Six Degrees of Separation

Six Degrees of Separation was one of Will Smith's first movie roles, and certainly the one that helped him make the jump from rap star pretty boy to serious actor.  It was a good choice on his part.  He plays a young con artist in Manhattan who enchants a socialite copule.   An amazing supporting cast including Stockard Channing, Donald Sutherland, and Ian McKellen.  What makes this movie one of my favorites is the writing.  It's written by the playwright John Guare, and it still has the snappy feel of the stage play.   I hear that some people aren't into that sort of thing; the dialog is unnatural, but in a good way.  Like in Angels in America, another of my oh-so-favorite play-to-movie remakes, every word seems perfectly chosen and artfully directed.  It's a  lovely thing, a testimony to the power of language.  The acting is all great, but Stockard Channing, who is always a favorite of mine, really sparkles in this.

Quickies

Here are some other movies I recommend which are currently available to stream, some classics, but some less popular and older stuff you might not have heard of too:

Ip Man -- I'm usually not a big fan of kung fu movies, but this one is a beautiful and moving biopic set during the Japanese occupation of China.  Ip Man is a Wing Chun master who leads a rebellion. Interesting side note:  He eventually (several decades after this movie is set) taught Bruce Lee martial arts.

Lord of the Rings: Two Towers  -- If you need an explanation of this movie, we're not friends.

Everything Is Illuminated -- This is a weird little movie about an American writer who goes to Ukraine to discover his family's past and discovers...a weird little movie.

Howl's Moving Castle  -- This is a beautiful animated movie about a magician.  Very steampunk.  Very awesome.  Also, the witch looks just like the college counselor at my school.

Louie  -- This show is very, very funny.  Watch it.

The Guild  -- This is a web series by Felicia Day (the red head from the end of Dollhouse or Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog) about WOW.  Super geeky fun.  Bonus: Will Wheton.

Like Water for Chocolate  -- A beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Spanish movie about love and magic and cooking.

Nosferatu -- The original vampire movie.  Lovely and strange.

The Producers -- So much funnier than the new one.

Borgia

Do you miss the show Rome?  The beautiful costumes and settings?  The intrigue and sexy collusion?  Borgia is a pretty good substitute.  It follows the papacy of Rodrigo Borgia, aka Pope Alexander the VI.  The girl in the white veil in the picture is his daughter, Lucretia (Lucrezia).  You've probably heard of her; there are swirling legends of her poisoning her husbands, sleeping with her brothers, and murdering a swath across Europe.

The show is well written (it's written by Tom Fontana, the creator of Oz), and the production valus are extremely high, but the acting sometimes leaves something to be desired.  This isn't the Showtime show with Jeremy Irons, it's a European production.  According to IMDB, they came out at the same time (both this year), so I don't think either is based on the other (I guess it was just in the Ether?).  I recommend this series strongly to fans of Rome or similar shows, and look forward to seeing the Showtime version when its available to stream.  B+/A-

The Way Back

As you know if you've read this blog, I'm a fan of survival movies and TV shows.  I have a new one to recommend.  It's called The Way Back, and it's about a group of men who escape from a Soviet gulag in Siberia and walk to freedom in India.  The sweeping vistas of Siberia, the Gobi desert, and the Himalayas (it was produced by National Geographic) would have been enough for me to watch this, but it was also beautifully written and acted.  Ed Harris, in particular, is amazingly understated and perfect.  A+

Vision

Sorry for the long hiatus.  I temporarily had a life.  This week, I'm recommending Vision, a German movie about St Hildegard. It's beautifully produced, with lovely sets and costumes (you know how much I love that!). The lead actress is very good, and St. Hildegard is an interesting character. She was a 12th century christian mystic who taught a life of harmony with nature, scientific learning, and an omniscient, all-loving, Living Light. I wish there had been more of Hildegard's art and music, but it was overall entertaining. The first half is better than the second, which gets a little slow. If you, like me, love sets and costumes and beautiful shots of sunlight filtering through trees, you'll like it. If that's not enough, you should probably look elsewhere. Visually: A-, plot-wise, B+.

Dead Alive

This is a movie we watched over and over and over in college.  I wasn't sure if it would hold up to being watched under less...auspicious circumstances.  But, I saw that it was up on Netflix Instant and thought I'd give it a shot.  Turns out it was written and directed by Peter Jackson (the Lord of the Rings guy), several years before even Heavenly Creatures (another movie I highly recommend). Back in the paleolithic era, when I was in school, no one had ever heard of Peter Jackson.

