Reviews

(WARNING: Spoilers for the movie "Oxygen" streaming on Netflix.)

A woman wakes up in a cryogenic pod with no memory of who she is or how she got there. The pod is running out of oxygen and she has to figure out how to either get help or escape on her own. The story unfolds as the viewer learns her identity at the same time that she does.

The idea that the future is so entirely bleak that the only hope for humanity is to send them to another planet is an old one. But to grow clone bodies loaded with digital copies of the consciousness of humans knowing that there’s no hope for themselves was a new one when I watched it.

I was thinking–along with the character–that she had been kidnapped and buried alive. I believed that she had been put in a medically-necessary cryogenic sleep and that her pod had been hijacked by dangerous people or maybe there had been some kind of natural disaster and the pod had been buried under a collapsed building.

Every single one of her ideas made sense. Her desperation was entirely present and real.

The shock of her first view outside of the pod was visceral.

The realization of who and what she was… and why she was in a cryogenic pod… it was powerful and memorable.

The idea that the Earth is so poisoned that humanity is on the brink of extinction. That the only way for humanity to survive is to create clones with digital memories and send them to a new world and a new chance at life… the sheer beauty and horror of looking out and seeing the damage that had been done to the ship.

Liv’s sheer refusal to lay down and die was admirable, as was her ability to work out where and when she was and what she would have to do to survive. That her tenacity resulted in her saving her own life made for a great ending to a great movie.

There are some that would see the ending of all life on Earth as an inevitability. "There is nothing to do and nothing that our religion will allow us to do. We must lay down our lives and accept the end of everything. It is the will of the cosmos."

The original Liv and her husband, despite knowing that they themselves were going to die, prevailed to save humanity and some form of themselves. They uploaded their consciousnesses, and while their bodies expired on a dying world, their clone-children were able to travel to another world and continue onward.

They died, yet they lived. They expired, but they did not fail in their attempt to survive.

The hope of humanity is not a prevalence of life… but a refusal to give up when there is any possibility for something more.

~Harper Kingsley

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"What’s the hammer for?"

"Hammering."

Hilarious in the context of the first episode of "Killing It" on Peacock. Which is the only episode I’ve been able to watch, as I don’t have a Premium (paid!) subscription to Peacock.

I’ve been watching a lot of the free first episodes of shows, and there’s definitely a handful I’ve added to my to-be-watched list. As well as a few I’m fairly sure are a do-not-want.

"Killing It," starring Craig Robinson, Claudia O’Doherty, and Rell Battle, is about a man named Craig who is desperate to come up with the money needed to get his business idea off the ground. As a result of some bad luck-induced desperation, he joins a Florida competition that gives a $20,000 grand prize for whoever brings in the most pythons (I’m pretty sure those were pythons). It was definitely a good first episode, and I really got left wanting more.

Signing up for Peacock is free but requires an email address and a password. There’s some free movies and the first episodes of lots of shows. But most of the content seems to be Premium membership only. (Plus there doesn’t seem to be a way to filter content so only the free stuff is listed, boo.)

Meanwhile… Tubi, Freevee, Crackle, and PlutoTV allow you to watch movies and TV shows without signing in. YouTube doesn’t require a sign in either. Though remember: If you aren’t signed into an app, you can’t create and use watchlists, and if you leave the app and come back, your movie will restart from the beginning.

I’ve been trying out the free services to see if there’s anything I like. And while there’s plenty of filler content, there’s a few gems worth watching.

I’ve found that I prefer to watch on Tubi, as the UI is easier on the eyes and the way content is arrayed is more pleasing. Freevee has a lot of stuff as well, though you’re probably going to want to go to the "Discover" view, as the "Watch" section looks like the cable guide and it’s harder to find anything you’re looking for.

PlutoTV also has a cable guide look to it, and since it’s "live" TV there’s movies and shows that start at specific times if you want to tune in. At the same time, there’s an "On Demand" option that lets you watch their shows and movies when you want.

Crackle is an all right streamer. They have a lot of older, harder to find TV shows. I’ve watched a few movies on there and I didn’t hate the experience. I have no complaints with their service and the free factor is a plus. Though it does kind of feel like being in an old movie rental place, where you would walk in and see a row of movie cover art and you’d have to pick up the box to read the back to see what you’d want to watch.

My Amazon shop https://www.amazon.com/shop/harperkingsley0

And of course, nothing is truly free, so you’ve gotta know that the free streamers come with commercial breaks. But the nice thing is, the commercials are largely non-offensive. Like, there’s some commercials on DirecTV that make me want to cringe. Just so much do-not-want. It seems that the free content streamers are more considerate of their viewers than cable TV.

