Arrested Development ran on Fox for three seasons between 2003 and 2006 before its notorious cancellation, which took place despite critical acclaim and a devoted fanbase. The series was created by Mitchell Hurwitz and stars Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross, Jeffrey Tambor and Jessica Walter.
How are you liking the new episodes? We'll have our review up later this week.
The show stars Shake, Frylock and Meatwad, respectively an anthropomorphic milkshake, carton of fries and ball of raw meat that share a house in Jersey. It works largely thanks to the ensemble's dynamic: Shake is self-centered and impulsive, Meatwad is naïve, sweet and sassy and Frylock is brilliant and in turns exasperated by and resigned toward Shake's antics. The characters prove well-defined enough that humorous banter and interactions can make for a gem of an episode. It's this very successful central dynamic upon which all the show's bizarre accoutrement hang, and a foundation of generally very funny, smart writing helps make Aqua Teen so entertaining. It does have a tendency to ebb toward crude humor, but its utilization luckily never feels excessive or cheap.
While they don't really fight crime, they encounter a vast number of unique creatures with comical quirks of their own. This season sees the teens meet trash-talking Atari-esque Mooninites, incompetent Plutonians and a long-winded hyperbolic robotic called The Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past. It's a shame, though, that the show's quality doesn't really pick up until the third or fourth episode. This season also contains the grating one-note stinker "Love Mummy", and the pilot is worth skipping as well: it looks bad, it sounds bad and the writers had yet to really figure out how the characters should interact, or whether the show ought to be a supehero parody. But all in all it's quite funny and smart, and the majority of episodes make for great little chunks of entertainment.
The voice acting is great overall, with Dana Snyder as Shake proving especially humorous and theatrical. The show's visuals are far from impressive, though this is mostly noticeable in the animation. Their neighbor Carl, for example, does little more than put his hands on his hips, talk and occasionally laugh or point. It doesn't get more complex than that.
Aqua Teen's bizarre cast, outlandish situations, unexplained circumstances and sometimes gritty humor might turn some viewers off, but those willing to stick with it will find the titular trio funny and well-written enough to make for an entertaining and worthwhile experience. B+
--Zach Kaplan
Recommended for: Those looking for something unusual; People who like relationship-based shows, even if that's a relationship between talking food items; The hungry.
2000. Starring Carey Means, Dana Snyder and Dave Willis. Created by Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis. 18 episodes. English.
Television for the People: The Importance of Adult Swim
We take a closer look at the mini-network that's been empowering its audience through Flashimation and fast food anti-adventures since 2001
Things are more tailored to the audience than ever before, as well. Take Netflix's House of Cards: we get to choose when to watch each episode whenever we want. We can watch them all at once or by our own schedule. We even get to watch without ads. And because it's on Netflix rather than a traditional station, it’s not going to get cancelled if an out-of-touch studio head thinks that Dancing with the Stars would work better at that time slot. Now Netflix Instant has added eight programs from Adult Swim, a network that exemplifies audience-centered, inclusive entertainment like no other. To celebrate the arrival of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Robot Chicken, Squidbillies, Delocated, Childrens Hospital, Metalocalypse, The Boondocks and The Venture Bros., we’re taking a closer look at Adult Swim and its importance in media's turn in influence toward the viewer.
In 1992, Turner Cable created Cartoon Network to compete with networks like Nickelodeon, which a year prior had premiered Doug, Rugrats and The Ren & Stimpy Show. Originally airing mostly old Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera cartoons, it failed to tap a certain tone that certain television audiences had begun to crave: absurdity and black humor. MTV’s Liquid Animation emerged in this period as well, broadcasting sexually perverse, crude and vulgar cartoons like The Beavis and Butt-Head Show and Aeon Flux. Meanwhile, The Simpsons was picking up steam on Fox, proving week after week that a smart, relatable, dark cartoon for adults could, in fact, exist.
Among Cartoon Network’s first original programming was the unique Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Combining experimental, irreverent humor with the network’s already-licensed classic cartoon library, it transported 60’s Hanna-Barbera superhero Space Ghost to the host seat of a faux talk show. Relying mostly on off-beat conversational humor, it took a step that its alternative entertainment brethren seemed hesitant to take: the eschewing of traditional animation standards. It did not look pretty, and even as the quality got crisper over time, the show still stuck to an aesthetic of cheap-looking images, animations and recycled backgrounds.