Dead Alive is a zombie movie, but saying that really doesn't do it justice. It's hilarious! It's similar in tone to Shaun of the Dead crossed with The Evil Dead, and with the goofiest Sumatran Rat-Monkey you've ever seen!  And the best quote ever from a zombie ass-kicking kung-fu fighting priest:  "I kick ass for the Lord!"

As a side note, the movie heavily features Aleister Crowley's Thoth tarot deck, with some weird modifications (check out The Star card).

Day Break

I started watching a really interesting series that Netflix just got (in fact, it seems like they jut got a lot of new TV, so expect a lot of new TV reviews over the next few weeks.  It's called Day Break.  It stars Taye Diggs (so, so tasty) as a police officer who's been set up for murdering a DA.  He is arrested for the crime soon after he wakes up.  Thing is, he keeps living that same bad day over and over (Groundhogs Day style).  I'm only on the 4th episode, but it's really good so far.  Very complicated plot, with lots of twists and turns, and mystery.  Every "day" you learn a few new clues.  Good cast, interesting idea, strong mystery, lots of action.  I'll keep you posted as I watch more.  B+ so far.

The Oxford Murders

The Oxford Murders was a little disappointing, but only because I got my hopes up.  John Hurt stars as a Wittgenstein-esque logician named Seldom.  Elijah Wood is an up and coming mathematics post-doc trying to convince Seldom to mentor him.  When Frodo's landlady (who is an old friend of Seldom's) is killed, they are dragged into an ongoing investigation of a logico-philosophical serial killer.  This movie has got to be good, right?  Sadly, it's a little slow, with too much talking and too little mystery, especially in the first half.  It's worth putting up with it, the second half is much better.  A solid B+ movie if you're into math, but probably only B- if you're not (but shouldn't you be?)

Agora

Here are some things I like: the Library at Alexandria, pretty costumes, Rachel Weisz, ancient Rome, conic sections (a math thing), philosophy, hot guys in togas, Christians portrayed as illiterate brutes. Turns out, if you put all of those things into a movie, you get Agora.  Rachael Weisz stars as Hypatia, a geometer and philosopher.  This movie is lusciously beautiful, costumes, settings, cinematography, all of it is detailed and lovely.  It is a little slow in the middle, and it seems pretty preachy on the whole "religion breeds violence" theme, even for me, but it's a great movie about an interesting time period.  Also, the directing is sometimes a little try-hard.  Well worth watching.  B+, but A- if you're into math or ancient Greece.

A short catch-up list

So, I haven't added anything in a while.  Here's some quick suggestions.  Full reviews coming soon:

Practical Magic is one of my favorite movies.  Romance, quirky fun, family, necromancy... what more could you ask for?

When Do We Eat? is a hilarious movie about hallucinogens and Passover.

The Iceman Murder is a cool documentary about Otzi, an early neolithic man.

Veronica Mars is just an awesome TV show.  It reminds me of Buffy.

Carriers

Carriers is an interesting movie.  Set post a viral pandemic apocalypse, it's neither an adventure movie, nor horror movie.  The movie I think it's closest to is The Road (although it's not as good as that).  It's about two twenty-something brothers and their two girlfriends (sort of) on a long, post-apocalypse road-trip to the boy's families remote summer vacation spot.  Unlike The Road, this movie is set just after the apocalypse (the virus is still a real threat), and survival isn't the biggest focus of the movie.  It's actually a movie about the realtionship between siblings, and the fact that the setting is so horrific just highlights and intensifies all the usual complications between brothers.  A strong B.

The Motorcycle Diaries

The Motorcycle Diaries is a lovely movie about youth and idealism.  I saw it in theaters many years ago.  It tells the story of two well-to-do Argentinian friends, Ernesto, a medical student, and Alberto, a "wandering scientist" who decide to go on an 8000 km motorcycle trip across South America in 1951. On their long journey, the pair encounter real poverty and injustice for the first time, and political ideologies start to take shape. The word "romance" actually means "adventure", and this is a very romantic movie. The acting, music and directing are all excellent, and the settings are astonishingly beautiful. Based on Ernesto's diaries of the experience, his is a slow, subtle, introspective movie that tells a romantic story of Ernesto becoming the man history knows him as, the communist revolutionary Che Guevara.  A+

One complaint: the subtitles go very fast sometimes.

