Pest Picks - Hidden gems of Hulu
This is a list of some of the 'hidden' gems on Hulu (with a Hulu+ monthly subscription)
looking for something cool to watch on Hulu?
Yes, Hulu is great for watching all the recent shows, however Hulu also has an extensive back catalog full of goodies and must-see tv. This list tries to focus on stuff that may lie a bit off the beaten path and currently isn't streaming elsewhere (I think!)
and please let me know if there's anything you'd like to share / recommend...
(always on a quest for more...)
looking for something cool to watch on Hulu?
Yes, Hulu is great for watching all the recent shows, however Hulu also has an extensive back catalog full of goodies and must-see tv. This list tries to focus on stuff that may lie a bit off the beaten path and currently isn't streaming elsewhere (I think!)
and please let me know if there's anything you'd like to share / recommend...
(always on a quest for more...)
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- DirectorJulien TempleStarsKeith AllenMichael GambonSteve JonesLondon: The Modern Babylon is legendary director Julien Temple's epic time-traveling voyage to the heart of his hometown.Julien Temple infamous for the Sex Pistols 'Great Rock and Roll Swindle' has been applying his skillful eye toward making much better documentaries such as the one on Joe Strummer ('The Future is unWritten) and this one about London. Started watching this on the way to the UK and am glad to finish it now on Hulu!
- DirectorJim HensonStarsJerry NelsonFrank OzMarilyn SokolA poor otter family risks everything for the chance to win the cash prize of a talent contest for Christmas.Okay, it's bit early for Xmas in August, but it's good to know that Hulu has unpacked this Jim Henson classic... The best thing to happen to jug bands and Otters!
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsYasuo YamadaEiko MasuyamaKiyoshi KobayashiA dashing thief, his gang of desperadoes and an intrepid cop struggle to free a princess from an evil count, and learn the secret of a treasure that she holds part of the key to.Super slick spy cinema from the Master Hayao Miyazaki*
(*=Studio Ghibli - Porco Rosso, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, etc..)- I can't believe this is on Hulu ! so goooood !!
- CreatorJhonen VasquezStarsAndy BermanRichard Steven HorvitzRikki SimonsAn alien named Zim from the planet Irk is sent on a secret mission to conquer Earth, not realising that his leaders were just trying to get rid of him and hoped that he would die. Once there, Zim manages to disguise himself as a human child, but one boy named Dib sees through his disguise.Jhonen Vasquez's awesome animated sci-fi show. It appears as if every episode is available now on Hulu !!
- DirectorMarc CaroJean-Pierre JeunetStarsRon PerlmanDaniel EmilforkJudith VittetA scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.Hulu even has cool semi-obscure french films (with English subtitles) of steampunk sci-fi prepared by master chef of cinema Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Visiting the City of Lost Children was absolutely one of the coolest things to happen in the 90's, and definitely worth watching - and listening to the creepy soundtrack from David Lynch's favorite composer, Angelo Badalamenti.
- CreatorMahiro MaedaStarsMayumi AsanoChiwa SaitôPaul St. PeterIn a world of airships and civil war, two messengers come across a special girl who will change the course of history.Last Exile is an excellent steampunk anime series.
Dubbed and subtitled options are both available on Hulu... - CreatorSeth GreenMatthew SenreichMike FasoloStarsSeth GreenMatthew SenreichBreckin MeyerPop culture references fly thick and fast as stop-motion animation is featured in sketches lampooning everything from television movies to comic books.Seven seasons of stop motion animated madness!!
wish Hulu had a 'Shuffle All Clips' for some random access Robot Chicken mayhem. - CreatorJohn KricfalusiBob CampJim GomezStarsJohn KricfalusiBilly WestHarris PeetRen, a psychotic Chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a dimwitted Manx cat who goes by the nickname Stimpy, have a host of unusual adventures.The first three seasons of Ren and Stimpy on Hulu !!!
- StarsSimon PeggJessica HynesJulia DeakinFriends Tim and Daisy, 20-something North Londoners with uncertain futures, must pretend to be a couple to live in the only apartment they can afford.A short lived must-see BBC series about a pair of off-beat roommates who learn to make the most of living together in a flat where they have to pretend to be a couple to stay there. One of Simon Pegg's best.
- CreatorRob GrantDoug NaylorStarsChris BarrieCraig CharlesDanny John-JulesThe adventures of the last human alive and his friends, stranded three million years into deep space on the mining ship Red Dwarf.One of the funniest sci-fi series ever made. Hulu currently has ALL TEN SEASONS of Red Dwarf to enjoy.
