October's Netflix Fix

By Rachel Hulshult

October 1, 2014

 

Fall break’s next week (finally!) and after that, it won’t be long before Thanksgiving break, and then Christmas break, and there are lots of weekends between now and then, so you’re about to have hours and hours of time with nothing to do.  (Okay, so that’s a lie, you’ll have a ton of stuff to do, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll probably procrastinate and watch Netflix for hours anyway). Why not be proactive this year and decide what you’re going to binge-watch now, before the breaks arrive? 

 

Also, since this is October, the first couple rounds of suggestions will be perfect for Halloween!

 

Television to watch:

Supernatural. Okay, so this show has been on for almost ten years and for some unknown reason it’s not insanely popular, because it’s fantastic.  It follows two brothers named Dean and Sam (who both happen to be incredibly attractive) as they travel the country saving people and hunting various supernatural beings.  It incorporates almost every genre, from horror to mystery to comedy to drama to western to everything in between.  It’s terrifying, gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, heart-warming, and hilarious, sometimes in the course of one episode.  It also handles religious themes well, from Heaven and Hell to angels and demons, and drops tons of awesome pop culture references.  It grows from the story of two brothers hunting monsters to two brothers and an angel named Castiel fighting the Apocalypse.  The storytelling is consistently better than most of what’s on TV and the scale is impressive for a television show.  No matter what type of shows you like, there’s something here for everyone, I promise.  Trust me, you’ll end up ploughing through all nine seasons in no time.  You have been warned. [TV-14]

 

Eight seasons currently on Netflix, ninth coming October 7th, tenth season beginning October 7th on the CW and still going strong

 

Movie to watch:

Cabin in the Woods.  For Halloween, it has to be a horror movie, but this one is an unconventional one.  This movie has plenty of scares, but they’re all balanced by some good laughs.  This movie offers a meta-commentary on horror movies, while also fitting into the very genre it’s lovingly mocking.  It was written and directed by Joss Whedon, the mastermind behind several brilliant shows that you should also watch (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse), as well as the writer and director of The Avengers and the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron.  ­Cabin in the Woods has a few good jump scares as well as being intelligent and hilarious, especially if you’re a fan of horror movies. [R]

 

What’s new on Netflix:

TV: The first season of The Blacklist, the ninth season of Bones, all nine seasons of Criminal Minds, the ninth and final season of How I Met Your Mother, season three of New Girl, and the third season of Once Upon a Time

Movies: Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), Flubber (1997), Good Morning Vietnam (1987), School of Rock (2003), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), Stardust (2007)

 

What’s coming to Netflix in the first week of October:

TV: The second season of Arrow, season two of The Following, all of Gilmore Girls, season three of Hart of Dixie, the first season of The Originals, the ninth season of Supernatural, and season five of The Vampire Diaries

 

Movies: Carrie (2013), Chicken Run (2000), Galaxy Quest (1999), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), The Phantom of the Opera (1989), The Wedding Planner (2001)

For a complete list of what’s coming to Netflix throughout the month of October, see: http://screencrush.com/new-netflix-instant-releases-october-2014/

 

Note: Keep a look-out on Stampede for further Netflix reviews coming your way.

 

Until next time,