Netflix stream team – our current family viewing

Netflix stream team – our current family viewing

We have had some dark weather and lots of rain recently so Netflix has been appreciated all the more in this house. Last week we received a lovely gift from Netflix, some cozy slippers, a nice relaxing herbal tea, a lovely lavender and chamomile spray and a mini beanie for the tablet.

The children were quick in coming up with ways to use everything (I got the tea, they made off with everything else). They asked could they all pop into our bed that evening and watch Netflix on my ipad using the new beanie. As it was the start of the long weekend I decided to give it a go (figuring they’d last five minutes before I’d have to break it up). I settled them in and even sprayed the lavender and chamomile on their pillow and headed back up to the fire and my book. To my amazement their idea worked. They snuggled in and watched the whole moving without any arguments and afterwards they all fell off to sleep really quickly.

Thank you Netflix!

What are the children watching?

Penelope

What were they watching that night? They watched Penelope, a real feel good movie and all three kids gave it the thumbs up!

A modern romantic tale about a young aristocratic heiress born under a curse that can only be broken when she finds true love with “one who will love her faithfully.

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Event

The children are also enjoying the Netflix original series of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Event. They are big fans of the original movie which is also available on Netlfix. So far they are really enjoying this eight episode series; they seem to think it is a little darker than the movie with a lot more details and plot lines.

 

Two by Two

The youngest got to choose a movie for another recent movie night and he chose Two-by-two. I watched it with the kids too and it is a really sweet movie, about fitting in, finding friends and realising who you really are (or if you don’t want to psychoanalyse it, it’s just a cute animated movie!).

 

Middle School – the worst years of my life

At Hills Village Middle School, budding cartoonist Rafe and best pal Leo challenge their uptight principal by breaking every rule in his handbook.

My kids loved this movie and it prompted my middle child to start reading the books, which is a win-win, right?

What are the adults watching?

Grace and Frankie

I can’t wait to get stuck into the third season of Frankie and Grace, which will be released in just one more day (the 24th March to be exact). I really enjoyed the first series and was a full blown fan by the end of the second season so I really can’t wait to see what the lovely pair get up to in this next season.

Here is a trailer for the new series:

 

I don’t feel at home in this world anymore

We really enjoyed this new Netflix movie starring Elijah Wood and Australian actress Melanie Lynskey – I don’t feel at home in this world anymore. If you like quirky movies then check this one out.

Grimm

We have started watching Grimm, a series about a cop who suddenly inherits some special powers and realises that not all people are what they appear. It is early days but we are really enjoying the first series so far.

Iron Fist

This is brand new to Netflix this month and we have watched the first two episodes so far. It was a little slow to start but has good promise and we are all Marvel fans in this family (although the movie is rated 18s).

Danny Rand resurfaces 15 years after being presumed dead. Now, with the power of the Iron Fist, he seeks to reclaim his past and fulfil his destiny.

What are you watching on Netflix at the moment? If you have any current favourites let me know in the comments below.

Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix Stream Team I have received a years subscription to Netflix, free of charge, and an Apple TV, for streaming purposes. As part of Netflix Stream Team I will be posting monthly updates on what we are watching and what is on offer.  All opinions expressed will be my own.

Our Netflix favourites to see out one year and start the next

Our Netflix favourites to see out one year and start the next

Netflix, you surpassed yourself in 2016! If you haven’t seen these already, we highly recommend them!

For the Adults

Stranger Things

If you haven’t seen it, why not? Our favourite viewing of 2016. It took every restraint not to binge watch but it was a delight to sit down to every night. The eight part series follows the adventures of a group of children, trying to find their missing friend, and the mysterious events and people they encounter along the way. A fantastic supernatural tale not to be missed. If you haven’t seen it then change that quick, before the year is over!

netflix-stranger-things

Sense 8

This was the kind of series we could really get into and it was a really good seasonal treat to find that Netflix released a two hour Sense 8 special that would make great viewing for a cozy New Year night in, if you have watched the series so far then see what your favourite characters get up to as the New Year approached.

