Recently Watched Netflix Movies
Shipped: Safe Men
Shipped on 10/06/08.
When lounge singers Sam (Sam Rockwell) and Eddie (Steve Zahn) are mistaken for ace safecrackers, they reluctantly enter the criminal underworld in this madcap farce. Jewish gangster Big Fat Bernie (Michael Lerner) sends Veal Chop (Paul Giamatti) to con safecrackers Frank (Mark Ruffalo) and Mitchell (Josh Pais) into service, but the henchman mistakes the singers for the crooks. Soon, Sam and Eddie find themselves on the other side of the law.Shipped: Brick
Shipped on 10/02/08.
This unconventional film noir -- set in the halls of a modern-day high school -- marks a promising debut for writer-director Rian Johnson. Teenage loner Brendan Fry is forced to navigate his school's social network when a secret crush turns up dead and the murderer is anyone's guess. Through intense interactions with thespians, band geeks and druggies (including a grown-up Lucas Haas), Brendan works to crack the cliques -- and the case.Shipped: Cashback
Shipped on 09/29/08.
After his girlfriend dumps him, insomniac art student Ben (Sean Biggerstaff) takes a supermarket night-shift job and deals with his boredom by pretending he can stop time -- a tactic that reveals life's hidden beauty and draws him to the intriguing checkout girl (Emilia Fox). Surrounded by equally creative co-workers, Ben learns that by freezing time, his world opens up to unimaginable possibilities, including a cure for his chronic sleeplessness.My Upcoming Netflix Movie Queue
001- American Psycho
With a chiseled chin and an iron physique, Patrick Bateman's looks make him the ideal yuppie -- and the ideal serial killer. That's the joke behind American Psycho, which follows a killer at large during the 1980s junk-bond boom. Bateman (Christian Bale) takes pathological pride in everything from his business card to his Huey Lewis CD collection, all the while plotting his next victim's vivisection.
002- Outsourced
When his department is outsourced to India, customer call center manager Todd Anderson (Josh Hamilton) heads to Mumbai to train his successor (Asif Basra). Amusing culture clashes soon ensue as Anderson tries to explain American business practices to the befuddled new employees -- and in the process learns some important lessons about globalization … and life. Director John Jeffcoat's delightful comedy also stars Ayesha Dharker and Matt Smith.
003- Severance
Awash in blood and black humor, director Christopher Smith's inventive horror flick follows a sales group -- employed by an international weapons company -- as they head for a team-building retreat at a remote lodge in Hungary. Before you can say "mayhem," a band of vengeful, psychotic commandos turns the tables and puts the merchants on the wrong end of their wares. Toby Stephens, Laura Harris and Danny Dyer star.
004- Helvetica
We use it every day on our computers, we see it on street signs -- and we take it for granted. Now, Gary Hustwit's unique documentary introduces us to Helvetica, whose readability has made it the most popular font in the world. Interviews with designers and artists offer insight into the development, use and universal acceptance of Helvetica as the typeface of choice for everything from writing letters to creating corporate logos.
005- Snow Angels
Based on Stewart O'Nan's novel, this indie drama starring Kate Beckinsale intertwines parallel stories about teenager Arthur Parkinson (Michael Angarano) and his former babysitter, Annie Marchand (Beckinsale). Once the object of Arthur's boyhood infatuation, small-town waitress Annie heads down a fateful path after enduring a stormy relationship with her estranged spouse (Sam Rockwell). The supporting cast includes Amy Sedaris and Nicky Katt.
006- Son of Rambow
Forbidden to watch TV or go to the movies by his ultrareligious parents, young Will (Bill Milner) gets a hold of a camera, and his mind blossoms in this nostalgic comedy from the team behind The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Set in 1980s Britain, the film tells the tale of the friendship that blossoms between Will and class bully Lee (Will Poulter) when the latter recruits Will to help him make a home movie inspired by Rambo: First Blood.
007- Sexy Beast
Ben Kingsley is unforgettably menacing in this high-voltage film that crackles with style and wit. When sociopathic gangster Don Logan (Kingsley) tries to recruit an ex-partner (Ray Winstone) for a high-stakes heist, the retired criminal refuses. But Logan won't take no for an answer. Tension hits the fever-pitch as this battle of wills plays out in a story that is as funny as it is terrifying.
008- Mad Max
In the postapocalyptic future, motorcycle cop Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) has had enough. The Australian outback's empty stretches of highway have become bloodstained battlegrounds, and Max has seen too many killings at the hands of marauding bikers who feed on violence. He tries to retire, but his world is shattered when a malicious gang murders his family as an act of retaliation. Devastated, Max hits the open road seeking vengeance.
