Netflix-o-rama

I'm late! I'm late! I actually got the first DVD of the next twenty from my Netflix queue earlier this week, but I've been so sucked in by Warcraft (yeah, yeah, I hear you snickering. Laugh it up, fuzzball) that I haven't gotten around to writing this post, although I did the URL gathering a while ago, in preparation. I should note the preparation was pre-WoW. In fact, I did it so long ago I had to redo it, as one title dropped out of my queue to the unavailable list (8MM), so I had to remove that and add the last movie onto the list.

That said, on to the movies...

Angel: Season 1 (6 discs)
Back when Liz got her queue, one of the titles she added she didn't think I would be interested in was the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. "Actually...," I said, "I'm kind of interested in that." Season One, I'll be honest, isn't top-notch. It's about 12 or 13 episodes, and has the common first season problem where everyone from the writer to the actors are all still finding their footing, and aren't quite sure what works and what doesn't. There's a couple episodes where it looks like it's going to fall into Bad Monster of the Week territory. However, the actors find their feet, and the writers hit on a formula that made the series work: Action, laced with funny dialogue, likeable characters, and enough drama to give things weight. We watched Seasons 2 and 3 at breakneck speed as the show got better and better, adding better villains (see: Spike/Drusilla), and really working on the character relationships.

At the end of Season 3, Angel got spun out into his own show, so now Liz is getting Buffy Season Four in her queue, and we're giving Angel Season One a shot through mine. I've got some of the initial dubiousness from when we started watching Buffy, moderated by the fact that the actors hopefully know what they're doing, but also worrying that by changing cast and location, they'll screw up some of what made Buffy so enjoyable. I really have no idea what it'll be like. We'll see, I guess.

Anyone doubting Buffy, you can probably give Season 1 a general pass, and watch the Season 2 season premiere, and if that doesn't grab you, then the series may not be for you. If it is... go give Season 1 a watch, and during the hokey moments, remember it gets better.

Blood Simple
The only Coen brothers directed movie I haven't seen, according to Netflix. I like the Coen brothers. This is their first movie, and it's supposed to be quite good.

Bubba Ho-Tep
Either you think a movie about Elvis and JFK in a nursing home against a mummy starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis sounds awesome or not. I can't see a middle of the road on this. I'm in the awesome camp, obviously.

Auntie Mame
Jennie B., back when Penny was wee, and not walking or talking yet, told Penny she wanted to be her Auntie Mame. I said I hadn't seen the movie, and she said I absolutely must rent it. And here it is. I can't say I'm without reservation. '50s comedies aren't my usual cup of tea. And a 143 minute running time doesn't help its case, either. Please, don't suck.

Neverland
A retelling of the Peter Pan story. Could really, really suck. But, I was intrigued by the description, and Wil Wheaton was in it (read his blog? Read his blog. Is good.) and says good things about it, so... here we are.

To Kill a Mockingbird
Yes, the Gregory Peck one. No, I've never seen it. No, not even parts. Yes, I know. Thank you, I'll try.

Mystic River
I put this in my queue back when it was still in the theatres. Yes, that's how long I've been avoiding reading anything about this movie. Yes, I'm trying to do the same thing with Million Dollar Baby (another Oscar-buzzy Clint Eastwood directed movie), but that's been about ten times harder.

Invader Zim: Vol. 1 (2 discs)
Okay. Comic book nerd moment.

I read a comic book by Jhonen Vasquez with the yes-that's-really-what-it's-about title of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. It was really very, very funny, in a cynical, brutal, violent way, and I think it's just hilarious. If it was a movie, it wouldn't be rated NC-17, it just might not have been allowed in the country.

A few years ago, I found out he was doing a KIDS CARTOON show, called... Invader Zim. On Nickelodeon. I really, really can't wait to see this.

Cronos
Guillermo del Toro's vampire movie. I really, really liked his ghost story movie The Devil's Backbone. He also adapted and directed Hellboy, which I thought was a lot of fun, too.

The Name of the Rose
Sort of a philosophical point to consider here. Christian Slater is in this movie. When the movie came out, in 1986, he was 17, probably 16 while he was shooting the movie. He's in a (from what I understand) sex scene in the movie. Why isn't that child pornography?

Not condoning child pornography, of course. Just one of those, "If child pornography is defined as X, why doesn't this qualify?"

Naturally, as I am hesitant to Google in this vein from work (I'm sort of hesitant to write about it in the blog, to be honest), I'll stop here.

The Tao of Steve
I can't remember exactly why I put this in the queue, but it still sounds like it could be funny. Of interest: The director's first name is Jenniphr.

Rififi
The granpappy of all group heist movies. Not really 'grandpappy', since it's French, but still. It's supposed to be top-notch.

Blue Velvet
Supposed to be a whacko-classic, with a nuts Dennis Hopper. Although calling Dennis Hopper nuts at this point is a Department of Redundancy Department error.

Freaks
I read about this book when I was a kid, in a book in the public library. I don't remember what it said exactly but what was burned into my brain was this: Actual 'freaks.' Horror movie. That has stuck with me all these years, and while I know it's not polite to gawk... I've been sort of creepily dreading and anticipating seeing this ever since I was ten or so.

So, that's the 20. Shorter, because Angel is 6 discs, and Zim is 2, but I yammered on enough in places.

For the statistical information, 251 movies in the queue, the last 5 of which are Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: Disc 3, Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, Team America: World Police, Lucky Number Slevin, and Thank You for Smoking.

Posted by Matt at September 08, 2006 03:06 PM