Before the advent of the Internet and platforms like Youtube, there were two types of entertainment: mainstream and “weird”. And if your show was one of the weird ones, it was taken for granted that you'd concede at least a few creative items if you want to stand a chance of getting on TV. So when Space Ghost went on the air looking far more absurd yet grown-up than any other cartoon airing at that time, those who had been told their tastes were too weird for TV breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The show stuck around, becoming stranger and more absurd through the years, while Cartoon Network took a few unsuccessful stabs at harnessing a late-night audience. Finally, the executives decided to build upon the show’s emphasis on unique, irreverent comedy with the premiere of Adult Swim in 2001. MTV had shifted away from experimental animation, so the programming block looked like little else on television when it debuted. It was all the more exciting of an event a it had seemed unlikely that such odd examples of entertainment would ever find a home on television. Now, a style that once looked too weird for TV had become its own sub-genre with the debut of the original Adult Swim lineup: Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Brak Show, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law and Sealab 2021.
But Adult Swim wasn’t special just because it was so unique. It was special because it’s what countless viewers had craved for so long, enduring hearing over and over that nothing was televised unless if it seemed experimental or talked about anything controversial. The debut of Adult Swim felt like a radioactive spider (or radioactive studio executive) had bitten Ghost Planet Industries, the production company behind Coast to Coast, turning it into Williams Street Productions and giving it control of an entire programming block.
It wasn't long before the folks at Williams Street forged a personal connection with their audience; soon, the sub-network bracketed its shows with title cards speaking directly to viewers, sometimes even quoting them from message board posts and giving them direct authorship of a few seconds of TV. And all of the network's first original comedy programs were created in Flash, an affordable, user-friendly animation program widely available to the public. This resonated with audience members familiar with websites like Newgrounds, through which thousands of independent, generally more or less untrained cartoonists, published their work. That web site and others endowed in its users a sense of independence from traditional media infrastructures; no longer did you need the green-light from an out-of-touch network executive to create a show. All you needed was Flash, devotion and an Internet connection. In many ways, Adult Swim felt like an extension of that spirit. These were cartoons made by people, just like you and me.
The channel cemented its reputation for fan service by resurrecting cult hits like Mission Hill, Home Movies, Futurama and, most famously, Family Guy. The new airings and DVD sales of Seth MacFarlane’s series were so successful that Fox’s un-cancellation was the first ever of a show by the network that had originally cut it. It led to a contract between Fox and Adult Swim by which the late-night mini-network would debut new episodes just a month after their original airing on network television, which lent a sense of legitimacy to Williams Street. Its audience was not just a big group of weirdos. It was a big group that could bring back shows from the dead. They were the outcasts no longer; they were the ones calling the shots.
Now, select seasons of eight Adult Swim shows are now streaming on Netflix Instant. Among them is Aqua Teen Hunger Force, one of the network's first original shows, which exemplified its characteristic dismissal of traditional aesthetic standards with its brazen use of simple animations and limited illustrations. The series is also well-known for its eschewing of traditional story structure; it never bothers to explain why its main characters are fast food objects with superpowers who only attempt to fight crime in the pilot episode, for example. It was co-created by Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis, both of whom had worked together on Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Willis would go on to co-create Squidbillies in 2005, a show about a hillbilly family of squids, which is streaming now as well. Its premiere was hyped for quite some time before its eventual air date, and rumors that its existence was a hoax circulated when its original debut was scrapped at the last minute and replaced with the pilot of another show, Perfect Hair Forever. Adult Swim was well-known for tossing curveballs like this, which showed viewers that the network respected their intelligence.
Also joining Netflix Instant are Seth Green’s stop-motion parody show Robot Chicken, the politically controversial The Boondocks (based on the comic strip of the same name), the award-winning live-action Childrens Hospital -- which, like Robot Chicken, was adapted from a web series -- and Delocated, another live-action show from Jon Glaser that parodies reality TV with a subject of the witness protection program as its protagonist. Metalocalypse, from Home Movies’s Brendan Small, is streaming now as well; it's an animated action-comedy show about the fictional heavy metal band Dethklok, and its artwork is a step above that of the network's first original programming. Last but not least is The Venture Bros., which was arguably the network’s most ambitious program when it premiered; it's a slickly animated action-comedy series that's heavy on the explosions and fight scenes and runs twice as long as the network's typical 11-minute programming.
With each year and each new show, Adult Swim programs continue the tradition of subverting the expectations of the television audience. But now, it’s proven itself successful and shown that its audience of once so-called weirdos and beardos is in fact a sizable community with an opinion worth respecting and an appreciation for the unique worth indulging. And as time goes on, more of the network's programs have attained greater success and respect. Two of them, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Tim and Eric Awesome Show! Great Job have been adapted into films (one is available already on Netflix Instant: Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie). Meanwhile, Childrens Hospital has won an Emmy and Robot Chicken has won four Emmy Awards and an Annie Award.
But the Adult Swim catalog is much more vast than the selection on Netflix Instant so far. We hope to see many more series and seasons added to the library as time goes on; fan favorites Sealab 2021, The Brak Show, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law or Tim and Eric Awesome Show! Great Job would be a great place to start. Until then, we recommend that you treat yourself to some of the absurd, unique programming from Adult Swim, the little mini-network that's helped change the way we look at television.
