My own impressions of the evolving
business of streaming, and the cut throat competition for market share and
profitability among channels and services, were given a top-down perspective in
a recent NYT analysis. Personally, I’ve become quite
methodical in managing subscriptions to minimize cost and maximize worthwhile viewing
options.
To find HBO under this heading is surprising, but as MAX it has certainly devolved into a channel that is only worthwhile for free, or for the occasional month. The slogan used to be “It’s not TV, it’s HBO,” but now it should be “It’s not HBO, it’s just TV.” Which is not to say it’s worthless, but lacking an identity, and not worth a continuing subscription (though I continue to piggyback on a friend’s cable subscription).
I confess to availing myself of Max’s incongruous live sporting events on occasion, and I’m a dedicated fan of John Oliver (who alternatively is easy to watch on YouTube). And credit where it’s due – the third season of Hacks (MC-86) lived up to, and even exceeded, expectations. MAX also offers a Hannah Einbinder comedy special, Everything Must Go, which confirms her ability as an actress, but is not quite as funny or appealing as the character she plays on Hacks. The channel’s current flagship program, House of the Dragon, stands absolutely no chance with me. I did give Lance Oppenheimer’s Ren Faire a chance to grab me . . . and it didn’t. Established fondness for two performers led me to a couple of films in a line-up that has been MAX-imized
I responded to Am I Okay? (MC-72) with “Yes, you are – not great, but just fine.” This is Tig Notaro’s directorial debut, in tandem with her wife Stephanie Allynne, and she also delivers an amusing cameo. Dakota Johnson plays a 32-year-old near-virgin, a diffident would-be painter but current receptionist at a swank LA spa, who belatedly realizes her erotic tendencies lean toward women. Her long-time best friend (Sonoya Mizuno), a much more confident professional woman, tries to coach her love life but with little success, and then is promoted to a distant job, which leads to friction that proves liberating to the Dakota character. Sweet and funny, with more than a hint of Tig’s dry humor, as well as Stephanie’s lived experience, though the script by Lauren Pomerantz is reputedly quite autobiographical.
I responded to Men (MC-65) with “Aren’t they awful?” Yes, but the woman they are being awful to is Jessie Buckley, so I decided to give Alex Garland’s film a chance. And before the film goes off the rails in the third act, it gives her the opportunity to be her magnetic self, as well as painting a bucolic picture of the English countryside. Her well-off character has rented a large old cottage for a healing getaway, after the ambiguous death of her husband, glimpsed in brief flashbacks. This Covid-era nightmare turns from pastoral to horrific, as Jessie is threatened by a variety of men, all played by Rory Kinnear, with not-so-special effects. The symbolism is laid on so thick it eventually becomes ridiculous, as the monstrous turns into a monstrosity. Rarely have I been so engaged with a film, only to turn against it so vehemently in the last third.
Where HBO shows were once original and inspired, now they’re more like extruded product. Likewise, the true-crime documentaries that have become a staple. But HBO still produces some docs worth seeing, such as Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. (MC-81). It’s an exploration as much as a promotion, since director Jamila Wignot does considerably more than recycle delightful footage from concert films like Monterey Pop and Wattstax. Using an ample archival record of performance and studio scenes, mixed with newsreels and retrospective interviews, she tells the story of the Memphis counterpart to Motown, featuring Booker T. Jones, Otis Redding, and Isaac Hayes among many others. In four hour-long episodes, the music business is situated in the context of race relations in the Sixties and Seventies and of an economy where the big fish devour the little fish, so the nostalgia is balanced by social critique, where the meeting of black and white is co-opted by green.
In the streaming channel shakeout now underway, Paramount+ is in the process of being sold and/or broken up, and consequently is offering a month’s free trial, perfectly timed for the new fourth season of my favorite Showtime series ever, Couples Therapy (Wiki). Rather than beating the drum for this outstanding series yet again, I refer you to my previous comments. I just love this show, it’s reality TV made real and comes with my highest recommendation.
So with a month to peruse P+, I came up with some other worthy viewing. In a round-up of documentaries, I’ll write up Oscar-nominated Chilean film The Eternal Memory. And I was happy to reacquaint myself with The One and Only Dick Gregory (MC-79), a notable figure of my younger days, in a documentary that gives equal weight to his comedy and his activism. You’ll laugh and you’ll be inspired.
Reminded by Hit Man of how much I like Richard Linklater, I was happy to give a second chance to one that initially struck me as a minor disappointment, Everyone Wants Some!! (MC-85). Lo and behold, I discovered it on P+, the house of disappointment. But on this viewing, I found more to like, and missed less of what I like most about Rick. This film pairs nicely with Dazed and Confused, taking his autobiography from the last days of high school to the first days of college. It also marks the emergence of Glenn Powell, who flowered in Hit Man.