And I do like the commercial breaks that come with a little timer in the corner so you know how long you have to run to the bathroom and back without pausing.


There’s a lot of free content available, so of course the following lists aren’t complete. Like, there’s a lot of old TV shows available like Bob Ross painting, Columbo, and Bewitched that someone might be flipping through and decide to watch.

I just glanced through the various catalogues to make a short list for each app to get you started. And to give an idea of what’s available.


What’s on Tubi:
– 3rd Rock From the Sun
– The 6th Day
– The 13th Warrior
– The Angry Birds Movie
– Battle Royale
– Beetlejuice
– Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey
– Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
– Blackfish
– Con Air
– Coraline
– Cube
– Cube 2: Hypercube
– Cube Zero
– Delirious
– Dick
– Doctor Sleep
– Earth Girls Are Easy
– Elvira Mistress of the Dark
– The Fifth Element
– Frozen (the "stuck on a ski-lift" movie)
– George Carlin: Life Is Worth Losing
– Gifted
– Hard Candy
– The Host (Korean)
– Hotel Transylvania 2
– Jumanji
– I Saw the Devil
– Little Nicky
– Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
– Meet Joe Black
– My Girl
– The Nanny
– The Oblongs
– Overboard (1987)
– Pandorum
– Penelope
– The Ramen Girl
– The Secret of Nimh
– She-Devil
– So I Married An Axe Murder
– Starship Troopers
– Terminator Salvation
– Train to Busan
– Who Framed Roger Rabbit


What’s on Freevee:
– Battle Royale

  • Belle et Sébastien
  • Cats
  • Dead Like Me
  • Deadpool
  • Deadpool 2
  • Dredd
  • The Founder
  • Frozen (ski-lift movie)
  • The Hunt
  • The Last Unicorn
  • Logan
  • Miss Potter
  • Penelope
  • Prometheus
  • Shrek
  • The Ramen Girl
  • The Tribe

What’s on Crackle:
– The Borrowers (British TV)
– Das Boot
– Edge of Tomorrow
– The Flying Nun
– Freaks
– Gidget
– The Little Princess (Shirley Temple)
– The Man From Nowhere
– The Musketeers (British TV)
– Sherlock (British TV)


What’s on PlutoTV:
– A River Runs Through It
– Bebe’s Kids
– Benjamin Button
– Chappie
– Cloud Atlas
– Fargo
– Ghosts (TV series)
– Jawbreaker
– Jupiter Ascending
– The Host (Korean)
– Life (sci-fi alien)
– Little Man Tate
– Panic Room
– Overboard (1987)
– She-Devil
– Snow Piercer
– Their Finest


My faves: Tubi, Freevee, and PlutoTV.

Movies I recently watched and liked: Their Finest. The Ramen Girl. Gifted. Belle et Sébastien.


We have an Amazon Prime account, so the streaming device I have experience with is the Amazon Fire TV Stick => Amazon ADLINK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XVYZ1Y5/?tag=harperkingsley-20 <= and the Kindle Fire.

As such, the front end is pretty much an advertisement for Amazon content. But if you go into the Prime app on the Fire TV, there’s a section called "Free to me" that has all the free to watch stuff from your Prime account and your subscribed Prime channels (trials, on my part. I use the heck out of the 7-day trials when available). And of course, I’ve got the pin-protection on so nobody "accidentally" makes a purchase on the account.

This is the Alexa routine I made =>https://alexa.amazon.com/routines/shared/3haSlRa-QISGP_VQXXb9Fw <= though I didn’t know it would share as a QR code. The activation phrase is "Alexa, how does she walk?"

I’m thinking about making more Alexa routines, because it was kind of fun.

When you ask Alexa about the weather while you’re watching a movie, the bottom of the screen comes up while she’s talking… and the movie will continue to play with no sound in the background!

I asked her what’s the weather like on the moon, and she gave great information about the moon being cold in the dark and hot in the sunlight. But when I asked what the weather is like on Jupiter… She kept telling the weather for Jupiter, Florida!

