My Movie Rental Queue Needs A Touch Up

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 ( http://www.amazon.com/American-Dreamer-JoBeth-Will... )
        Passenger 57 ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105104/ ) (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 ( http://www.deep-focus.com/dfweblog/1997/12/wings_o... ) ("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 ( http://splicedwire.com/96reviews/breaking.html ) ("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 ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0158983/ )

Action Insomnia ( http://www.amazon.com/Insomnia-Criterion-Collectio... ) (the American version is good but I loved the original Norwegian version)

Have fun rebuilding your queue!

Kleenex® Let It Out™ Blog ( http://www.kleenex.com/blog.aspx )
Beyond Help ( http://mariax.vox.com/ )

My favorite film of all time is the third in the Carlos Saura (Spain) trilogy. ( http://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Flamenco-Trilogy-Cri... ) 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 ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047478/ )(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 ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047478/ )
The same event seen through the eyes of the husband, the wife and the bandit - Roshomon ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042876/ )
Based on his own dreams, the film Dreams ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100998/ )

(Italian) Night of the Shooting Stars ( http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/35316/The-Night-of... )

Sofie ( http://www.reelviews.net/movies/s/sofie.html ) 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 ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0304229/ ) 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 ( http://timesfool.blogspot.com )

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. ( http://www.blogher.com/node/18948 )

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! ( http://www.threekidcircus.com )

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! ( http://www.threekidcircus.com )

I will let you know if WE ARE MARSHALL ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758794/ ) is the tear-jerker, over-coming disaster emotional power drive that I expect.

If you haven't seen it yet, check out Strictly Ballroom. ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105488/ ) 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 Volver ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441909/ ) 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. ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410416/ )

Debra
A Stitch In Time ( http://astitchintime.blogspot.com )
Deb's Daily Distractions ( http://debsdistractions.blogspot.com )

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 ( http://www.JustCauseIt.com )