Weekend #9 of 52 (2/25 – 2/28/2021) for 2021 Picks By Streaming Service
The final weekend of February 2021 is upon us. Streaming channels are showing no sign of slowing down releasing new movies and TV shows while the theater scene continues to be in a state of paralysis of new titles. It’s like one here, two there and just ghost town movie theaters. We were saddened this week to see a beautiful IMAX screening of a film that had three people in attendance at a 7pm showing of Nomadland, two of which were us. The theater probably seated close to 200 people. Theaters are doing great business in China and some other countries.
Have been saying all along that theaters need to get more new movies showing in them, but for whatever reason that’s not happening. Probably to blame is the severe lack of moviegoers attending them. As mentioned previously, this is a slow time anyway for theaters, the first quarter of the year. This year is a bit unique because the academy extended the award eligibility window into early 2021 (see: Oscars 2021 Still On As Planned As In-Person Event, Not Zoom or Virtual)
KEY
*Title with asterisk – newly released Title is linked and has star rating – already watched, rated and reviewed Title bolded – on our schedule to watch/rewatch, rate and review (or in progress)
NOTE: If you’re coming to these posts weeks or months later, some and/or all of the picks listed below may no longer be on the streaming services indicated. Anything marked as “Original” typically doesn’t expire on the streaming services.
NETFLIX Movies
Blue, Painful and Brittle – 2020 (Feb 24)
*Bigfoot Family – animated – 2020 (Feb 26)
*Call Me Crazy – 2021
Captain Fantastic – 2016
*The Girl On The Train – 2021
NETFLIX TV
*Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan – Season 1 (Feb 24)
*Canine Intervention Documentary series
*Ginny & Georgia – Season 1
*Two Sentence Horror Stories – Season 2
*High Rise Invasion – Season 1 (Feb 25) Anime
Disney+
Flicka 2 (Feb 26)
Ice Age: Collision Course
HBO Max TV
*Tom and Jerry – also in theaters (Feb 26)
Blade Runner 2049
Amazon Prime TV
*The Informer (Feb 26)
Hulu
*The United States vs. Billie Holiday – 2021 Hulu Original (Feb 26)
Florence Foster Jenkins – 2016
Apple TV+
*Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry (Feb 26)
Weekend #8 of 52 (2/18 – 2/21/2021) for 2021 Picks By Streaming Service
As we push toward the end of February, the streaming channels continue to be the place to go for new movie releases.
Day and date releases are becoming the norm and not the exception during the pandemic. Case in point, Nomadland, both in theaters and streaming on Hulu. Last week was Warner Bros. Judas and the Black Messiah.
Was planning to watch Nomadand in theaters, but being this is our weekend spending with our grandchildren, it will likely be more convenient watching on Hulu. A similar convenience happened with Judas and the Black Messiah.
This has us thinking that convenience could also be working against theaters, also. We’ve seen six new movies in theaters since theaters reopened on February 5, so thinking we’re very much supporting the cinematic experience. In addition to the elephant in the room that nobody wants to hear about any more, convenience just might be the other c-word enemy of box office sales.
Or maybe it’s all the movies that are c-grade. There haven’t been an influx of awesome movies for people to want to go out to theaters — and there rarely are in the first quarter of the year — so that’s worth keeping in perspective. .
KEY
*Title with asterisk – newly released Title is linked and has star rating – already watched, rated and reviewed Title bolded – on our schedule to watch/rewatch, rate and review (or in progress)
NOTE: If you’re coming to these posts weeks or months later, some and/or all of the picks listed below may no longer be on the streaming services indicated. Anything marked as “Original” typically doesn’t expire on the streaming services.
NETFLIX Movies
*No Escape Room (Feb 18)
*I Care A Lot (Feb 19) Peter Dinklage, Rosamund Pike
Operation Finale (Feb 20)
The Conjuring (Feb 21)
The Conjuring 2
NETFLIX TV
*Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan – Season 1 (Feb 18) Anime
*Tribes of Europa – Season 1 (Feb 19)
Disney+
*Flora & Ulysses (Feb 19)
*The Muppet Show – Season 1-5 Seasons 4 & 5 have never aired on home entertainment before
Weekend #7 of 52 (2/11 – 2/14/2021) for 2021 Picks By Streaming Service
A cliched week for rom-coms, but with Valentine’s Day coming up over the weekend, might as well get ready for it, and if you’re a fan of the genre, celebrate.
