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By Collin, on December 29th, 2010

#5 We just watched this on Netflix streaming. You should too!

The Film: Amadeus

What a great movie. One of the best. I can’t believe I’d forgotten what a classic movie it is! “But Collin (me), isn’t that a biopic of Mozart? Sounds fucking boring and stupid. Meeeh.” Eh, it is a Mozart epic. But it is so good.  A three hour movie? Entertaining!????? You bet ya’.

Why to watch it: It is one of the better movies you’ll ever see.

The movie took a huge risk with the its tone. How can a three hour tragic film be quirky and funny? I don’t really know to be honest. But it works, big time. I promise you this movie is really entertaining. And this is mainly because of its two leads F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce.

Pay attention to this: F. Murray Abraham’s performance

Indeed, Hulce took it to the house with Mozart. Making him goofy, silly, funny, and likable. It was key to the movie. But what is more key is Abraham being empathetic. He is indeed the “bad guy”. But being jealous of the natural talents of others is so human we feel strongly for him. If he had been merely villainous, it would have been a lesser likable movie.

Instead, we’re wooed by Abraham’s charm even when he’s doing bad deeds. His talents as a musician are just mediocre enough to realize the audacious genius of another composer.


Watch this right now when you get home from work or school or whatever it is you’re doing….you should be watching this instead. And if you don’t have Netflix streaming….buy it. It costs the same as a shot and a beer at your local bar!

By Collin, on December 28th, 2010

#4 We just watched this on Netflix streaming. You should too!

Man on Wire


The Film: Man on Wire

Man on Wire isn’t perfect, but it is damn good. It follows a man who walked across a metal wire between the World Trade Center towers in the seventies.

It is really cool to hear the story, but the film feels a biiiit long. Also, the reenactments are kind of silly and there is actually no close-up footage of the man going across. Too bad.

Why to watch it: The act itself is amazing.

Something so absurd deserves to be seen. Philippe Petit, the hire-wire walker, is a truly unique man and his talent and passion is invigorating.

Pay attention to this: Philippe Petit’s focus while on the wire.

Great men and women have a level of focus and dedication that are hard to explain to us mere mortals. To commit oneself to something so powerfully, with all one’s soul and body, it not easy.

Nothing of the sort will ever be done again, but I can’t help but feel a better analysis of the man could have been done by someone like Werner Herzog. This is Herzog’s world. The film is great despite its “heist” elements….you’ll know what I mean.

Watch this right now when you get home from work or school or whatever it is you’re doing….you should be watching this instead.

And if you don’t have Netflix streaming….buy it. It costs the same as a shot and a beer at your local bar.

By Collin, on December 23rd, 2010

#3 We just watched this on Netflix streaming. You should too!

Sin Nombre


In this new series of articles we’ll be recommending random or popular films that are available right now on Netflix streaming. Join in and watch. Comment and email.

The Film: Sin Nombre

This is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. It ranks with some of my favorite films of all time and in terms of the “crime genre” ranks only with City of God and Mean Streets. It makes the characters in Goodfellas look civilized and in considering its director, Cary Joji Fukunaga, I’m dazed at how a thirty year old could make such a mature film.

The film follows a gangster, El Casper, as he tries desperately to separate from his gang in Mexico. In a parallel story a young women Sayra is trying to get through Mexico to New Jersey. They both end up on a train together headed to America.

Why to watch it: Not only is it fantastic social commentary, it is fantastic entertainment

Few people can walk the line of social commentary with sex, violence, and action in it. Not many people can pull it off – almost no one can do it well. Oliver Stone, the master, is the only one that comes to mind who is consistent with this.

Fukunaga walks the line of action thriller and devastating social commentary. Not all illegal immigrants deal with anything even close to this film, but all of them risk a great deal to get to the United States and many other countries where they believe they can lead a better life. The immigrant situation is a complicated one…

Pay attention to this: The visceral experience.

