h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Admittedly I don't pay a lot of attention to Netflix, but about a year ago they were said to be losing a huge chunk of their customer base. Media accounts rely heavily on doom and gloom scenarios, so it's hard to verify these stories if you don't have inside information.... The few crumbs that Netflix has tossed to me included it's willingness to deign to releasing "The glass onion" to my local theater for one week (even at a Sunday matinee, there was only one available seat, painfully close to the screen).

I've begun streaming movies occasionally, thanks to Amazon prime. It's just easier to hop in the car or walk to one of the local theaters and see a huge screen with surround sound, often with a friend who likes the same movies I do. Netflix wouldn't let me subscribe a few years ago, so I'm stuck with the few crumbs they occasionally throw out.

Netflix made the most profits of the industry last year, I believe. They're doing well - and notoriously, are able to fund bigger and bigger projects.

They're also worth having around because they're international and thus have films and series in languages other than English, which is important to me. For instance, I loved 'Paranormal', the Egyptian series with the haunted house. I hope they make more seasons of it.

Just last month, Netflix premiered 'Maestro', about Leonard Bernstein and his wife, and simultaneously released a documentary about Tom Wolfe (who notoriously mocked the subjects of 'Maestro' to great effect in 'Radical Chic').

Though I'd agree that of the two, Amazon Prime gives you more bang for the buck, especially if you prefer older films and aren't dying to see the scifi series with the Turkish submarine.

Since some of us are so far out in the boondocks we'd never see ANYTHING without major explosions in it if it weren't for streaming services, and since the subscription is still cheaper than cinema tickets, I say roll on, Netflix. (Although I miss the red envelopes of yesteryear.)

Also, hot tip: Searching Youtube for 'movies free with ads' will yield surprising treats these days.

I rely heavily on youtube