KEY
*Title with asterisk – newly released Title is linked and has star rating – already watched, rated and reviewed Title bolded – on our schedule to watch/rewatch, rate and review (or in progress)
NOTE: If you’re coming to these posts weeks or months later, some and/or all of the picks listed below may no longer be on the streaming services indicated. Anything marked as “Original” typically doesn’t expire on the streaming services.
NETFLIX Movies
*Red Dot (Feb 11)
*Squared Love
*Middle of Nowhere
*Buried By The Bernards (Feb 12)
*To All The Boys: Always and Forever
*Xico’s Journey
*Hate by Dani Rovira
*Monsoon (Feb 13)
*The Crew (Feb 15)
Disney+
*Life Below Zero: The Next Generation (Feb 12)
*Marvel Battleworld: Mystery of the Thanostones – Season 1
*Marvel’s Behind the Mask – Documentary
HBO Max Movies
*There Is No “I” in Threesome – Documentary (Feb 11)
*Judas and the Black Messiah (Feb 12)
Dunkirk
The Book of Eli (Feb 13)
HBO Max TV
*Very Scary People – Season 2
*The Lady and The Dale – Documentary Finale (Feb 14)
Amazon Prime
*The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (Feb 12)
Clifford
Hulu
*2067 (Feb 12)
You’re Next
Hulu TV
Into the Dark: Tentacles: New Episode Premiere (Feb 12)
Hip Hop Uncovered: Documentary Series Premiere (Feb 13)
Shudder
*Joe Bob Put A Spell On You – Valentine’s Day (Feb 12) Double-feature movies To Be Announced live OnDemand stream will be available Feb 14, even is LIVE on Feb 12
Here’s how the technology would work if it were in fact built into a product. According to the patent information, the tool would cull “social data” such as images, social media posts, messages, voice data and written letters from the chosen individual. That data would be used to train a chatbot to “converse and interact in the personality of the specific person.” It could also rely on outside data sources, in case the user asked a question of the bot that couldn’t be answered based on the person’s social data.
“Conversing in the personality of a specific person may include determining and/or using conversational attributes of the specific person, such as style, diction, tone, voice, intent, sentence/dialogue length and complexity, topic and consistency,” as well as using behavioral attributes such as interests and opinions and demographic information such as age, gender and profession, the patent states.
Maybe this blog will be able to continue to have posts from me when I’m dead. Posts created by a Microsoft bot that can mimic the “style, diction, tone, voice, intent, sentence/dialogue, length and complexity, topic and consistency.”
I’m joking of course, but Microsoft didn’t patent this so it could sit on the shelf forever. They will use this in some type of product, despite saying otherwise.
Don’t fall for the whole “it’s disturbing” bit. Tech companies will trade socially unacceptable behavior if it promises huge profits. Just look at Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc. They have championed a level of privacy intrusion using advertising that is unprecedented and meanwhile, we’re all the dumber because we keep using their “free” products and services. Yeah, not being a hypocrite, we have traded our privacy to use their services, too.
If this chatbot tech can be used to make a buck, it will … someday. Otherwise, why patent the tech to begin with? To stop Google and others from doing it? I’m sure the R&D at Micro$oft is behind the scenes working on something, as I write this. If I had to guess, I’d say probably in the form of a videogame for the Xbox platform. Imagine being able to clone your gameplay attributes and others can play against an AI like you when you’re offline. Not dead, but just not playing. Your character could continue to play 24/7 365 and you would only have to pilot your character here and there. Your artificial persona could grind that MMORPG while you’re at work.
I see all sorts of tech possibilities with this type of AI. And it doesn’t have to involve replicating a dead person in a chatbot.
The article mentions a Black Mirror episode where a woman speaks to her deceased relative. I keep returning to Upload, though, that TV series on Amazon where you can upload your consciousness before you die, thus living in a virtual hotel. That makes more sense to me as a way for the tech to become more socially acceptable. Whether or not this comes to pass in my lifetime remains to be seen, but don’t think for a second that many tech companies are trying to be the first in the race to crack the riddle of AI.
Upload Season 2 is currently filming with no release date announced as of yet, season 1 is available for binge watching on Amazon Prime Video.
Owen Wilson films have been hit or miss with me. Some I’ve liked, some not, most are just OK. The idea for Bliss sounds encouraging.
Present day fantasy involving Twilight Zone like happenings are stories that are right up my alley.
Centers on a recently divorced man (Wilson) who meets a woman (Hayek) who lives on the streets and is convinced that the polluted, broken world around them is not real.
