Anyone else streaming Starz?

[audreyh1]

Starz is now available for internet streaming without needing a cable subscription. It is the same price as Netflix, more or less $8.99 a month. It's available through Amazon, or on Apple TV. You can turn it on and off month to month.

We're finally catching up on some programming that we'd been waiting for a couple of years now

I'll probably have to watch Spartacus again. Loved the first season. Even though I don't like TV violence, somehow Spartacus drew me in. I don't know about the other seasons since the original leading actor, unfortunately, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away after the first season.

HBO and several other big movie cable channels also have internet streaming subscriptions. Starz was the only one I really wanted to watch some programming.

And we'll probably just subscribe a couple of months at a time. It's easy to turn on and off via iTunes.

BTW - I ordered $300 of iTunes gift cards at Staples this January for $240 (20%0 off), no taxes or shipping charges. This loads me up for a bunch of books, music, apps and internet streaming subscriptions this year. November and December seem to be when some of the discounted gift cards become available. Last year Costco had them for 18% off - starting after Thanksgiving I think. Sams had a discount (I read about it - don't shop there). Staples had the sale twice, limit 3 per customer.

 

[Sojourner]

My favorite Starz series is The Missing, so definitely check that out when you get a chance. There has only been one season so far, but apparently Season 2 is in production right now. When it premieres, I'll definitely be signing up for the Starz streaming package.

 

[audreyh1]

My favorite Starz series is The Missing, so definitely check that out when you get a chance. There has only been one season so far, but apparently Season 2 is in production right now. When it premieres, I'll definitely be signing up for the Starz streaming package.

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[audreyh1]

So far we're watching Outlander, Da Vinci's Demons, and Black Sails.

The first is a production par excellence. The other two are pretty campy and slap-dash with lousy dialog at times, but set in such compelling time periods that it's still interesting watching (even if I grumble).

I see how much money they are spending on the productions. I wish they could hire consistently capable actors and script writers.

 

[audreyh1]

Ha! - no one else I guess! LOL!

 

[RobbieB]

I get Starz with my Uverse package, I'll take a look.

 

[audreyh1]

OK - so we've really been enjoying our Starz streaming packing on AppleTV. We've been watching some really terrific entertainment:

Black Sails

A disappointment at first, because it seemed like a jumbled "Animal House" version of pirates with a bunch of gratuitous nonsense. About the 4th episode or so DH and I looked at each other and said - "Hey, there is actually a plot!". It turned out part of the problem was they have a lot of characters - a group from the book Treasure Island, and another group of real-life pirates from the period. Looking back it makes more sense now, and it would have helped to know about the importance of all these characters when we started. By the end of season one any gratuitous silliness had vanished and season one had a thrilling ending with an absolutely spectacular naval battle scene. (I loooooove period tall ship battle scenes)

Season 2 was absolutely fantastic. Really nothing more to say. The show becomes a very serious drama - fascinating interpersonal relationships. The acting is really outstanding. An amazing backstory unfolds. And the ending is just not to be believed.

We're into season 3 now, and gosh - I think it's even better!!! We just watched spectacular naval battle scene - this one at night. And the drama is intense.

Outlander

What can I say. This show was amazing from the get go, and just kept getting better. Absolutely superb acting and direction/production. May be the best period production we've ever seen. And fascinating story. We've just finished season 1. At 16 episodes it was really like watching two seasons. They deal with some really rough sh!t on this show - no other way around it. The last two episodes are quite graphic and difficult, but so well acted you have to keep watching. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it on screen. Amazing delivery.

Da Vinci's Demons

I was annoyed with this at first. It's more of a comedic presentation, and the acting talent isn't really up to snuff across the board. Fortunately the actor playing Leonardo is good, but many of the other actors fall flat. And maybe some of it is just blatantly overacted in keeping with a comedic approach - certainly some of the villains come across that way.

It's grown on us though. The renaissance technological inventions and the situations they are used in are a lot of fun and provide very creative plot twists - so I have to give high kudos to the writers. Ridiculous - who builds an underwater wooden submarine in six hours? - it's just fun. Ends up being very entertaining though. And the visual environment they create is excellent. Totally, totally enjoyed the encounter with Vlad the Impaler - really well done!

I think we're somewhere in the second season.
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OK - just in case anyone is in need of some new streaming material to watch. Starz is available on Apple TV or via Amazon Prime Video for $8.99 a month and you can turn on and off subscriptions on a per month basis.

Our strategy will probably be to have one "prime content" entertainment channel subscription on at a time in addition to our Netflix subscription. It's easy to turn them on and off. I hear maybe I should be checking out Homeland on Showtime........

P.S. No spoilers please! I hope I've kept the above sufficiently vague......

 

[Sojourner]

Outlander

They deal with some really rough sh!t on this show - no other way around it. The last two episodes are quite graphic and difficult, but so well acted you have to keep watching. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it on screen. Amazing delivery.

100% agree. Those last episodes of S1 were beyond brutal... I could barely watch it. Thinking back on it, I'm not quite sure I understand exactly what the point of the truly vile, over-the-top savagery and sadism was in terms of the plot or character development. But still, like you said, an overall excellent series with a fascinating story and top-notch acting.

 

[audreyh1]

100% agree. Those last episodes of S1 were beyond brutal... I could barely watch it. Thinking back on it, I'm not quite sure I understand exactly what the point of the truly vile, over-the-top savagery and sadism was in terms of the plot or character development. But still, like you said, an overall excellent series with a fascinating story and top-notch acting.

It was in the book and I guess considered a major part of the life experience of the protagonists, so they presented it.