Doctor Who: Seasons 1-5 (2005-2010)

Featuring: Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Billie Piper, Catherine Tate, Karen Gillan.

Despite my sometimes nerdish tendencies, I've never really been that into science fiction. When I was a kid I fell asleep during the Star Wars movies (still do) and made fun of my sister for being in love with some guy on Star Trek: The Next Generation. For about a year now people have been telling me about this completely ridiculous sounding British Sci-Fi series that they thought I'd really like. Naturally, I rolled my eyes at them and told them where they could shove their TARDIS.

Towards the end of September one of my enablers, err friends, was watching Doctor Who at her house and it seemed to have a good sense of humor so I thought I'd queue it up on Netflix and give it a shot. Now, if any of you are readers of my other blog, Notes From Underground, then you may be aware of my addictive personality. For those that didn't know that little tidbit of information I'll just say that I watched all 69 episodes (plus the two specials) over the last 5 weeks. And it was fantastic!

I had such a good time blazing through the series that it feels like there is a giant hole inside me now that it is all over. I have no idea what to do with my life. That is how awesome I thought this show was and I was quite the skeptic. I think the reason I enjoy the world of The Doctor, as opposed to other Sci-Fi programs, is that the show doesn't really take itself seriously. The idea of a man traveling through space and time in a police call-box from the 1950's is completely ridiculous just like Star Trek is completely ridiculous. The difference is the writers of Doctor Who embrace the ridiculousness while other Sci-Fi series are focused too much on creating tense drama that, to me, comes across as being rather silly. 

That, and the sense of humor on display in this series is incredibly sharp and really funny. Really, really funny. Oh, and David Tennant is so damned charming. Seriously, he's so charming I'd probably not only let him date my little sister, but be happy he is (still not sold on Matt Smith though). If you've never seen Doctor Who, I can't recommend it enough. Even for people who aren't hardcore Sci-Fi fans (which I am not), this series is a viewing pleasure. Escapist entertainment at it's finest.

Click here to add this television series to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 5/9/12. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? People kept telling me I would really like it and peer pressure is a mother f*****.

Is it artsy? No, just a lot of fun.

What stood out the most to you? David Tennant is just so damn charming.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Ready to sacrifice the next 70 hours of your life to the Netflix gods.

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

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This American Life: Season 1 & 2 (2007, 2008)

Featuring: Ira Glass.

If you've been following this blog for any length of time you've probably noticed that I love quirky, off the beaten path documentaries. I also really love NPR. Having a knowledge of both allows me to smugly look down upon the unenlightened masses thanks to my superior cultural understanding. Not really, but when I think of people that watch quirky documentaries and listen to NPR I imagine that's how they act so maybe I should work on fitting that stereotype.

This American Life is a Showtime series brought to you by Ira Glass, also known as "that guy from NPR" (I was going crazy for the first few episodes trying to figure out where I knew him from). If you're unfamiliar with Ira Glass, he hosts a radio show on NPR called, coincidentally enough, This American Life. He is always able to find strange, interesting and insightful stories that you wouldn't think would be interesting but end up being totally engrossing. He's essentially a young liberal's Paul Harvey.

This Showtime is series is an extension of his radio show and thanks to new technology, adds moving pictures. I have to admit that once I watched the first episode I was completely hooked and may or may not have watched both seasons in about three days. The stories range from hilarious and thought-provoking to heartbreaking and anger inducing. If you enjoy hearing random stories about random people doing interesting things I cannot recommend this series enough.

To add Season 1 to your Netflix queue click here.

To add Season 2 to your Netflix queue click here.

According to instantwatcher.com this series will be available to stream on Netflix until 7/01/11.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Shelly from Shelly Talks Too Much was twittering about how addictive it was.

Is it artsy? No, unless you think all documentaries are artsy.

What stood out the most to you? There were a lot of great moments but the old man who hangs out at his dead wife's grave was full of aww.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? In the mood to be moved to a number of different emotions.

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

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Wild China (2008)

I love watching nature/wildlife shows and I have to start this review by saying that the BBC's Wild China might just be the best one I've ever seen. A big problem with nature shows today is that we've seen most of it before. I was blown away by The Blue Planet and Planet Earth but by the time Life got to the discovery channel I felt like I'd been there and done that. Wild China is fascinating because until recently China has been a very closed society that wouldn't dream of allowing a film crew in. Now that China has loosened up a bit we're able to see things that were rarely seen before in this type of program and the results are spectacular.

Another thing that separates Wild China from the rest of the pack is that it focuses not just on the wildlife but the interplay between man and nature that has been going on in China for over a millennium. The documentary spent nearly as much time focusing on the ancient ways of the Chinese people as it did the animals. It gave the documentary a very complete feeling and I feel like I learned quite a bit about China, not just about it's animals.

Sadly, this documentary could not have been more timely. As China's march towards modernity carries on it's natural beauty faces great peril. Hopefully China will recognize the wonderful natural assets it has and adjust it's path accordingly.

If you have any interest in nature shows or just like seeing beautiful vistas I cannot recommend Wild China enough. If that isn't enough to get you to add it to your queue I'll tell you that one of the episodes in this stunning documentary shows a baby panda drinking from a bottle. Awwwww.

Click here to add this show to your Netflix queue.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I love nature shows and I've always been curious about China.

Is it artsy? No, but some of the views could be considered works of art.

Best thing about the movie? The fishing birds.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Ready to be blown away by the majesty of the Chinese wilderness.

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

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Saturday Night Live: The Best of John Belushi (2005)

For some reason the funniest people in the world seem to die way too young. The headlines of the last 30 years are filled with brilliant comics who went way too early. Andy Kaufman, Chris Farley and Sam Kinison were all gone by the age of 40. It's like there is a limit to the amount of laughs you can generate in a lifetime and those greats all went over their quota way too quickly while hacks like Carrottop are still allowed to roam the earth freely. John Belushi was an original in every way. Sadly, this meant he was also the one to start the "brilliant comics die to young" mythos. I was busting a gut until they showed the clip of him dressed as an old man in a graveyard reminiscing about being the last of his cast-mates alive. It got really eerie when he said that everyone thought he'd be the first to go. That he was the "live fast, die young and leave a good-looking corpse" type. How prophetic that turned out to be.

I was amazed at how well the clips in this collection (click here to add to your queue) held up after all these years. Sure, they look dated but you could just see the talent in the man's face. Even the silly skits that shouldn't be funny were hilarious because of the force of his personality. If you've never seen much of Belushi or the original SNL cast or even if you just want to reminisce you should definitely check this collection out first. You'll witness the brilliance of a legend.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? John Belushi is God.

Is it artsy? No.

Best thing about the movie? The Delicatessen Samurai chopping a tomato in half live.

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

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

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