Streaming Weekly April 2016 4.0
If you’re looking for something to watch this weekend, our contributors will not let you down. Check out three new picks from the best of what is streaming and make sure to have a happy movie watching weekend!
via Mark Wingerter
The Big Lebowski (Amazon Prime) – I still occasionally run into people who haven’t seen this movie. Truthfully, it’s not for everyone. But it’s a Cohen Brothers masterpiece. It’s the funniest exploration of nihilism you’ll ever see, and its audaciously cool main character, The Dude, is the part Jeff Bridges was born to play. There’s a reason this movie is iconic. And in my book, it’s one of the best films of all time.
via The Film Avenger
Animaniacs (Netflix) – Simply one of the most clever “kid’s TV shows” ever created. The (mis)adventures of the Warner Brothers and their sister Dot (along with a menagerie of hilarious supporting characters) are intelligent, well-written and surprisingly thought-provoking. Jokes and gags come quickly, with multiple levels for both adults and children. They even touch a little on history, politics, pop culture and current events (at the time) – with classic Warner Bros. animation zaniness used as the catalyst. Who doesn’t remember Yakko singing the names of all the countries of the world, or Wakko literally burping to classical music? The creators must have had an absolute blast working on this show. If you lament the current condescending and sometimes incomprehensible state of children’s programming like I do, you’ll love this show.
via Gene Gosewehr
The Ranch (Netflix) – The Ranch is Netflix’s latest original content about a ranch family reconnecting with one another after years of chasing dreams or running each other off. Ashton Kutcher is Colt Bennet, former and still famed high school quarterback, whose dreams of professional stardom have ended as he returns home to his ranch-owning father (Sam Elliott) and older brother Rooster (Danny Masterson). As Netflix normally does, they’ve pulled together a respectable cast to attempt to tell a common story in an interesting way. This is a story that I’m sure a lot of middle-America can connect with. Generational differences in work ethic, lifestyle, entitlement, life goals and expectations.
I’m still working through my feelings on it so this is a soft recommendation more for keeping up with what’s new. My first reactions were related to audio issues. The laugh-tracks seem embellished and the opening intro music is a classic country song that, while the lyrics make sense, the tone and construction of the episodes feels disconnected. I would give a slight content warning as well. No nudity but the occasional language and sexual content. Danny Masterson is the primary comic relief and he delivers blunt comedy quite well. I’m often laughing at simple one-liners out of his mouth and he has quickly become my favorite part of the show. As far as the message goes, this show trades on a lot of typical family problems rooted in a lack of communication. Whether it be husband and wife, father and sons, or brothers bickering back and forth, the love is there but it’s often buried deep at the risk of being hurt and so lashing out and mistreatment is often chosen over a genuine conversation. But, that’s probably emblematic of family realities.