Weekend #6 of 52 (2/4 – 2/7/2021) for 2021 Picks By Streaming Service
First weekend of the month means a slew of new movies rotated in and out across the various streaming services. Those lists are included below making it convenient to add to your watchlists for the month.
KEY
*Title with asterisk – newly released Title is linked and has star rating – already watched, rated and reviewed Title bolded – on our schedule to watch/rewatch, rate and review (or in progress)
NOTE: If you’re coming to these posts weeks or months later, some and/or all of the picks listed below may no longer be on the streaming services indicated. Anything marked as “Original” typically doesn’t expire on the streaming services.
NETFLIX Movies
*Malcolm & Marie (Feb 5)
*Comedy from Insanity
*Little Big Women
*Space Sweepers
*Strip Down, Rise Up
*The Ying-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity
Movies rotating into NETFLIX as of February 1
The Bank Job (2008) Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) Eat Pray Love (2010) Inception (2010) Love Daily: Season 1 My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) My Dead Ex: Season 1 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) The Patriot (2000) Rocks (2019) Shutter Island (2010)
NETFLIX TV
*Firefly Lane – Season 1 (Feb 3) Katherine Heigl, based on a novel
*Invisible City – Season 1 (Feb 5)
Hache – Season 2
*The Sinner – Season 3 (Feb 6)
Disney+
*Disney My Music Story: Yoshiki (Feb 5)
Disney Upside-Down Magic
Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks (s7)
HBO Max Movies
*Earwig and the Witch (Feb 5)
*In Other Words
Vengeance: Killer Coworkers
Vengeance: Killer Lovers
Vengeance: Killer Neighbors
*Irresistible (Feb 6)
We Bare Bears: The Movie (Feb 7)
Movies rotating into HBO MAX as of February 1
All Good Things, 2010 (HBO) The Amityville Horror, 1979 (HBO) The Amityville Horror, 2005 (HBO) American Style The Apparition, 2012 (HBO) Austin Powers in Goldmember, 2002 Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery, 1997 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, 1999 Backdraft, 1991 (HBO) Batman & Robin, 1997 Batman Forever, 1995 Batman Returns, 1992 Batman, 1989 Batman: The Brave and the Bold Be Cool, 2005 (HBO) Blade Runner: The Final Cut, 2007 Butter, 2012 (HBO) Captain Blood, 1935 Chewing Gum Death Row Stories, Season 5 Deep Down, 2021 (HBO) Drumline, 2002 (Extended Version) (HBO) The Four Feathers, 2002 (HBO) Get A Job, 2016 (HBO) Get Shorty, 1995 (HBO) Getting Even With Dad, 1994 (HBO) Ghoulies II, 1987 (HBO) Ghoulies, 1985 (HBO) Giant, 1956 The Graduate, 1967 Growing Up Milwaukee, 2020 Head of the Class The Investigation, Limited Series Premiere (HBO) Jacob’s Ladder, 1990 (HBO) Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday, 1993 (HBO) Justice League Justice League Unlimited La Deuda, 2021 (HBO) Lars And The Real Girl, 2007 (HBO) The Last Exorcism, 2010 (Extended Version) (HBO) Lay The Favorite, 2012 (HBO) Life Of Pi, 2012 (HBO) Love & Basketball, 2000 The Lucky One, 2012 (HBO) Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, 1983 Man of Steel, 2013 The Matrix, 1999 The Matrix Reloaded, 2003 The Matrix Revolutions, 2003 Monkey Shines, 1988 (HBO) Murder On The Orient Express, 1974 (HBO) My Bloody Valentine 3-D, 2009 (HBO) The Neverending Story II The Next Chapter, 1991 (HBO) Outbreak, 1995 Pathfinder, 2007 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Presumed Innocent, 1990 Raw Deal, 1986 (HBO) Robot Chicken, Season 10B Safe House, 2012 (HBO) Saw II, 2005 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Saw III, 2006 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Saw IV, 2007 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Saw V, 2008 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Saw VI, 2009 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Saw, 2004 (Extended Version) (HBO) Saw: The Final Chapter, 2010 (Director’s Cut) (HBO) Selena, 1997 The Shadow, 1994 (HBO) Sling Blade, 1996 (HBO) Stop-Loss, 2008 (HBO) Sunshine Cleaning, 2009 (HBO) The Goonies, 1985 The Tank, 2017 (HBO) This Must Be The Place, 2012 (HBO) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, 2011 (HBO) Training Day, 2001 Unforgiven, 1992 United Shades of America, Season 5 Up In The Air, 2009 (HBO) Wildcats, 1986 (HBO) Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, 1971