Next up I’ll return to the first-tier streaming channel Hulu, and also post my round-up of recent award-worthy documentaries.
To find HBO under this heading is surprising, but as MAX it has certainly devolved into a channel that is only worthwhile for free, or for the occasional month. The slogan used to be “It’s not TV, it’s HBO,” but now it should be “It’s not HBO, it’s just TV.” Which is not to say it’s worthless, but lacking an identity, and not worth a continuing subscription (though I continue to piggyback on a friend’s cable subscription).
I confess to availing myself of Max’s incongruous live sporting events on occasion, and I’m a dedicated fan of John Oliver (who alternatively is easy to watch on YouTube). And credit where it’s due – the third season of Hacks (MC-86) lived up to, and even exceeded, expectations. MAX also offers a Hannah Einbinder comedy special, Everything Must Go, which confirms her ability as an actress, but is not quite as funny or appealing as the character she plays on Hacks. The channel’s current flagship program, House of the Dragon, stands absolutely no chance with me. I did give Lance Oppenheimer’s Ren Faire a chance to grab me . . . and it didn’t. Established fondness for two performers led me to a couple of films in a line-up that has been MAX-imized
I responded to Am I Okay? (MC-72) with “Yes, you are – not great, but just fine.” This is Tig Notaro’s directorial debut, in tandem with her wife Stephanie Allynne, and she also delivers an amusing cameo. Dakota Johnson plays a 32-year-old near-virgin, a diffident would-be painter but current receptionist at a swank LA spa, who belatedly realizes her erotic tendencies lean toward women. Her long-time best friend (Sonoya Mizuno), a much more confident professional woman, tries to coach her love life but with little success, and then is promoted to a distant job, which leads to friction that proves liberating to the Dakota character. Sweet and funny, with more than a hint of Tig’s dry humor, as well as Stephanie’s lived experience, though the script by Lauren Pomerantz is reputedly quite autobiographical.
I responded to Men (MC-65) with “Aren’t they awful?” Yes, but the woman they are being awful to is Jessie Buckley, so I decided to give Alex Garland’s film a chance. And before the film goes off the rails in the third act, it gives her the opportunity to be her magnetic self, as well as painting a bucolic picture of the English countryside. Her well-off character has rented a large old cottage for a healing getaway, after the ambiguous death of her husband, glimpsed in brief flashbacks. This Covid-era nightmare turns from pastoral to horrific, as Jessie is threatened by a variety of men, all played by Rory Kinnear, with not-so-special effects. The symbolism is laid on so thick it eventually becomes ridiculous, as the monstrous turns into a monstrosity. Rarely have I been so engaged with a film, only to turn against it so vehemently in the last third.
Where HBO shows were once original and inspired, now they’re more like extruded product. Likewise, the true-crime documentaries that have become a staple. But HBO still produces some docs worth seeing, such as Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. (MC-81). It’s an exploration as much as a promotion, since director Jamila Wignot does considerably more than recycle delightful footage from concert films like Monterey Pop and Wattstax. Using an ample archival record of performance and studio scenes, mixed with newsreels and retrospective interviews, she tells the story of the Memphis counterpart to Motown, featuring Booker T. Jones, Otis Redding, and Isaac Hayes among many others. In four hour-long episodes, the music business is situated in the context of race relations in the Sixties and Seventies and of an economy where the big fish devour the little fish, so the nostalgia is balanced by social critique, where the meeting of black and white is co-opted by green.
In the streaming channel shakeout now underway, Paramount+ is in the process of being sold and/or broken up, and consequently is offering a month’s free trial, perfectly timed for the new fourth season of my favorite Showtime series ever, Couples Therapy (Wiki). Rather than beating the drum for this outstanding series yet again, I refer you to my previous comments. I just love this show, it’s reality TV made real and comes with my highest recommendation.
So with a month to peruse P+, I came up with some other worthy viewing. In a round-up of documentaries, I’ll write up Oscar-nominated Chilean film The Eternal Memory. And I was happy to reacquaint myself with The One and Only Dick Gregory (MC-79), a notable figure of my younger days, in a documentary that gives equal weight to his comedy and his activism. You’ll laugh and you’ll be inspired.
Reminded by Hit Man of how much I like Richard Linklater, I was happy to give a second chance to one that initially struck me as a minor disappointment, Everyone Wants Some!! (MC-85). Lo and behold, I discovered it on P+, the house of disappointment. But on this viewing, I found more to like, and missed less of what I like most about Rick. This film pairs nicely with Dazed and Confused, taking his autobiography from the last days of high school to the first days of college. It also marks the emergence of Glenn Powell, who flowered in Hit Man.
Next up I’ll return to the first-tier streaming channel Hulu, and also post my round-up of recent award-worthy documentaries.
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