Streaming Roulette Aug '22: Akeelah, Belle, Ingrid, and other wonders

Okay, time for this month's streaming roulette. You know the rules. We highlight new-to-streaming titles by freezing them on the scroll bar at entirely random places and sharing what pops up! Any requests?

-Did you hear the word?
-I'm not sure if you're saying 'imminent' or 'eminent'.

Akeelah and the Bee (2005) on Hulu
Whichever word they meant, we can use it in a sentence! (In 2006) "Keke Palmer's stardom is imminent" (In 2022) "Keke Palmer is an eminent celebrity". Have you seen Nope (2022) yet? Read our review. Don't remember much about this debut other than that Keke was charming as a child actor and that the great Angela Bassett played her mom... which makes Keke's much-shared imitation of Angela Bassett even funnier... 

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Review: Going viral with "Not Okay"

by Matt St Clair

While social media can be an outlet for networking and connection, it’s also a place of toxicity. Quinn Shephard’s new satire Not Okay heavily emphasizes the latter. In a digital age where anyone can achieve fame with viral tweets or TikTok videos, Not Okay taps into how some people, like anti-heroine Danni Sanders (Zoey Deutch), go on a demeaning search for internet clout.

Stuck with an unfulfilling photo editor job when she wants to be a writer, Danni Sanders aims to get ahead at the magazine she works for. Seeking fame and validation from everyone around her, including influencer Colin (Dylan O’Brien) who she crushes on, Danni decides to fake a trip to Paris. With just her photo skills and a change in location on her Instagram posts, Danni makes it appear she went away despite being held up in her apartment. But once a terrorist attack occurs in Paris, Danni then pretends to be one of the survivors. As you can guess, thinks get grimmer as they progress... 

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Streaming: Why doesn't "Persuasion" work?

by Nathaniel R

Dakota Johnson and Cosmo Jarvis star in "Persuasion"

Jane Austen's final completed novel Persuasion has been adapted to screen several times, but unlike her most famous novels, theatrical motion picture fame as eluded it. The latest non-theatrical screen adaptation, via Netflix this time, has met with such harsh reviews that we almost didn't watch it. Nevertheless the extremely alluring faces of Dakota Johnson, Henry Golding, and Cosmo Jarvis beckoned as did the reliable wit of Jane Austen herself. We gave in and pressed play. Unfortunately it's difficult to argue with the consensus this time around...

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Streaming Tops: Bob's Burgers, Persuasion, Ms Marvel

THE BOBS BURGERS MOVIE is #1 on Hulu and on HBO

What have you been streaming? Anything you'd like us to discuss? The following charts on "most popular streams" are for July 18th or thereabouts. There's no set system of when numbers are reported from service to service like there is with the world of theatrical releases, nor does every service even report so consider these guesstimates or 'taking their word for it'...

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Podcast: Emmy Noms, Voting Systems, Breakout Newbies

by Team Experience

You already read our immediate reactions to the complete Emmy nominations, and some odes to snubs. But to put the Emmy nomination week to bed, how about a podcast? Nathaniel met with Abe, Chris, Cláudio, and Mark to discuss the nominations for the 74th Annual Emmy Awards. Somehow a lot of past TV shows and Emmy history keep cropping up like Damages, Game of Thrones, Shameless, and Parks and Recreations. 

Podcast - 70 minutes
00:01 Overabundance of noms: White Lotus
07:00 Final seasons: Killing Eve, Ozark, and This is Us
11:00 Guest categories: Hacks & Succession
14:00 Hanging episodes: Stranger Things
17:00 Standout actors: Pam & Tommy, Ted Lasso, The Morning Show
23:00 Weird categorizations and awards as industry promotion
30:00 Limited vs regular: Squid Game, Pieces of Her, White Lotus
33:00 TV Movie Category - What can be done? 
37:00 Peacock, Paramount+, CBS All Access, Starz, etc...
42:00 Severance, Abbott Elementary, Yellowjackets
46:00 Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, etc...
49:00 Fav noms: Barry, What We Do in the Shadows, The Staircase
59:00 Final thoughts: Rothaniel vs. The Closer, Sydney Sweeney in Euphoria, release dates of series


You can listen to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or Spotify or download the attachment below. 

2022 Emmy Nominations