New Releases, Arriving & Expiring Soon (April 2013)
Man on the Moon, Rain Man, James Bond, Fringe, Eureka, Trigun, The Hunger Games, ParaNorman, Cool World, Young@Heart, Kitchen Nightmares and more coming to Netflix Instant
Luckily, there's not that much expiring of note, but we are losing a few quality selections. Basic Instinct expires on April 1st as well as Jamie Foxx presents America’s Funniest Comics: Vol. 1-4, five VeggieTales programs and Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie, the dark, disturbing South Korean film Oldboy, the Sarah Silverman stand-up special Jesus is Magic, the chess boy film Searching for Bobby Fischer, the quirky 60's children's series Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, the Thai horror film Shutter, three must-see Sinbad stand-up specials, the classic drama Steel Magnolias, the famous Pearl Harbor film Tora! Tora! Tora!, the memorable biker gang movie The Warriors and the 1980 musical Xanadu. If you're a horror fan, you might want to check out The Last Exorcism before it expires on the 3rd; Paranormal Activity 2 expires on the 7th as well, and Hisss slithers away on the 10th. Classic cartoon aficionados should note that Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids expires on the 5th and The Mr. Magoo Show expires on the 20th. Four interesting documentaries expire this month as well, and each is definitely worth checking out: on the 11th we lose Winnebago Man, which explores the phenomenon of Internet celebrity by tracking down the subject of a virally-spread video, a very angry actor who swore his way through the filming of a Winnebago infomercial. Next, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father departs on April 25th. There's not much that we can mention about that one without spoiling it, suffice to say that it's one of the most moving, tragic films we've ever seen and definitely one worth checking out before it expires. Marwencol, which follows a man who sustained a brain injury and now spends most of his time with his doll collection, is leaving on the 20th -- you can read our Marwencol review for more information. Finally, the award-winning Waiting for "Superman", which takes a damning look at the American education system, expires on the 29th. MTV series Awkward. is currently set to expire on the 15th, despite the fact that it just arrived last month (but we wouldn't be surprised if Netflix renewed their contract). Roy Orbison: Black & White Night takes its bow on the 15th as well, while drama Before the Devil Knows Your Dead departs on the 16th. Volume 6 of American Dad! expires on the 19th, and five WWE titles expire on the 20th. The award-winning Y Tu Mamá También leaves the service on the 26th, and on the 27th we lose anime series Gungrave. Finally, the 29th marks the departure of a number of comic book-based animated shows including Astonishing X-Men: Gifted, Black Panther, Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Iron Man: Extremis, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man Unlimited and Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D.
You can view the full list below. Remember, our information comes from the Netflix API, which at times proves partial or inaccurate.
Is there anything you're particularly looking forward to streaming in April?
Released April 7th, 2013 (4/7/13)
Scream 4 (2011)
Released April 5th, 2013 (4/5/13)
Bobcat Goldthwait: You Don't Look the Same Either (2012)
Mafia (2011)
Released April 3rd, 2013 (4/3/13)
After Kony: Staging Hope (2011)
Carl Panzram: The Spirit of Hatred and Vengeance (2011)
Feast of the Assumption: BTK and the Otero Family Murders (2010)
Girl Model (2011)
Lay the Favorite (2012)
Shelter Me (2012)
Three Stars (2010)
Released April 2nd, 2013 (4/2/13)
The Hunger Games (2012)
Madchen in Uniform (1958)
Meet the Fokkens (2011)
Travel the Road: Season 1 (2003)
Travel the Road: Season 2 (2005)
Travel the Road: Season 3 (2010)
Released April 1st, 2013 (4/1/13)
28 Hotel Rooms (2012)
48 Hrs. (1983)
8 Million Ways to Die (1986)
Along Came a Spider (2001)
America's Funniest Home Videos: Best in Boneheads (2001)
American Roulette (1988)
Angelina Ballerina: All Dancers on Deck (2006)
Angelina Ballerina: Angelina's Princess Dance (2005)
Angelina Ballerina: Meet Angelina Ballerina (2004)
Another Day in Paradise (1998)
Arthur and the Invisibles (2006)
Astonishing X-Men: Dangerous (2011)
Astonishing X-Men: Torn (2012)
Astonishing X-Men: Unstoppable (2012)
Azur and Asmar: The Princes' Quest (2006)
Back to Normandy (2007)
Bad Company (1972)
Best of TEDx (2012)
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3 (2012)
Black Butler: Season 1 (2008)
The Blue Elephant (2008)
Braveheart (1995)
Buried Alive (2007)
But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
Butterfly (1999)
Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974)
Casino Royale (1954)
Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This (2010)
Chobits: The Complete Series (2002)
Chrome Shelled Regios (2009)
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
The Concert (2009)
Cool World (1992)
Crimes of the Heart (1986)
Crossing Over (2009)
D. Gray-man: Season 2 (2007)
Daddy Long Legs (1955)
The Dead (1987)
Dead Again (1991)
The Dead Zone (1983)
Death Warrior (2008)
The Dentist (1996)
The Devil's Own (1997)
Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge (1924)
Dirty Girl (2010)
Dizzy & Bop's Big Adventure: The Great Music Caper (2009)
Dr. No (1962)
DreamWorks Happy Holidays from Madagascar (2005)
Eden of the East: The Complete Series (2009)
Eden of the East Movie I: The King of Eden (2009)
Edge of Dreaming (2009)
Eureka: Season 5 (2011)
Eye for an Eye (1996)
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action (2008)
Footloose (1984)
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Fringe: Season 1 (2008)
Fringe: Season 2 (2009)
Fringe: Season 3 (2010)
Fringe: Season 4 (2011)
Girls Bravo (2004)
GoldenEye (1995)
Goldfinger (1964)
The Good Thief (2003)
Grassroots (2012)
Harakiri (1919)
Harlem Nights (1989)
Hatfields & McCoys (2012)
Heleno (2011)
Hero Tales: The Complete Series (2007)
Hetalia: Axis Powers: Season 1 (2008)
Hetalia: Axis Powers: Season 2 (2009)
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
Howling IV: The Original Nightmare (1988)
The Hunting Party (2007)
I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)
The Impostors (1998)
Initial D: First Stage (1998)
Initial D: Fourth Stage (2004)
Initial D: Second Stage (1999)
Initial D: Stage 3: The Movie (2001)
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)
Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever (2005)
Intimate Stranger (1991)
Justin Time: Season 1 (2011)
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple: Season 1 (2006)
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple: Season 2 (2007)
Kipper: The Visitor and Other Stories (1997)
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Licence to Kill (1989)
Lionheart (1990)
Little Birds (2011)
Little Gobie (2011)
Little Tikes Land (2008)
Live and Let Die (1973)
The Longshots (2008)
Love and a .45 (1994)
Love Is a Gun (1994)
Man on the Moon (1999)
Maryoku Yummy: Season 1 (2010)
Max Dugan Returns (1983)
Meeting Spencer (2010)
Nell (1994)
Octopussy (1983)
Over the Top (1987)
Overboard (1987)
Perkins' 14 (2009)
Permissive (1972)
Pet Sematary (1989)
Pet Sematary 2 (1992)
Pi (1998)
Pingu: Antarctic Antics (2004)
Play It Again, Sam (1972)
Possums (1998)
Primitive London (1965)
Puzzled Love (2010)
Quigley Down Under (1990)
Rain Man (1988)
Razortooth (2006)
Recipe for Love (2008)
Retornos (2010)
Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne: The Complete Series (2008)
Rollerball (2002)
Roman Holiday (1953)
The Rules of Attraction (2002)
Sekirei: The Complete Series (2008)
Sex and Lucía (2002)
Shaft (2000)
Silent Scream (2005)
Silver Bullet (1985)
Skipped Parts (2000)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Stick (1985)
Stranger in the House (1997)
Streets of Fire (1984)
Survival of the Dead (2009)
The Tempest (1979)
That Kind of Girl (1963)
This Must Be the Place (2011)
Thunderball (1965)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Trailer: Blood Angel (2013)
Trailer: Masks (2013)
Treasure Buddies (2012)
Trigun: The Complete Series (1998)
Twisted Whiskers: Season 1 (2009)
Ulzana's Raid (1972)
Unknown (2006)
Valmont (1989)
Vatel (2000)
A View to Kill (1985)
The Warrior (2001)
Witness (1985)
Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day (2012)
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2 (2011)
You Only Live Twice (1967)
Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)
Young@Heart (2007)
--
Coming to Netflix Instant April 9th, 2013 (4/9/13)
American Guns: Season 1 (2011)
Connected: An Autobiography About Love, Death & Technology (2011)
The Cottage (2012)
Funkytown (2011)
How to Make a Book with Steidl (2010)
In Another Country (2012)
Sick (1997)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 10th, 2013 (4/10/13)
9th Company (2005)
The Man from Nowhere (2010)
A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back to Autism (2009)
Race 2 (2013)
Switched at Birth: Season 2 (2013)
Triple Dog (2010)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 11th, 2013 (4/11/13)
Arena (2011)
Special Forces (2011)
Storage 24 (2012)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 12th, 2013 (4/12/13)
Bryan Callen: Man Class (2012)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 13th, 2013 (4/13/13)
Dangerous Liaisons (2012)
Rise of the Zombies (2012)
The Thieves (2012)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 14th, 2013 (4/14/13)
