Svetlana and I are pretty obsessed with Netflix. I take the slightly more OCD route though by rating all my movies (between 1 and 5 stars) and rearranging my queue on an hourly basis. I will often berate her for giving odd ratings: “5 stars out of 5 for The Descent? Really?” She doesn’t care. I also send a lot of “notes” to friends, a Netflix feature that allows you to suggest movies to your friends via an up to 200 character mini review. Svetlana wishes I would channel all my Netflix energy into BYT. So at her request every once in a while I’ll post some of my mini-reviews from the past 4+ years, ten or so at a time. Feel free to give me shit like I give her shit:
The Man Who Fell to Earth
Weird cult film starring Bowie as (of course) a space alien who (not of course) becomes a business tycoon on earth. It doesn’t make a bit of sense, is a little too long, but has entertaining moments.
3 Stars
Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism
when will documentaries stop putting their own inflection when reading written quotes, besides that, excellent.
4 Stars
American Teen
Was expecting a little more scandal/stupidity and different levels of acne throw some doubt into the editing. The movie poster is the best thing about it. Overall though still an entertaining watch.
3 Stars
Little Miss Sunshine
one of the funniest films I’ve ever seen, holy crap
5 Stars
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Christopher Lloyd and the sfx were atrocious. It definitely was the darkest moment in the franchise thus far, perhaps under the hand of a more experienced director it could have equaled the last one.
3 Stars
District B13
oh man, so much fun
4 Stars
The Dying Gaul
Starts off interesting, with solid performances from all, but then it just gets silly as it turns into a forced internet chat room thriller with poisonous plants and butt sex.
3 Stars
Total Recall
The end of an era of non-CGI special effects action movies still with that 80’s style of wanton destruction of innocent bystanders. Lazily strung together and stupid, but eye poppingly entertaining.
3 Stars
Heavy Metal Parking Lot
This is essential viewing for any child of the 80s. It’s almost like these people are some mongrel subspecies of human. Only 15min, but plenty of DVD extras like the follow up Neal Diamond Parking Lot
4 Stars
The Station Agent
Sometimes I think this is my all time fav movie
5 Stars
Wanna be my Netflix friend? Click here:
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Wanna read Part 1? Click here.
Part 2
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Wanna read my thing on the Roku? Click here:
http://www.brightestyoungthings.com/movies/netflix-hd/
These are my recent instant downloads only:
District B13 was a good, fun movie.
Panic – 2.5 stars.
OSS117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (reviewed/mentioned before, can’t recommend enough)
Charley Varrick – excellent 60s bank theft flick starring Walter Mahhau
The Mechanic – Bronson as a hitman. Supurb chase scenes with motorcycles and italian cars. Also has a very young Jan Michael Vincent. Think “The Professional” but grittier and without the child porn.
The Hudsucker Proxy – more beautiful than great. Amazing camera work. Good story.
The Code: Caper starring Morgan Freeman. Really good if you’re a fan of capers.
Hombre: Paul Newman. Enough said.
July 24, 2009 at 11:26 amyou forgot to mention that you get like 5 glimpses of david bowie’s “young dude.”
July 24, 2009 at 11:34 amThe Code went straight to DVD… doesn’t that mean it’s bad?
July 24, 2009 at 11:36 amCale – I don’t think so. Depends on when it was released, there could have been another studio releasing a similar movie but throwing more backing behind it. I thought it was interesting with some neat twists.
July 24, 2009 at 11:38 amquote from Amy while watching The Man Who Fell To Earth
“I hope we get to see David Bowie naked, I want to know what his penis looks like”
and then, there it was.
July 24, 2009 at 11:39 amit’s not a bad penis.
July 24, 2009 at 12:08 pmhangy balls and schlongs.
July 24, 2009 at 12:21 pmFanny & Alexander came in the mail the other day.
Hopefully Bergman rocks my balls off with another painfully sweet existential meditation.
July 24, 2009 at 1:07 pmThe Station Agent is so good and strange and unique that sometimes I can’t believe it even got made.
July 26, 2009 at 10:54 pm
From this week:
Knowing – not as bad as most critics say, some cheesy acting, solid special effects. 4 stars
The Rapture – Secular director wonders what would happen if Revelations were literally true. Apparently God is needy. 5 stars
The Fire Within – From 1963, a writer in Paris contemplates suicide, discusses the meaning of art. Too French. 3 stars
Total Eclipse – DiCaprio plays Arthur Rimbaud, barely saves weak screen play. 3 stars
Cutter’s Way – John Heard does a shitty Jack Nicholson impression. Story is like Big Lebowski that takes itself too seriously. 2 stars
Two Lovers – Awkward Leonard meets nice Jewish girl, falls for crazy blonde. Who hasn’t been there? 4 stars
July 24, 2009 at 11:18 am