Nothing in this film seems to be contrived. It is not “documentary-style”. A term that is used WAY too much these days. The original Office is documentary style. The compositions in this film are deliberate, but organic.

I choose to call it an observant style more than anything. Fukunaga observes the inner workings of Mexican gangs as if he’d been there so many times himself. He observes the intricacies of riding the trains through Mexico as if he’d rode them himself (maybe he has). This is not a movie that masturbates the gangster lifestyle or illegal immigration, but observes it with sympathy and understainding.

Watch this right now when you get home from work or school or whatever it is you’re doing….you should be watching this instead.

And if you don’t have Netflix streaming….buy it. It costs the same as a shot and a beer at your local bar.

By Collin, on December 19th, 2010

#2 We just watched this on Netflix streaming. You should too!

The Baader Meinhof Complex

In this new series of articles we’ll be recommending random or popular films that are available right now on Netflix streaming. Join in and watch. Comment and email at the bottom.

The Film: The Baader Meinhof Complex

A true story about the terrorist/revolutionary group the Red Army Faction in Germany. During a time of civil unreset of group of educated Germans try to start a revolution through terrorism and war.

Why to watch it: It is a masterpiece on par with Munich. It might be even better.

This movie is one of the best films I’ve ever seen about true events. The film refuses to judge with any other view but the character’s own view: RAF were revolutionaries, not murderers or terrorists. Many will feel uncomfortable with the “good” or “positive” depictions of what many Americans would consider terrorists.

But the fundamental difference between them and, say, Al-Qaeda is that one is driven by political ideas, while the Al-Qaeda are driven by religion. The film also shows the authorities in charge as generally good people who were just trying to protect their people. It was madness.

Pay attention to this: The performances

Moritz Bleibtreu is fantastic actor. You’ve never seen him probably, but he’s in a lot of great German films. You MIGHT recognize him from Run, Lola, Run, The Experiment(original), and Munich. Him and his co-star Johanna Wokalek are fantastic as radicals who are filled with the audacity of passion and youth, but soon find things spiral out of control.

Also pay attention to Bruno Ganz as the government official in charge of stopping terrorism. He goes from being the mad Hitler in The Downfall to being a sympathetic man struggling to keep his country protected in this movie. He is really fucking good.

Watch this right now when you get home from work or school or whatever it is you’re doing….you should be watching this instead.

And if you don’t have Netflix streaming….buy it. It costs the same as a shot and a beer at your local bar.

By Collin, on December 14th, 2010

#1 We just watched this on Netflix streaming. You should too!

Amélie

In this new series of articles we’ll be recommending random or popular films that are available right now on Netflix streaming. Join in and watch. Comment and email at the bottom.

The Film: Amélie

Okay lads, calm yourselves. Be not afraid. Amélie is an excellent movie. It is the favorite of film snobs worldwide. But again, fear not, it is so fucking entertaining and, dare I say, charming.

The film is about a Parisian girl who begins to manipulate the people around her in intricate plots in order to better their lives. It is a bit slow in the middle, but stick with it kiddies.

Why to watch it: Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s visual style.

For you causal viewers out there, Jeane-Pierre Jeunet is kind of the french Danny Boyle. He has a visual style that can be quickly identified as his own. I’m not going to get into the auteur theory. But this guy is a fucking auteur.

Pay attention to this: The camera work and color palettes

The camera work and color palettes of this movie are almost uncanny. So much attention is given to how each frame and composition looks. Every part of the frame is accounted for and because of the powerful color palettes, a familiarity and beauty is given to each shot.

Many academics will argue that color palettes often are symbolic of something. I disagree. Sometimes it is often used as an attack on the senses or strictly for aesthetic merits. But maybe I’m the one being overly academic.

Also, notice how little Tautou says in the movie. She instead says things through “looks”.

Watch this right now when you get home from work or school or whatever it is you’re doing….you should be watching this instead.

And if you don’t have Netflix streaming….buy it. It costs the same as a shot and a beer at your local bar.

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