I don't see a thread for Hulu originals so I guess here goes.
We just finished Handmaid's Tale last night and holy crap that was some good heavy TV. Elizabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes ans the rest of the cat do an amazing job. The cinematography really brings the world to life and the flashbacks flesh out the story quite nicely. Lots of gut punches. I'd recommend one or two episodes at a time but not more. Excellent show.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 12:22 pm
by hepcat
I started it, but got distracted by other stuff. I really need to get back to it though. I've heard only good things about it.
I also got hooked on The Path last year. While the second season went a little too far into mysticism, it's still a solid drama about a cult that is both good and bad. Plus, it stars Will Graham and Jesse Pinkman.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 3:10 pm
by hepcat
Binge watched all of The Handmaid's Tale this week while recovering from what turned out to be strep throat (ugh).
What a powerful series. And Moss is just a force of nature in it. Two thumbs WAY up. Cannot wait for season 2 now.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 12:36 pm
by Captain Caveman
We watched the first episode of the Handmaid's Tale last night. I don't know if we'll watch more. Not because it wasn't excellent-- it was! But because it was just so brutal and worrisome, especially for my wife who was tearing up while watching it.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 12:45 pm
by hepcat
It is extraordinarily brutal, sad, grim, and hopeless. But the hope that does spring forth is all the more visceral because of the environment it has to struggle to survive in.
Also, Offred's asides are quite often darkly comic. Sometimes to the point of laugh out loud moments.
The surprise for me was that the show managed to humanize even the worst offenders. (Almost) everyone has a reason, or at least a catalyst, for why they act the way they do. And they often have a past that doesn't always foreshadow their current station/outlook/actions.
I would highly recommend giving it a shot. By the second or third episode, the grim nature of these survivor's lives will be offset by their indomitable spirit and their will to live free. You'll be cheering for even the smallest of victories.
It doesn't hurt that the acting is uniformly superb.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2017 8:37 am
by tjg_marantz
+1
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2017 9:19 am
by Carpet_pissr
I will ask the question I seem to always ask in these made from book tv shows....anyone (that has done so) recommend reading the book first?
Castle Rock is an upcoming American psychological horror web television series created for Hulu. It is based on the stories of Stephen King, intertwining characters and themes from the fictional town of Castle Rock.
Suburgatory alumna Jane Levy is set to co-star opposite André Holland in Hulu’s upcoming psychological-horror drama series Castle Rock from J.J. Abrams and Stephen King. Also boarding the show in a key role is an actress closely associated with King’s cinematic world, Carrie star Sissy Spacek.
...
Per the producers, it combines the mythological scale and intimate character storytelling of King’s best-loved works, weaving an epic saga of darkness and light, played out on a few square miles of Maine woodland.
Holland will play Henry, a death row attorney with a unique and complicated history in Castle Rock.
Oscar winner alum Spacek will play Ruth Deaver, the estranged adoptive mother of Henry (Holland). She’s a retired professor whose fading memories might hold a key to Castle Rock’s unsettling past. Levy plays Jackie, the death-obsessed self-appointed historian of Castle Rock.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 8:53 pm
by Carpet_pissr
Man, Stephen King content is quite the hot tamale these days in Hollywood, huh?
So much of his stuff being made into movies and series in the past couple years.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 4:02 pm
by tjg_marantz
Blessed be the Froot Loop. Handmaid's Tale renewed for season 3. Yay... ?
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Thu May 10, 2018 2:40 pm
by Isgrimnur
Spoiler:
Looking for Alaska will be adapted into an eight-episode limited series on Hulu--with Josh and Stephanie (who've stuck with this for 13 YEARS!) running the show. I'm excited. Hope you are, too.
Hulu, Amblin Television, and Warner Bros. Animation are partnering for a rebooted version of the classic cartoon series, which has scored a two-season, straight-to-series commitment at the streaming service.
Steven Spielberg will return as executive producer of the series, with Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Digital Series, and Amblin Television co-presidents Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank also serving as executive producers. New episodes are set to premiere on the premium streaming service in 2020. Amblin Television will produce in association with Warner Bros. Animation.
In addition to announcing the new series, Hulu and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution also inked a new pact that makes Hulu the exclusive streaming home to the complete library of all 99 episodes of the original series, as well as spinoff series “Pinky and the Brain,” “Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain,” and the complete “Tiny Toon Adventures” collection.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 1:47 pm
by hepcat
So I watched the first episode of Castle Rock last night. The first three episodes are up as of yesterday.
