Movie and TV recs

[sasha_feather]

Netflix is GREAT but I don't always know what to put in my Q. Maybe you have the same problem. Here are some movies and shows I have enjoyed lately and recommend getting from Netflix or your local preferred source!

Movies

Drumline. 2002. Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana, Orlando Jones.
A whole movie about marching bands!!! This film is a simple story, but very well done. It is about a young man who goes to college on a music scholarship and struggles to fit in with the demanding marching band. He is very talented but has issues with authority. The slash potential in this movie is HIGH and the music is FANTASTIC. All the characters are black except for one token white guy. It fails the Bechdel test, which is my only complaint. Family-friendly.

The Dark City. 1998. Jennifer Connely, Rufus Sewell, William Hurt.

A noir Science Fiction tale involving mystery and lost memory. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil it at all. I really enjoyed this and I even watched the commentary by Roger Ebert. Another Bechdel fail.

I watched this after re-watching Memento which was interesting, because both films are about memory, identity, and freedom of choice.

Inside Man. 2008. Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, Chiwetel Ejoifor.

I didn't think I would like this movie; it's another bank heist/hostage movie. But it is different! The characters are all very intelligent and the actors are excellent. The twists are fun to watch. The ending is very satisfying. Yet another Bechdel fail. There is some disturbing violence in this movie.

The Middleman

I am 4 episodes in, planning to prioritize this is my watching. Wendy Watson is the sidekick to The Middleman, a crimefighting superhero. She also is a painter, has a roommate who fights for animal rights, and is trying to get over her feckless ex-boyfriend. The diaglog is snappy and sarcastic, the plots are outrageous and hilarious, the aesthetic is 1950s SF even though the show is modern. Natalie Morales is AWESOME as "Dub-Dub", the main character. The show is just one season long. This aired on ABC Family, which is surprising given the level of sexual awareness and humor going on in this (still basically family-friendly) show. Please note that the US Netflix discs to not have subtitles.

Comments

[crossedwires]

I liked Inside Man a lot more than I thought I would too, especially Denzel Washington's character. ♥

I can't remember if I've seen Drumline or not, but it sounds very familiar. I might have to check it out again. And I have The Middleman in my queue because I've heard good things about it.

[sasha_feather]

I loved seeing Denzel Washington and Chiwetel Ejiofor together! I will see either of them in almost anything; together they were even better.

I am really enjoying the Middleman, it is very silly.

[sophygurl]

OMG, Drumline is such a "guilty" pleasure of mine. :)

And hooray for The Middleman!

[sasha_feather]

Yes they are both great! I enjoyed Drumline whole-heartedly. I want to see if there is fanfic for it now.

[teigh_corvus]

Thank you for including a brief explanation for The Middleman. It's a fandom that shows up periodically on my flist, but that's the first I've ever actually heard what it's about. Now I want to rent it!

[sasha_feather]

You're welcome! I hope you enjoy it.

[yhlee]

Thanks for the heads-up on The Middleman--I do plan to watch it but if it has no subtitles I will ask my husband to parse things for me. (I like subtitles because I sometimes have parsing difficulties with audio.)

[sasha_feather]

Yeah, it is frustrating. jesse_the_k told me that one can use the "CC" button on the TV remote to access closed captions (if you are watching on a TV), which is a separate feature from subtitles. I wasn't able to try this out since I am without a TV remote at present. :)

[astridv]

Inside Man. 2008. Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, Chiwetel Ejoifor.

I didn't think I would like this movie; it's another bank heist/hostage movie. But it is different!

Oh, interesting. I have a weakness for bank heist movies and me and the housemates are always looking for recs for Movie Night. I'll put that on the list.

[sasha_feather]

I think you will like it! It's directed by Spike Lee.

[antarcticlust]

I enjoyed Inside Man, too -partly because I have decided that I am a fan of the Heist film!

I tend to have the opposite problem - I have about 200 things on our queue, many of which have been on there since the very beginning of my Netflix career.

[sasha_feather]

I recently went through and culled my Q, because of lot of the things on it "seemed like a good idea at the time" but are not catching my interest right now.