Angela

My friend Meghan introduced me to this weird awesome movie many years ago.  Angela is the story of a strange little girl trying to make sense out of a senseless world. Angela is very worried that the Devil might come to take her little sister away. The girls mother is seriously mentally ill, and the girls are mostly left to themselves to find their way through a confusing world. I don't really know what else to say without giving hings away. The movie is beautifully directed and both the little girls are excellent in their roles. It's slow paced and a little creepy, but very moving and sad. This is for the sort of person who likes indy movies. It's not a horror movie or a blockbuster, just a small movie about how minds work. A-

It's not available the stream instantly, but if you like this, you'll also really like Innocence.

Brooklyn Babylon

Brooklyn Babylon is one of my favorite movies.  Many other people refer to it as a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, but it's not.  It's a retelling of Solomon and Sheba.  You should watch this movie, even though it's actually not that great.  If for no other reason, then watch it to hear the AMAZING sound track by The Roots.  If you don't know The Roots, I don't think we can be friends anymore.

The movie tells the story of a  Rastafarian hip hop artist named Solomon, played beautifully by Tariq Trotter (aka Black Thought of The Roots) and a chasidic girl named Sarah who live in the same Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, but are divided by family, religion, race, class, and politics.  After they meet in a traffic accident, the two begin a secret romance in defiance of both of their circles.

Now, I'm not usually much of a romance fan, but the combination of the Song of Songs, The Roots, and a girl named Sarah in love with a gorgeous, contemplative, black artist hit all my buttons.  While Tariq Trotter is excellent, the actress who plays Sara is not very good.  Several supporting roles are outstanding, including Sarah's grandmother as a less-than-Haredi European with progressive notions and Sol's mother, a hard-working West Indian woman who wants to best for her son. The music and art direction are both lovely.  I give this movie an A, but if you're not a Jewish girl named Sara who dates a contemplative West Indian artist, it's probably actually a C-.

ps: If anyone has any idea where I could acquire the soundtrack to this movie, you'd be my new hero.

8: The Mormon Propostion

This documentary came highly recommended, but I was somewhat disappointed.  It was really biased and one sided, but not in a fun "preaching to the choir" way like a Michael Moore movie.  This documentary doesn't have the faith but won't have the fun.  It was dull and poorly organized.  It was just poorly made propaganda (don't get me wrong, I agree with its propaganda), and it's not really worth watching.  For all that, it's not actively bad...just forgettable.  C+

Making SNL

Both 30 Rock: Season 1 and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: The Complete Series  are "behind the scenes" shows about shows very much like Saturday Night Live.  While 30 Rock is straight comedy, Studio 60 is more of a drama. Both of them have amazing writers. Studio 60 is written by Aaron Sorkin (West Wing) and 30 Rock is written by Tina Fey.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is the more serious of the two shows.  Like The West Wing, it's witty and biting political commentary, and it holds up well.  It's also quite funny, but it's not a laugh riot.  It does that magical thing that only Aaron Sorkin shows can do...it leaves me wanting to roll my eyes and laugh and cry all at the same time.  It's such a shame that this show was canceled, but it does go down hill in the last few episodes.  Like a lot of shows, it forgets what makes it good, and thinks I care about the characters personal lives. A except the last few episodes, which rate a B.

This show is hilarious.  The first season is pee-your-pants funny, and the other seasons are still laugh-out-loud good.  Alec Baldwin is dead on, and Tina Fey never fails.  Tracy Morgan, while sometimes a little goofy, is also very funny.  This show is fast, smart, and relevant.  One reviewer on Netflix says of 30 Rock, "there is a certain segment of population that likes what I like to call "New York Humor" It will tickle your fancy if you like things like Woody Allen, Seinfeld, and the like."  Funny story: When my parents were first dating, my dad's family used to call my mother (who is from Philadelphia) a "New Yorker" because they thought "Jew" was a slur.  If you don't understand why that's hilarious, you might not like 30 Rock.  The show is reliably funny...even the weaker episodes are still great.    A+ for Season 1, A for other seasons (with an occasional B episode)


Also interesting, this documentary about Saturday Night Live: Live from New York: The First 5 Years. This IS NOT a clips show, it's mostly interviews.