“The journey continues as these eight singular hearts and minds weave in and out of each other’s lives finding deeper connections, learning darker, more desperate secrets about one another and struggling to identify with more than just oneself.”

The OA

This just seemed to appear out of nowhere just in time for Christmas. A scifi, supernatural series that begins with the return of the main character, Prairie, who had been missing for seven years. Where was she, what happened to her, and most of all, how can she suddenly see when she was blind when she disappeared. Another Netflix gem, we loved it! Go watch it quickly so you can join in all the chat and buzz around this great series.

Lucy

I think I would watch anything with Morgan Freeman in it, but add in Scarlett Johansson and written and directed by Luc Besson and the movie is bound to entertain. An action, scifi movie that we have watched twice already.

“A woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.”

The Siege of Jadotville

Another great movie. I was a bit unsure about this one as I don’t like war movies but the action, drama and story of this made me very glad I watched it. The  movie tells the true story of how 150 Irish men held out against 3000 mercenaries. Another one we highly recommend (once you can tune out some dodgy Irish accents!).

jadotville

For the children:

Troll Hunters

A new series that the children are loving. It can be hard to find something that appeals to all three at once but this animation really seems to fit the bill.

King Julien (Series 4)

Another series of King Julien was released and had all the humour and entertainment of the previous series. I have to admit, I tend to find myself sitting with the kids and watching it too.

Horrible Histories

My children have watched these over and over again. They can quote them at this stage but that seems to add to the charm. A fantastic way to get your children interested in history!

Into the Woods

An imaginative amalgamation of a number of different fairy tales all rolled into one, with plenty of singing added in for good measure. My 12 year old loved it!

into-the-woods

Annie (The 2014 version)

We watched the new version of Annie over the Christmas and loved it. Some of the adults preferred the original but it is still well work watching. The story follows a very story line as the original Annie along with many of the favourite musical pieces.

The Netflix Kids Count Down for New Year

countdowntrollhunterThis is one of the great things about Netflix, their New Year count down for the kids, so they can see in the New Year and still make it to bed before midnight. There are a large amount of kids favourites to choose from this year. The choice includes project MC, Beat Bugs, Puffin Rock, Fuller House, Chasing Cameron and Skylanders. All good choices although I think in our house it is a toss up between King Julien and Troll Hunters.

******

Whatever you will be doing, or watching as the 2016 comes to a close, we wish you a very Happy, Healthy and Science filled 2017!

Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix Stream Team I have received a years subscription to Netflix, free of charge, and an Apple TV, for streaming purposes. As part of Netflix Stream Team I will be posting monthly updates on what we are watching and what is on offer.  All opinions expressed will be my own.

Netflix Stream Team – five documentary recommendations

Netflix Stream Team – five documentary recommendations

We all love a series or a good movie and Netlfix delivers both, but sometimes it is nice to get stuck into a good documentary and there are plenty on offer, covering a wide range of topics. Here are some we have really enjoyed and would recommend.

Between the folds

This one a great one to watch this week as it is Maths Week and there are mathematical applications to the art of folding paper. This documentary on Origami is more interesting that you might imagine and really covered every angle, the art, the craft, the mathematics and the engineering. Definitely one to watch.

Valley uprising

A very interesting documentary about rock climbing in Yosemite National Park. This started as a trend in the 60’s and became an almost cult like phenomenon. The documentary takes a look at the challenges that were set, the amazing feats that were achieved, interviews with many of the original climbers and a look at how the sport, and the equipment, changed over the years.

The Barkley Marathon

Another documentary on an extreme outdoor pursuit this follows a yearly marathon challenge – otherwise known as ‘the race that eats its young!’. As the event has grown in popularity people come from all over the world, to see if they can complete the course in the designated 60 hours. There are many years that no-one completes it at all, but take a look and see if any records were broken during the documentary.

