Things to Watch - Beat Bugs (Netflix)

Netflix recently premiered a new cartoon for kids called Beat Bugs and IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BEATLES!! How cool is that? We haven't checked it out yet (I think my kids might be a little too old for it), but it looks so fun. When my kids were little I hated listening to all the bad kids' music in TV shows (ugh, like the Hot Dog song), so how great would it be to hear something worthwhile, while keeping your kids entertained? Check out the preview here.

And by the way, did anyone else watch Stranger Things? It gave me nightmares but I loved it!! And so great to see Winona again!



[Disclaimer- I receive compensation for posting about Netflix, but I decide what I want to write about and what I want to say.]

Things to Watch - 10 Summer Movies on Netflix Streaming

1. Grease - For better or worse, this is pretty much the classic summer movie. How many times have I heard "Summer Loving" in my life? Probably too many. (Rating PG; common sense media rating 12+)



2. Jurassic Park - Netflix just added the whole Jurassic trilogy to streaming. And summer movies are often over-the-top blockbusters, so cuddle in your couch and prepare to hide under blankets. (Rating PG-13; common sense media rating 12+)



3. Holes - Because summer is about digging for (maybe finding?) buried treasure (PG; common sense media rating 10+).

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4. The 7 Year Itch - Every summer needs a classic. And Marilyn Monroe. (NR; common sense media rating 11+)



5. Adventureland - This is probably my favorite summer movie ever. It's about a group of kids working at a low-tier amusement park together. And there's a love story. And it's funny. But some scenes are a little risqué for kids. (R; common sense media rating 16+)



6. What's Eating Gilbert Grape - Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio star in this small town coming of age film, which will make you cry (but in a good way). (PG-13; common sense media rating 14+).



7. Back to the Future - Because Marty McFly is awesome and he just arrived on Netflix streaming. (PG; common sense media rating 10+)



8. 50 First Dates - Watch Drew Barrymore fall in love over and over again. (PG-13; common sense media rating 14+)



9. Addams Family Values - Wednesday goes to camp. (PG-13; common sense media rating 14+).



10. The Endless Summer - Because surfing. Lots and lots of surfing. (NR; no common sense media rating).



[Disclaimer- I receive compensation for posting about Netflix, but I decide what I want to write about and what I want to say.]

Things to Watch - Five Family TV Shows on Netflix Streaming

I don't know about everyone else, but we have a hard time finding shows to watch together.

My kids could spend hours zoning out to Disney sitcoms (Liv & Maddie, Jessie, Kickin' It), but I find them trite. Plus the content is full of stereotypes about "cool" kids and dorks (everyone is so self-mocking, but yet so beautiful). And the laugh track gets to me.

But my kids are WAY too young for most of the shows we watch (Bloodline, the League, Master of None, etc.).

So these are the five shows we've found that work for everyone (more or less).



1. Brain Games - I hate to use the word trippy in a kids' post, but I can't think of another adjective. Our brains are complex and they fool with us all the time. Plus, this show has a lot of quizzes and challenges that keep everyone entertained.




2. Once Upon a Time - I must admit, I lost interest after awhile, but the kids binge watched this like crazy. And I know a lot of families who insist this is the best thing to watch together on TV.




3. Malcom in the Middle - This is our go-to lately, especially since we live in a house with three kids. Everyone has a character with which to empathize. Several of the plots make me think, "wow, my life is a sitcom."




4. Parks & Recreation - So this one is a little iffy, the content is adult-based and some of the subject matter is a little risqué. But my kids love laughing at Andy. And Leslie Knope makes a great role model.




5. The Great British Baking Show - We haven't watched this yet, but several of my friends can't stop raving about it.



[Disclaimer- I receive compensation for posting about Netflix, but I decide what I want to write about and what I want to say.]