Into Eternity

I just saw this amazing documentary. It's not yet available on Netflix, but you can watch it on YouTube. It's about building an underground repository for nuclear waste in Finland, but it's really about the philosophical implications of trying to make something that will last 100,000 years (that's more than 5 times longer than the cave paintings at Lascaux; 20 times as long as the pyramids at Giza). It's haunting and beautiful, and everyone has these Finnish accents, which makes it seem extra ethereal. Highly recommended. A+

Immortality

I have a strange fondness for fiction about immortal creatures.  Preferably, not vampires, just humans that happen to live forever.  One of my very favorites  is Jerome Bixby's The Man from Earth.  It's a lovely, small movie that seems like it was probably written as a play.  It's entirely driven by dialog and good acting.  It takes place almost entirely in a small cabin.  A group of friends who are all academics are sitting around chatting, wishing their friend John a fond farewell.  He tells them an amazing story.  I can't really say more without giving anything away, but I've watched this movie several times, with many different people, and it's always been a hit.  (With my weird intellectual friends....this isn't a movie for everyone)  A+

 Tuck Everlasting is a cute kids movie based on a book I haven't read.  It stars that girl from Gilmore Girls.  It also features Ben Kingsley and Sissy Spacek.  It's a pretty straight-forward story about a girl whose over-protective parents keep her locked away.  She gets lost in the woods, and runs into an immortal boy.  Teen romance ensues.  B for adults, but probably A- for kids.











Highlander: Season 1 

When I was in high school, this was my best friend's favorite show (although, I think the tastiness of Adrian Paul had more than a little to do with that.) The show is interesting, but I don't feel like it does a very good job of capturing the crushing ennui of immortality.  The show goes downhill after season 2.  B  













Natural Born Killers

Natural Born Killers
I love this movie.  Woody Harrelson and Juliet Lewis are both astounding.  While some people complain that this movie glorifies violence, I rather view it as an essay on the glorification of violence by our popular culture.  The movie is visually exciting, and the music is amazing.  The soundtrack has been in constant rotation in my playlist for nearly 10 years.  All that being said, the movie is VERY violent, which I understand is a big turnoff for some people.
I give it an A.

Happy Accidents

Happy Accidents is a another cute little romantic comedy with magical/sci-fi undertones.  Since I'm a fan of the genre, and a big fan of Vincent D'Onofrio, I checked it out.  It's good, but not great. The pacing is a little slow, and D'Onofrio's character, Sam, is a little too cute for words.  However, the relationship between them unfolds in a believable way, and the uncertainty about whether Sam is a time traveler or delusional gives a nice edge.  B+

Amreeka

Amreeka is a relatively typical "coming to America" story with some sweet, funny moments.  It's the story of a single, Palestinian mother and her teenage son who move in with her sister's family in the suburban Midwest after her son starts to get himself into trouble at home.  She gets here at an awkward time, and becomes a target for American's resentment about the wars in the mideast.  The acting and the cinematography are both very good, and the plot never veers into emotional melodrama.  This is a small movie and individuals making their won way; it is not a sweeping epic about war, or racism, or tolerance.  The lead actress is particularly good.  B

Network: This movie used to be fiction

Made in 1976 (that makes it 2 years older than me!), Network is the story of Fox News.  Well, maybe not exactly that.  It's about a reputable news anchor who looses his cool and starts ranting uncontrollably on TV.  He coins the phrase "I'm mad as Hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!"

Everyone thinks he'll be fired, but it turns out (no surprise to us in 2011) that bile-filled invective makes for grea ratings, and he becomes a phenom.  Corporate media intrigue follows.

Although it no longer seems so implausible, this Oscar winning drama continues to hold up well.  I watched it for the first time only recently, and I very much enjoyed it.  I can't exactly imagine what it would have been like in 1976, but I expect it was astonishingly good then.  B+

The Fountain

I love this movie so, so, so much. The Fountain is hard to describe. First, it's beautiful. BEAUTIFUL! Second, it's by Darren Aronofski (Pi, Requiem for a Dream). It's about love, and the power of fiction, and the quest for immortality. A lot of reviews of this movie claim that it's about reincarnation, but it's not.  It is, no doubt, a little hard to follow.   It's one of those movies that you have to give yourself over to, and let it wash over you. It benefits greatly from a second viewing. It stars Rachel Weiss (Darren Aronofski's long-term partner) and Hugh Jackman, who are both excellent. A+

The Witches of Eastwick

The Witches of Eastwick is one of my favorite movies.  It is also one of my least favorite books.  I will not, here, go into just how many ways I hate John Updike, but they are inumerable.

