HBO Max Recommendations

MOONAGE DAYDREAM
Less a documentary than it is a mind-melting melee of sound and vision, it mixes archival footage, animation, and voiceovers into a blazing assault on the senses.
While more or less unfolding in a linear narrative, it is by no means comprehensive, starting at Bowie’s Ziggy period and then zig-zagging loosely through some of his other personas and career milestones.
For the most part it is largely intense and engaging, yet it does tend to drag in spots. However, the slow moments are easily overshadowed by numerous chill inducing bouts of emotional sonic bliss.
Highly recommended.

New season of Barry is fire.

The scene with Hank and the boxes of heads was incredible. If they maintain this until the finish this show is going to be legendary.


"Are there heads in those boxes? Why am I even asking that question?"

Why do I keep opening these?

ROFL

Seriously. Probably one of, if not the best show HBO has had in a few (6) years


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Bill Hader is a better director than actor and he's a great actor.

Bill hader is a fucking genius. I’m trying to keep away from this thread as I’m still catching up so keep your spoilers out of the first sentence please

White House Plumbers is worth a look and is a good laugh.

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Originally Posted by neckdeep

And that part where the Canadian Rockies were used as a backdrop for "10 miles west of Boston"? So sloppy. Or lazy. Thats really into wtf territory. I'm not sold and seems like the critics are so enamoured of the drama that they are giving the rest of the show a free pass.

Bill's battle against the raiders was just plain dumb. He had an arsenal and fixed defensive positions. But he's shown dueling it out in the open with a deer rifle? He would have been shredded. That's lighting and visuals determining the plot. Embarrassingly bad.

Just sayin', that fucked up my willing suspension of disbelief more than mushroom zombies that have no spores. Spores are too problematic for tv writing so let's just drop that key concept entirely...but lets still have fruiting bodies all over the place cuz that looks so fungusy. That's high concept bullshit, not the best tv show in years.

Good show but it already has GIGANTIC plot holes after just three episodes so...yikes. The dramatic elements are solid but the sci-fi/world building is a bit wobbly, to say the least.

Not looking forward to another HBO show that starts out as prestige TV and slowly fizzles as things that look cool take priority over things that make sense.

HBO actually has a shit track record on these scifi/fantasy shows. GoT, Westworld, Raised by Wolves...all had better starts than finishes.

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i watched the in its weekly run. started intriguing and promising but it ultimately felt 2-dimensional and linear. but as all the hype boasts : it is based on a video game. always better source material than a novel or an original screenplay!:fm:

the show held me as i waited for succession season 4 - which, unlike the prestige shows above - has excelled and intrigued throughout. the only other recent HBO offering that came close for me was white lotus.

with just one last episode left, my pre-grieving the end of my favorite series ever will move into a full-on sense of loss!

if you're gonna stream it, start from the top and pace yourself. the suspense from episode to episode is part of what's made the series what it is.

and yes, white house plumbers is good, and may ease the pain a bit.

Barry finale felt pretty meh, other than NoHo Hank and co.

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Originally Posted by buckethead

i watched the in its weekly run. started intriguing and promising but it ultimately felt 2-dimensional and linear. but as all the hype boasts : it is based on a video game. always better source material than a novel or an original screenplay!:fm:

the show held me as i waited for succession season 4 - which, unlike the prestige shows above - has excelled and intrigued throughout. the only other recent HBO offering that came close for me was white lotus.

with just one last episode left, my pre-grieving the end of my favorite series ever will move into a full-on sense of loss!

if you're gonna stream it, start from the top and pace yourself. the suspense from episode to episode is part of what's made the series what it is.

and yes, white house plumbers is good, and may ease the pain a bit.

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Succession was brilliant I thought

Will go down as one of the best TV shows of all time

Liked Barry to the bitter sweet end

^^ yea not quite sure what post-succession life will be like. yes, consistently excellent on so many levels. and yes agreed, one of the greatest tv shows ever.

finally caught the series finale last night (2 days after airing) after getting home too late from the hill sunday and monday nites - and having avoided all the go-to recaps/analyses.

interesting twist at end, in a sort of reprise of the season 1 board meeting.
of course, given the arc of the story, this is the ending that had to happen.

unlike the cathartic and emotional end sequence of six feet under - which actually had me getting very teary - succession's ending left me feeling a little empty and unsettled.. i'll chalk that up to empathy for the show's tragic siblings.

Just finished my Succession binge over the past few weeks. I feel like we kept waiting for “why it’s so good?”….and why people were saying “it’s the best show ever on TV”.

Reading thoughts on here, we are totally in the minority…we found it annoying….with the endless ridiculous dialogue and interactions between the characters/siblings to be insufferable.

FWIW…I guess my wife and I both being only children/middle class suckers that live in a completely world….just didn’t get that this is how companies/business world operates?

I’m glad it ended…(my wife is too…lol)

It's a satirical comedy.

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Originally Posted by BC.