It's...okay. But in trying to stay faithful to King's style, they also included his flaws. We get a great opening with an interesting premise...then 40 minutes of melodrama that would make a Mexican soap opera cringe. Then it gets back on course. I'm hoping that isn't true of episode 2, but I fear that's just how things work if you stay painstakingly true to his style.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 1:53 am
by tjg_marantz
Please update after watching the first three if you can. B:)
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 5:48 am
by hepcat
2nd episode was better. A lot of less soap opera in the middle. It seems to be finding its voice and concentrating on the characters that should be given front and center attention, and in a way that serves the story.
I really hated the Netflix show Hemlock Grove. And that was mainly due to the ridiculous acting of Bill Skarsgård. However, he's really found his niche these days with Pennywise and now this character. I'm beginning to suspect he did have some talent all along, but it was just buried under a really, really bad script with Hemlock Grove.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 9:19 am
by tjg_marantz
Good stuff. Thanks.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 10:41 am
by YellowKing
I finished the first three episodes and I'm enjoying it so far. Not as scary as I had hoped - plays out more like a small-town drama, but there have been a couple of creepy sequences.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2018 8:54 am
by Jaddison
I have watched every episode so far and it is pure SK which means I am really enjoying it. The actor playing the "anomaly" is pretty darn good.
Wish I was willing to shell out the $s to be able to watch Mr. Mercedes but can't see paying for a whole service just to watch one thing.....kind of like Star Trek and CBS,
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2018 9:48 am
by Malificent
Castle Rock episode 7 - The Queen, was a fantastic episode of television, period. It has really hit its stride.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2018 10:35 am
by msteelers
Malificent wrote: ↑Wed Sep 05, 2018 9:48 am
Castle Rock episode 7 - The Queen, was a fantastic episode of television, period. It has really hit its stride.
The wife and I are really liking Castle Rock.
Your post reminds me that I need to look up some of the easter eggs in the show. I know I've picked up on some, but I'm sure I've missed a lot.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 9:36 am
by msteelers
The last couple of episodes of Castle Rock have been excellent. There's a lot of easter eggs for fans of Steven King, but the story stands on its own.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 11:10 am
by hepcat
I had given up on it after the Sissy Spacek centric episode. Maybe I should go back and give it another chance.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 1:50 pm
by msteelers
hepcat wrote: ↑Fri Sep 07, 2018 11:10 am
I had given up on it after the Sissy Spacek centric episode. Maybe I should go back and give it another chance.
If you didn't care for that episode then the show isn't for you.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 3:25 pm
by Octavious
God I'm so out of it that I didn't even realize this show was released. I don't watch much tv so I guess it's not that shocking, but I love my some Stephen King. Planning on watching this over the weekend.
hepcat wrote: ↑Fri Sep 07, 2018 11:10 am
I had given up on it after the Sissy Spacek centric episode. Maybe I should go back and give it another chance.
If you didn't care for that episode then the show isn't for you.
It started off with a promise of an interesting mystery and supernatural evil. But then it fell victim to the same thing that King fails at: writing actual 3 dimensional characters with interesting dialog. Without that, I'm left just waiting for a monster appearance to make it watchable.
hepcat wrote: ↑Fri Sep 07, 2018 11:10 am
I had given up on it after the Sissy Spacek centric episode. Maybe I should go back and give it another chance.
If you didn't care for that episode then the show isn't for you.
It started off with a promise of an interesting mystery and supernatural evil. But then it fell victim to the same thing that King fails at: writing actual 3 dimensional characters with interesting dialog. Without that, I'm left just waiting for a monster appearance to make it watchable.
And you thought the Sissey Spacek episode had 2 dimension characters with dull dialogue?
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 4:27 pm
by hepcat
Sissy Spacek can elevate almost anything. However, that episode in general felt like pure padding.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 6:05 pm
by msteelers
hepcat wrote: ↑Fri Sep 07, 2018 4:27 pm
Sissy Spacek can elevate almost anything. However, that episode in general felt like pure padding.