The movie stars Cher, Michelle Pfeifer, and Susan Serandon, and Jack Nicholson.  It's about three single suburban soccer moms (before they were called soccer moms) who pine for excitement.  It turns up in the form of Jack Nicholson.  If you're anything like me, you and your friends spent a disturbing amount of time arguing about which of you is which witch.  Clearly, I'm Cher.  There was a VERY BAD TV show based on this movie lately called Eastwick. I only saw half the pilot, but it made me want to cry. Don't watch it.  A-

Law & Order: SVU



Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

So, you may not have realized this, but there are 11 seasons of Law & Order SVU on Netflix Instant.  That's more than 150 hours of Law & Order goodness!  Personally, I've been watching Law & Order on TV since it started, so I've already seen most of these, but, looking through the episode titles, there's some in every season I missed or didn't remember.  SVU is my favorite Law & Order, mostly because of the chemistry between all the actors.  I really believe that the SVU squad is a kind of a family.  I really like the way that the episodes each stand completely on their own, but they still reward loyal viewing with subtle character growth and development.  The acting is nearly always good, especially after season 2 or 3, when they all seem to have really settled into inhabiting their characters.  Particularly in early seasons, it's fun to spot stars before they were stars in guest roles as both perps and victims.  B+ for the show overall, episodes vary from B- to A+.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a story about a traveling magical street circus?  Count me in!  Heath Ledger, Jude Law, Johnny Depp...sounds good so far.  

This movie is beautiful.  The effects, the acting, the script, they're all beautiful (except maybe for the midget).  It's magical, and astonishing, and all about using art and magic to bring about liberation from social norms.  You would think that this would be an A+ movie, but it's kind of preachy, and its ideas about "right" and "wrong" are much less Luciferian that I would like.  


That being said, if you love Terry Gilliam, you'll love this movie, and if you hate Terry Gilliam, I imagine I just don't like you.  A-

Recomendations from my father

My father recommends Cool World, which I haven't seen yet. He says: "It's directed by Ralph Bakshi [the Wizards guy] It's a combination of animation and live action. Not an A, but different and amusing."

I haven't seen it yet, but Netflix says I'll like it. I'll get back to you when I watch it. (Which might be tomorrow evening)

The Men Who Stare At Goats

The Men Who Stare at Goats: I don't know how I missed hearing about this movie when it was out in theaters.  It stars George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, and Jeff Bridges, and a funny goat.  Several funny goats, actually.  It tells the story of an Army unit devoted to developing super soldiers with psychic powers.  Jedi knights, if you will.  The movie is especially hilarious if you've spent any time in any of the "alternative" scenes.  A lot of other reviewers seem not to like it, but I don't know what's wrong with them.  Everyone I've shown it to thinks it is hilarious. A-


ps: check out my awesome new link style!  You can add things to your instant que right from here!

Possession

Possession: This movie is based on a book by A.S. Byatt, one of my very favorite authors.  She also wrote the book on which Angels and Insects is based.  It's about two literature scholars who are investigating a possible relationship between two British Victorian poets.  The movie cuts between the developing romance between the two scholars in the modern day and the romance between the two historical poets, which comes to light through their letters and poems.  (It isn't quite as pretentious as it sounds, but it's pretty pretentious.)  It stars Aaron Eckhart (who I LOVE) and Gwyneth Paltrow.  B



Shakespeare In Love

Shakespeare in Love:
This is a beautiful, romantic, funny movie, full of beautiful, romantic, funny people.  It won several Oscars, including Best Picture.  This is the movie I watch when I need sewing inspiration, or romantic inspiration, or writing inspiration.  Even though it's a satire, it's clearly made by people who really love Shakespeare as much as we do.  A-

Being John Malkovich

Being John Malkovich: This is the weirdest, coolest, most inexplicable movie ever.  It's about a puppeteer/temp office worker who discovers, and then rents out, a portal into John Malkovich's brain.  It stars John Cusack (whom I nearly always like)  I don't know what else I can say, except that you should watch this movie.  A+