Your Highness
Directed by: David Gordon Green
Starring: Danny McBride, James Franco, Natalie Portman
Rating: R (for language, imagery, etc)

Storyline from Universal: Throughout history, tales of chivalry have burnished the legends of brave, handsome knights who rescue fair damsels, slay dragons and conquer evil. But behind many a hero is a good-for-nothing younger brother trying just to stay out of the way of those dragons, evil and trouble in general. As two princes on a daring mission to save their land, they must rescue the heir apparent’s fiancée before their kingdom is destroyed. Thadeous (McBride) has spent his life watching his perfect older brother Fabious (Franco) embark upon valiant journeys and win the hearts of his people. Tired of being passed over for adventure, adoration and the throne, he’s settled for a life of wizard’s weed, hard booze and easy maidens. But when Fabious’ bride-to-be, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), gets kidnapped by the evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux), the king gives his deadbeat son an ultimatum: Man up and help rescue her or get cut off…

It’s very sad that this movie did not do better in theaters or with audiences, but I think that might have been due to some misplaced marketing. Seeing the trailers on TV, I was kind of expecting it to be set in the Middle Ages and to be kind of an adventure thing with knights and going off to save the maiden fair. Though, considering the casting, I realized it would contain some rude humor. So basically Hot Tub Time Machine in a medieval setting.

Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by the great costuming (Zooey Deschanel as Belladonna had the greatest dresses) and setting and the actually pretty awesome special effects. There were some f-words and rude humor, sure, but if I ever found myself in some of those situations, that’s exactly how I would talk too.

If you like DragonLance type adventuring, you’d probably find this movie perking your interest. It was kind of a cross between Willow/Labyrinth/PineappleExpress and is actually a lot more than just some “stoner movie” as one reviewer called it.

The story is actually very original and the world it’s set on is not Earth in the past–or so I deduced from the two moons. The characters each had their own personalities and didn’t fit into the typical fantasy type-casting of “mage, barbarian, or bad guy.” This was simply a great popcorn movie with lots of one-liners and visual humor paired with some great questing that isn’t just the typical rip off of Lord of the Rings.

From the opening credits of this movie, I was laughing. I enjoyed it thoroughly from beginning to end and I’m looking forward to watching it again and again. I’m fully planning on buying a copy of my own.

What it reminds me of: Krull, Willow, Pineapple Express, Let’s Go to Prison.

Quotables:

[Fabious is bitten by a snake in the thigh ]
Courtney: SHIT!
Fabious: You have to suck out the venom!
Thadeous: I don’t want to suck it, you suck it!
Fabious: I can’t suck my own venom!
Thadeous: Yes you can! I’ll help you!
[pushes Fabious’s head down]
Thadeous: Suck it! Suck your venom!
Fabious: I can’t reach it with my mouth!
Thadeous: Courtney, suck the venom!
Courtney: But I’ve never…
Thadeous: [pushes Courtney’s head down] SUCK IT!

Isabel: I must surprise a band of thieves and burn them alive in a symphony of shrieks

[the brothers get high]
Fabious: [holding his head] Thadeous, are you seeing what I’m seeing?
Thadeous: [calmly] You making a fool of yourself. Handle your shit, Fabious, please.

Leezar: I’m here to steal a beautiful virgin that looks just. Like. Her.
Fabious: And how do you plan to do that?
Leezar: Magic.
[cracks neck]
Leezar: Motherfucker.

Thadeous: Not so fast, trickster.
Isabel: Hello, Thadeous.
Thadeous: The time for pleasantries is through; do you feel that tiny prick in your back?
Isabel: Is that your cock?
Thadeous: Ha! It is a knife but I’ll gladly penetrate you with it.

Title: Portrait of a Beauty
Directed by Jeon Yoon-soo
Screenplay by Han Soon-ryeon

Alternative title : “Beauty Island”

Synopsis borrowed from HanCinema: Born to a family of established court painters, seven-year-old Yun-jeong is a young girl gifted at painting. However, the pressure is on her brother to carry on the proud family tradition, as women aren’t allowed to become professional painters. While her brother trains to take his place in the court, Yun-jeong helps him out by secretly painting for him. The little girl’s life is turned upside down when her brother kills himself. In order to preserve the family honor, she is forced to take her brother’s name and lives as a man. Yun-bok’s genius and talent captures the heart of another great master of the time, Kim Hong-do. But her daring depictions of women are condemned by the royal institute as obscene. Yun-bok meets Kang-mu and falls deeply in love. For the first time, she feels the strong desire to abandon everything she has built and simply be a woman in front of the man she loves. Kang-mu sacrifices all for his love as well. Kim Hong-do, who loved the genius of his best student, ends up loving everything about her, and Seol-hwa, a Gisaeng at the courtesan house, possesses a love for Hong-do that turns into fatal jealousy. The secret behind Shin Yun-bok’s masterpiece, Portrait of a Beauty, is finally revealed after 250 years of silence.