My Netflix Queue is Empty

Help me fill it up.

I haven't watched a lot of new movies in the past year or two, so anything fairly recent it's likely I haven't seen. I won't bother listing everything I have seen (since I don't remember them all) but I'll list a few I have seen in the last two months since I rebooted my Netflix that I really enjoyed:

Moon - Awesome. A thinker's movie. I like these kind of cerebral dramas.

Let the Right One In - Horror the way it should be

Where the Wild Things Are - Okay this is partly because it was my favorite book when I was a wee one but also because it was a very well made film.

I'm pretty open minded and will watch almost any genre if it's a good movie, and I also have a taste for really BAD movies from time to time.

So really, just throw out some of your favorite flicks and tell me why you liked it.

One I watched for no particular reason, but it has since become one of my favorite movies...

The Seventh Seal. I would only recommend it for when you are feeling philosophical and willing to read subtitles. It is also a very old black and white film. Made in the fifties I think.

It's about a knight returning from the crusades. Death finds him and he challenges him to a game of chess with his life on the line. It is during the black plague, and the knight is disillusioned with god and questions everything, including what little faith he has left.

I liked it because it was beautiful to look at, philosophical, and moving.

I think you'd have to be in the right mood to enjoy it, otherwise the in-your-face message might work against it.

Charade 1963 film with a bit of everything: espionage, theft, murder, mystery, romance. It helps that Henry Mancini wrote the famous theme, and that it boasts an all-star cast: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, James Coburn, Walter Matthau, George Kennedy. I like the quote concerning it on Wikipedia:

Ok Here are a few.

1. Defendor - Think Kick-*** but without the snark, and with Woody Harrelson playing a mentally slow (not comically so), but highly principled wanna-be superhero. Not the fastest, most intense, actiony film out there, but a patient movie that takes time to develop its characters. I was surprisingly moved by it.

2. Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai. - Another film about justice (in a roundabout way) and honor (in a very straightforward way), featuring Forest Whitaker, as a eccentric, samurai-obsessed mafia hit-man. Again a movie that implies action, but that is in fact very patient and cerebral, with moments of quirky humor, especially from the excellent mafia cast members. Great musical score by the RZA.

3. House of Flying Daggers. - Simply the most beautiful and moving wuxia film I have ever seen. A compelling love story interwoven with some of the most audacious and gorgeous action set pieces. Director Zhang Yimou strikes all the right notes. Fantastic musical score.

4. In the Mood for Love - A sumptuous masterpiece from Wong Kar Wai, set in 1962 Hong Kong, an unconventional love story featuring a stunning Maggie Cheung and brilliant Tony Leung Chiu Wai. One of my top 5 movies ever. Soundtrack features Nat King Cole, singing in Portuguese (Spanish?).

5. I.Q. - A great 1994 romantic comedy featuring Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins, and Walter Matthau as Albert Einstein. All three turn in great performances, with likable characterizations. Directed by Fred Schepisi, who also directed the similarly pleasant Roxanne and Six Degrees of Separation.

Game Six: Michael Keaton as a playwright and Red Sox fan, on the night his biggest play opens up: October 25, 1986, night of the Mets comeback win over the Red Sox in the World Series.

As a Mets fan and Michael Keaton fan, I was drawn to the plot, and it's actually a nice little movie with a simple story. The baseball stuff is more of a background piece as the story focuses on Keaton's neurotic character.

I should also mention a few recent films I have seen I guess -

Avatar - Saw this in IMAX 3D. Pretty movie, visually, although I couldn't handle the 3d. I left the theater with a severe headache. My girlfriend loved this film so we rented the Blu Ray (which is on its way back to Netflix and is why I need more to add) - now that I have seen it without the headache I think I still didn't like it all that much. Like I said, it was pretty, but I didn't think it had much else going for it. It wasn't awful, just not particularly good either.

District 9 - Now this film I loved. Scifi with aliens, CGI, and explosions that also has *gasp* a story and quality writing, acting, and cinematography. Five stars.

I will also say I loved Dark Knight and Watchmen and Iron Man 2. Summer blockbusters can be good, too (but please no Baysplosion films or Emerich disasterporn )

Ooh, one last one.

6. A Fish Called Wanda - In my opinion about the funniest movie of the 80's (1988 to be specific), Python members John Cleese and Michael Palin are joined by a riotous Kevin Kline and Jamie Lee Curtis in a hilarious story of a diamond heist gone slightly wrong.

Code 46- Thinking man's science fiction. Based on a few of the others you've liked, I think you'll dig it.

Children of Men- don't let Capt. Foamy hear this. I absolutely love this movie...try it. I think you will too.

A couple of my recommendations:


1. North by Northwest. One of Alfred Hitchcock's finest, IMO. Great film, and on my "must watch" list.

2. Saving Private Ryan. War is hell, but this movie is great. I try to watch this each Memorial Day if I can.

3. Any and all of the Peter Seller's Pink Panther movies.

4. Seven Samurai by Kurosawa. In fact, many of his are as great, like Yojimbo, Ran, Sanjuro, etc.

5. Near Dark. IMO, the coolest vampire movie of all time, and I've seen about all (except the teeny-bopper emo kid ones that are the current fad).

Trick 'r Treat (Haven't seen it, but well reviewed and looks promising)

In Bruges (Amazing dark comedy, who knew Colin Farrel could act?)

Mr Brooks (suspense, drama, and some darkly comedic moments between Costner and Hurt)

queue is up to 36 now

Trick r' Treat was rather "meh" imo