A Girl Like Her

This wasn’t a real documentary at all, but it was filmed in that documentary style, a movie that masquerades as a documentary. It follows the story of a girl who is being bullied at high school and takes a look at the event from both perspectives – the bullied and the bully. Although not based on true facts, it was thought provoking and does give a little more insight into a real life problem for many teens today.

Trees of life

A lovely take on trees in the African wildlife, their intricate relationship with the animals around them and how both animals and trees influence and rely on each other.

trees-of-life

 

Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix Stream Team I have received a years subscription to Netflix, free of charge, and an Apple TV, for streaming purposes. As part of Netflix Stream Team I will be posting monthly updates on what we are watching and what is on offer.  All opinions expressed will be my own.

Netflix Stream Team – a family pick of scifi, history and humour

Netflix Stream Team – a family pick of scifi, history and humour

So far this Irish Summer has been a bit of a washout. As I type, the wind is howling and the rain is sheeting down. We brave it when we can, and, when we can’t, we come up with indoor activities to amuse us. Sometimes though, there is nothing for it but to take out the blankets and turn on Netflix.

Here are some of our viewing recommendations this Summer. I’ve noticed a bit of a trend when comparing the adults choices to the children’s… both seem to include scifi, history and humour – not a bad mix!

THE CHILDREN

Scifi – the  children were delighted to see Guardians of the Galaxy come to Netflix (this movie has a 12s rating) and it has already served them well as a ‘movie night’ option with friends.

Tech – We have introduced a bit more coding in the house this Summer, after a wonderful introduction from Galway’s Coderdojo classes. The children have loved the hour of code and have completed the Minecraft and StarWars challenges. This has sparked their coding imagination, and now they have found Gaming show (in my parents’ garage) they are completely hooked.

Gaming show IMPG

HistoryHorrible Histories is a constant entertainer in this house, even the adults have watched most of the episodes. It is amazing how the children are quoting historic facts, learned from the programme. When they finish the series they just start again from the beginning.

Humour – Apart from the giggles they get from Horrible Histories, the children are also loving the newest series of King Julien. I often pop my head in the room to find three laughing children snuggled on the couch.

THE ADULTS

Scifi – we stumbled across a scifi film called Push and loved it. It certainly deserves more than the three stars it currently has in the rating. The movie is about people with special powers, some can read minds, see the future, implant memories in people’s heads and move objects with their minds. And when the good guys and the bad guys have similar talents the story line keeps moving at quite a pace.

History – I am lucky if I get near the remote control these nights, since the second series of Marco Polo arrived on Netflix my husband has been binge watching. He is curious about the Mongol empire and enjoys the way the drama is portrayed.

Humour – The full second series of Better Call Saul is now available on Netflix. Although the plot thickens and the story gets a little darker, there is still plenty of the humour that so impressed us from the first series.

bettercallsaul

Image credit: Ben Leuner/Netflix

Regardless of what we watch, we usually round off the night’s viewing with a good belly-laughing episode of The Big Bang; It is consistently brilliant!

******

Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix Stream Team I have received a year’s subscription to Netflix, free of charge, and an Apple TV, for streaming purposes. As part of Netflix Stream Team I will be posting regular updates on what we are watching and what is on offer.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Netflix Stream Team – Some current family favourites

Netflix Stream Team – Some current family favourites

We had no Wifi…. I’ll pause there for dramatic effect!

……….

Can you imagine? A lightning strike knocked us out, so we had no internet, no on-line work access and…. NO NETFLIX!  There were tears!

Luckily it all got sorted and we are back on-line and almost feel we are entitled to some binge viewing, just to catch up. So what have we been watching?

THE ADULTS

We were delighted to see the new episodes of Better Call Saul arriving and jumped straight in. It is looking good but the next episode can’t come fast enough. I believe there should be one new one every week (on a Tuesday). We loved the first series and can’t wait to see what poor old Jimmy gets up to next.

