(Welcome to The Quarantine Stream, a series where the /Film team shares what they’ve been watching while social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.) The Series: Murder Among the Mormons Where You Can Stream It: Netflix The Pitch: A docuseries about a series of bombings in Salt Lake City, and their connection to the Latter Day Saint movement. Why It’s […]
(Welcome to
The Quarantine Stream, a series where the /Film team shares what they’ve been watching while social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.)
The Series:
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: The life and times of several people connected with a hospital in 1900 New York City.
Why It’s Essential Quarantine Viewing:
The Knickonly lasted two seasons, but they’re two great seasons that you can binge through in no time. Although maybe you should pace yourself – the series is often quite bleak and bloody. But that’s part of its charm.
At some point,
Steven Soderbergh announced that he was “retiring.” And while other people may use retirement to kick back and relax, Soderbergh kept busy. He only retired from
The Pitch: A direct sequel to
The Muppets, but a lot sillier.
Why It’s Essential Quarantine Viewing: I loved
The Muppets, the 2011 movie that essentially rebooted the Muppet franchise and introduced a new Muppet, Walter. After that film – which was funny, and charming, and featured great songs – I was ready for more. And yet, when a sequel arrived in 2014, the reaction seemed muted. No one seemed to downright hate
Muppets Most Wanted, but the general consensus seemed to be that the movie was a step-down, especially since Jason Segel, who co-wrote and starred in
The Muppets, wasn’t involved. This lukewarm reaction kept me from giving the film a shot – until now. And I know I’m not alone – many people seemed to have completely skipped
The Pitch: Co-produced by
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella TV musical features a “color-blind” cast led by a lovely
Brandy, at the height of her R&B and acting career.
Why It’s Essential Quarantine Viewing: Because the world is full of zanies and fools who don’t believe that the Brandy
Cinderella is a bonafide classic.
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella is an unlikely ’90s classic. When it debuted on ABC in 1997, it was met with a chilly reception from critics, with the New York Times even calling it a “cobbled-together ‘Cinderella’ for the moment, not the ages.” But it’s accepted nowadays as one of the most beloved if not the best
The Pitch: Remember the classic boardgame
Battleship? Well, they turned it into a movie. About an alien invasion.
Why It’s Essential Quarantine Viewing: There is absolutely nothing essential about
Battleship, but I promise you won’t be bored.
It takes effort to make a movie as thunderously stupid as
Battleship. There’s an old adage that no one sets out to make a
bad movie, and I think that’s fair. Nearly every bad movie you’ve ever seen was made, at least on some level, with the best possible intentions. Someone, somewhere, be it a screenwriter, producer, or a director, had a dream and set out to turn it into a reality. And somewhere along the line, the dream became a nightmare, and the finished film ended up disappointing everyone. It happens.