Things to Watch - 10 Great Family Movies on Netflix Streaming

1. The Princess Bride - I really can't think of a much better family movie - kids love it, adults love it. Hating The Princess Bride is inconceivable. [Common Sense media age rating - 8+]

2. ET - Oh, the nostalgia. Everyone has to see this movie at least once in their lives, so why not see it as a family? [Common sense media age rating - 7+]

3. Adventures in Babysitting - Whenever my kids watch Adventures in Babysitting (yes, we've seen it multiple times) they talk about how dangerous life was before cellphones. Elizabeth Shue singing the Babysitting Blues might be my favorite movie scene ever. [Common sense media age rating - 12+]

4. To Kill a Mockingbird - Because Atticus Finch is awesome and racism is not. And kids are always confused/fascinated by the fact that movies used to be in black and white. [Common sense media age rating - 12+]

5. Minions - In case your family needs to laugh together. Over and over again. [Common sense media age rating - 5+]

6. Legally Blond - Although this comedy is a little tongue and cheek, I love the message to believe in one's self and not to cave to society's expectations of who or what you should be (though be careful, there's some adult content in this one). [Common sense media age rating - 13+]

7. The Truman Show - F loves this movie, making me super happy that Netflix added it to streaming. A great introduction to what "real" means, especially in this age of digital fakeness. [Common sense media age rating - 10+]

8. Hoodwinked - Dan and his brother both insist that this is the funniest animated movie ever made. [Common sense media age rating - 7+]

9. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Because kids need to see films that pass the Bechtel test (and there aren't that many of them). Plus, the views of Greece are incredible (and made me want to travel). [Common sense media age rating - 12+]

10. Blackfish - Kids need to learn that adults/corporations/theme parks don't always tell the truth. Hence sometimes you need to dig deeper and ask hard questions in order to learn the "real story". [Common sense media age rating - 14+, mainly because the depressing theme - whales mistreated in captivity - may be hard for young kids to handle.]

Things to Watch - Netflixing (April 2016)

KIDS AND ADULTS:

* Our whole family is addicted to Brain Games, which analyzes how our brain processes the world in a fun quirky way (lots of interactive "games").

* P discovered Malcom in the Middle and I'm so excited to find a family sitcom that everyone in our house enjoys.

* Did you know that Netflix now has The Princess Bride, ET, Groundhog Day, and Harry and the Hendersons? So hurry up and pop some popcorn!


JUST KIDS:

* T can't stop laughing at the Little Rascals movie.

* The girls still like Liv & Maddie and Jessie.



ADULTS ONLY:

* I haven't watched a lot of TV lately, but the Adventures of Kimmy Schmidt Season 2 is cracking me up. I was nervous that the first season was a one hit wonder, but season 2 might be even better than season 1.

Things to Watch - Netflixing (March 2016)

ADULTS ONLY:

I've watched two random (but awesome) shows lately.

* The Heavy Water War - Perhaps a series about how Britain kept Nazi Germany from developing the atomic bomb sounds boring. But you haven't seen the suspenseful missions to blow up the "heavy water" plant yet. Totally awesome. Plus, tons of crazy beautiful nordic scenery. And now I'm obsessed with whether Heisenberg purposefully messed up his research for the Nazis.

* 30 Degrees in February - Continuing with the randomness, I became OBSESSED with this Swedish show about vacationers/emigrants in Thailand. Obsessed.



KIDS ONLY:

* Mighty Med - According to P, "It's about two boys, comic book nerds, who discover a secret hospital for superheros. They go through many adventures trying to protect the hospital and the show is funny."

* Fuller House - According to F, "It was okay. I've never seen Full House, so I'm not sure what that was like. Fuller House is funny. It has a little bit of jokes that adults would like (about kissing and stuff)."

* Once Upon a Time - According to P, "I love this show. I'm sad we finished all the seasons. It is a fantasy TV show about a kingdom cursed by an evil queen that transfers the kingdom to the real world in a small town in Maine."

* There are also two new Lego shows that look great - LEGO Friends and LEGO Bionicle, but we haven't had a chance to preview them yet.



ADULTS & KIDS:

* Pirates of the Caribbean - It's sort of a classic, right? Especially if you've ever been on the Disney ride.

WHAT ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE? WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING LATELY?

[Disclaimer- I receive compensation for posting about Netflix, but I decide what I want to write about and what I want to say.]

Things to Watch - Netflixing (February 2016)

February seems so long. Here is what we've been watching, but I could use some suggestions. Anyone??