We are big fans of Eastern films and loved Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, so when Sword of Destiny arrived on Netlfix we had to check it out. It was a good movie, not as good as Crouching Tiger, but I’d still recommend it.

Another great arrival to Netflix is the Downton Abbey series. We got completely hooked on the box set, but had only seen four series. Now we have found series five on Netflix we have our viewing sorted for the foreseeable future. So far it is still as wonderful as we remembered it.

When we just want something light to watch before bed we have hit on the perfect solution; we have started watching The Big Bang Theory … right from the beginning. It is 20 minutes of guaranteed laughs and the scientist in me gets an extra kick out of their self-depreciating, nerdy humour.

I love a good ‘detective’ type series, especially if there is some science involved. I’ve dipped in and out of the Silent Witness series on Netflix, which isn’t bad, but, even better is Lie to Me series. We have just started into it but already love it. A fictitious series based on the real-life science of interpreting facial expressions that tell what we say is what we really mean.

I have mentioned how much I loved the Grace and Frankie series in a previous post so I was delighted to see that Neflix will be releasing the second series on 6th of May… That’s only three more sleeps!!

 

THE CHILDREN

The children have now watched every Fuller House episode and have decided to return to the original Full House series too.

They have really enjoyed rewatching some old favourites like Hotel Transylvania, A series of unfortunate events and The Spiderwick Chronicles.

They are currently watching The Little Vampire, in small daily installments and have plans to watch Astro boy for a movie night during their mid term break.

 

FAMILY VIEWING

We were hit by a nasty tummy bug recently. When myself and my daughter found ourselves convalescing on the couch instead of heading off to a family get together, we compensated with an afternoon of Netflix. First up we watched Brave, a wonderful movie no matter how many times you watch it, and appropriate enough for some Mum and daughter time.

Then we watched Ella Enchanted; I have to say, I really enjoyed it. An interesting variation of the classic Cinderella story with plenty of humour and lots of girl-power to boot.

Ella Enchanted

 

And that about sums up what everyone in the Science Wows house has been watching of late. Netflix have a lot more great series and movies coming on-line soon so stay tuned for more of our recommendations.

******

Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix Stream Team I have received a years subscription to Netflix, free of charge, and an Apple TV, for streaming purposes. As part of Netflix Stream Team I will be posting regular updates on what we are watching and what is on offer.  All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

 

 

Netflix Stream Team – our top Science and Nature viewing

Netflix Stream Team – our top Science and Nature viewing

Sometimes it is hard to agree on what to watch when we finally sit down and someone gets hold of the controls. I love that Netflix gives everyone their own profile, a glimpse into what we are each watching, and a look at how different each family member is! So, there is often a bit of conflict about who gets to pick their favourite.

When we reach an impasse we always have a solution, everyone loves a good science or nature programme, and there are always plenty to choose from. Here are five that we recommend:

1. Cooked:

This one is top of my ‘must watch’ list, and brand new to Netflix UK; it combines cooking and science, two of my favourite things;

Each of the series’ four episodes examines one of the physical elements used throughout the ages to transform raw ingredients into delicious dishes: fire, water, air, and earth. Cooked takes viewers on a visually stunning journey to meet, among others: an Aboriginal tribe in Western Australia that fire-roasts Australian monitor lizards, a Connecticut Benedictine nun and microbiologist who makes traditional French cheese, Peruvian brewers who use human saliva to ferment a traditional beverage, and an ancient Moroccan granary powered by rivers. Each episode also returns to Pollan cooking in his Berkeley, California, kitchen, appetizingly delivering his core message that, surrounded as we are by fast food culture and processed foods, cooking our own meals is the single best thing we can do to take charge of our health and well-being.

 

2. TED Talks: Let your mind wonder

I love TED talks and there are plenty to watch on Netflix but this one, in particular, has caught my eye, it seems to have STEM covered with this lovely visual and animated series. Each episode is short and consise and covers diverse topics from “is there really aliens?” to “should we eat bugs?”. It is great for dipping into for five minutes, or sharing with the children, often answering a question they may have already asked!