HBO Max TV
*Chewing Gum – Season 1 Premiere (Feb 1)
Amazon Prime
*Bliss (Feb 5)
Movies rotating into AMAZON PRIME VIDEO as of February 1
Antz (1998) Australia (2008) Be My Valentine (2013) (Hallmark Movies Now) Burn Motherf**ker, Burn! (2017) (Showtime) Coming To America (1988) Courageous (2011) Dazed And Confused (1993) Down To Earth (2001) Hitsville: The Making of Motown (2019) (Showtime) How She Move (2008) Imagine That (2009) Just Wright (2010) Kiki (2017) (IFC Films Unlimited) Love by Accident (2020) (UP Faith & Family) Love by the 10th Date (2017) (Lifetime Movie Club) Moulin Rouge (2001) Notes On A Scandal (2006) Shanghai Noon (2000) SMOOCH (2011) (Hallmark Movies Now) Spy Next Door (2010) The Haunting In Connecticut (2009) The Ides Of March (2011) The Last Appeal (2016) (UP Faith & Family) The Prestige (2006) There’s Something About Mary (1998) The Village (2004)
Hulu
*Possessor (Feb 1)
12 Hour Shift (Feb 4)
*Antebellum (Feb 5
Movies rotating into HULU as of February 1
9 to 5 (1980) Affliction (1998) American Psycho (2000) American Psycho 2 (2002) The Bellboy (1960) Bug (1975) Cinderfella (1960) Crimes Of The Heart (1987) Did You Hear About The Morgans? (2009) District 9 (2009) Downhill Racer (1969) Employee of the Month (2006) Everything Must Go (2011) From Hell (2001) G.I. Jane (1997) Garfield (2004) Gargoyles: Wings of Darkness (2004) Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) Happy Tears (2010) Haunting In Connecticut 2: Ghosts Of Georgia (2013) Hello, My Name is Doris (2016) Hitman’s Run (1999) Jane Austen’s Mafia! (1998) Jennifer 8 (1992) John Grisham’s The Rainmaker (1997) The Juror (1996) Mars Attacks! (1996) Me, Myself And Irene (2000) Ninja Assassin (2009) The Omen (1976) (1976) Damien – Omen II (1978) Only God Forgives (2013) The Patsy (1964) Phase IV (1974) Possessor (2020) The Prince Of Tides (1991) Shirley Valentine (1989) The Shootist (1976) Sideways (2004) Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) The Tenant (1976) Teresa’s Tattoo (1994) Turbulence (1997) Van Wilder: Party Liaison (2002) Waking Ned Devine (1998) Witness (1985) X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) You Laugh But It’s True (2011) You’ve Got Mail (1998)
Weekend #5 of 52 (1/28 – 1/31/2021) for 2021 Picks By Streaming Service
The last weekend of the month is upon us.
KEY
*Title with asterisk – newly released Title is linked and has star rating – already watched, rated and reviewed Title bolded – on our schedule to watch/rewatch, rate and review (or in progress)
NOTE: If you’re coming to these posts weeks or months later, some and/or all of the picks listed below may no longer be on the streaming services indicated. Anything marked as “Original” typically doesn’t expire on the streaming services.
NETFLIX Movies
*Accomplice – Documentary (Jan 27)
*Penguin Bloom
*June & Kopi (Jan 28)
*Below Zero (Jan 29)
*Finding O’Hana
*The Dig
*Fatima (Jan 31)
NETFLIX TV
*50M 2 – Season 1 (Jan 27)
*We Are The Brooklyn Saints – Season 1 (Jan 29)
Disney+
*Epic (Jan 29)
*The Incredible Dr. Pol
*Ramona & Beezus
*Texas Storm Squad
Disney+ TV
Dinosaurs – Seasons 1-4 (Jan 29)
HBO Max Movies
*The Little Things (Jan 29) Also available in theaters, #2 of 17 movies in 2021 day and date released by Warner Bros.
Weekend #4 of 52 (1/21 – 1/24/2021) for 2021 Picks By Streaming Service
Back for more streaming action!
KEY
*Title with asterisk – newly released Title is linked and has star rating – already watched, rated and reviewed Title bolded – on our schedule to watch/rewatch, rate and review (or in progress)
NOTE: If you’re coming to these posts weeks or months later, some and/or all of the picks listed below may no longer be on the streaming services indicated. Anything marked as “Original” typically doesn’t expire on the streaming services.