JUST ADULTS:

* We just finished Season 1 of Better Call Saul and I'm so sad it's over. Dan was a huge Breaking Bad fan, but I found the show a little too uncomfortable. Luckily Saul is much funnier than Breaking Bad. And he's a lawyer, reminding me that I used to be a lawyer too. I loved the first season.

* I read about Meet the Patels a few months ago when it was still in theaters. The movie - about a 30-something-Indian/American trying to find a wife - is slow at times. But also funny. The film does a great job capturing the push and pulls between the country your parents came from and the country you were born in.



JUST KIDS:

* The final season of Jessie needed binge-watching (of course).

* They also love watching Total Drama, a cartoon poking fun at reality shows.

* And Johnny Test continues to be a big hit as well.



KIDS AND ADULTS TOGETHER:

* We all really enjoy this PBS show called How We Got to Now, which made me appreciate so much of everyday life - like sewers and clocks that correctly reflect the time.

* I tried to watch Clueless with the kids during the snow day, but had to work instead. Oh well, at least they liked it.

[Disclaimer- I receive compensation for posting about Netflix, but I decide what I want to write about and what I want to say.]

Things to Watch - Netflixing (January 2015)

So I was prepared to write a whole post about the different shows we as a family are watching on Netflix, but that will have to wait til next month because Making a Murderer requires its own blog post. Have you seen it?

I was so thoroughly convinced of Steven Avery's innocence that I couldn't sleep for hours after every episode. I was furious. I was angry. I wanted to move to Europe. I wanted to glitter bomb Wisconsin. I wanted to cry.

But now I'm SO CONFUSED!! The story keeps getting more and more complex. Like this interview, WHAT? And then there are these new facts.

Though even if Avery is shadier than we/I thought, there's still the Brendan Dassey issue - in which police officers lead a mentally handicapped teenager into a false confession. And the whole series begins with the fact that the police department knowingly let an innocent man sit in jail.

Anyways, if you haven't seen it - you need to to watch. Just read these quotes for some good teasers -

* “Poor people lose. Poor people lose all the time” —Steven Avery, talking to his parents from jail

* “Who better than a police officer would know how to frame somebody?” —Jerry Buting, co-defense counsel for Steven Avery

* “This is truly where the devil resides in comfort. I can find no good in any member. These people are pure evil. A friend suggested this is a one-branch family tree. Cut this tree down. We need to end the gene pool here.” —Kachinsky’s defense investigator Michael O’Kelly, in an email to Kachinsky

* “Most of what ails our criminal justice system lie in unwarranted certitude on the part of police officers and prosecutors and defense lawyers and judges and jurors that they are getting it right. That they are simply right. Just a tragic lack of humility in everyone who participates in our criminal justice system” —Dean Strang

“You are probably the most dangerous individual ever to set foot in this courtroom” —Judge Patrick Willis, to Avery, at his sentencing



*** If you were addicted to Making a Murderer and Serial, here's a list of other true crime documentaries on Netflix. I haven't watched any yet, but I plan on checking several out soon.

*** And here's a list of seven PBS documentaries on similar issues.

Things to Watch - NYE's with Netflix

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE EVERYONE!! We're trying something new this year, a 4 family progressive dinner/drinking party. The Mathesons (i.e. us) have the final shift - from 11:15 until whenever, we're not sure how many people will make it that long, but Dan's cooking up a huge array of desserts for those who can hang for six hours of fun.



If your kids are too young and/or tired to stay up until midnight, this year Netflix has an array of countdowns, so kids can pick their favorite character toring in the new year again and again.

How cool is that?

Things to Watch - Christmas on Netflix (December 2015)

In case you're looking for something to watch this December . . .



HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! I'm pretty excited about A Very Murray Christmas!

[Disclaimer- I receive compensation for posting about Netflix, but I decide what I want to write about and what I want to say.]

Things to Watch - Netflixing (November 2015)

F broke her collarbone and soccer season for all three kids ended, so we have A LOT of time to watch TV this fall (for better or worse). Odd how the days changed so suddenly, a few weeks ago we were scurrying from one soccer practice to another one. And now we're all at home, together, walking the dogs and eating dinner by 6:30. I must admit, I'm loving this downtime.

