The Actual First (but 2nd) Episode
After recording the following episode were felt like we didn’t have the polish that we wanted. Being stuck in the house for the last four weeks didn’t help in our effort to get our podcast groove back. So we shelved this episode, turned on the mic, and just started talking and posted that short, unstructured episode last night. We got an excellent response, so we decided to put out the original first episode. We hope you like it, and we hope you will hang in with us while we get our sea legs in this new reality!
T and E
ps – We’ll keep doing the short What Are Travis and Elaine Doing “corona-casts too!
We’ve been planning to launch our podcast for a while. But given the fact that everyone is stuck in the house searching for what to watch, we’ve decided to fast track it. In crazy times, you need crazy TV streamers. That’s where we come in. We watch a LOT of TV. We’re going to dive a bit deeper than whatever Netflix is pushing this week (not that Tiger King isn’t worth a watch!)
Do we have great taste in TV and movies? We think so. Do we watch much kid-friendly stuff? We think not. But we don’t discriminate based on genre, platform, or era. If it’s got a a good premise, story, performances or something unique, we’ll check it out!
So. put another pillow behind your back (we know it’s already hurting from so many hours sitting on your ass the last three weeks) and take a pill for your eyestrain headache (from way too many hours on social media) and let’s dig in.
Note: Just like you, we are stuck at home. In our case, it’s a home with 20-foot vaulted ceilings, no studio, no isolation shield and no soundproofing. Sound quality may vary!
Here is a list of shows we are recommending this week.
Too Old To Die Young (Prime Video)
One of the trippiest series to ever grace Prime video, Too Old To Die Young, isn’t a movie, and it’s not really a series either. Some episodes are 20 minutes long, and others are nearly two hours. It’s slow; it’s action-packed; it’s noir; it’s a revenge flick of the most violent variety. It’s definitely not for everybody. But we love it. TOTDY is the fevered brainchild of Danish auteur Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive and The Neon Demon,). It stars Miles Teller with stand out performances by Cristina Rodlo, William Baldwin, John Hawkes, and Babs Olusanmokun.
NOS4A2
Not precisely a vampire story, NOS4A2 is based on the novel of the same name by Joe Hill (son of Stephen King.) Creepy fun starring Zachary Quinto as the evil Charlie Manx.
La Casa de Papal (House of Paper)
One of our favorite Spanish series, La Casa de Papal, is known in the U.S. as Money Heist. Turn on your subtitles and be prepared to fall in love with Tokio, El Profesor, Nairobi, Berlin, Denver, Rio, and Helsinki as they attempt to rob the Madrid Mint- in Dali masks and red hoodie jumpsuits! The first three seasons are available on Netflix. Season 4 premieres on April 3rd.
Featured Escapism
Since everybody has jumped on The Office bandwagon, what better time to offer up some (free) Carrell.
Start with Some Good News with John Krasinski and his interview with Steve that dropped on Youtube this week.
Then have hours of laughs watching The Office blooper reels, also on Youtube.
And finish up with the hilarious ending sequence from The 40 Year Old Virgin.
Free Trials!
Streaming TV numbers went up by 20% last weekend and services big and small are competing for eyeballs by offering deals.
SHUDDER
We love SHUDDER! The home of Joe Bob Briggs marathons, great docs like Eli Roth’s History of Horror. SHUDDER is great for cord cutters too because it airs horror TV shows from it’s parent channel, AMC like N0S4A2 and SyFy shows too.
SHUDDER is offering 30 days free with the code SHUTIN and $5 a month after that. (US Canada and Ireland only)
CBS All Access
The streaming service is offering 30 days free. Lot’s of content including Star Trek: Picard and The Good Fight. There are a couple of codes available. Patrick Stewart posted the code GIFT on his Instagram account, but the CBS All Access website says to use the code ALL. The service normally costs $6 a month with limited commercials, or $10 for the ad-free version.
Acorn TV
Acorn is an excellent option if you’re a fan of British, Canadian and Australian TV. Acorn has switched from a seven-day free trial to a month. After the trial: $5.99 a month, $59.99 a year. Code for free trial: FREE30
SUNDANCE NOW
Sundance Now is also owned by AMC and is like SHUDDER is extending their seven-day free trial to 30 days, with the code SUNDANCENOW30. After the 30 days, the subscription is $7 a month or $5 if you subscribe for a year. Series include McMafia and Law and Order (UK) Oh! Movies include lots of solid indies and docs like Whale Rider, Exit Through the Gift Shop and Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer.
DOX
The documentary streaming service has cut the cost of an annual subscription, from $30 to $15, if you sign up before March 31. UPDATE: Instead of expanding its 7-day free trial, beyond March 31, the service is cutting its price in half for new subscribers. While the annual subscription price is $29.99, anyone who signs up at doxchannel.com will only pay $14.99 for a limited time. Some of the docs currently airing include Blackfish, Man on Wire, and I’m Still Here. They also have scripted content based on true stories like The World’s Fastest Indian.
AMC PREMIERE
With episodes of all The Walking Dead series’ 48 hours early, lots of other shows and extras commercial free, this channel is a bargain right now. They are offering a year for $24.49. Yep, just a little over $2 a month! But ya gotta buy the year to get the deal. No code needed.
Urban Movie Channel
The first streaming service dedicated to black film and TV, UMC offers a mix of classic sitcoms and movies, plus original series, documentaries, and more. (30 days With Promo Code UMCFREE30)
It costs $5 per month or $50 annually if you choose to keep it after 30 days.
Are you a fan of Bollywood? Eros Now is currently giving fans a free, two-month trial if you sign up with the promo code STAYSAFE from now until March 31. As of April 3 they were still offering on their site.
Quibi
Quibi stands for “quick bites.” Jeffrey Katzenberg’s new service, which is slated to launch April 6, is offering 90 days free! Featuring A listers like J-Lo. Kristen Bell and Kevin Hart will focus on short-form entertainment. In its first year, the company says it will have around 7,000 videos, everything from scripted series and movies to reality TV. After the free 90 days you can pay $5 per month for an ad-supported version or $8 per month without ads.
CRITERION CHANNEL
Criterion filled the slot left open after the demise of FilmStruck. They have the best collection of classics, foreign films, docs, and celebrity picks out there. You can get 14 days free and after that, $10 a month or $99 for a year. It is worth every penny. This week alone we watched Detour, Dead End, Ghostworld and Adventures in Moviegoing with Patton Oswalt. No code needed.
The big boys have extended free trials too. Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and Showtime have extended their free trials to 30 days. Sling is offering several of their premium channels for free. HBO is offering lots of it content for free. The launched the release with the hashtag #StayHomeBoxOffice. Just download the app to your Firestick or Roku or however you get your streaming channels and you’re good to go. Free content includes Barry, Silicon Valley, The Sopranos, True Blood, Veep, The Wire, and this year’s Golden Globe winner for Best TV Drama Series, Succession.
Looking for personalized gift while ya can’t leave the house?
Consider Mike’s Mugs. Email any picture and it will be engraved (no stickers that wear off after a few washes) on a high quality mug. Everything from Mike’s is sanitized before shipping. Mike also has a wide variety of mugs to choose from in his inventory too. Support small businesses.
Use Etsy, or hit us up on our Facebook page and we’ll put you in touch.
