Best in Show (2000)

Featuring: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Michael McKean, Parker Posey, Jane Lynch. Director: Christopher Guest.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Jan. 1st. Act fast!

For those of you whom are unaware, Christopher Guest is the unchallenged king of the "mockumentary" genre of film making. He was the brains behind the huge hit This Is Spinal Tap and created other cult classics such as Waiting for Guffman. To direct and write that sort of movie you have to have the sort of mind that can spot the absurd in the mundane.

After all, Best in Show is a movie about dog shows. The only thing I have ever remembered about dog shows is that my grandpa would fall asleep in the kitchen watching them on television while my grandma cooked. They aren't the most exciting things in the world. Unless you have the sort of mind that can see the craziness that most of us don't recognize at first glance. Throw in good comedic actors who know how to play their part and give them some really funny lines to deliver, in an understated but somehow outrageous manner, and you end up with a damned funny movie. You get great comedic timing, a lot of laugh out loud jokes, and evidence as to why Christopher Guest will always be the master mockumentarian. Very funny stuff, queue it up. You'll never look at a dog show the same way again.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue. 

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 1/1/12. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I've had people tell me it was funny. They were right.

Is it artsy? Nope.

What stood out the most to you? Probably the woman that slept with pretty much every bald guy in the movie, that cracked me up each time.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking to laugh or in the company of one of your friends that keeps her pooch in her purse.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.

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Following (1998)

Featuring: Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell. Director: Christopher Nolan.

Christopher Nolan is an interesting director and the nice thing about interesting directors is that they can tell a good story with a minimal budget. The other thing about interesting directors that got started in the 90's is that they can't seem to tell stories in sequential order. I've always wondered why that is. Is it the Tarantino effect or do they teach you in film school that telling a narrative from beginning to end is just too mainstream?

Luckily, Mr. Nolan was, and is, a talented enough storyteller to avoid having this movie become one of those cliches and now his movies have made billions of dollars. Following is the story of a guy who well, follows people. Yes, this movie embraces the creepers of the world. What keeps this movie from becoming a voyeuristic bore is that the people he follows turn out to be even stranger than he is. Considering the low budget, this film has just enough twists and turns to be a pretty good movie. Don't expect incredible acting or many pretty shots. But the story moves well and is unique enough to carry the film. If you're a fan of Nolan, I suggest giving this one a shot.

 Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 11/20/13. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Christopher Nolan has made some interesting movies so I thought it'd be work checking out his early stuff.

Is it artsy? It's an indie and it's in black and white, so yes. Not overly artsy though, more a having no budget kind of artsy.

What stood out the most to you? How much an interesting story can cover up poor production values.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Just don't have a fear of being watched and you'll be fine.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars.

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Shelf Life (2006)

Featuring: Betsy Brandt, Elisa Bocanegra. Director: Tamar Halpern.

Warning: This movie will only stream until May 9th so act fast!

Shelf Life is a mildly amusing indie comedy about the conflict between an anal-retentive head librarian and a young woman fresh out of rehab and starting a new job at the library. The premise is interesting enough and both actresses do an admirable enough job in their roles to make this a watchable movie, but not one I can really recommend.

The problem is the characters are just too one dimensional. You know what you're getting from each character and there is really no element of surprise. As a result, while the movie has some cute parts, but overall it just sort of falls flat. I'm not really trying to bash it because it isn't awful. After all, it did hold my interest throughout. There are just better movies you could watch instead. Oh, and if you do watch it and you're trying to figure out where you know the rehab girl from, she is the sister from Breaking Bad.

Click here to add this movie to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 5/9/11. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Cool cover, decent premise.

Is it artsy? Nope.

What stood out the most to you? The actresses did a lovely job without much of a script to work with.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for a formulaic comedy.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 2 Stars.

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Interstate 60 (2002)

Featuring: James Mardsen, Amy Smart, Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Kurt Russell, Gary Oldman, Chris Cooper. Director: Bob Gale. 