I just can't make sense of those two sentences. It's like we're watching shows that share the same title, and the same characters, but everything else is slightly different.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 6:06 pm
by msteelers
Octavious wrote: ↑Fri Sep 07, 2018 3:25 pm
God I'm so out of it that I didn't even realize this show was released. I don't watch much tv so I guess it's not that shocking, but I love my some Stephen King. Planning on watching this over the weekend.
Lucky! You can binge most of the show, and catch the season finale when it airs on Wednesday.
Waiting each week for a new episode is painful.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 1:14 am
by gameoverman
Welp, that was a waste of time. Castle Rock I mean. I was really hoping they'd save it with a fantastic last episode that paid it all off. Instead it was a fizzle.
I am not impressed with stuff like "Oh look, it's Shawshank" unless it's used in some way. All this stuff could have happened in any small town and you wouldn't have to change anything except the names. There was some good stuff here and there, but when you step back and look at the entire thing, what was the point? I don't get it.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 7:06 am
by msteelers
I wouldn't call Castle Rock a waste of time, but the ending wasn't very good. They wanted to leave everything open for interpretation. And when that works, it works. Sadly, this show left me feeling like the Sopranos ending did: confused, and wondering if something went wrong and I missed an integral part of the show.
Spoiler:
The overarching storyline was the Kid. Was he evil? Was he a victim? Was he both? I think you can make a compelling argument for all three. Theoretically, I'm fine with leaving that open to interpretation. My big issue is the way they did it. The Kid is forcing Henry to find the Thinny out in the woods so he can go home. Henry remembers how he pushed his father over the cliff, then tackles the Kid and grabs the gun. When Henry gets the upper hand, he sees the kid as a demon (his true figure?). Then, we cut to commercial...
When we come back, suddenly the story jumps forward a year. WTH!!? I thought something was wrong with my feed, and that we jumped forward an entire segment. Just like with the Sopranos, when I thought that our cable went out at the end of the series finale.
In theory, I'm fine with what they did. Stephen King doesn't do happy endings often, so the Kid going back in his cage and Henry stuck in town looking after him is a fitting end. I like not knowing whether Ruth was really untethered from time, or just suffering from the effects of dementia.
It's not what they did, it's how they did it. They cut out the climax of the show! We went straight from the rising action, to the resolution. I don't think you can have a satisfying story when you do that.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 8:47 am
by hepcat
I haven't caught up yet, but is there supposed to be a second season of CR?
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 8:50 am
by Malificent
hepcat wrote: ↑Fri Sep 14, 2018 8:47 am
I haven't caught up yet, but is there supposed to be a second season of CR?
Yes and there is a good chance it will not be in the physical location of Cattle Rock.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 8:56 am
by hepcat
Cattle Rock would be great though. It sounds like a Mel Brooks version of a Wild West frontier town.
hepcat wrote: ↑Fri Sep 14, 2018 8:47 am
I haven't caught up yet, but is there supposed to be a second season of CR?
Yes and there is a good chance it will not be in the physical location of Cattle Rock.
As disappointed as I am with how this season ended, I'm pretty excited for what they teased for season 2.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 1:57 pm
by gameoverman
msteelers wrote: ↑Fri Sep 14, 2018 7:06 am
I wouldn't call Castle Rock a waste of time, but the ending wasn't very good. They wanted to leave everything open for interpretation. And when that works, it works. Sadly, this show left me feeling like the Sopranos ending did: confused, and wondering if something went wrong and I missed an integral part of the show.
The part that bothers me about the ending, and it's just one element of many, is
Spoiler:
how Henry winds up locking The Kid back in that cell. Henry comes back to town because The Kid, who was previously locked up, got out! Henry KNOWS locking him up is no solution. So what's the point of that?The plan is to tend to him for years, decades even, and then what?
It's really annoying because I invested a lot of time in watching this and I can't but help feel it was for nothing.
Hulu originals
Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:15 pm
by Isgrimnur
NSFW
From the wilds of Canadia. First two seasons (13 episodes) available on Hulu. The next three are left as an exercise for the viewer.
Re: Hulu originals
Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2018 2:46 pm
by hepcat
Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:15 pm
From the wilds of Canadia. First two seasons (13 episodes) available on Hulu. The next three are left as an exercise for the viewer.
Holy sweet mother of god, I just watched the first episode of this on a lark last night and I almost cried with laughter a few times. The rapid fire delivery of lines that I would call comedic poetry is amazing. It's raunchy, but the verbiage they come up with is truly inspired.