- CreatorDylan MoranStarsDylan MoranBill BaileyTamsin GreigBernard Black runs a book shop, though his customer service skills leave something to be desired. He hires Manny as an employee. Fran runs the shop next door. Between the three of them many adventures ensue.Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey's intoxicating efforts to keep a used bookstore afloat in the UK.
Not to be missed. - StarsRik MayallAdrian EdmondsonNigel PlanerThe crazy and sometimes surreal comedic adventures of four very different students in Thatcher's Britain.Both seasons of one of the best series from the UK - the Young Ones starring Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall at their best, along with Nigel Planer, Christopher Ryan, and of course Alexei Sayle.
Tuned into episodes of the Young Ones religiously when MTV aired it in the US. Hulu currently has them all including the one with Motor Head dealing out the Ace of Spades in their living room, that time they traveled by train to be on University Challenge and more... - StarsPeter RichardsonAdrian EdmondsonJennifer SaundersA series of self contained television movies starring performers from London's "Comic Strip" comedy club and their friends. Noted for a high sense of parody of previous movies, literature, and generally everyone in sight.An off-kilter comedy anthology series starring legendary UK performers such as Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmonson (The Young Ones, Bottom, etc.) and Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous) along with familiar faces like Nigel Planer (Neil from the Young Ones) and Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid from the Harry Potter films).
The format and tone changes from show to show, season to season. Some particular faves from season 1 alone include: "Five Go Mad in Dorset", "The Beat Generation" and the "Bad News tour" (which aired a whole year before 'This is Spinal Tap' came out!) - CreatorKevin AllisonJonathan K. BendisMichael Ian BlackStarsKevin AllisonMichael Ian BlackRobert Ben GarantEach episode contains 30 minutes of extremely bizarre and funny sketch comedy performed by THE STATE, an 11 member sketch comedy troupe who wrote and starred in various sketches seen throughout the program.Short lived and still funny sketch comedy show that was spewed out of MTV in the mid-90's.
- DirectorJohn LandisStarsEvan C. KimBong Soo HanBill BixbyThe daily programming of a fictional local TV channel presented as a series of highly irreverent skits.The legendary comedy anthology that predicts the future of movie-going in the wackiest ways the 70's had to offer...
- CreatorHoward OvermanStarsNathan Stewart-JarrettJoe GilgunIwan RheonA group of young offenders doing community service gets struck by lightning during a storm and start to develop superpowers.A unique spin on the 'superpowered people' genre, as five misfits find themselves thrown together while they sort out how to live with their new found powers.
- CreatorMatthew GrahamTony JordanAshley PharoahStarsJohn SimmPhilip GlenisterLiz WhiteAfter a near-fatal car accident, smart, savvy, sharp-suited detective Sam is mysteriously transported back to 1973. Confused by his new surroundings, Sam tries to return to the present, but the police force of long ago needs his help.The original UK based time-traveling cop procedural series set primarily in the 70's. John Simm stars as the out of time detective who slowly solves his own disappearance from his place in time.
- StarsJohn SimmDavid MorrisseyKelly MacdonaldJournalists uncover a government conspiracy when a young politician's assistant and mistress is killed.The much better original BBC mini-series that was reimagined as a US based movie years later. This political thriller starring John Simm has enough time to unravel while you watch the characters become unglued....
- CreatorArmando IannucciStarsChris AddisonJames SmithPeter CapaldiThe Minister for Social Affairs is continually harassed by Number 10's policy enforcer and dependent on his not-so-reliable team of civil servants.Long before he became a part of the Dr.Who universe, Peter Capaldi tore up the BBC's airwaves as a cursing crazy person who desperately provides spin control for an office in British government.
This is an updated adaptation of the equally funny 'Yes Minister' series from the 80's. - StarsPaul EddingtonNigel HawthorneDerek FowldsThe Right Honorable James Hacker has landed the plum job of Cabinet Minister to the Department of Administration. At last he is in a position of power and can carry out some long-needed reforms, or so he thinks.A stinging satire into the lives of British Parliament politics in 1980 and still funny today.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneTakashi ShimuraKeiko TsushimaFarmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.Akira Kurosawa's influential samurai film as part of Hulu's 'Criterion Collection'.
- DirectorJohn SturgesStarsYul BrynnerSteve McQueenCharles BronsonSeven gunfighters are hired by Mexican peasants to liberate their village from oppressive bandits.The western adaptation of 'Seven Samurai' holds its own with an unbelievable line up in the cast...
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsJohn LurieEszter BalintRichard EdsonA New Yorker's life is thrown into a tailspin when his younger cousin surprise-visits him, starting a strange, unpredictable adventure.Jim Jaramusch's classic black and white road-trip picture. Film school favorite.