Warning: This movie is only streaming until April 15th so act fast!

This movie has probably been in my instant queue for as long as I've had an instant queue. When I first hooked up to instant streaming I was going through all the movies I could and adding anything that looked interesting. I've probably watched most of those by now but there are still a few hanging around. I think I skipped this one over so many times because the cover makes it look like your run of the mill road trip movie. I saw that it was expiring in a couple of weeks and thought I owed it to all of you, my loyal readers, to review it before it went bye-bye.

I have to say, I'm really glad I did. This movie wasn't at all what I was expecting. Instead of getting a crass teen comedy I found a delightful and whimsical trek down a fictional interstate highway. This movie is more akin to Tim Burton's The Big Fish than anything I was expecting. Interstate 60 tells the story of a young man looking for answers and after he is granted his birthday wish he sets out on a path to discover himself. It has a very modern fairy-tale feel to it which is either cheesy or heart-warming depending on your taste in movies.

Along the way the protagonist encounters a number of colorful characters that help him on his journey. This is where the movie really shines. The cameos by Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future!), Kurt Russell, Gary Oldman, and Chris Cooper were incredible and each actor knocked his role out of the park. After a number of trials the lead (James Mardsen) gets the girl (Amy Smart) and your left with an obvious but very happy ending. If you enjoyed The Big Fish or just like movies with a bit of a whimsy and fairy-tale flare you'll like this movie. I found it to be a pleasant surprise.

To add this movie to your Netflix queue click here. 

This movie will stream until 4/15/11.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? All the awesome names.

Is it artsy? No, but it's whimsical, which is my word of the day.

What stood out the most to you? Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox in the same movie! Even if they were never on screen together.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for a movie to make you feel all warm and gooey inside.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars. 

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Zombies of Mass Destruction (2009)

Featuring: Janette Armand, Doug Fahl, Cooper Hopkins
Director:  Kevin Hamedani

Warning: This movie is only streaming until March 23rd so act fast!

I, and it seems everyone else in the world these days, love zombies. There are probably about 30 zombie movies in my queue that I've yet to watch, but I will, despite how awful most of them look. Most zombie movies that have come out lately have been rather low-budget affairs that look to cash in on America's love affair with zombies. This movie is no exception, but really that isn't a bad thing. Headshots and bad special effects just take me to a warm and fuzzy place.

While I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a good zombie movie, it is probably the best of the bad. With a bigger budget they probably could have afforded some actors that weren't as stiff as their zombie counterparts. The only actors that were any good were the Iranian girl and the two gay guys. So what makes this better than your standard b-movie zombie fare? The script was really pretty damn good. The movie is set during the strangeness that was the Bush years (as you could probably tell from the title) and for the most part it makes for pretty good satire. And as we all know, zombie movies that comment on society are always the best kind.

If you like zombie movies you should definitely give this one a look. It has just the right mix of satire, humor and strange violence to hit the spot for your average zombie lover. It's really a shame this one didn't get a bit better financing because the potential was there for it to be one of the better zombie movies I've seen. As it stands, it's a good bad movie that kept me entertained for an hour and a half.

To add this movie to your Netflix queue click here. 

According to instantwatcher.com this movie will be available for streaming on Netflix until 3/23/11.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? See the word 'zombie' in the title? Yep, that's the reason.

Is it artsy? No, I still never seen an artsy zombie movie.

What stood out the most to you? How creepy the combination of Republicans and zombies can be.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for some laughs and zombie killing goodness.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars. 

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Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)

You absolutely have to watch this movie! Instead of going into some thoughtful paragraph about how cool street art is or how interesting of a character Banksy is, I wanted to hurry up and get your attention because this is easily the most entertaining documentary I have ever seen in my life. It's rare you come across something that is not only thought-provoking but also sends you into bursts of uncontrollable laughter. Even if you don't like art or documentaries you should still watch this because it's so f****** funny.

