Instant Picks of the Week 3/31/17
Gone are the days of scrolling mindlessly through your queue! No longer will you have to sift through the vastness of what’s coming to the instant viewing wastelands this month! Whether you’re looking for a stellar film or an exciting new show to binge, Instant Picks of the Week brings you the hottest releases in film and television on instant viewing platforms that we know you’ll love, or at the very least not despise.
THE POWERPUFF GIRLS (Hulu)
The complete six seasons of THE POWERPUFF GIRLS are now on Hulu, and I’m a little too excited about it. An early 2000s classic, THE POWERPUFF GIRLS is amusing at any age. Recently revamped on Cartoon Network, the new series is soon to follow this classic collection from 1998-2005. This may not be a binge-worthy show, but a few episodes could be worth revisiting, as many people watched it as a kid but never in depth enough to realize its worth. I know I really looked up to the girls as a kid (Bubbles specifically,) although I wasn’t sure why until now. If you are one of the few unfamiliar with THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, this Emmy award-winning show follows three super-powered sisters as they protect their town by fighting crime and the forces of evil. This show was surely ahead of its time for an American animation, as it features heroic young female characters and interesting social commentary. A fun blast from the past with a bit more depth than you may remember, THE POWERPUFF GIRLS should be an entertaining watch for your weekend. [Lynnzee Highland]
THE TWILIGHT ZONE (Netflix)
It’s possible that you have some level of familiarity with Rod Serling’s classic creepy anthology series (whether it be the famous opening tune or Disneyland’s Tower of Terror, may it rest in peace), but few have combed through (or devoured) the series on Netflix like they should. Being an anthology means that some episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE are better than others, but the thrills still cause chills today (for example, the 1960 episode “Monsters Are Due on Maple Street is an allegory for the era’s Cold War paranoia, but actually holds up in today’s political climate). THE TWILIGHT ZONE has several mind-bending, psychological, and purely twisted episodes. There’s too many good episodes to list here, but among the essential viewing are “Nick of Time” (starring William Shatner), “What You Need,” and “It’s a Good Life.” These ones are significantly deeper and creepier than your typical episode. However, they are only scratching the surface of the vast amount of spooky plots and famous storylines that remain a part of popular culture after all this time. [Hayley Bensmiller]