So here are are current addictions:

JUST ADULTS:

* I just finished binge-watching Aziz Ansari's new Netflix show, Masters of None, which I'm totally obsessed with. Episode 9 might be my favorite episode of tv ever. The show is great in that it takes on hot topics such as: racism, sexism, parenthood, old people, etc. in insightful, non-preachy ways.

* Have you seen, What Happened Miss Simone? It's so good. A summary of Nina Simone's life and of the 1960s civil rights' movement. Now I can't stop listening to Mississippi Goddam over and over again.

* Dan has decided to rewatch all seasons of Arrested Development. Random fact, we almost named F May Bee because we were obsessed with that show when she was born. Luckily, we didn't because a few years later Call Me Maybe became a huge pop hit.

* I'm currently making my way through Ken Burn's The Roosevelts, which is the perfect background show while I edit photos. Teddy Roosevelt was kind of an egomaniac.


JUST KIDS:

* The girls keep talking about the movie Standing Ovation, which has the subheading of "dance sing dream" and Hoodwinked, a "hilarious" movie about fairy tale characters.

* T continues to love Ninjago and the Avengers cartoon.

* On Saturday mornings, they all still like My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic.


KIDS & ADULTS:

* Peabody and Sherman is now a cartoon talk show (see photo above). We haven't had a chance to watch yet, but the cold days are coming and we're excited for something new.

* In the meantime, Dan and the kids are watching Once Upon a Time together, the kids seem to love it (I'm not so sure about Dan).

* And for family movie night, we've recently watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Footloose, two of my favorite movies ever.

[Disclaimer- I receive compensation for posting about Netflix, but I decide what I want to write about and what I want to say.]

Things to Watch - Five Great New(ish) "Indie" Movies on Netflix Streaming

I'm not really sure what constitutes an indy movie anymore, but most of these weren't main stream releases, so I'm going with that.



1. Iris - Iris Apfel rose to fame at the age of 84 when The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute premiered an exhibition about Iris's style. This documentary features Iris one year later. It's a great look at old age, creativity, and the need to "be yourself."

Best quote - "I would advise you to be happy rather than well-dressed. It’s better to be happy.”

Second best quote - "I never felt pretty. I don’t feel pretty now. I’m not a pretty person. I don’t like pretty so I don’t feel badly and I think it worked out well because I found, for instance, all the girls that I know who were very pretty girls and got by on their looks, as time went on and they faded… they were nothing. And they were very, very disappointed. When you’re somebody like myself, in order to get around and be attractive, you have to develop something, you have to learn something and you have to do something so you become a bit more interesting. And when you get old, you get by on that. Anyway, I don’t happen to like pretty. Most of the world is not with me but I don’t care."



2. Rich Hill - This documentary follows three teenage boys and their families, living in near poverty. Super depressing and beautifully filmed. A fascinating look at the America you never really see.

Best quote - “I pray every night. Nothing’s came, but that ain’t gonna stop me. This is what goes through my mind: God has to be busy with everyone else. Eventually he will come into my life. I hope it happens. It’s gonna break my heart if it don’t.”



3. Nightcrawler - Rumor is Jake Gyllenhaal was upset about not receiving an Academy Award nomination for his role as a creepy (super creepy) news photographer of late night car crashes. It's a dark, gloomy movie, but yet fascinating to watch; one of the best movies I saw this year.

Best quote - "A friend is a gift you give yourself."



4. Force Majure - This Swedish movie (subtitles) follows a beautiful upper class family on a ski vacation in the French Alps when a near-tragedy occurs. Nobody is injured (spoiler) but the movie deals with the aftermath. It's a depressing film with a beautiful setting, which makes you wonder what you'd do in similar circumstances.

Best quote - "Okay, is everyone happy now?"



5. Moonrise Kingdom - I actually haven't watched this yet, but Wes Anderson always makes beautifully crafted sets and stories, so I'm sure it's good.



* The Netflix Streamteam just sent us a giant TV (thank you!!), so I (obviously) receive compensation for writing these posts. But I decide what to write.