009- Swingers
In director Doug Liman's career-making look at twenty-something guys, struggling comedian Mike (Jon Favreau) despairs over his love life, so his four pals, fellow Hollywood hopefuls, pump up his nightlife. Buddy (Vince Vaughn), offering dubious lessons on "babes," even whisks Mike to Vegas. Although their attempts at living la vida loca seldom work out as fantasized, Mike meets one woman (Heather Graham) who might finally break his funk.
010- Platoon
A young, untested soldier (Charlie Sheen) steps off a troop transport in Vietnam and quickly learns that the first casualty of war is innocence. Writer-director Oliver Stone put himself on the Hollywood map (and won several Academy Awards) with this autobiographical account of his own tumultuous tour of duty in Vietnam. Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe excel as battle-hardened sergeants who offer Sheen starkly differing role models.
011- Into the Wild
Sean Penn directs this feature based on best-selling author Jon Krakauer's true story of a young man who gives up everything to lead a solitary life in the wild. Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a trust-fund college graduate, abandons his safe existence to trek across the harsh yet beautiful terrain of Alaska. William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden co-star, along with Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn and Hal Holbrook (in an Oscar-nominated role).
012- Tron
Programmer Kevin Flynn's (Jeff Bridges) video games are stolen, and with help from his friends, he tries to hack the Master Control Program to prove CEO Ed Dillinger (David Warner) ripped him off. But the MCP pulls Flynn into its world, where enslaved programs fight on the "game grid." An amazing mix of Alice in Wonderland, Star Wars, Ben-Hur and German expressionism.
013- Blow
Flying high on his own supply, charismatic drug dealer George Jung (Johnny Depp) is cocaine central for about 85 percent of the U.S. market during the 1970s. Jung becomes fabulously wealthy, marries a Colombian beauty (Penélope Cruz) and then loses it all when the feds zero in on his operation. A rags-to-riches-to-rags tale based on a true story.
014- 25th Hour
This is the story of the last 24 hours Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) gets to spend with his two best friends -- Frank (Barry Pepper), a bonds trader, and Jakob (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a high school English teacher -- and his girlfriend, Naturelle (Rosario Dawson), before he goes to prison for 7 years for pushing heroin. As they plan to party the night away in New York City one last time, Monty tries to touch base with his father (Brian Cox).
015- The King of Kong
When Steve Wiebe got laid off, he turned to the classic arcade game Donkey Kong for solace; soon, he decided to challenge Billy Mitchell's long-standing record score. So began the bitter rivalry that lies at the heart of this curiously compelling documentary. Providing a history of competitive video gaming and a look at some of the key players, The King of Kong is at its best when revealing just how far Mitchell will go to retain his crown.
016- Me and You and Everyone We Know
Today's world of technology and convenience makes it increasingly difficult to find a real connection with another person. In this compelling look at the everyday human experience, Christine (Miranda July) is a cab driver and artist who leads a solitary life. Richard (John Hawkes) is a recently divorced father who's waiting for great things to happen in his life. When his path crosses with Christine's, he's both entranced and panic-stricken.
017- Once
In this charming contemporary musical helmed by John Carney, a street musician (Glen Hansard) in Dublin, Ireland, strikes up a friendship with a migrant street hawker (Markéta Irglová). Over the course of a busy week, they compose, rehearse and record a series of songs that mirror the duo's burgeoning romance -- and help the young busker release his musical passions. The actors wrote the tunes they perform, and won an Oscar for their efforts.
018- The Last King of Scotland
Forest Whitaker stars in an Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning role as brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in this drama. During an African medical mission in the 1970s, Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) impresses Amin by acting swiftly in a crisis. Installed as the dictator's personal physician soon thereafter, Garrigan enjoys the perks of his new position, until he begins to become aware of Amin's inhumanity -- and his own complicity.
019- The Station Agent
When his only friend dies, a young dwarf named Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) relocates to an abandoned train station in rural New Jersey, intent on living the life of a hermit. But his solitude is soon interrupted by his colorful neighbors, which include a struggling artist (Patricia Clarkson) coping with the recent death of her young son and a talkative Cuban hot dog vendor (Bobby Cannavale).
020- Super High Me
Determined to find out the true effects of marijuana on the human body, stand-up comedian and former Stoner of the Year Doug Benson documents his experience avoiding pot for 30 days and then consuming massive amounts of the drug for 30 days. More than just an amusing story of one man's quest to get superhigh, this documentary also examines the hotly contested debate over medical marijuana use.