TEDEd-let your mind wonder

 

3.Maiden Trip

To sail around the world is quite a feat, to do it solo is even more impressive, but to be just 14 years old is an amazing achievement. Maiden Trip is an inspiring documentary charting the two-year voyage of Laura Dekker as she followed her dream and became the youngest person to sail around the world.

 

4. Blackfish

If you haven’t seen this one yet it is definitely worth watching. This documentary follows the real life drama of an orca in captivity in Sea life and the devestating effect captivity has on his life and the lives of others.

 

5. AntarticEdge – 70 degrees South

A sobering but interesting documentary charting the research carried out at the Antartic by a varied group of scientists, shedding a realistic light on the real levels od global warming!

******

Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix Stream Team I have received a years subscription to Netflix, free of charge, and an Apple TV, for streaming purposes. As part of Netflix Stream Team I will be posting monthly updates on what we are watching and what is on offer.  All opinions expressed will be my own.

Netflix Stream Team – current favourites – Part 1, the adults

Netflix Stream Team – current favourites – Part 1, the adults

Things have been a little crazy around here of late, so we are happy to embrace the darker colder days, a roaring fire and, of course, some Netflix. Want to know what we have been watching? Well, here is what the adults have been enjoying, and next week we’ll share the children’s choices.

My favourites…

I have just finished the first series of Netflix’s Grace and Frankie. I liked it from the beginning but quickly got to really love it! It is the perfect blend of warm-hearted humour, with the kind of characters you grow to love very quickly. It was my perfect “wind down” TV viewing and I can’t wait for the next series. In the meantime though, I am happy to rewatch some of my favourite episodes, like the one where Frankie and Grace go out for a night out together, and each gets to choose the clothes the other wears!

Grace and Frankie

Image credit: Melissa Moseley – © 2015 Netflix

I also watched The Duchess, staring Kiera Knightly. I’ll admit, I am not always a bit fan but I did really enjoy this one, and, as a mother, I could really relate to certain parts, although thankfully I live in a much more gender-balanced world!

When I have the control and tv all to myself and feel like an extra special treat I love to watch an episode of Chef’s table! There is no part of this series that I do not love! The food, the chefs, their life stories, the attention to detail, the ups and downs. The passion of each chef really comes through in this excellent documentary.

The male perspective…

My husband has a string of recommendations, none of which I have seen, so I think I need a day of complete catching up!

Firstly, he really loved Narcos, I did see a bit of it but decided it wasn’t for me but I have heard great things about it and he assures me that it was really well made and a great insight into what really went on.

He enjoys quirky, more alternative movies and so his current top three are Horns, Spring and What we do in the Shadows. Horns stars Daniel Radcliff, who finds himself with a dead girlfriend, a town out for blood (his) and two even more disturbing facts…. firstly, he is growing horns and secondly, people seem obliged to tell him the absolute truth. Some things are better not said, and, people sharing their inner thought with you is not always a welcome event. As you can imagine, this can make for very humorous viewing… on the darker side of mainstream!

Horns

Spring is another very alternative film, somewhat slow moving but with an interesting plot and ultimately, a love story, coming from a very unusual angle. He says it certainly keeps you interested!

What we do in the shadows is apparently a very funny portrayal of a group of vampires trying to deal with modern life from banal domestic squabbles to feeding problems and the real issues with eternal life. If you like a quirky film, this one is for you.

On a more sombre note he says Beasts of no nation is rough but compelling. Sometimes it is good to take your head out of the sand for a while.

 

A united front…

Of course, sometimes we do sit down together, as “real” grown-ups and, on the odd occasion, we get to see a whole movie, start to finish, no interruptions, children miraculously asleep. On such occasions, we have managed to watch…

The Help! I loved the book and the movie definitely did not disappoint, both of us thoroughly enjoyed it! A big, fat ten out of ten! With a lovely ‘feel good’ factor ending! The only down-side to the movie is that you will NEVER want to eat chocolate cake again!