Orchestra of Exiles (2012)
Titanic: Blood and Steel (2012)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 15th, 2013 (4/15/13)
Blue Like Jazz (2012)
The Last Fall (2012)
Noobz (2013)
Shark Week (2012)
Tom Green: Live (2013)
War of the Dead (2011)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 16th, 2013 (4/16/13)
The Guest House (2012)
Mr. Bean’s Holiday (2007)
This Is Our Time (2013)
Top of the Lake (2013)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 17th, 2013 (4/17/13)
Continuum: Season 1 (2013)
Kitchen Nightmares (U.S.): Season 1 (2007)
Kitchen Nightmares (U.S.): Season 2 (2008)
Y.E.R.T. Your Environmental Road Trip (2011)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 18th, 2013 (4/18/13)
ParaNorman (2012)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 19th, 2013 (4/19/13)
Copper: Season 1 (2012)
Drop Dead Fred (1991)
My Babysitter’s a Vampire (2010)
My Babysitter’s a Vampire: Season 1 (2011)
Safe (2012)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 20th, 2013 (4/20/13)
Off White Lies (2011)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 21st, 2013 (4/21/13)
Arn: The Knight Templar: The Complete Series (2010)
The Count of Monte Cristo (1998)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 22nd, 2013 (4/22/13)
The Island President (2011)
The Paperboy (2012)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 23rd, 2013 (4/23/13)
Are We There Yet? (2005)
Joe + Belle (2011)
Just Like Being There (2012)
Sing Your Song (2011)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 24th, 2013 (4/24/13)
ABCD: Any Body Can Dance (2013)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 25th, 2013 (4/25/13)
A Royal Affair (2012)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 26th, 2013 (4/26/13)
Girl in Progress (2012)
What to Expect When You’re Expecting (2012)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 27th, 2013 (4/27/13)
500 MPH Storm (2013)
Flying Wild Alaska: Season 2 (2011)
Gold Rush: Season 2 (2011)
Coming to Netflix Instant April 30th, 2013 (4/30/13)
Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (2011)
The Men Next Door (2012)
The Revisionaries (2012)
--
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 1st, 2013 (4/1/13)
2001 Maniacs (2005)
The 24 Hour Woman (1999)
4 Life (2007)
500 Years Later (2005)
Ab-Normal Beauty (2004)
Alice Through the Looking Glass (1998)
All About Us (2007)
The Amazing Grace (2006)
Anastasia (1956)
Anatomy of Hell (2004)
April Fool’s Day (1986)
April Fools (2007)
Basic Instinct (1992)
Before I Self Destruct (2009)
Belly of the Beast (2003)
Between Two Women (2004)
Bloody Reunion (2006)
Blue Hawaii (1961)
Blue Water High: Season 1 (2005)
Blue Water High: Season 2 (2006)
Blue Water High: Season 3 (2008)
Bread and Roses (2000)
Broken Arrow (1996)
A Bronx Tale (1993)
Captain Biceps: The Complete Series (2010)
Carved: The Slit Mouthed Woman (2007)
The Cave of the Yellow Dog (2005)
The Chamber (1996)
Cheech Marin and Friends: Live (2005)
Chop Kick Panda (2011)
Cinderella (2006)
Code 46 (2003)
Confessions of a Call Girl (2007)
The Confidant (2010)
Dead Men Can’t Dance (1997)
Death Wish (1974)
Death Wish 2 (1982)
Derailed (2002)
Devil’s Playground (2010)
Diamond Hunters (2001)
Divergence (2005)
Divine Intervention (2007)
Dorm (2006)
Dragonslayer (1981)
El Dorado (1966)
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008)
Face (2004)
The Fall (2006)
Father of Lies (2007)
The Ghost (2004)
Ghost of Mae Nak (2005)
Gray Lady Down (1978)
H (2002)
The Heroic Duo (2003)
The Hillside Strangler (2004)
The Hit (2005)
The Horsemen (2008)
How to Steal a Million (1966)
Jamie Foxx presents America’s Funniest Comics: Vol. 1 (2006)
Jamie Foxx presents America’s Funniest Comics: Vol. 2 (2007)
Jamie Foxx presents America’s Funniest Comics: Vol. 3 (2007)
Jamie Foxx presents America’s Funniest Comics: Vol. 4 (2007)
Jess + Moss (2011)
Jesus’ Son (1972)
Joe Kidd (1972)
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (2002)
Jr. Detective Agency (2009)
Juice (1992)
Kalamity (2010)
The Last Hour (2008)
Let It Ride (1989)
Love Is a Many-Spendored Thing (1955)
Mad Dog and Glory (1993)
The Maid (2005)
Milwaukee, Minnesota (2003)
Mixtape, Inc. (2007)
Mr. Deeds (2002)
My Bloody Valentine (1981)
My Brother (2007)
O.C. and Stiggs (1985)
Oldboy (2003)
Permanent Midnight (1998)
Phone (2002)
Playas Ball (2003)
Politics of Love (2011)
Preaching to the Choir (2005)
Premium (2007)
Princess (2006)
The Queens of Comedy (2001)
R-Point (2004)
Rain (2007)
Rising Stars (2010)
Rumble Fish (1983)
Running Wild (1995)
Samaritan Girl (2004)
Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic (2005)
Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
The Secret of My Success (1987)
The Sentinel (1977)
Shadowboxer (2005)
Shaquille O’Neal: All Star Comedy Jam (2010)
Sheitan (2006)
Shutter (2004)
