like EVERYTHING? That golden age of streaming is over. On the plus side, it's made a great case for exploring more indie and foreign films so that's been fun at least. Also, Hulu has a great feature which is having a sub-category from your queue of stuff that's going to expire soon. I think HBO used to have that too. VERY handy so you can catch stuff before it goes "poof."

Would it surprise you if I told you Netflix still does the physical DVD option?

[dookeyXXX]

1. Take the Netflix bitching to the Netflix thread

2. I dunno what you fools are bitching about anyway; I have 711 films in my Prime queue...

3. Films leave Prime all the time and often come back (for example, last year Paths of Glory came and went every month and several other films I have had in my queue have "disappeared" only to pop back a few weeks later).

4. Some solid alternates:
TubiTV- free with ads
Roku Channel - free with ads
Kanopy- free with library card, if your local library participates



FWIW
I use Prime and Kanopy and then get NF DVDs mailed to me as they have a grip of stuff in their physical catalog that isn't available for streaming.

[dookeyXXX]

Is it just my imagination or is prime offering fewer and fewer options for streaming and/or purchase as media companies take back their content to populate their own streaming services. My wife wanted to rent Moonstruck the other night--nope, not available for rent or purchase through Roku (we did eventually figure out we could watch it WITH ADS by hooking the laptop up to the TV). Tonight my kid wanted to rent The Ring to watch with her friend--nope, gotta subscribe to some service to watch it. WTH? Seems like most movies were at least available to rent on prime, if not included in the cost of prime. But not anymore?

Apologies if this has been discussed before. It's a disturbing trend. I don't want to have to subscribe to 12 different streaming services, but that seems to be where we're heading.

Hmm.

Curious about your search skills am I.

I just searched Moonstruck and it appears to be free on the Roku Channel and available for rent from Prime, Vudu, Redbox, Fandango Now, and Google Play for $3.99...

I just searched The Ring, too (presuming you meant the 2002 Hollywood version) and it appears to be free on Prime and available for rent from Google Play, Vudu, Redbox, and Fandango Now for $2.99...

The original Japanese Ringu (1998) is available on Kanopy.

[yeahman]

Hmm.

Curious about your search skills am I.

I just searched Moonstruck and it appears to be free on the Roku Channel and available for rent from Prime, Vudu, Redbox, Fandango Now, and Google Play for $3.99...

I just searched The Ring, too (presuming you meant the 2002 Hollywood version) and it appears to be free on Prime and available for rent from Google Play, Vudu, Redbox, and Fandango Now for $2.99...

The original Japanese Ringu (1998) is available on Kanopy.

Ok, so this is weird. Both those movies show now as being available on prime, but two nights ago they were not. One said "unavailable, " and the other required some sort of trial subscription, unless you watched the version with ads. Maybe there are caps on how many people watching them at once? Because "This video is not currently available" seems to be a recurring message. I did not check the Roku channel, etc.

But in any case, are you saying content is not migrating away from prime? All the HBO stuff is gone--the Wire, Sopranos, Homeland, even stuff like Band of Brothers no longer free. Obviously whatever deal they had with HBO expired. But to me it seems like I have had a number of other searches come up empty or give some message about signing up for some trial subscription to HBO Max or Showtime or CBS peacock or whatever. I'm talking about the popular movies and shows, not the obscure stuff that people on this thread like to seek out.

[The AD]

Baroness von Sketch is pretty funny. Canadian sketch comedy with an all female cast.

[dookeyXXX]

Sometimes Always Never

This British export is a lightly twisted exploration of family values, Scrabble, and missing sons.
Delivered in a heightened visual style that owes as much to Art Deco and 60s pop aesthetics as much as it does to Wes Anderson, it percolates across the screen like a PoMo fairy tale.
Wonderful performances from Bill Nighy and Sam Riley, as well as the test of the cast, only add to the overall charm.

[MontuckyFried]

1. Take the Netflix bitching to the Netflix thread

2. I dunno what you fools are bitching about anyway; I have 711 films in my Prime queue...

3. Films leave Prime all the time and often come back (for example, last year Paths of Glory came and went every month and several other films I have had in my queue have "disappeared" only to pop back a few weeks later).

4. Some solid alternates:
TubiTV- free with ads
Roku Channel - free with ads
Kanopy- free with library card, if your local library participates



FWIW
I use Prime and Kanopy and then get NF DVDs mailed to me as they have a grip of stuff in their physical catalog that isn't available for streaming.

Good points, Dookey. I guess I've had bad luck with stuff that left Prime, never to return. Not even for rent or purchase. FML.

Now Kanopy? Never heard of that one! Looks like one of my local libraries participates in it. Score!!! Thanks!

[bobz]

It's true, anything that isn't a Netflix property (red N on the thumbnail) can be considered temporary; with movies, they're probably there for at least a few months but certainly less than a year, and with TV shows possibly much longer, but don't count on forever. At least Netflix gives you a bit of warning when they're going to pull something (I think I got most of a month's notice when Person Of Interest was about to get pulled last year, which allowed me to binge most of the rest, and I got DVDs from the library for the remaining two seasons).

Prime is a bit flakier about letting you know what's leaving when. The "Amazon Original" stuff can be presumed to be permanent, but everything else, you never know, so grab it while you can if you want to be sure to see it for free. As for the Amazon streaming rentals, I've noticed that they sometimes will have something for 99c or whatever; those don't last long, so if you want to grab that price, rent it immediately, and you have 30 days to start watching it.

Kanopy and HooplaDigital, movies seem to linger for a lot longer. Some of the movies I've seen on Hoopla are no longer available (but they still have Avalanche Sharks!); Kanopy offerings seem to mostly be pretty much permanent.