If you enjoy nature programmes, as we do, and want one with amazing camera shots and imagery, then you can’t go wrong with Hidden Kingdom. I would love to see a documentary on the making of it, to see how they managed all those amazing shots! Take a look…

Another (black) comedy that we really enjoyed (and all this makes me realise how ‘alternative our viewing is’) was A long way down. Definitely one to watch.

So that should keep you going for a while… now I’m off to hide the remote so I can get first dibs tonight!

******

Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix Stream Team I have received a years subscription to Netflix, free of charge, and an Apple TV, for streaming purposes. As part of Netflix Stream Team I will be posting monthly updates on what we are watching and what is on offer.  All opinions expressed will be my own.

 

Netflix Stream Team – some hidden gems

Netflix Stream Team – some hidden gems

Netflix is great is you want a series you can get your teeth stuck into or mainstream movies to sit back and enjoy but I always find it extra special when we stumble across some hidden gems. I thought you might be interested in hearing about some of these “off the beaten track” finds.

Here are our top three recent finds…

Safety not guaranteed:

A quirky delight of off-beat humour and fantastic acting; A movie about time travel, or is it? You’ll just have to watch it right to the end!

 

Winter bones:

A movie on the dark side but with some great characters. A very young Jennifer Lawrence plays the lead role and leaves is in no doubt as to why she became a household name.

 

On the way to school

This is a very touching documentary that shows how some societies see education as the gem it really can be and the obstacles that some children will go to, to receive it. Although it was a stark reminder of how good we have it I found the documentary had an overall feel good factor, due to the happiness of the children featured and their ability to see the positive in their situations.

Have you any hidden gems to share?

Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix Stream Team I have received a years subscription to Netflix, free of charge, and an Apple TV, for streaming purposes. As part of Netflix Stream Team I will be posting monthly updates on what we are watching and what is on offer.  All opinions expressed will be my own.

One boy, one beast, many adventures – Netflix Dream Works Dragons

One boy, one beast, many adventures – Netflix Dream Works Dragons

There is lots of excitement in the house today; and we are not talking about the start of the Summer holidays, we are talking about the arrival of the all new action packed series … Dream Works Dragons: Race to the Edge! … released on Netlfix, today, Friday 26th June.

The popcorn is bought, the couch is booked and the whole family plan to start the holidays off in style tonight. And there will be the newest member of the family squeezing in too… this little guy.

toothless
My youngest is a huge fan of toothless so imagine his excitement when a package arrived from Netlfix this week containing his all-time favourite dragon, along with his trusted side kick – Hiccup! My only worry is that dragon and small boy will be asleep before they even get to watch their favourite series – such is the level of action that the two adventurers have already clocked up.

First off, toothless is a flying dragon, as we all know, so small boy enlisted a little help from science to get his friend airborne… Newton stated that every action has an equal and opposite reaction and that is what both boy and dragon counted on with this little stunt!

catapult

Did it work? Well, it certainly got toothless flying right across the room but eventually the pair decided that they needed more height and distance and turned their attention to rocket power. They constructed a stomp rocket and the fearless dragon was taped to the rocket, secure and ready for launch. Test flights gave good results in the corridor until Mum decided that it was an experiment best brought outdoors. Boy and dragon were very happy with the flight distances that this little adventure achieved.

toothless catapult

Happy, but not completely sated, they decided that distance was good but they wanted a little more height… time to bring in the big guns and launch a bigger rocket. At this stage they were wisely persuaded that the fearless dragon should, at least, be wearing better safety gear… so they built him a helmet!

helmet

Onwards and upwards, toothless was strapped in place and all set for launch.

rocket2

5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

launch

What goes up, must come down!

flight

A successful flight, awesome heights, and a relatively soft landing (if you are made of hard plastic and wearing that, oh so important tinfoil helmet). Maybe they didn’t make it into the stratosphere but the dragon certainly earned his wings… and a good night’s sleep!