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters: Season 1 (1973)
The Silver Stallion (1993)
Sinbad: Afros and Bellbottoms (2006)
Sinbad: Nothin’ but the Funk (1998)
Sinbad: Son of a Preacher Man (1996)
Slaugher Night (2006)
Somebody Help Me (2007)
Star Kid (1997)
Steel Magnolias (1989)
Steve Harvey: Still Trippin’ (2008)
Stonerville (2010)
Stuart Saves His Family (1995)
Suspicious River (2000)
Tactical Force (2011)
A Tale of Two Sisters (2004)
Tom & Thomas (2002)
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
Trauma (2004)
Triad Election (2006)
Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)
VeggieTales Classics: Where’s God When I’m Scared? (2004)
VeggieTales: Esther (2000)
VeggieTales: It’s a Meaningful Life (2010)
VeggieTales: St. Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving (2009)
VeggieTales: Sweetpea Beauty (2010)
War, Inc. (2008)
WarGames 2: The Dead Code (2008)
Warlock (1989)
Warlock: The Armageddon (1993)
The Warriors (1979)
White Lion (2010)
Whore 2 (1994)
A World Without Thieves (2004)
Xanadu (1980)
Young Cesar (2007)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 3rd, 2013 (4/3/13)
Dance Fu (2011)
The Last Exorcism (2010)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 4th, 2013 (4/4/13)
The Juche Idea (2008)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 5th, 2013 (4/5/13)
The Adventures of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids: Vol. 1 (1984)
The Adventures of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids: Vol. 2 (1985)
Come Undone (2010)
Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries) (2010)
Freestyle (2010)
Summer of the Colt (1991)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 6th, 2013 (4/6/13)
Adventures of a Teenage Dragonslayer (2010)
Crash (2005)
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Storm (2009)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 7th, 2013 (4/7/13)
The Bituminous Coal Queens of Pennsylvania (2005)
Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 8th, 2013 (4/8/13)
11/4/08 (2010)
Floored (2009)
Icons Among Us (2009)
Just Like Home (2007)
Just Like the Son (2006)
The Man Who Would Be Polka King (2009)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 10th, 2013 (4/10/13)
Hisss (2010)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 11th, 2013 (4/11/13)
Boccaccio ‘70 (1962)
On the Downlow (2007)
We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen (2005)
The Weather Underground (2002)
Winnebago Man (2009)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 12th, 2013 (4/12/13)
Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself (2006)
Summer Lover (2008)
The Wild Soccer Bunch (2005)
The Women on the 6th Floor (2010)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 13th, 2013 (4/13/13)
Zombie Women of Satan (2009)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 15th, 2013 (4/15/13)
Albert Fish (2007)
Animal Factory (2000)
Awkward.: Season 1 (2011)
Awkward.: Season 2 (2012)
The Dark Horse (2009)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Fragile (2005)
Handsome Harry (2009)
Loaded (2007)
The Mentor: Season 2 (2011)
The Next Three Days (2010)
Paul Goodman Changed My Life (2011)
Roy Orbison: Black & White Night (1988)
Southern Comfort (1981)
Special Ops (2010)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 16th, 2013 (4/16/13)
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007)
Behind the Scenes of The Croods (2013)
The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 17th, 2013 (4/17/13)
Domain (2009)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 18th, 2013 (4/18/13)
Armadillo (2010)
Good Day for It (2011)
The Robber (2010)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 19th, 2013 (4/19/13)
American Dad!: Vol. 6 (2010)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 20th, 2013 (4/20/13)
All About You (2001)
Fire of Conscience (2010)
Gary Owen: The True Story (2012)
Jason of Star Command (1979)
Kevin Smith: Smodimations (2010)
Mammoth (2009)
Marwencol (2010)
The Mighty Hercules (1963)
A Mile in His Shoes (2011)
The Mr. Magoo Show: Complete Collection (1964)
Outcast (2010)
The Pack (2010)
Paranormal Entity (2009)
Princess of Mars (2009)
Punished (2011)
Randy Orton: The Evolution of a Predator (2011)
The Richie Rich Collection (1996)
Shaq & Cedric the Entertainer Present: All Star Comedy Jam (2009)
Shaquille O’Neal Presents: All Star Comedy Jam: Live from South Beach (2009)
Sweetgrass (2010)
Uncertainty (2008)
Why We Laugh (2009)
WWE’s Rivalries: Michaels vs Hart (2011)
WWE: Best of King of the Ring (2011)
WWE: Stone Cold Steve Austin: The Bottom Line on the Most Popular Superstar of All Time (2011)
WWE: The Epic Journey of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (2012)
WWE: The Ladder Match 2: Crash & Burn (2011)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 23rd, 2013 (4/23/13)