Just finished my Succession binge over the past few weeks. I feel like we kept waiting for “why it’s so good?”….and why people were saying “it’s the best show ever on TV”.

Reading thoughts on here, we are totally in the minority…we found it annoying….with the endless ridiculous dialogue and interactions between the characters/siblings to be insufferable.

FWIW…I guess my wife and I both being only children/middle class suckers that live in a completely world….just didn’t get that this is how companies/business world operates?

I’m glad it ended…(my wife is too…lol)

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Can see that

Sometimes binging gives you too much of a good thing too quickly

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Originally Posted by BC.

Just finished my Succession binge over the past few weeks. I feel like we kept waiting for “why it’s so good?”….and why people were saying “it’s the best show ever on TV”.

Reading thoughts on here, we are totally in the minority…we found it annoying….with the endless ridiculous dialogue and interactions between the characters/siblings to be insufferable.

FWIW…I guess my wife and I both being only children/middle class suckers that live in a completely world….just didn’t get that this is how companies/business world operates?

I’m glad it ended…(my wife is too…lol)

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Agreed. I made it about halfway through the first season.

I didn't think it was bad, but it just never really grabbed me. I hated all the characters, which is kind of the point. But I didn't hate them enough that I was invested in the show just so I could watch them fail. So in the end, it's just a bunch of annoying people squabbling.

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Originally Posted by Jumper Bones

Barry finale felt pretty meh, other than NoHo Hank and co.

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It was different than I was expecting, but I liked it. The irony of Barry being turned into a hero because Cusino couldn't stop himself from killing him was hilarious. Would have liked to see a little more closure on Fuchs, and maybe a scene of Cusino's life in prison, probably ironically happy that everyone thinks he's a badass gangster rather than the chump he really is.

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Originally Posted by Dantheman

It was different than I was expecting, but I liked it. The irony of Barry being turned into a hero because Cusino couldn't stop himself from killing him was hilarious. Would have liked to see a little more closure on Fuchs, and maybe a scene of Cusino's life in prison, probably ironically happy that everyone thinks he's a badass gangster rather than the chump he really is.

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Definitely wrapped up in a way I wasn’t expecting, but not disappointed one bit.

I almost felt like they left the Fuchs story line open for a Better Call Sal style show, but pretty doubtful there.

I just started season 2 of Righteous Gemstones.... pretty good! Danny McBride (aka Kenny Fuckin Powers) is so funny!

Season 3 just started dropping episodes as well.

Been watching Idol. The Weekend is creepy as hell, he can’t be that good of an actor so he’s likely a creep in real life.

SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER
Surprisingly, this was the first Francois Truffaut film I ever watched.
Based on the novel Down There by revered pulp/noir writer David Goodis (I have not read the book yet, but have read some other Goodis titles; he’s in the vein of Jim Thompson).
Truffaut’s film is a very droll and existential noir teeming with coy dialogue and wonderful camera work, specifically Truffaut’s use of reflections in mirrors, windows, etc.
Highly recommended.

May have to reboot The MAX for this:

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Originally Posted by toast2266

Agreed. I made it about halfway through the first season.

I didn't think it was bad, but it just never really grabbed me. I hated all the characters, which is kind of the point. But I didn't hate them enough that I was invested in the show just so I could watch them fail. So in the end, it's just a bunch of annoying people squabbling.

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felt the same. not really bingable

Watching Telemarketers on HBO. Absolutely amazing documentary, the unlikely protagonist of which (Pat Prespas) is simply one of the most likable, effective, and compelling documentarians of all time. Strongest, strongest recommendation.

https://youtu.be/nKLveXWvb2s

obligatory fuck the police, my god

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“Bookie” is great. LOL funny. Top 5 series to come out on any streaming service in a long time. A must see IMO.

I'm rewatching GoT. Goddamn that shit holds up.

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Barbie is out. Good movie

Anybody checked out SCAVENGERS REIGN ?

If it’s half as bonkers as the original short film, I gotta imagine it’s really cool.

Looks inspired, in part, by Fantastic Planet and Nausicaa in the Valley of the Wind.

Here’s the original short:

Gilded age season 2 done.
Good shit

Belgravia S2 about to start! Not on HBO Max, however.

True Detective: Night Country.
A little bumpy and fantastical so far. I keep flashing on Fortitude and 30 Days of Night.

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Originally Posted by PB

True Detective: Night Country.
A little bumpy and fantastical so far. I keep flashing on Fortitude and 30 Days of Night.

