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

Ponyo: A Cliff by the Sea

I love this movie.  I first saw it in theaters, and then again on Netflix.  The animation is stunning, and the story is simple, sweet, and moving. It's by Hayao Miyazaki, who also made Spirited Away and  Princess Monoke (and a bunch of other stuff you've probably never heard of).  It's a little heavy-handed with the environmentalism (a flaw in several Ghibli films), but it really is an amazing movie.  Ghibli movies are one of the delightful things my live-in-animator has introduced me to.  While Ponyo isn't my favorite (that's a tie between Spirited Away and Kiki's Delivery Service), it's the only one I've seen in theaters. A strong A.


http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Ponyo/70106454?trkid=2361637#height2018

Batman: Under the Red Hood

I'm not usually a huge fan of super hero animation.  However, I live with an animator, and that means I see a lot of animation.  I really liked this one.  The animation is beautiful, and the characters have some depth to them.  The plot is interesting, although the "twist" was a little predictable.  It was a little action-heavy for me, and there were times when I sort of tuned out on the 5-6 minute long fight scenes.  All that being said, this is a good story, well told.  A solid B.

http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Batman-Under-The-Red-Hood/70135479?trkid=438403#height1591

Worst Movie Ever

Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever
I saw this movie at the dollar theater, and I paid WAY WAY too much to see it.  It's nearly 2 hours of Lucy Lui and Antonio Banderas in skin-tight black leather, and it still manages to be awful.  I would, honestly, consider staring at a still picture of the two of them for two hours before I would watch this movie again. It's confusing and stupid.  It's directed by someone billed only as Kaos, whose previous directing experience is some Youtube music videos. This movie somehow manages to be exactly bad enough to not be funny, but still be hideous.  F-
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Ballistic_Ecks_vs._Sever/60023649?trkid=2361637#height1738

Documentaries

Jesus Camp
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Jesus_Camp/70054721?trkid=2361637#height1624
This movie is disturbing, and it makes me scared for our country. Also, it makes me hate evangelical Christians (which, to be fair, doesn't take much).  A+

Exit Through the Gift Shop
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Jesus_Camp/70054721?trkid=2361637#height1624
This is an art documentary about art.  I loved this documentary, but it's hard to know what to say about it.  I still don't really know what to think of it.  Is it all a hoax?  Just watch it. A

Becoming Human
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Becoming_Human_Nova/70128376?trkid=2361637
You all know I'm very into early human archeology, so my love of this comes as no surprise.  It's interesting, in particular, because it talks about the people who made the discoveries, as well as the actual discoveries themselves.  It's archeology and history of archeology both.  It's in three parts, so it's about 3 hours all told.  Because it was intended to air separately, there's a lot of repetition between the episodes, when you watch them back-to-back. A-

Supernatural Teen Soap Opera

Now, as you all know, this is my favorite of all genres.  Here are some of the best (and not so good)


Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 

This is the gold standard of teen supernatural soap opera ("Now every girl with a henna tattoo and a spice rack thinks she's kin to the dark ones...").  I watched this show as it came out (Buffy was a year behind me in high school); Willow Rosenberg was the first character I ever saw on TV who I really identified with. Turns out, in the unaired pilot, she was supposed to be fat (not actually fat, but TV fat).  Apparently, the network told Joss she had to be pretty. Now, it seems, my students love it as much as I did.  I hear they call me Giles behind my back! (but we all know I'm actually still in my Ripper phase).

Although,  the production values are crap (especially in early seasons) and the metaphor of adolescence as hell is sometimes ridiculous, Joss Whedon's amazing writing always carries it through, and frequently makes it among the best shows on television.  Personally, my favorite seasons are 4 and 6 (but I understand I'm in the minority here).  A+ for seasons 1-6, B+ for season 7.

Avalon High: This is a surprisingly non-awful Disney Chanel TV movie. Best for 10-15 year olds, this is the story of a high school aged girl whose parents are Arthurian scholars. She moves to Avalon, a town with an Arthurian connection, and wacky high-jinks ensue. It's quite predictable, and the characters are awfully one-dimensional, but it's entertaining fluff, and I expect kids will like it. It's no Buffy, but it's not bad. It's based on a book (or maybe a series of books?) of which I have no knowledge.  Solid B.