Dan Zanes: The Fine Friends Are Here! (2009)
The Frog Prince (2009)
Imagination Movers: Rock-O-Matic (2012)
Kidz Bop: Dance Moves (2010)
The Minis (2008)
We Are the Laurie Berkner Band (2006)
What’s Up: Balloon to the Rescue! (2009)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 25th, 2013 (4/25/13)
The Breakout (2007)
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
The Garden (2008)
Memron (2004)
Treeless Mountain (2008)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 26th, 2013 (4/26/13)
Season of the Witch (2011)
Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 27th, 2013 (4/27/13)
Gungrave: The Complete Series (2003)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 28th, 2013 (4/28/13)
The Louisiana Purchase (2003)
Welcome to the Rileys (2010)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 29th, 2013 (4/29/13)
Astonishing X-Men: Gifted (2009)
Black Panther: The Animated Series (2009)
Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes (2006)
The Incredible Hulk (1996-1997): Season 1 (1996)
The Incredible Hulk (1996-1997): Season 2 (1997)
Iron Man: Armored Adventures: Season 1 (2009)
Iron Man: Extremis (2010)
Silver Surfer (1998)
Spider-Man Unlimited (1999)
Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. (2009)
Waiting for “Superman” (2010)
Expiring from Netflix Instant April 30th, 2013 (4/30/13)
Fierce People (2005)
Let’s Make Love (1960)
Ninja (2009)
Netflix Announces Plans to Insert Kevin Spacey Doing a Southern Accent Into Every Title in Its Library
Kevin Spacey's southern accent in House of Cards heralded as "the only important thing happening in entertainment today" by Kevin Spacey
UPDATE: It was all an April Fool's joke! Gotcha!
The first Spaceyified title coming to Netflix Instant will be The Hunger Games on April 2nd, with Spacey in the role of Catniss. You can learn more about the process of Spaceyification in Netflix's in-depth multi-angle special Spaceyification: An Explosive Treat.
Carrie is the Hottest New Addition to Netflix Instant
Stephen King's original horror classic now streaming, with more arriving tomorrow
Carrie is joined by four more Stephen King films on April 1st: The Dead Zone (1983), Silver Bullet (1985), Pet Sematary (1989) and Pet Sematary 2 (1992).
Are you going to let any of these Stephen King films terrify you? Or at least briefly amuse you?
View Carrie (1976) on Netflix Instant:
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Regeneration Gap -- A Doctor Who Retrospective, Part III: Doctor New
Faded, but not Lost
More so than any other incarnation of the Doctor from the original series, Patrick Troughton's second Doctor influenced the development of Smith's interpretation of the character as the current Doctor. Indeed, Smith and show-runner Stephen Moffat have admitted as much. The original Doctor had been a stuffy, even crotchety old man, increasingly frail and senile due in part to actor William Hartnell's failing health. The production team decided that the actor replacing Hartnell should not only be younger (though Troughton was still middle-aged), but also more light-hearted in tone. Combining the haircut of Moe Howard and the baggy tramp suit of Charlie Chaplin, the Second Doctor came off as more of a bumbling, eccentric uncle than a stern grandfather. Fans often associate him with playing the recorder, though he rarely did this during his original run on the show. In addition to this humorous side, Troughton often played the Doctor with a kind of focus and intensity generally absent from Hartnell's performance; indeed, it may surprise the viewer just how driven he can become despite his clownish appearance. At times it even seemed that he merely feigned absentmindedness to further confuse his enemies, a tactic more fully exploited by Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor. Additionally, during Troughton's reign, the show's writers and producers fully embraced the science fiction aspect of the show, with nearly every episode featuring a Dalek-like robotic nemesis on a futuristic, alien world.
"The Mind Robber"
In the 1970s, BBC workers wiped many of Troughton's early episodes to save film on a stringent budget. For this reason, many new fans hesitate to dip into the Second Doctor pool. Most of his last season remains intact, however, so the viewer can still get a firm grasp of what his character was all about. This season featured long time companion Jamie McCrimmon (Frazer Hines), a youthful Highlander Scot plucked from the 18th century, and Zoe Heriot (Wendy Padbury), a teenage computer genius from a futuristic space station. Much of the humor of this era comes from the contrast between Zoe's technical virtuosity and Jamie's headlong brashness, as well as the Doctor's usual fumbling antics.