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Exactly my thoughts and feelings

Plus throw in an number of shows recently that have highlighted the fate, futility & fatality of the indigenous

Last night the kids (ages 6 and 8) and I watched Hayao Miyazaki's "Porco Rosso." I saw it back in the late 90s on VHS and a small TV, so was just in awe this time around with just how drop-dead gorgeous this film actually was. So many beautiful hand-painted backdrops. Kids got a bit of a quick history lesson about early fascist Italy, aviator culture and the Adriatic region. I absolutely adore the leisurely but even pacing of the movie. A nice break from the ADD style so many modern movies are prone to these days. Thankfully, I've been raising my little ones with the stuff I grew up with (like old school Mister Rogers) so they thoroughly enjoyed it and were never bored. They were BEGGING me not to pause it for the night as bedtime approached, so we finished it despite my better judgment. Haha. Highly, HIGHLY recommended for a family or solo viewing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awEC-aLDzjs

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Originally Posted by PB

True Detective: Night Country.
A little bumpy and fantastical so far. I keep flashing on Fortitude and 30 Days of Night.

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I actually liked it. I don't disagree with your synopsis but the cast was strong enough to propel the story. The end was a bit meh, however.

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Yeah, it definitely grows on you. I would put it on the same level as season 1, maybe even better (different?) in some ways.
Haven't watched the finale yet, but I always try to keep my expectations tamped down, as endings rarely do it right.

Continuing with HBO's Studio Ghibli offerings, I FINALLY got around to watching Miyazaki's "The Wind Rises" from 2013. Another film with a fascinating view of early 1900s aviation, but this time more specifically Japan and the lead up to WWII. It is a somewhat fictionalized, fantastical biopic of the real life Jiro Horikoshi, the chief engineer for Mitsubishi that helped create the A5M Zero among many other iconic fighters of the war. As usual, the outspoken pacifist Miyazaki does a MASTERFUL job of showing foreign perspectives on very difficult topics that we don't often see. The gray areas so to speak. The real life Jiro Horikoshi was evidently none too stoked on his masterpieces being used as tools of war, and the film does a beautiful dance addressing that.

It's a story of passion, of love, and is hands down one of THE most beautiful pieces of artwork I have ever seen in my entire life. The score was done by Joe Hisaishi, conducting the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra himself, and that alone can bring one to tears. This one was nominated for a ton of awards, won a bunch, and now I see why. An absolute must-watch in my opinion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXuswYJFrDM

I thought Night Country was a total complete disappointment. I was pretty hyped for the lead actors, the setting and premise, the showrunners and producers - all of it really. They had everything they needed to make this really great.

I thought the plot was sloppy, the pacing was disjointed, the references to season 1 obvious and lazy, and the finale completely unsatisfying and frankly hard for me to imagine how they thought it was a good way to tie up the story. All of a sudden it’s a group of indigenous women who killed all the white men for wrecking the environment - that could have been a great plot if they didn’t just introduce these characters in the last 10 minutes of the final episode.

My opinion seems to match the majority of viewers but is not in keeping with most professional critics who gave it positive reviews. Reading those reviews it’s like I watched a totally different series. Unclear how this could even be compared in the same sentence to season 1 IMHO. I’d put it on par with season 3.

Pizzolato (the showrunner for season 1) called season 4 “so stupid” and said “I certainly did not have any input on this story - can’t blame me”

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Originally Posted by bennymac

I thought Night Country was a total complete disappointment. I was pretty hyped for the lead actors, the setting and premise, the showrunners and producers - all of it really. They had everything they needed to make this really great.

I thought the plot was sloppy, the pacing was disjointed, the references to season 1 obvious and lazy, and the finale completely unsatisfying and frankly hard for me to imagine how they thought it was a good way to tie up the story. All of a sudden it’s a group of indigenous women who killed all the white men for wrecking the environment - that could have been a great plot if they didn’t just introduce these characters in the last 10 minutes of the final episode.

My opinion seems to match the majority of viewers but is not in keeping with most professional critics who gave it positive reviews. Reading those reviews it’s like I watched a totally different series. Unclear how this could even be compared in the same sentence to season 1 IMHO. I’d put it on par with season 3.

Pizzolato (the showrunner for season 1) called season 4 “so stupid” and said “I certainly did not have any input on this story - can’t blame me”

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This is how I feel about Night Country


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Originally Posted by bennymac

My opinion seems to match the majority of viewers but is not in keeping with most professional critics who gave it positive reviews. Reading those reviews it’s like I watched a totally different series.

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That's because so many modern critics base their opinions on "tHE MeSsaGE" instead of storytelling devices, plot cohesiveness, acting quality, etc. Nowhere is this more evident than on Rotten Tomatoes where garbage movies that have a message they like will be like 100% fresh from the critics and 0% from the audience, with things they don't like getting the opposite treatment. Now when audiences AND critics agree something's fresh, then it's usually actually bound to pretty good.

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Originally Posted by MontuckyFried

That's because so many modern critics base their opinions on "tHE MeSsaGE" instead of storytelling devices, plot cohesiveness, acting quality, etc. Nowhere is this more evident than on Rotten Tomatoes where garbage movies that have a message they like will be like 100% fresh from the critics and 0% from the audience, with things they don't like getting the opposite treatment. Now when audiences AND critics agree something's fresh, then it's usually actually bound to pretty good.

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Ha! Renewed for 5th season!

Everything pales in comparison to True Detective season 1. I hope Severance doesn’t follow suit.