Interstate 60

Interstate 60: This is a quirky, fun, road-trip movie.  It reminds me a lot of Big Fish or I Heart Huckabees or Being John Malkovich.   (although it's not quite as good as all that)   It stars James Marsden, and has a lot of cool people in supporting roles, including Christopher Lloyd and  Michael J. Fox.  It's sort of surreal,thought-provoking, and philosophical.  It's totally worth watching, but it's one of those movies where you spend the whole movie thinking about what an awesome movie this could have been. The idea is cool, but the writing is just so-so.   B-



ps:  It was pointed out to me that these posts are better with pictures.  I'll go back and put pictures in previous ones when I get around to it.

Mermaids

Netflix says this movie is a steamy, quirky, romantic teen comedy.  I was totally in the mood for that, so I tried it.  It's actually a dark, emotional, strange, lovely movie, but don't watch it if you're in the mood for quirky fun.  It's Cher as the flaky single Jewish mother of Winona Ryder and a very young Christina Ricci in the 60s.  It's a coming of age story for both Winona and Cher's characters.  B+
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Mermaids/60003873?trkid=438403#height1768

Oh My Joss!

Basically, I love everything Joss Whedon has ever done, and you do too. Now, if you're not a Joss fan yet (and what's wrong with you?!?), you have to realize that ALL Joss Whedon's shows sound stupid when described, but they're not.  Joss's writing is amazing because of the character interactions, not so much the plot.  (Although Firefly and Dollhouse both have really cool settings also).  They're all available on instantly, but they're worth trying on DVD as well.  The ones I've seen have great special features.  http://www.netflix.com/RoleDisplay?personid=20037948

Buffy the Vampire Slayer:  This is a show about adolescence. (reviewed before): A+ if you're a teenage girl.  B otherwise.
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Buffy-the-Vampire-Slayer-Season-1/60030359?trkid=1660


Angel:  Angel is a more grown-up version of Buffy.  It's very good, and it gets better as the show moves on.  The show claims to be about redemption, but it's really more about finding your chosen family.  B+
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Angel-Season-1/60030597?trkid=1660

Firefly: This might be the best television show that has ever been.  It's epic, even though it's only 14 episodes.  Every character is awesome, amazing, and a complete, complicated, weird, unique human being.  The costumes and set design are astounding.  Whenever I watch other sci-fi (including great sci-fi like Battlestar) that's been made since, I can see the Firefly influence.  If you've never seen it, watch this INSTANTLY!  I don't mean that you should stream it; I mean, whatever you're doing right now, stop and go watch Firefly.  A++
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Dollhouse-Season-1/70108140?trkid=1660 Buy the dvd from amazon: Firefly - The Complete Series


Serenity: I expected this movie to be mediocre, but it's a great ending to Firefly.  It doesn't make up for all the seasons that never were, but it ties things up well, while staying true to the characters, themes, and aesthetic of Firefly.  It would be much better to watch the show before the movie.  I give it a solid A.  This movie has GREAT special features, it's totally worth it buy it on DVD or Blu-Ray. Serenity [Blu-ray]

http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Serenity/70035994?trkid=1660#height1538

Dollhouse: This is a show about identity, and the quest for self.  It's also a show about big evil corporations bringing about the apocalypse.  Also, it has the most awesome mad scientist character ever, his name is Topher.  Season One is much, much stronger than season 2.  In season 2, I think Joss knew the show was getting canceled and tried to cram 5 seasons worth of plot into one season.  Things move very fast, with insufficient exposition.  The characters grow and change in this sort of weird punctuated way.  All that being said, season 2 is still awesome, and the final episode is one of the best TV endings ever.  Season 1: A+, Season 2: A-
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Dollhouse-Season-1/70108140?trkid=1660

Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog:  I don't really know how to describe this except that it's goofy, musical, comic book fun.  Goofy, musical, comic-book fun written by Joss Whedon. It gets a B from me. (and I hate goofy, musical comic-book fun)
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Dr.-Horrible-s-Sing-Along-Blog/70115760?trkid=1660