NETFLIX Movies
*Sightless (Jan 20)
The White Tiger (Jan 22)
NETFLIX TV
*Spycraft – Season 1 – (Jan 20) Miniseries
*Call My Agent – Season 4 – (Jan 21)
*Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba – Season 1 – (Jan 22)
Weekend #3 of 52 (1/14 – 1/17/2021) for 2021 Picks By Streaming Service
Here we go again! The third week of the new year and, like stated here last week, it just doesn’t have the traditional feel of a new year. It still feels like April 2020 repeating itself like Groundhog Day.
A few interesting looking movies releasing new this weekend. Netflix has committed to 71 new movie releases in 2021 with this weekend’s premiere pictured right: Outside The Wire is a military sci-fi action flick with robots and humans fighting the good fight together. Love that they call the robots “gumps.” Get me a box of chocolates, please!
On Amazon Prime, a return to the turbulent 60s for a fictional meeting between four key fugures (Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown) discussing their roles in civil rights: One Night In Miami.
The TV side of things, particularly on Disney+, is active this weekend with the premier two episodes (of 9 total planned) of Wandavision on Disney+. This new series follows the events of Avengers: Endgame.
KEY
*Title with asterisk – newly released Title is linked and has star rating – already watched, rated and reviewed Title bolded – on our schedule to watch/rewatch, rate and review (or in progress)
NOTE: If you’re coming to these posts weeks or months later, some and/or all of the picks listed below may no longer be on the streaming services indicated. Anything marked as “Original” typically doesn’t expire on the streaming services.
NETFLIX Movies
*An Imperfect Murder – 2017 (Jan 13)
*Outside The Wire (Jan 15)
*Tribhanga
*WISH YOU: Your Melody In My Heart
*What Would Sophia Loren Do?
A Monster Calls – 2016 (Jan 16)
*Radium Girls
NETFLIX TV
*Bling Empire – Season 1 (Jan 15)
Carmen Sandiago – Season 4
Disenchantment – Part 3
Disney+
*Wandavision – Season 1 – (Jan 15) MCU, Will be 9 episodes total, first 2 episodes available
Mary Poppins Returns
Isle of Dogs
HBO Max Movies
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (Jan 15)
Poltergeist
Stephen King’s IT
Eve (Jan 16)
Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Kill Bill: Vol. 2
HBO Max TV
*Search Party – Season 4 (Jan 14)
Roots – Miniseries
The Wayan Bros.
Amazon Prime
*One Nigth In Miami (Jan 15)
Hulu Movies
*The Ultimate Playlist of Noise
No Escape
HuluTV
*Endings – Season 2 (Jan 15)
Is It Wrong To Pickup Girls In A Dungeon? – Season 3 (Jan 17)
Weekend #2 of 52 (1/7 – 1/10/2021) for 2021 Picks By Streaming Service
Is it just me or does it not really feel like a new year so far? Usually, I’m excited about the prospect of entering a new year, but so for this new year feels no different than most of 2020?
Luckily, new streaming movies and TV shows continue to be released. Let’s see what’s up out there!
KEY
*Title with asterisk – newly released Title is linked and has star rating – already watched, rated and reviewed Title bolded – on our schedule to watch/rewatch, rate and review (or in progress)
NOTE: If you’re coming to these posts weeks or months later, some and/or all of the picks listed below may no longer be on the streaming services indicated. Anything marked as “Original” typically doesn’t expire on the streaming services.
NETFLIX Movies
*Tony Parker: The Final Shot (Jan 6)
*Pieces of a Woman (Jan 7)
*Charming (Jan 8)
*Spring Breakers (Jan 10)
NETFLIX TV
*The History of Swear Words – Season 1 (Jan 5) Hosted by Nicolas Cage
*LA’s Finest – Season 1 Spinoff from Bad Boys movies
*Surviving Death – Season (Jan 6)
Disney+
*Marvel Studios: Legends (Jan 8)
HBO Max Movies
*The King of Staten Island (Jan 9)
HBO Max TV
*Squish – Season 1 (Jan 8)
Tiger – 2-part Documentary (Jan 10)
Amazon Prime Video TV
*Herself (Jan 8)
Hulu Movies
*Rhythm Section (Jan 11)
Lights Out (Jan 11)
HuluTV
*The Hustler: Series Premiere (Jan 8)
*The Chase: Series Premiere
*Celebrity Wheel of Fortune: Series Premiere
*Mr. Mayor: Series Premiere
A Certain Scientific Railgun Part 2: Complete Season 3
Movies, Movies, Movies 