Netflix Watch Instantly Pick of the Week - 6/18/12

Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer

So what does a political sex scandal in New York state and the 2008 worldwide financial meltdown have in common? A helluva lot more than you think, at least as posited by Alex Gibney in his extremely well made, intelligent, entertaining and infuriating 2010 documentary, Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer. Depending on your own political views, you might find this documentary to be somewhat one-sided, but if you can put your allegiances aside for a little bit and take in the facts and actually think about them, you may find out something very interesting about the people whom we somehow put in charge of our country. Or maybe when this movie is all said and done, it was just preaching to the choir the whole time, as you nod your head in agreement with the film. But in any case, this is an excellent documentary, and very much worth watching.

Click here for my original review.

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Netflix Watch Instantly Pick of the Week - 6/11/12

 The Long Goodbye

From 1973, The Long Goodbye is film making legend Robert Altman's update of the classic 1930's/1940's hard boiled noir detective story. He took classic and iconic 1940's detective fiction character Philip Marlowe and had him operate in the more cynical and twisted world of the 1970's, and what resulted is a very unique and interesting detective story, one in which the main character is seemingly out of step with the world around him and must navigate through a world of characters both familiar and different - along with the tough mob bosses and corrupt cops and hard-talkin' characters are hippies and nudists and New Age beliefs and that general 1970's malaise that was just setting in after the intense civil rights movements and Vietnam War. Featuring a great lead performance from Elliot Gould, The Long Goodbye is a fantastic film and definitely holds up as one of the best and most unique noir films ever.

Click here to read more about The Long Goodbye, and Philip Marlowe throughout cinema.

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Netflix Watch Instantly Pick of the Week - 6/4/12

 The Cook The Thief His Wife & Her Lover

From 1989, The Cook The Thief His Wife & Her Lover is an insane, masterful film, both brutal and elegant at the same time, and with a loaded ending that will be near impossible for anyone to forget. The story is about oafish, inconsiderate and impulse-driven people trying to live a posh and fancy-shmancy lifestyle, and it is the very definition of putting a silk hat on a pig. The Thief (Michael Gambon) is an English mobster who runs a very posh restaurant and throws his weight around, terrorizing everyone in his sight, including his Wife (Helen Mirren), who strikes out against her abusive husband by carrying on an affair. And of course, this is all goes horribly wrong for everyone involved, leading up to the aforementioned insane ending. This movie was originally released unrated, as opposed to be slapped with an X-rating, and is now considered an NC-17 film due to copious amount of sex and nudity and brutal nature of much of the film. So get the kids and pop some popcorn cause this is one you will all remember.

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Netflix Watch Instantly Pick of the Week - 5/29/12

Thirst


From 2009, Thirst is a South Korean vampire film which pretty much blows all other recent vampire movies so far out of the water it ain't even funny. A celibate and very strict Priest becomes a vamp through a failed medical experiment, and his lifetime of repressed desires becomes far too much for him to bear. He slowly gives in to his impulses, over time becoming more and more different from the honest and well-meaning man he once was, and he drags down those around him in a spiral of lust, love and death. Thirst is exceptionally well-made, fine tuned and crafted almost to within an inch of it's life, but all done in service of a great, inspired and interesting story. So check out this movie if you are looking for an excellent horror movie that has more to offer than just some blood and guts.

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Netflix Watch Instantly Pick of the Week - 5/21/12

 Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

From 1999, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a wonderfully weird crime drama about an enigmatic hit man who works for the mob. This hit man is only known as Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) and he lives alone on the roof of a building, where he trains homing pigeons and reads the Hagakure ("The Way of the Samurai"). He lives his life by the ancient samurai code, but his old school style clashes with the modern world, and when the mob feels the need to turn on their hit man, it's just him versus them, with his "master" stuck in the middle. Director Jim Jarmusch often makes very quirky indie films with strange characters and bizarre dialogue, and in Ghost Dog it all works great. Whitaker gives an awesome performance and this film also features the first movie soundtrack from the Wu Tang Clan's The RZA. Not afraid to get quiet and contemplative, the subtle relationships and character work couples well with the mob drama aesthetic and hip-hip overtones, and it all combines to make a very memorable film.

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Netflix Watch Instantly Pick of the Week - 5/14/12

 The Girlfriend Experience

One of director Steven Soderbergh's "experimental" films, The Girlfriend Experience is a low-budget drama about a call girl, her job, her clientele, her personal trainer boyfriend (who knows what she does for a living), and a possible chance for her to escape a life with which she is growing increasingly frustrated. Starring adult film star Sasha Grey (who has since retired from the porn industry and is now making a full-fledged run at "legit" cinema), The Girlfriend Experience is notable for its style and the way it was made; having a mini-budget of $1.3 million, this movie was pretty much an excuse for Soderbergh to grab a Sony RedOne digital camera and hit the streets of New York City guerilla-style (meaning no filming permits), running and gunning with his actress and a tiny film crew for extra maneuverability. It also acted as an excuse for Soderbergh to work with non-professional actors, which he seems to love to do every so often. It's a well-made movie, more about the characters and human nature than any big plot or story mechanics, and it shows that Soderbergh can make a movie with just about anybody. Check out my original review right here.

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Netflix Watch Instantly Pick of the Week - 5/7/12

 Iron Monkey

Made in 1993 and released in US theaters in 2001 thanks to Quentin Tarantino, Iron Monkey is an awesome kung fu film that will totally kick your ass if you give it the chance to do so. Basically a Robin Hood type of story with a local doctor robbing from the corrupt village officials and giving the spoils to the poor, Iron Monkey features a simple but well told plot, nicely developed characters, and most importantly, incredible fight scenes. Directed by kung fu master and living legend Yuen Woo Ping (who is behind the amazing fight choreography for all three Matrix movies, both Kill Bills, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kung Fu Hustle, and the Jet Li movies Fist of Legend, Unleashed, Fearless and Once Upon a Time in China), the first fight is a little jokey and goofy and has some comedy elements to it, and as the movie progresses, the fight scenes become more and more brutal, and the final fight between three guys standing on top of flaming poles is one of the most incredible fights ever put to film. If you are a fan of good martial arts movies or just action movies in general, then you will will love Iron Monkey. So get on it.

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