“The Mind Robber” (listed as Season 2 on Netflix Instant) remains a true highlight of this period of the show. The first episode of this five episode long story arc act as a kind of prologue; originally designed to fill four episodes (the show normally alternated between four and six per story), the writers had to tack on a cost-effective bottle episode when the previous story “The Dominators” fell one episode short. For this reason, much of this first installment consists of a rather trippy journey through a variety of strange, hastily-created environs, including stock footage of an erupting volcano, a white void populated by ghostly robots, and the TARDIS console plummeting through black emptiness. This happy accident results in a kind of art film that fans of French New Wave cinema will latch onto. It also features a rather exploitative shot of Padbury's posterior, barely contained by her Emma Peel-like catsuit. Fan service indeed.
Even as the proper story begins, the characters still find themselves in an environment far different from the corridor-filled starships and quarries typical of the show. They arrive in a kind of Wonderland, filled with trees that resemble letter type and various riddles and conundrums. Most prominently, various fictional characters from literature and mythology join the cast, including Gulliver, Medusa and a superhero from Zoe's own future time period. The setting proved so surreal that at one point the producers even get away with replacing an ill Frazer Hines for an entire episode with a completely different actor, explaining it as a punishment for the Doctor’s failing to solve a puzzle. Rather than seeming a lazy amalgam, this imaginative world, like the best theatre, somehow holds together and maintains a sense of unity and integrity. Even as the Doctor finally discovers who controls all of these psycho-machinations, the story proves exceptionally well-wriiten and a true departure from the by-the-book science fiction of the time.
View “The Mind Robber” on Netflix Instant:
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"The Three Doctors"
Though Troughton left the show at the end of its sixth season, he would return in no less than three special engagements over the course of the program. The first of these, “The Three Doctors” (listed as Season 4 on Netflix Instant) occurred a mere four years after his departure, and his performance basically steals the show. Due to an attack on his home planet, the Time Lords allow the Doctor to cross his own timeline, resulting in three incarnations of the Doctor at once. Well, more like two and a half; since William Hartnell's ill health only allowed him to appear in a few select sequences, most of the story consists of Troughton deftly undercutting Jon Pertwee's dapper Third Doctor and subverting the the stolid Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, an archetypal English military man first introduced during the Second Doctor's reign and now featured as a regular character.
Overcoming a clunky story and horrid productions values (at one point the monster literally consists of a cigarette burn on the celluloid), Troughton and Pertwee's playful banter became so beloved by fans that they would return over a decade later for the 25th anniversary special “The Five Doctors.” This story also solidified the recorder as part of Troughton's character in fan memory as it plays an integral role in both the plot and humor of the story.
View “The Three Doctors” on Netflix Instant:
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Troughton would reprise his most famous role one more time in the Sixth Doctor story “The Two Doctors,” before dying of a heart attack in 1987, at age 67, while attending a sci-fi convention in Georgia. Though many of his episodes remain lost, what we have of both his original stories and his many return appearances should serve as enough to win over even the most skeptical of new fans. Patrick Troughton lent a warmness to the Doctor that persists in the character to this day, and no doubt the show would not have continued so long without it.
That’s all for part three of our look at classic Doctor Who. Be sure to check back in a month or so for the next installment, when we continue our look deep within the retro Who-verse.
--Robby Dullnig
Related articles:
Regeneration Gap, Part I: A Guide to the Darker Side of Classic Doctor Who
Regeneration Gap, Part II: Doctor Who's Excellent Adventure
A Timey-Wimey Christmas: The Doctor Who Specials
James Bond Sneaks Back Onto Netflix Instant in April
A slew of spy films to infiltrate your queue
James Bond frequently appears on Netflix Instant in intermittent intervals, and one such stint will begin in April when 13 of the spy’s motion pictures return to the service. Beginning next month, you can stream Dr. No (1962), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), Live and Let Die (1973), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), A View to Kill (1985), Licence to Kill (1989), GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and The World is Not Enough (1999).
Are there any of the agent’s exploits you’re particularly looking forward to streaming?
A Catalog Chock-Full of Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and WB Shows Coming to Netflix Instant on March 30th
Wake up on Saturday and watch some cartoons, just like the good old days
Update: After our original publication, Netflix also announced the following titles, which have been added to the above list: Batman: The Brave and the Bold season 2, Batman Beyond season 3, Ben 10: Alien Force season 1, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends season 1, Justice League Unlimited season 1, Codename: Kids Next Door seasons 1-3, My Gym Partner's a Monkey season 1, Destroy Build Destroy seasons 1-2, Robotomy season 1, Cow and Chicken season 1, Camp Lazlo! seasons 1-2, Secret Mountain Fort Awesome season 1, The Problem Solverz season 1, Hole in the Wall season 1 and Dude, What Would Happen? season 1.
Which series are you particularly looking forward to watching? Perhaps a modern-day animation, a classic blast from the past or a mature offering from Adult Swim?
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