HBO Max Recommendations

[dookeyXXX]

I keep my streaming pretty streamlined (I primarily use Kanopy and AP, but also use to NF and Shudder), but a 7-day trial of HBO Max popped up and I joined if only to finish binging Peacemaker and watch a coupla Steven Soderbergh films only available here.
I might consider keeping it if I can find some other worthy watches…

[dookeyXXX]

KIMI
Soderbergh dips back into genre territory and reveals that he digs unhinged female characters (this endeavor shares a bit of DNA with Unsane).
It’s also an unabashed ode to Hitchcock by way of DePalma, owing more to the latter in terms of tension, skewed camera angles, taut score, and gore.
It’s pretty much Rear Window meets Blow Out, with dashes of Disclosure and elements of The Net tossed in for good measure.
David Koepp’s script is teeming with recognizable tropes and familiar cliches, but gets by thanks to Soderbergh’s slick directing and excellent grasp of pacing, not to mention Zoe Kravitz’s tic laden paranoic performance.

[neckdeep]

The Righteous Gemstones

[t-the-east]

The Righteous Gemstones

My buddy recommended this to me. Wayyyy to many man parts for my taste. At least once per episode, be ready to see some penis. The whole show is pretty cringey with a few funny parts. We stopped watching a few episodes into season 2.

White Lotus was fantastic though.

[neckdeep]

My buddy recommended this to me. Wayyyy to many man parts for my taste. At least once per episode, be ready to see some penis. The whole show is pretty cringey with a few funny parts. We stopped watching a few episodes into ugh.

Wow. There's a couple dicks in like three or four episodes. If that's what hit you the most, you might need to talk to a therapist about that.

Yeah, there's some dicks because it's a running gag about how evangelical culture is willfully blind to their gay children. Kelvin is so deeply repressed that he doesn't even understand that he is totally gay and, basically, his family will put up with all kinds of his nonsense if it means they never have to have THAT conversation about Kelvin. The dicks are a floppin' and Kelvin's family has to bend over backwards not to see it.

And Danny McBride thinks dicks are one of the most ridiculous looking things in the natural world.

[t-the-east]

Wow. There's a couple dicks in like three or four episodes. If that's what hit you the most, you might need to talk to a therapist about that.

Yeah, there's some dicks because it's a running gag about how evangelical culture is willfully blind to their gay children. Kelvin is so deeply repressed that he doesn't even understand that he is totally gay and, basically, his family will put up with all kinds of his nonsense if it means they never have to have THAT conversation about Kelvin.

That’s funny about the therapy. Pretty sure it’s every episode, but that’s not why my wife and I stopped watching. It was just a boring show, kinda went nowhere and kept dragging on. I’m not offended by the overuse of old wrinkly flaccid dick, If that’s your jam-more power to you. And the whole Kelvin part is painfully obvious. His over the top man siren club or whatever it was called definitely made that point clear. But, You know what they say about opinions….

[neckdeep]

Yo, Peacemaker is cringe comedy, slapstick/grossout gags, and nonstop insult jokes mixed with the occasional dollop of pathos. That pretty much describes The Righteous Gemstones approach to comedy as well.

Don't worry about the dicks, it's got 85% score on RT. Only 15% of viewers got hung up on the whole "dicks are ridickulous" thing.

[t-the-east]

We’ll move on… another fantastic HBO Max show is Succession.

And if you’re a football fan, the Hard Knocks show is great too

[Brownski]

How new to HBO are you? I mean, if you haven’t watched The Wire and The Sopranos yet… well, let’s just say you’re in for a treat. Not to mention Curb your Enthusiasm. And, as stated already, Succession and The White Lotus are pretty good too.
edit: I second the peacemaker and if you like that kind of show, Doom Patrol is worth watching too.

[neckdeep]

Avenue5 is pretty good if you like that sort of social satire and absurdist vibe. Hugh Laurie fans will appreciate it.

Hacks and Somebody, Somewhere are good if you want dramedy.

