"Chewing Gum" Season 2 is Here!

Chris here. One of the delights of this television season has been Chewing Gum, Netflix's wacky sex-crazed British import. Written by and starring Michaela Coel, the series follows Tracey as she haphazardly tries to lose her virginity in a conservative household. Think of it like a dopier alternative to Amazon's Fleabag, but just as much of a breakthrough for its writer-star. The silly and sweet comedy came to stateside Netflix only in October, and thankfully the wait for the second season has been short: it arrives today!

But why is Netflix launching so quietly? If you want a trailer for the season, you'll find some from its British launch but none from the streaming service. Lately, Netflix has become a dumping ground for all too much great product they don't properly promote - like this year's Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner I Don't Feel At Home in This World Anymore. This show may have not made waves like other new shows, but Chewing Gum has the makings of a cult phenom - all led by the distinctive voice and brilliant physical comedy of Coel.

And better yet: each season is a lean six episodes! If nothing else, you have a raunchy palette cleanser for your Big Little Lies obsession! Have you caught up to Chewing Gum?

Netflix for April - Screengrab Roulette

As we do, we've spun a handful plus of new to Netflix titles and posted whichever screengrab we landed on - no cheating. Do any of these make you want to see the movie? ALSO: Which of the "new" streaming titles would you most want to read a write-up on this month? I'll obey your consensus command. 

You're in luck my little immigrant. This is America!

An American Tail (1986)
Ouch. That line of dialogue isn't aging well. (I feel like Don Bluth doesn't get the credit he deserves for being basically the only independent animator who managed to frequently get pictured made before the current animated boom which sees so many animated pictures from so many corners each year. He turns 80 this year.)

Complete list after the jump...

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What's Your Favorite Sick Day Movie?

by Daniel Crooke

Any film fan knows that when they’re feeling under the weather, there’s at least one silver lining to spending the day in bed: the opportunity to put on a movie in the middle of the day. Just like the definitive cure for the common cold, it’s up for debate how to maximize your debilitated duration. Is this the ideal time to finally begin binge-watching The Americans? Should you opt for the comfort food route, watch old favorites, and boost your health with the warm and fuzzies? Or is this a golden opportunity to burn through your Netflix queue and finally watch the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner and Melanie Lynskey starring vehicle I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore?

Now that the seasons are changing it’s that time of the year when coughs and sneezes materialize so ubiquitously around you that they begin to sound like street noises – so it’s time to strategize your sick day viewing head-on.

As I’m currently in the thrilling throes of nose and throat congestion, I’ll share my selections first. Perhaps it’s the general dread of missing out on real life while your day revolves around Vitamin C but I always go for something slice of life with a bit of movie magic schmaltz around the edges, with a cast of real people in a very specific milieu. So yesterday Nicole Holofcener’s lovely first feature Walking and Talking was just what the doctor ordered. 

How about you: what do you like to watch when you're sickly and stuck at home?

New to Prime: Dressmaker, What We Do in the Shadows, Etcetera

March isn't a big month for either Netflix (previously discussed) or Amazon Prime. But there are still new titles to view if streaming if your main movie outlet. Here's what's new for late February and early March on Prime. We've freeze framed titles at totally random places and sharing whatever came up.

 

I hit the main artery so it's a real mess in there. On the upside I think she had a really good time.

What We Do in the Shadows
Bless Taika Waititi. This movie is so funny. And I saw it on a plane and still laughed so that's quite a recommendation because who can enjoy a movie fully on a plane? The Thor movies are definitely the superhero franchise I'm least interested in but with him behind Thor: Ragnarok I'm curious.

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New to Netflix: Spinal Tap, Blazing Saddles, Jurassic Park...

It's that time of month when we get our new streaming options. Here are random new titles on Netflix for March (or that showed up late in February), freeze framed at totally random places, whatever comes up. As we do...

It's part of a musical trilogy I'm doing in D minor, which I find is really the saddest of all keys. I don't know why but it makes people weep instantly.

This is Spinal Tap (1984)
Heh. So funny this movie. Christopher Guest and Rob Reiner's collaboration became a classic. Without it we probably wouldn't have had Waiting for Guffman or Best in Show or whatnot. 

More films after the jump...

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