My Movie Rental Queue Needs A Touch Up
by Jenny LauckFall has finally started to make its presence felt here in Northern California. The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and we’ve actually turned on our heater. Three times!
Yes, nothing says “autumn” like the smell of burning dust bunnies coming out of your heater vents.
October, in particular, is one of my favorite months for curling up with the remote and a mug of hot apple cider - okay, and a slice of pumpkin bread with chocolate chips, too – and taking in some of the movies I’ve had languishing in my Netflix queue all summer long. That is, it would be, had I not wiped out my queue in a fit of pique a while back.
I have to confess, I’m the worst “borrower” in the world. Seriously, I shouldn’t be allowed to rent movies. I can never seem to remember the whole “return” part. Same thing with library books…if you were thinking about lending me something? Just don’t. Netflix and the like are a fantastic service, if you’re a good borrower. I finally mailed back the movies I’ve had sitting on top of my mantle since May, and think that boy, I sure have gotten my $45 worth of rental fees worth on those titles, especially since I didn’t even watch one of them.
Yeah.
I’m been told by Jenifer that I must watch Everything Is Illuminated. So that’s back in my queue. Here’s where I need some help – I’m not good with slasher flicks, and really dark dramas don’t sit well with me. I need some help choosing some movies for this month, so that I don’t spend all my time eating pumpkin bread and watching TiVoed episodes of Most Haunted and all the other haunted location, camera-pointed-in-your-face, totally-freaking-out-people shows. I love those shows.
You people, however, are counting on me to talk movies. So! Let’s talk. Tell me the movies that changed your life. Too dramatic? Tell me which movies made you laugh until you peed a little, or which film produced the best cathartic crying session. I’ve seen plenty of movies this summer that left me a little underwhelmed. I want to be wowed.
Some of my favorites:
Silly Stuff:
Top Secret. Val Kilmer was so young. So, so young.
Life of Brian. I want to be Loretta.
The Princess Bride As you wish.
Sad Stuff:
The Color Purple Waa!
The Joy Luck Club Boo-hoo!
Life-Affirming Stuff:
Truly Madly Deeply
Contact
Musicals:
The Sound of Music
The Wizard of Oz
Grease
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Action:
Star Wars
The Lord of the Rings
Raiders of the Lost Ark
And… wow. I’m seeing that my tastes clearly need to be raised a bit.
Help me out, BlogHers!
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A few Favorite Flicks
For pure laughter with no purpose whatsoever, we LOVED Anchorman. And can report that it is funnier hte 7th time than the 2nd. (And funnier the 2nd time than the 1st.)
Netflix is great for renting TV shows from. Especially when you dont' have enough energy to watch a whole movie... in that vein, our favorites are:
EXTRAS - Ricky Gervais' BBC follow up to The Office the basic plot is a couple of hard working movie extras antic on sets, with super famous guest stars in every episode. The Patric Stewart Episode still makes me laugh when I think about it. And the Daniel Radcliffe episode.
THE WIRE - FBI agents sting operations, best crime drama i've ever seen. not overly dark (not like SVU), but fascinating and brilliant.
PRISON BREAK - this is for the girls only. More eye candy per screen shot than any other show made ever. A real heart thumper about, obviously, a bunch of guys trying ot break out of prison. They have mastered the cliff-hanger, and the sweaty pec.
Other than that, I just looked through our returned films on Netflix and saw a whole lot of htings I didn't like much. But a few good ones:
BORAT is great.
and there are always teh classics: Sunset Boulevard, Streetcar Named Desier, Breakfast at Tiffanys..
__________
Alyssa Royse
JUST CAUSE
make some good news!
www.JustCauseIt.com
Sweaty Pec Mastery! Brilliant!
Thanks, Alyssa! I always forget about the TV series that are available on DVD... good call.
I still haven't seen Borat. I've got a high cringe-factor that has kept me away thus far...but adding your recommendation to all the others I've received, I'll put it in my queue.
The Circus is in town!
A few recommendations
I will let you know if WE ARE MARSHALL is the tear-jerker, over-coming disaster emotional power drive that I expect.
If you haven't seen it yet, check out Strictly Ballroom. It's quirky and fabulous. I bet you'll be running around saying: That's No Pasa Robles! for weeks.
When Netflix then suggests you rent The Dish, do so. Even just to hear what the high school band thinks is the US anthem.
That takes care of quirky Aussie flicks...
I loved Volver even with the subtitles. (more than I liked Life Is Illustrated).
And for a non-fiction moment (with the kids?) learn about Redtail Hawks loving and raising a family in Central Park with Pale Male.
Debra
A Stitch In Time
Deb's Daily Distractions
Aha! We Are Marshall!
Deb, we can totally party together. Loved Strictly Ballroom. In fact, I think I paid the cost of the movie twice over in late fees because I kept forgetting to return it and then watching it "one more time."
And Volver, too. I loved it.
My husband just poked his head over my shoulder and said "Yeah! We are Marshall!" Queueing that sucker up right now.
I've never heard of The Dish or Pale Male. Onto my queue they go! Thanks!
I'm beginning to think I have a little problem, because I love to type the word "queue" so much.
The Circus is in town!
some of my faves, including some classics
My favorite film of all time is the third in the Carlos Saura (Spain) trilogy. He takes important Spanish stories and manages to wind them into some flamenco and ends up with stunning images and gripping stories - with scenes you will always remember. The three are
Carmen
Blood Wedding
El Amor Brujo (my favorite -- see this one first)
These from the director Kurasawa (Japan)
Set in 19th century Japan. An arrogant doctor's journey to jumanity. Wonder4ful film Red Beard (black and white and long and breath-taking)
A wonderful film of the 1950's - a cross between a Japanese western and a morality play Seven Samuri
The same event seen through the eyes of the husband, the wife and the bandit - Roshomon
Based on his own dreams, the film Dreams
(Italian) Night of the Shooting Stars
Sofie the directorial debut of Liv Ullman. This quiet but profound film passed almost un-noticed as Ullman exists so much in Bergman;'s shadow. It is worth a watch.
Filmed in Australia, Japanese Story is the story of a Japanese businessman who comes to the Australian outback to oversee his father's extensive mining holdings. This film has images you will never forget. Ever.
I could go on for days.....I'd better leave room for some others to post !!!
~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs relentlessly at Time's Fool
A few of my favorite things
I second Alyssa's suggestion of The Wire and Mata's Kurasawa suggestions.
Allow me to add a few of my random, quirky favorites for your consideration
Silly: American Dreamer
Passenger 57 (silly action - to this day I can't describe it without dissolving into tears of laughter - one of my all time favorites)
Life Affirming: Wings of Desire ("The universal appeal of Wings of Desire has to do with the way that it addresses not merely angels above a divided city, but all of us struggling with the divided natures of our lives and our souls.")
Sad: Breaking the Waves ("Quite simply the most emotionally devastating film I have ever seen... left me numb from ringing sadness, desperate loneliness and fuming anger.... There is no better example of why film is such a powerful medium.")
Musicals: South Park
Action Insomnia (the American version is good but I loved the original Norwegian version)
Have fun rebuilding your queue!
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