I think the best thing Netflix can ever do for itself is to ensure all these future classics and Oscar behemoths find their way onto their service. Not enough people see these movies in theater unless a popular actor or director is attached and even then it can be like pulling teeth. But a movie like Hugo or King's Speech really are movies anyone can enjoy but are more special for those of us who enjoys movies perhaps a bit too much.
New to the Service:
Hugo:
It just came to instant only a few days ago. This movie about movies is really about Hugo, a little boy who lives in a Paris train station living off of scraps and ever avoiding the train stations police officer. And of course it goes deeper from there. Asa Butterfield does an amazing job as the young Hugo packing both emotion and curiosity to the role, along with Chloe Moretz as Isabelle, it honestly loses the feeling that two kids are driving forward the story but feels more natural. Along with Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, and others this is a film for serious film buffs and just the casual watchers a like.
Something about The King's Speech just screams Oscar movie. Take great acting, something to do with history, and mix together. Starring Colin Firth, who stretches his acting muscle greatly here in so many subtle ways, as King George VI who has leadership pushed upon him in a time of desperate need for leadership as England is at war. Unfortunately for King George he has a stuttering problem and despite the constant search of his wife, Queen Elizabeth played by Helena Bonham Carter, no doctor seems to help. Until they find Lionel Logue played by Geoffrey Rush and the relationship between a king and a simple therapist begins. It's that relationship that forms the movie and really makes it something to experience.
A strange movie starring Will Ferrell speaking entirely in Spanish. He is a cowboy who has to take on a drug lord in this comedy. Some comedians go off the rails by dressing up in fat suits, playing to the lowest common denominator, or running existing franchises into the ground. At least Ferrell is trying to push the edges of comedy and even if his brand of humor has gotten stale through over saturation, you can't scoff at the idea of someone trying to do something outside of their comfort zone.
Expiring Soon:
The Big Lebowski: Dec. 1st
Are you out of your element? Did someone piss on your rug? Or do you mix half and half with vodka? It doesn't really matter. Just take yourself a night and do yourself a favor, watch this movie. It's a Coen brothers classic and just has an odd feeling about it that I seriously just love. So if you've never watched it or it's your 100th time, sneak one more watch in before it's too late.
Dog Day Afternoon: Dec. 1st
It's a bank robbery movie that's more about the bank robbers than it is the money. Al Pacino stars as Sonny who, along with some friends, decide to rob a bank. Unlike most bank robbery movies there aren't shoot outs, master plans, and epic car chases. It's about Sonny and his life and how it all ended up shoving a gun in someone's face demanding money. It's a movie that explores motivations and character all the while taking a different viewpoint from a familiar premise.
Fraggle Rock: Dec. 1st
I grew up on Jim Henson. I watched The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Muppet Babies, and numerous others. His boundless imagination gave me some of the morals and beliefs I have today. Fraggle Rock was apart of Henson's grand idea that puppets and muppets really could be everywhere. He wanted puppets for grown ups but he also thought they could teach kids. Fraggle Rock followed a group of fraggles who lived underground. Like most kid's shows there is learning and lessons, but unlike other's this one is packed with imagination and happiness. The theme song still pops in my head.
Rocky...all of them: Dec. 1st
Rocky 1, 2, 3, and 4 are all disappearing from Netflix soon, and all deserve to be watched. If you've never seen a single Rocky film go ahead and watch the first two, they still hold up and are classic enough to be something you should really see. If you've already seen some of the Rockys relive the madness of the later ones. Seriously Mr. T and a near robotic Soviet Russian boxer? What could be better?! Just make Stallone happy already and watch these boxing classics.