Now that I'm done gushing over this movie I guess I should tell you a bit of what it is about. Exit Through the Gift Shop tells the story of a number of street artists and how they got started from the lens of an aspiring documentary filmmaker. However, nothing is as it seems with this movie and the filmmaker in question is one of the most incredible characters I have ever come across in my life. There is talk that it's all just a big prank, but in the end it doesn't really even matter because the ride is entertaining and the message is poignant.

I'm uncomfortable telling you too much more because the thrill of finding out what the hell is going to happen next is just way too much fun. Maybe I will just keep on gushing because to be honest I'm ready to queue this movie up and watch it again.

Click here to add this movie to your queue. 

According to instantwatcher.com this movie will stream on Netflix until 12/14/13.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I'm an art fan and it seemed interesting.

Is it artsy? No, but it is about art and is a brilliant critique of the art world. Somehow it doesn't feel artsy though.

What stood out the most to you? The force of nature that is Mr. Brainwash.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Ready to laugh your ass off.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 5 Stars!

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The Ramen Girl (2008)

I enjoyed Lost in Translation, so when I saw The Ramen Girl was streaming on Netflix, I thought what the hell, a pretty girl stuck in Japan? Formula has to work. The movie stars the late Brittany Murphy and at the risk of sounding like an asshole, I didn't really get what all the fuss was about her aside from the tragic death. She never really stood out to me before now, but maybe I just hadn't seen enough of her. In this movie she was extremely charming and did a wonderful job in the role of an expat who ends up in a ramen shop owned by a tough, but in the end lovable, ramen cook.

The movie is funny, touching and filled with the unexpected. It does a great job of showing the clash between two cultures and the priorities we set for ourselves because of our heritage. While it isn't at all like Lost in Translation, I'm still very glad I watched this movie. Queue this one up, it was a very good time.

Click here to add this movie to your Netflix queue. 

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I'll be honest, I liked the cover.

Is it artsy? Nope.

Best thing about the movie? The Ramen Cook.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for a funny, heart-warming film.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.

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Waiting for Guffman (1996)

Waiting for Guffman is a Christopher Guest mockumentary about community theater. The movie takes place in the small town of Blaine, Missouri and centers around Corky St. Clair who didn't make it in New York, moved to Blaine and was put in charge of the local community players. The actors are enacting the history of Blaine for the town's 150th anniversary but they soon find out that a famous critic from New York was coming to see the play. Because of this, everyone thinks they are automatically headed to Broadway to become famous actors and hilarity ensues.

I have to say I related to this movie because I have two little sisters that have been involved in community theater since a young age. I've seen some really bad community plays and some really good ones and I know how much work goes into putting on one of these shows (and how ridiculous the drama behind the scenes can get).

Most of the jokes were spot-on and there were some pretty hilarious parts in this movie. If you like satire of small town life or if you've ever been involved in community theater you should definitely check out this movie.  Even if those things are foreign to you this is still a pretty funny comedy you may want to check out anyway.

Click here to add this movie to your queue.

Movie available for streaming until 1/31/11

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? TB from Year 31 recommended it to me.

Is it artsy? I wouldn't call it artsy but it is a satire of a form of artistic expression.

Best thing about the movie? The scene in the Chinese restaurant.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for something light that will make you laugh.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars.

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The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down (2007)

This comedy can be summed up as being a beginners guide to 20-somethings getting fucked up and trying to get laid. It had it's funny moments but it's definitely not for everyone. If you've done your share of partying in your day you'll probably get a kick out of it. It'll show you how to use two penny's to get the most out of a joint, how to keep scavengers from getting to your coke stash and how to pick a strategy that'll get you laid. If any of that sounds familiar to you I'd say give this movie a look. If you think I'm a scumbag for talking about such things you're going to get bored or offended.

For the most part the characters in this movie are cliches that you meet on the nightclub scene and don't provide much depth - but they aren't really supposed to. Don't expect a brilliant comedy or riotous laughs but if you're looking for a comedy to watch late at night (possibly while intoxicated) it's not a bad flick.

