I'm not sure how or when it happened last month, but some how I stumbled upon a little known streaming service called Tubi. With a library of more than 20,000 shows and movies, users can watch an unlimited number of ad supported shows absolutely free at www.tubitv.com. No membership, credit cards or subscription is required to binge watch shows non-stop.
Barely eight minutes into browsing their selections I was hooked when I came across the Gothic vampire soap opera from my childhood Dark Shadows. Home with measles when I was about nine years old or so, I only got to watch a few shows. Starting next week, I'm going toss a bag of popcorn in the microwave and log on to Tubi to start watching all six season which ran originally from June 1966 to April 1971.
Then today, while looking for The Sentinel's first installment of what to on Tubi, I came across another favorite television show I loved. Between episodes of Dark Shadows I catch an episode or two of the western TV series Rifleman starring Chuck Connors.
There are shows for all ages with kids shows like Pound Puppies, Casper The Friendly Ghost and Transformers. Nancy Drew, Space and Skooled for older kids.
War Movies? Check.
LGBQT? Check.
Horror? You bet.
Foreign language films? Yep. There is a nice selection of Spanish language shows, a handful of Bollywood serials and a large list of Asian drama and romance titles to check out.
Each month we will be sharing a list of ten shows worth watching or that look interesting enough to escape and leave behind for a few hours our world currently fraught with Coronavirus and polarizing political propaganda.
This 1952 film is inspired by a classic tale featuring comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Jack (Costello) falls asleep during a bedtime story and dreams he is hero of the fairy tale. It is a laugh a minute in this adaptation. RATED: G • Running time; 1 hr 21 min • Comedy, Fantasy, Kids & Family
There aren't many Kevin Costner films that I like and admittedly I also like this film so much because of the last name. Anyways, in my book, this is one of the best films in Costner's career. Demi Moore plays a detective and Danielle Panabaker (Necessary Roughness, Shark) Mr. Brooks' daughter with a secret of her own. RATED: R • Running time: 2 hrs • Thriller, Crime, Horror
Another film about a Mr. Brooks, this is the story about country music's greatest performer and philanthropist. RATED: G • Running time: 1 hr • Documentary, Music, Reality
Guy Pearce plays Leonard, a man who suffers from a rare brain disorder and no longer has the ability to create and retain any new memories. This is one of those movies that will instantly requires your full, undivided attention. The supporting cast features Carrie Ann Moss (Jessica Jones, Daredevil) who teams up with Matrix co-star Joe Pantoliono (M*A*S*H*, Hill Street Blues, The Sopranos) in this psychological thriller. RATED: R • Running time; 1 hr 53 min • Independent, Some Violence, Mystery, Thriller, Maybe Even Cerebral
This is the movie that led off a successful movie franchise nearly a quarter of a century ago starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (Predator, Kindergarten Cop), Michael Biehn (Aliens, The Rock) and Linda Hamilton (Beauty and the Beast, Hill Street Blues, Secret Weapons) in a groundbreaking science fiction film. "I'll be back" never gets old. RATED: R • Running Time: 1 hr 47 min • Action, Sci-Fi
Grandfather to the popular teen saga Vampire Diaries, the 60s daytime horror soap opera produced 1,225 episodes during its five year run. True Blood without the nudity, sex and gore, Dark Shadows is the story of the Collins family and the supernatural in the small coastal fishing village Collinsport, Maine. RATED: TV-PG • Running time: Not listed • Drama, Horror, Thriller
Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson), a deeply religious farmer, finds Rae (Christina Ricci) beaten and left for dead. He takes her in and helps her heal from her self-depreciating sexuality in this 2007 film. RATED: R • Running time: 1 hr 55 min • Drama, Some Violence, Strong Sexual Content, Independent
I was introduced to the Gipsy Kings' music circa 1997 and just added this one to my Tubi queue. With this service you can create you own library to play queued movies one right after another. The Gipsy Kings have their own unique danceable blend of flamenco, salsa and pop music that audiences all over the world love. RATED: PG • Running time: 1 hr 42 min • Music, Entertainment
Ethan Renner decides to give up his dangerous, high-stakes life as a spy after he is diagnosed with at terminal disease. Entertaining film about reconnection, bonding and saying goodbye. RATED: PG-13 • Running time: 1 hr 57 min • Action, Thriller
True confession: Sometime after college I went to see a movie described as a black comedy. I was expecting a movie, rare as it would have been in the early 80s, featuring an all African American cast. Despite it being an entertaining and mildly successful film featuring Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer, imagine my disappointment when there wasn't one person of color in the film. Well, this is a black comedy or perhaps a bitter one is directed by Cheryl Hines who is married to environmental attorney and vaccine-safety activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.. The movie about an accidental love triangle features Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, Kristen Bell, and Justin Long. Not for young eyes and ears, the movie has strong, sexually frank language and contains some violence. RATED: R • Running time: 1h 21min • Comedy, Crime, Romance
PONTIAC - People everywhere are conquering their cabin fever and are enjoying the great outdoors after a long, bitter winter. But before you head out for that hike, health care experts remind you to take precautions to avoid tick bites. Read more . . .
CHICAGO - An Illinois law professor is weighing in on what she called a "very public and open test of due process" for immigrants being deported from the United States without court hearings. Read more . . .
CHAMPAIGN - In a show of solidarity against President Donald Trump's trade and immigration policies, which critics say are harming families and retirement savings, more than a thousand protesters gathered Saturday at West Park near downtown Champaign for the Hands-Off! Mobilization rally. Read more . . .
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