Station Eleven is a very interesting take on the post-apocalypse. What if 99% of humans died and it was mostly the nerdy kids from theater class who survived.

Speaking of apocalypses, The Last of Us comes out in a month. That's the big one I'd keep a subscription for.

[AK47bp]

Raised by Wolves.

Season 1 is great, season 2 is a little less great.



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[neckdeep]

Raised by Wolves.

Season 1 is great, season 2 is a little less great.



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Sorry to tell you this but HBO pulled a netflix on Raised by Wolves. Cancelled without a conclusion. Since we will never get the answers to the show's many intriguing mysteries, do not watch.

[AK47bp]

Sorry to tell you this but HBO pulled a netflix on Raised by Wolves. Cancelled without a conclusion. Since we will never get the answers to the show's many intriguing mysteries, do not watch.

Well that sucks.

So many cool story lines they could of really done a lot with. What a waste.


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[dookeyXXX]

NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND
This 1984 post-apocalyptic anime owes a few debts to the likes of Fantastic Planet, Heavy Metal, Wizards, and Dune, yet it’s still a unique vision of wonderfully realized animation.
Pretty timely still, given climate change and ongoing wars, too.
But really it’s the richly colored images and trippy landscapes that wil hold your attention.

[Supermoon]

If you’re into cheesy Christmas movies the Christmas Story sequel is pretty good. I also liked the one from last year: 8-bit Christmas. Both are sort of nostalgia fests but that’s not so bad for a Christmas movie IMO. Both are better than anything the Hallmark Channel is putting out.

A few new-run movies are on there too like Amsterdam, and don’t worry darling.

I’m not caught up on it yet, but people are going nuts for White lotus.

[dookeyXXX]

If you’re into cheesy Christmas movies the Christmas Story sequel is pretty good.

A few new-run movies are on there too like Amsterdam, and don’t worry darling.

You may very well cry “SACRILEGE!!!,” but I have never seen the original A Christmas Story all the way through. Not sure how this has come to pass as it’s one of my dad’s favorites…that said, the sequel would most likely be lost on me.

As for both Amsterdam and Don't Worry Darling, I saw them both in the theater and enjoyed each of them; they are among my favorite films I have seen in 2022 and I highly recommend them if you haven’t seen them.

[MontuckyFried]

NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND
This 1984 post-apocalyptic anime owes a few debts to the likes of Fantastic Planet, Heavy Metal, Wizards, and Dune, yet it’s still a unique vision of wonderfully realized animation.
Pretty timely still, given climate change and ongoing wars, too.
But really it’s the richly colored images and trippy landscapes that wil hold your attention.

That's a family favorite in my house. I grew up watching that one in the 80s. Read the manga series in the 90s. Outstanding story and beautifully animated. Disney redubbed it at some point, and they actually did a really great job with it. Great cast including Patrick Stewart, Edward James Olmos, Uma Thurman, Shia Labeouf, and Mark Hamill. Didn't know it was on HBO though! That's rad. We have it on home video. Highly recommended if you haven't seen this one already.

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[Dantheman]

I'm Sorry was hilarious and an unfortunate COVID cancellation.

Minx is good, but probably not for those who find dongs triggering.

His Dark Materials is a solid film adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel trilogy. On the surface it's kids/teen fantasy, but like Chronicles of Narnia there are decidedly adult themes at play, though at the opposite end of the ideological spectrum. There's heavy criticism of organized religion and the plot is ultimately about God being an imposter and a war to assassinate him. The 2007 mega-flop
The Golden Compass really watered down the controversial parts of the story and the Catholic League still threw a shit fit. HDM stays true to the source material and pulls no punches.

We Own This City is outstanding. Story of the rise and fall of the Baltimore PD's comically/tragically corrupt Gun Trace Task Force produced by David Simon.

It recently occurred to me that I never saw the final season of Boardwalk Empire so I've been working my way through that. Arguably Steve Buscemi's finest work.

[toast2266]

As for both Amsterdam and Don't Worry Darling, I saw them both in the theater and enjoyed each of them; they are among my favorite films I have seen in 2022 and I highly recommend them if you haven’t seen them.