Click here to add this movie to your queue.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I've gotten myself into some pretty questionable situations while partying so a little education couldn't hurt.

Is it artsy? No.

Best thing about the movie? Relating to the silly things people looking for fun and attention do.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? On something.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars.

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Elegy (2007)

Elegy (click here to add to your queue) is a story about an aging professor (Ben Kingsley) who has spent his life isolating himself from others and then falls for one of his students (Penelope Cruz). This is one of those movies (in my opinion anyway) in which the bottom just falls out towards the end. In the beginning I was pretty engaged and really enjoying it. Kingsley is a good actor and Penelope Cruz is insanely talented and drool-inducingly hot.

Penelope, if you're one of those actors that feels compelled to read absolutely everything written about everything they've ever been in and by chance stumbled across this little review I want you to know that you are electric and I'd marry you right now. Hell, I'd drink your bath water for a night alone with you.

I digress. Towards the end the movie gets really depressing. I knew it was going to get depressing based on what had already happened but still. It was well acted and all, but it just didn't feel compelling like the first half of the movie. The movie did explore some very interesting themes about sex, love, life and commitment. Oh, and that no matter how old we get men will always be idiots when it comes to women. With all that being said, it was decent movie with good acting but I just couldn't get into the second half.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I'm in love with Penelope Cruz.

Is it artsy? Yea a bit, it's a movie with a message, although I'm not sure which message it was trying to emphasize.

Best thing about the movie? Penelope Cruz.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Feeling sad and not too concerned about remaining sad.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 stars.

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Art School Confidential (2006)

Featuring: Max Minghella, Sophia Myles, John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi. Director: Terry Zwigoff.

Art School Confidential was a decent little indie comedy. The story is formulaic in that it follows your standard coming of age, trying to get laid storyline - just set in an art school. Don't let that hold you back from watching it though as it wasn't a gross out movie like an American Pie (although as a warning to the guys there is a very clear depiction of a penis). There is enough tongue-in-cheek bashing of what makes the art world shallow and pretentious to make it entertaining. It also features both John Malkovich and Steve Buscemi which as we know children makes it an automatic add. Oh yea, and it has a serial killer.

There were enough laughs in this movie to make it worth a watch even if the movie was, in my estimation, trying to do too much. Don't expect genius, but expect enough laughs out of this movie to make it worth it, especially if you're a creative person yourself.

To add this movie to your Netflix queue click here.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Name seemed quirky, had Malkovich and Buscemi in the credits.

Is it artsy? It is called Art School Confidential so if you have artsy leanings you'll probably enjoy it more.

Best thing about the movie? The constant bashing of anyone who tries to define art.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? In the mood to watch a quirky comedy.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 stars.

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Shotgun Stories (2007)

Featuring: Michael Shannon, Douglas Ligon. Director: Jeff Nichols

Shotgun Stories is about the cyclical nature of violence. It centers around three brothers from Arkansas and the conflict they get themselves into. Violence has a way of escalating in unexpected ways until it spirals out of control. We see it in person, it is always in the news and it is portrayed very clearly in this film. The movie itself is slow-paced and methodical - but not in a detrimental way. The movie shows the way that violence can seem to almost randomly spring out of nowhere when doing something as simple as washing your car. The violence you encounter in life, however, is rarely random.

The acting is good, particularly by the lead Michael Shannon. It would have been easy for this movie to have just devolved into a Hatfield v. McCoy hillbilly shootout but the director and lead actor were able to portray a complex, if reserved character.

If you're looking for a movie to cheer you up, this isn't it. But, if you're in the mood to see some great acting and an interesting portrayal of tit-for-tat violence you might want to give this movie a try.

To add this movie to your Netflix queue click here.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? They showed a preview for it during some Indie movie I watched.

Is it artsy? The film has a definite message but I wouldn't call it artsy.

Best thing about the movie? Michael Shannon's acting.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Calm, reflective.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 stars.

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