Trawling Through The Thrift Stores with Joseph Finn

Happy Thursday, everyone.  I've officially been hired full time at a new job, Chicago is over the hump on a heat wave, so let's look at the stuff I found at the thrift stores this week.  (Including a new Goodwill!)

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I'm at least two seasons behind on the TV series of Outlander, despite being completely caught up on the books since they started coming out in the mid-90s (hell, googling it, this year is the 30th anniversary of the first novel and wow, I've been reading these books since I was 18).  But I've really appreciated how solid this series has been, both in the humor and the sexiness, while also not ignoring that they can be quite dark at times.  Which means, sadly, that this is a series that does not ignore sexual violence upon and between genders.  But I think this series is not salacious about that, so far, and doesn't use it as something purely for character motivation.  It doesn't hurt that they have cast the hell out of these seasons so far with Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan simply killing it in the leads and a bevy of good character actors, like Tobias Menzies as both Claire's husband Frank in 1946 and her tormentor (and Frank's ancestor) in 1743.  Such a darn good show that I should catch up on.

The first four seasons of Outlander are on US Netflix and all 5 seasons (so far) are on DirecTV OnDemand.

Also, here is the fantastic season one credits sequence.  Ronald Moore came out out Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and then did the great re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica and he knows how to get people who know how to use music.

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We're at the 20th anniversary of this, what might be the most under appreciated Spielberg movie outside of Minority Report.  Really, I'm not quite sure why.  Sure, it's a Kubrick and Spielberg collaboration that maybe doesn't quite satisfy either crowd of supporters.  But Haley Joel Osment is simply great in it, it's one of the best uses of Jude Law's very odd beauty (Gattaca and Ripley also come to mind) as well as his excellent acting ability,  It's an odd, sad and tragic movie that maybe is starting to get better appreciated.  I mean, my goodness, the effects alone of this should be applauded.

A.I. is streaming on Amazon Prime and Paramount+.

Gattaca is streaming on Starz.

The Talented Mr. Ripley is not streaming as part of any package right now.

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Ah, this week's "What should Joseph have watched by now but simply hasn't?"  Yes, yes, I know, I should have watched at least some pf Prime Suspect.  But it's just never made that intersection of available and interest.  But hell, I ran across this and season 3 over the weekend and I'm going to track down season 1 and finally start it.

All of Prime Suspect is on Hulu!

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A mystery novel about a bookseller?  What, do I need someone to twist my arm?

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Look at this cover.  Is this not one of the most Canadian things you've ever seen?  My online friend Gillian has been recommending this for a while and I was really happy to finally run across it.  I have never seen Paul Gross in Due South, the series where he was a Mountie in Chicago, but I have seen him in the excellent Gunless, as a right bastard American gunslinger who accidentally ends up in Canada.  That alone makes me sure I'm watching  Men With Brooms this week.

Men With Brooms is on Tubi.