Things to Watch - Two Fantastic New Kids' Shows (and One Adult Show) on Netflix Streaming

Netflix Stream Team sent us these super awesome masks, along with other fun stuff, to celebrate the release of the new How To Train Your Dragon TV show. Not that we needed any extra incentive to watch. The morning the show premiered T logged onto Netflix and started screaming, "you'll never believe this! It's a TV show now! A real TV show!" We then let him binge watch over the next few days (during summer, downtime was needed, right?).

T called the show, "awesome, really awesome!!"
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Netflix Stream Team also sent us a box of coolio science experiments, along with a doll, for the release of the TV show Project MC2, about "three supersmart girls who work for a spy agency. They try to pinpoint supersmart girls all over the map and make them part of their team" (description provided by F).

If you ever want to win F over, science experiments are a surefire way to do so. Combine them with a Barbie-like doll and she'll love you for life. The girls immediately watched the show and then played spies all afternoon. Only 3 episodes are currently streaming, but my kids loved each and every one and can't wait for more to become available.
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And speaking of binge-watching is anyone else watching Narcos? (a "fictional" show about the Colombian drug cartel of the 1980s, Pablo Escobar in particular). The first episode was just okay, but by episode 3 I could not stop watching. Now, every night, I'm begging the kids to hurry up and go to bed so we can start the next episode. So. so. good.
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Okay, so that's us, what have you all been watching?

Things to Watch - Five Kids' Movies Featuring Paris (Netflix Streaming)

Netflix streaming has some fantastic movies featuring foreign lands. Here are a few that take place in Paris. Because sometimes the best travel is arm chair travel (especially with kids)!

1. Hugo - If you ask me, this is one of the best children's movies to watch as a family. Hugo received more Academy Award nods in 201l than any other film that year. The cinematography is fantastic as it the coolio automoton/robot thing they put together. Hugo also celebrates the history of cinema, including the early classic - A Trip to the Moon (also available on Netflix streaming). And the 1930s train station that serves as the movie's main location seems so romantic and foreign.

2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame - So this movie isn't exactly Disney at its best, but still there are some fun songs. And a gypsy (who doesn't love a gypsy?). Plus talking gargoyles. We watched it right before our trip to Paris and the kids were a little awestruck when they saw the "real" Notre Dame.

3. The Aristocats - I haven't seen this in years, but I remember loving it as a child. Kittens. An evil butler. The beautiful city skyline. What's not to like?

4. A Monster in Paris - T loves this movie. The monster is actually nice and nobody realizes but the beautiful singer.

5. A Cat in Paris - We haven't watched this one yet, but it sounds pretty good, "when Zoe discovers that her cat is also a thief's companion, she's thrown into a thriller filled with gangsters, jewels and the rooftops of Paris."

Things to Watch - 7 Great TV Dramas on Netflix Streaming

Last month I posted about comedies (click here for the post), so now it's time to get serious.

1. Bloodline - "We're not bad people, but we did a bad thing." Most addictive show ever. I could not stop watching.

2. Mad Men - No real description is needed, as everyone has heard of Mad Men by now. Worth watching for the costumes and scenic design alone. And for Roger Sterling, possibly the best TV character ever.

3. Breaking Bad - Dan found this whole show addictive, but I thought it a little too depressing to binge watch. Still who doesn't love a show where Mr. Chips turns into Scarface?

4. The Honorable Woman - This suspenseful mini-series concentrates on Israeli/Pakistan relations. Kidnappings. Abductions. So much intrigue.

5. House of Cards - Politicians are so evil. But fun to watch.

6. The Walking Dead - Personally, I'm sick of thinking about/hearing about/imagining the apocalypse. So I've never learned to love the Walking Dead, but many good friends (including Dan) insist that it's one of the best shows on TV, so I'm including the Walking Dead on this list.

7. The UP series - Last but DEFINITELY not least, this documentary series follows the lives of fourteen British citizens over a 49 year period, as they age from 7 to 56 years old. The first episode (filmed in 1964) is a little painful to watch - awful sound quality, bad editing, no thoughts as to cinematography. But over time I became somewhat obsessed with the lives of these strangers.