Ah, dang, I just skipped Amsterdam last night because online reviews were tepid. Now I'll have to check it out.

In lieu of Amsterdam, I watched the Banshees of Inisherin, which is a great dark comedy. I used to consider Colin Farrell to be fairly hit or miss, but over the last few years he's been consistently great, from what I've seen.

[toast2266]

How new to HBO are you? I mean, if you haven’t watched The Wire and The Sopranos yet… well, let’s just say you’re in for a treat. Not to mention Curb your Enthusiasm. And, as stated already, Succession and The White Lotus are pretty good too.
edit: I second the peacemaker and if you like that kind of show, Doom Patrol is worth watching too.

Add to that season 1 of Westworld, and season 1 of True Detective. Those 2 are both in my top 5 for tv shows. Subsequent seasons are... less great.

[Hott Butt Mud]

These I have re-watched: Veep, Eastbound and Down, Curb Your Enthusiasm

Also good: Silicon Valley, White Lotus, Game of Thrones, Succession, Barry, so many more

[BC.]

I’m currently binging The Wire..

[dookeyXXX]

DON’T WORRY DARLING
Wrapped in bright spring/summer colors and brimming with MCM design flourishes, DWD, on the surface, comes off like a cross between The Prisoner and The Stepford Wives.
Creating a nice sense of unease from the outset, the story unravels at a steady pace using nightmare flashes, slyly menacing dialogue, and creepy music to fuel the mysterious going’s on.
Granted, when the reveal-slash-twist is delivered in Act III, it’s a mild letdown, but only momentarily, as director Olivia Wilde amps up the finale with a white-knuckle chase and an enigmatically dark conclusion.
Sure, there are plot holes aplenty which manifest themselves during post-screening reflection, but the film is fun and immensely engaging while the frames are whizzing by your optical receptors in the darkened theater.

RIYL
Beyond the Black Rainbow; Dollhouse; The Prisoner

[dookeyXXX]

AMSTERDAM
In the context of the film, "Amsterdam" is a metaphor for an idyllic utopia where racial equality and artistic freedom are the norm. Sadly, like most romantic ideals, it's not something likely to be long lasting if ever fully realized, which ultimately makes this largely comedic romp all the more sad and somber in the end.
Part war buddy bromance, part mystery, part conspiracy theory David O. Russell's latest effort chugs along like a streamlined and less whimsical Wes Anderson ensemble piece. While largely light and breezy with a number of great comedic turns from those involved, it does get bogged down with slightly heavy-handed socio-political commentary in the third act. This nefarious revelation draws an all-too-obvious correlation to the current state of American affairs and almost renders the brevity of the previous two acts moot. Thankfully, the sheer chutzpah of all involved saves the day.
The cast here is stellar. Bale, Washington, and Robbie are supported with a veritable roll call of thespian luminaries, some recognizable, others lurking under wonderful make-up and elaborate costumes.
And the story? It's like a vintage Hitchcockian thriller with it's twists and turns and everyday people thrust behind the cloak and dagger curtain.
Unbeknownst to me, the film is actually based on a somewhat obscure and alleged conspiracy event called "The Wall Street Putsch," which occurred in 1933 (look it up because it's fascinating and crazy enough to make even the most stalwart intellectual consider the existence of myriad other conspiracy theories).
The film is getting slagged by the critics. Not sure if they all saw a different cut than me, but I enjoyed it. A former colleague of mine recently remarked that the sign of a good movie is one that makes you forget that you're sitting in a strange chair in a dark room that's not in your house. If you squirm, fidget, or feel the need to get up numerous times to go to the bathroom or get a snack, then the film sucks. I was glued firmly to my seat all the way through the final credits.
So, yeah, I enjoyed it.
But YMMV.

[nickwm21]

HBOs hit rate is significantly higher than any other network IMO… shit maybe 70%+ of what they produce would fall in the “great” category….

I recently started I May Destroy You. Strong, powerful drama about sexual assault… with some dark humor in there. So far so good.


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