Check out the action packed new series on Netflix for more great adventures…

And if you have any little adventurers in your home that are rocket crazy here is how to make these rockets…

STOMP ROCKET

You will need:

an empty 2L plastic bottle, paper, insulation tape, a 1/2 inch PVC pipe, a length of rubber tubing;

What to do… tape one end of the rubber tubing to the neck of the bottle and tape the other end to one end of the PVC pipe. Next make the body of the rocket by wrapping a piece of paper around the PVC pipe and secure it with tape at the overlap. Remove the rocket from the pipe. Cut four triangles of paper and attach to the body of  the rocket near one end; these are the rocket fins. Make a nose (cone shape) for the other end of the rocket and attach it with tape.  You are now ready to launch your rocket. (Best to do this outside!).
Sit your paper rocket over the PVC pipe and place the 2L bottle on the ground on its side. Stomp on the bottle and watch your rocket shoot off!
VERTICAL ROCKET
You will need:
An empty 2 L plastic bottle, paper, a ball pump needle, a bottle cork, a foot pump
What to do… using the paper make three fins and a nose cone for the bottle rocket, the base of the bottle is where you fit the cone, attach the fins around the side of the rocket. Push the ball pump needle through the cork until it comes out the other side; Fill the bottle rocket one third full with water and plug the neck of the bottle with the cork. Attach the food pump to the ball pump needle and, either hold the bottle rocket or secure it vertically on the ground (we used an adapted funnel). Start pumping until…. your rocket launches with a big whoosh of water and flies into the air!
Enjoy!
Disclosure: I received the toy as part of the Netflix Stream Team; All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Netflix Stream Team – the SciFi edition

Netflix Stream Team – the SciFi edition

I’ll admit I’m not a big fan of Tom Cruise (to put it mildly) so I resisted for a while when Oblivion came up on my Netflix profile; eventually curiosity got the better of me though and, once I got over the Tom Cruise bit (which took about 20 minutes), I actually quite enjoyed the movie.

oblivion

One of the few remaining drone repairmen assigned to Earth, its surface devastated after decades of war with the alien Scavs, discovers a crashed spacecraft with contents that bring into question everything he believed about the war, and may even put the fate of mankind in his hands.

I find that SciFis are often just a repeat of a similar theme, but this one had an original story and that’s what I liked about it. Worth watching, and, if you actually like Mr. Top Gun then you’d have a BIG bonus!

Then there is The 4400 and Heroes… they definitely have what it takes to lure you in until you are hooked and tempted to watch them back to back. Both with a common theme, people with special powers, how we love them and fear them all at the same time. I love the concept of real life superheroes and the humanness of how they are ultimately seen as a threat. I would recommend them, but be warned… the 4800 series was never finished… I discovered this at series three (of five) and pulled out cold turkey style. I couldn’t take the possibility of being left hanging in mid-air, in the middle of some crisis, with the lives or well being of characters I had grown to love and loath sitting in the balance. No doubt I missed some excellent episodes by pulling out when I did. I have been reliable informed that Heroes has an actual ending!

The 4400
The 4400

And of course I have spotted that Netflix has Alphas, another great series along the same theme and another one likely to draw you in. I saw some of these episodes before we had Netflix so I’m delighted to see that I can jump right back in there, and with the control of pause, rewind and back to back episodes. Netflix… I love you!

Netflix, you know me well. I have just spotted a new SciFi type series appearing on my time line. It will be released on 5th June but your ruse worked, I watched the trailer, it’s one big juicy carrot! When I saw that Sense8 is created by the people behind The Matrix there was no more convincing needed… the date is in my diary.

Here is the trailer in case you are as easily tempted as I am…

Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix Stream Team I have received a years subscription to Netflix, free of charge, and an Apple TV, for streaming purposes. As part of Netflix Stream Team I will be posting monthly updates on what we are watching and what is on offer.  All opinions expressed will be my own.