Things to Watch - Netflixing (May 2015)

Now that we're knee deep in spring, I haven't watched much TV this month. So instead of sharing my reviews, I'll tell you what's on my "must see" list. As for the kids, they always have some new show they adore.

ON MY WISHLIST FOR ADULT-ONLY VIEWING:



1. Force Majure - Several critics listed this as one of 2014's top movies. I've wanted to watch it for awhile now, but I haven't felt like reading subtitles.

2. Wet Hot American Summer - This movie looks awful, but how bad can a movie staring Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Paul Rudd, Molly Shannon, Elizabeth Banks, Bradley Cooper, and Amy Poehler be?

Also, Nightcrawler and Rosewater are coming on to Netflix on June 10 (I'm really excited for both)!

ON MY WISHLIST FOR FAMILY VIEWING:



The BBC Earth Shows - Tiger: Spy in the Jungle; Bears: Spy in the Woods; and Elephants: Spy in the Herd. And Planet Earth.

WHAT DAN'S BEEN WATCHING:



Our World War - "It's like the Band of Brothers for England. A terrific presentation based on the letters and diaries of the soldiers that were there, it brings home how unprepared they were for the technology of war at that time."

WHAT THE KIDS' HAVE BEEN WATCHING:



F's Netflixing:

Jessie - "Is is an entertaining story about a nanny and her four wacko kids. And they go on crazy adventures. Sort of." (P' interupts - "And they're really rich and their parents are snobs. Well, the mom is a snob, the dad's really nice.")



P's Netflixing:

Liv and Maddie P - "It's like real life, sisters who keep fighting. But the unrealistic part is that one's a movie star."

The Haunting Hour - "I like it because it's scary. The episodes aren't related, but they are all randomly scary. I really like the Pool Shark and The Red Dress, which is about a poor girl trying to steal a red dress and the mean shop-owner who makes her go blind. It doesn't end happy. None of them end happy and I like it that way."



T's Netflixing:

Max Steel - "There's a army. A cool army. They have a lot of big tanks. And the guns don't shoot bullets, they shoot lasers. Oh, and I like the Turbo Star, a huge gun that shoots turbo energy."

Lab Rats - "I like Adam, he has laser eyes and super strength. And I like that they go on missions."

Things to Watch - 6 Great Movies to Watch With Your Tween (Netflix Streaming)

In six months F will turn 10, a fact that she reminds us of constantly. And every time she says this all I hear is, "Darcy, soon you will be 40." But despite my fear of old age creeping in, I love having an almost-tween in the house. Finally, we can not only watch, but actually ENJOY movies together, especially classics from my own tween-hood.



1. Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Helen Hunt. Sarah Jessica Parker. Shannon Doherty. And a dance competition. Everything about this movie is perfect cheese - an evil dance "villain", romance with a boy on a motorcycle (and he can dance!!!!), the chance to appear live on Dance TV, and most importantly a straight-out-of-the-1980s soundtrack.



2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Before turning 13 every child NEEDS (yes, this in an inappropriate use of "needs" but I'm going with it) to see Matthew Broderick sing the Beatles during a parade and learn that there's more to life than high school. "Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around every once in awhile, you could miss it."



3. The Prince and Me - The Disney Channel recently made a knock-off of this movie called "Princess Protection Party", starring Demi Lovato. But I'll always vote for Julia Stiles. Plus, I love that she chooses med school over the monarchy and then, of course, finds a true "prince" who wants her to have both.



4. Legally Blond - Because girls can be smart and pretty. Or both. Or neither. It's just important to find the right dog. (FYI - this movie won't be available on Netflix streaming until May 1, so watch some of the other recommendations first). "You got into Harvard law?" "What like it's hard."



5. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure - This is a stupid movie. I've always thought it was a stupid movie. But my kids can now recognize Abraham Lincoln, so they might as well hear him say "Be excellent to each other. And... PARTY ON, DUDES!"



6. Footloose (the 1984 version) - I'm going back and forth on this one. Common Sense Media recommends it for children 13 and up, but the scenes between Ariel and her dad can be somewhat painful to watch, plus the sex talk and Ariel HANGING OUT OF A CAR. But still, who doesn't love Kevin Bacon as Ren? All he wants to do is dance.