The Craft: Private high school, check! Teen witchcraft, check! Fairuza Balk, check! This movie is goofy, supposedly insulting to Wiccans, preachy, and has a holier-than-thou do-gooder as the protagonist, but I'm embarrassed to say that I love it anyway.  Someone once compared me to the main character (Sarah), and I nearly hit them.   B+





Here are some other great teen (or twenty-year-olds behaving as if they're teens) supernatural soap operas which are sadly unavailable to watch instantly:

Point Pleasant: This is a pretty good show about the antichrist. It's written and produced by Marti Noxon, who used to write Buffy. It's a little slow moving. B

Charmed: This show is not actually very good, but it does have an amazing, sexy, doomed romance with a demon, and you know I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.  Bonus points: the sexy demon is played by the hot guy from Nip/Tuck. B- to B+ depending on the season

Hex: It turns out that private girls school has a lot less sexy witchcraft than movies and TV had led me to believe. This is one of those private school witchcraft TV shows. It's British, and it goes very slowly, but it's not bad. B

Little Witches: This is sort of like a cross between The Craft and Hex.  It takes place at a Catholic girls school, which is closed over Easter break.  It stars someone who looks like Fairuza Balk, but isn't, and a young Clea DuVall.  It's great fun.  Netflix doesn't even have it on disk (or acknowlege it's existence), so it might be hard to find.  However, the Blockbuster I worked at when I was in high school had it, so it can't be too, too rare.  B

Other Post Apocalypse Recommends

Here's some other post apocalypse shows I've loved in the past:

Without a doubt, Battlestar Galactica is the single best post-apocalypse show ever.   One of the very best shows ever on TV (with the exception of the last few episodes).  If you have ever seen the old version, please don't let you turn you off of this.  The show is a sexy, gritty, exciting, emotional ride from start to finish (well, almost to finish).

I usually don't like space-opera, and I took some convincing before I tried this show.  Please don't let that happen to you.  I'm not playing around, this show is AMAZING.  I've been re-watching this show. and  I had forgotten just how fraking awesome it is.  In some ways, it's even better the second time around.  Seasons 1 and 2 are much better than 3 and 4, but it's all great. A+ for season 1, A for seasons 2-4. D for the final episode.

Jeremiah: This TV show opens about 10 years after a plague wiped out all the adults in the world. The two main characters, played by that guy from 90210 and that guy from the Cosby show (who got really hot!) travel around the post-apocalypse world doing good and searching for Valhalla.  The show has high production values, and is especially interesting in the first season.

While not all the episodes are written by him, the show was developed by Michael J. Straczynski (the Babylon 5 guy).

I hear it's based on a graphic novel, which I always intend to read, but haven't yet.  B







Jericho: This show takes place after a nuclear strike, in a small midwestern town.  The first season I like, but after that it gets bogged down in complicated meta plot.  B for the first season, C+ after that.
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Jericho_Season_1/70058426?trkid=2361637

Survivors

Because of all the snow, I've had a lot of time off work lately, with not much to do.  Thus, the spate of post-apocalypse TV marathons in my living room.  Here's what I've watched lately:


Some of you might not know this, but I'm obsessed with thinking about how to survive/rebuild after an apocalypse. Seriosly, I'm one step away from hoarding antibiotics and beef jerky. I mean, I do hoard beef jerky, but I only have, like, 2 courses of antibiotics squirreled away. I in no way have a closet full of veterinary grade antibiotic powder. That would be crazy. :)

Due to this, I'm a huge fan of post-apocalypse fiction, both the sad, gritty kind (The Road) and the goofy kind (Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome). I just love the idea of people rebuilding civilization using nothing but their wits. I'm always on the lookout for new post-apocalypse movies and TV.


Survivors is a British TV show about the (few) survivors of a global flu pandemic.  The first season covers the usual post-apocalypse sorts of things....a group of strangers band together to make a place for themselves in the new world.  Each of the characters has an interesting back story, and, although sort of archetypal, they're all believable people with believable motivations.  (Mostly).  I did spend a non-trivial amount of time during the first few seasons yelling at them to be less traumatized and go raid a camping store, but that pretty much happens with all post-apocalyptic fiction and me.

Even though I imagine the show had quite a small budget (it's BBC, afterall), it doesn't have any of the cheesy low production values that you sometimes see on British shows.  It seems to be shot on location in the English countryside, and in London, and there are very few special effects.  The pacing is good, and the show is overall enjoyable. I personally, like the first season better.  In the second season, it starts to get all "big plot" with an evil conspiracy behind the plague.   I always like that less than small, tight stories about individual people surviving.  B+