Immigrants, Magical Realism, and Food

Now, as you well know, I have a strange fondness for heart warming immigrant movies about food like Tortilla Soup and What's Cooking.  Also, I love magical realism, like Practical Magic (sadly unavailable to watch instantly) or Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity. (review below)  Then, there are those perfect-for-sara movies about immigrants, magic, AND food.  My favorite of these is:  
Woman on Top: This is a lovely, funny, sweet movie staring Penelope Cruz as a Brazilian chef running away from her macho philandering husband to make a new start with her transgendered best friend in San Francisco (played by that pretty guy who played Mercutio and the narrator on Oz).  She makes an offering to Yemanja to take away her love so she can be free to start over.  B+
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Woman_on_Top/60001557?trkid=2361637#height1608

Onedine

This is a cool little Irish movie about a fisherman who finds a woman who may or may not be a Selkie (a mer-seal) in his net.  He's in the middle of a nasty divorce, and has a crippled daughter.  I realize this sounds a little dark, but it's not.  It's a cute movie, but nothing special.  I'm just a big fan of magical realism.  B-
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Ondine/70117284?trkid=438403#height1694

Long Life, Happiness, and Prosperity

I love, love, love this movie!!  It's about a little girl named Mindy who lives in San Francisco (in China Town), who starts to use Daoist magic to improve her life, and her lonely single mother's.  So cute, so enchanting!  The only problem is, very brief bits of it are in Chinese without subtitles.  I didn't really have a problem with this (it's just side conversations between some of the older characters) but some people might find it very frustrating.  It's kind of like a cross between Practical Magic and Tortilla Soup. A-


http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Long-Life-Happiness-Prosperity/70040212?strackid=3f9a57f639fc202a_0_srl&strkid=1867673426_0_0&trkid=438381

The Secret of Kells

 This movie is beautifully animated, in a very unique arty kind of a style, evocative of medieval Celtic illuminations.  It's about a little boy in medieval Ireland who is an apprentice manuscript illuminator.  His abbey is under attack by Vikings, and he meets a sidhe girl in the woods.  It's awesome, all around.  Hopefully, this is the first in a long line of fine-art animation.  B+

http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The-Secret-of-Kells/70120522?trkid=438403#height1717

Kissed

This is an astonishing, weird, romantic, strange little movie about necrophilia. It's NOT a horror movie.  I don't really know what more I can say about it.  The acting and writing are both very good.  It's not for everybody (I mean, it is a necrophiliac love story), but it's beautiful and intriguing. If you like weird movies, you'll like this one.  B+
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Kissed/70037401?trkid=2361637#height2526

Rosemary's Baby

This is one of my favorite movies. There was a really interesting review of it in the New York Times lately, that I can't compete with.  This movie is beautiful and creepy, and thoroughly unpredictable.

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF1738E271BC4B52DFB0668383679EDE


http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Rosemary_s_Baby/60002403?trkid=1457044#height1832

Vampire Movies

Lost Boys: This is the 80's cult classic that made all of us love vampires.  It's about a little boy who moves into a new town, only to find it under the sway of a troupe of oh-so-cool teenage vampires.  Staring a very young Keifer Southerland, this used to be one of my vampire favorites, but it honestly doesn't hold up as well as I would have hoped.  The direction is kind of over-the-top and schlocky.  B-




Let the Right One In: This is a great, weird, scary, atmospheric vampire flick from Sweden, which is actually about the friendship that develops between two outcast children.  Watch it!  There is also an American remake, but I haven't seen that (and it's not available instantly).  A
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Let_the_Right_One_In/70099621?trkid=2361637#height1826

Interview With the Vampire:  I don't care what anyone else says, I love this movie.  It's lushly beautiful, and well acted.  I don't know how to compare it to the book; it's quite different, even though it doesn't change a lot of the actual plot.  Beautiful costumes, also (and you know that's a thing for me).  A
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Interview_with_the_Vampire/631281?trkid=2361637#height1768

The Queen of the Damned:  Ok, I can't defend this one, but I love it.  The costumes are amazing, the music is good, the plot is ridiculous and the acting is weird.  It's campy vampire fun for people who like vampires.  It's best to not even remember that it's supposed to be related to a book; its a strange combination of The Vampire Lestat and the Queen of the Damned (mostly The Vampire Lestat).  Gotherific!  B for vampire geeks, probably C- for anyone else.
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Queen_of_the_Damned/60022268?trkid=2361638#height2306