- DirectorJoy BatchelorJohn HalasStarsGordon HeathMaurice DenhamA successful farmyard revolution by the resident animals vs. the farmer goes horribly wrong when the victors create a new tyranny among themselves.The animated adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm - as poignant today as it was in the fear filled fifties.
- DirectorMartin RosenJohn HubleyStarsJohn HurtRichard BriersRalph RichardsonHoping to escape destruction by human developers and save their community, a colony of rabbits, led by Hazel and Fiver, seek out a safe place to set up a new warren.Intense animated tale that will have you tearing up at the terrible challenges the rabbits must face.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsSteven SoderberghScott AllenBetsy BrantleyFletcher Munson, the lethargic employee of a pseudo-religious self help company, and his doppelganger, the friendly but dull dentist Dr. Jeffrey Korchek.Steven Soderberg's strange yet familiar slice of americana as sci-fi, that feels like an idea that might have been ripped out of the pages of Church of the Sub-Genius guide. Jigsaw!
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsJennifer O'NeillStephen LackPatrick McGoohanA scientist trains a man with an advanced telepathic ability called "scanning" to stop a dangerous Scanner with extraordinary psychic powers from waging war against non scanners.David Cronenberg's early 80's horror / thriller about a person on a hunt for people with pyschic powers that let them 'scan' your mind.
- DirectorFranc RoddamStarsPhil DanielsLeslie AshPhil DavisJimmy Cooper loathes his dead-end job and his working-class parents. He seeks solace with his mod clique, scooter riding, and drugs, only to be disappointed.An imbalanced movie interpretation of the Who's 'Quadrophenia' concept album. The music / songs in the soundtrack brings together the tale of life in the mid-60's for a bunch of battling mods versus rockers. Take a trip down to Brighton UK on a mirrored out scooter-ride and crash out with some blues when you reach the sea and the sand.
- DirectorAlbert MayslesDavid MayslesCharlotte ZwerinStarsMick JaggerKeith RichardsMick TaylorWhen three hundred thousand members of the Love Generation collided with a few dozen Hells Angels at San Francisco's Altamont Speedway, the bloody slash that transformed a decade's dreams into disillusionment was immortalized on this film.The disturbing documentary about the Rolling Stones show at Altamont Speedway in California where things go off the hook when members of the Hell's Angels motorcycle club are hired as the security team for the free concert.
- DirectorRupert EdwardsStarsBill HicksRichard BelzerEric BogosianThis special consists of two parts: "It's Just A Ride", a documentary about Hicks' life which features interviews from friends, admirers, and family; "Revelations", a recording of his last live performance in the United Kingdom.One part documentary, one part comedy set recorded in the UK at one of Bill Hicks last shows. Hicks hits hard, waking you up while you laugh.
- CreatorHart HansonStarsRainn WilsonGenevieve AngelsonKristoffer PolahaThe Portland Police Bureau's Elite Special Crimes Unit is led by Det. Lt. Everett Backstrom, an alcoholic smoker whose health is failing, but he takes on cases in special circumstances.Sure this was its one and only season, however its worth catching it before it disappears around mid-September. Rainn Wilson (who used to portray Dwight from the Office) and the cast come through with this interestingly odd yet funny and deep at times show about a special police unit in Portland Oregon.
You'll miss Rainn Wilson's Backstrom once its expires on Hulu when autumn arrives. - StarsAlan YoungKeye LukeRonnie SchellA five-member superhero team called G-Force fights to defend Earth and its space colonies from the threat of the planet Spectra.Super cool animated sci-fi series from the late seventies that I used to tune into afterschool on UHF and still holds up today.
- CreatorIrwin AllenStarsGary ConwayDon MathesonStefan ArngrimA spaceship from Earth crash-lands on an Earth-like planet on which everything, including the human-like inhabitants, is twelve times the size of its counterpart on Earth.The sometimes schlocky yet fun sci-fi series where a group of scientists try and survive in a world where they are minaturized.
- CreatorRod SerlingStarsRod SerlingLarry WatsonJoanna PettetRod Serling presents tales of horror illustrated in various paintings.The Twilight Zone's Rod Serling hosts a more horror leaning anthology series from the late sixties.
- CreatorDavid LevyStarsJohn AstinCarolyn JonesJackie CooganThe misadventures of a blissfully macabre but extremely loving family.Hulu currently has 64 episodes of the black and white original sit-com about america's favorite spooky family.
- StarsPatrick McGoohanPeter MaddenFrank MaherJohn Drake is a special operative for M9, specializing in security assignments against any subversive element that threatens world peace.Before Patrick McGoohan became 'The Prisoner', he was a 'Secret Agent' (Man / a.k.a. Danger Man) - a superior spy series from the sixties.