Your Netflix Picks of the Week

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Searching for a good movie on Netflix Instant is like looking for top shelf liquor at a frat party. You search and search and ask around for way too long and when you finally find a little something hidden somewhere, you’re ready to ditch the party.

We’ve all been there, and we agree that ain’t nobody got time for all that browsing. So to spare you some time and a lot of agony, we will do the sifting for you and, each week, provide a fresh list of cinematic masterpieces you can find right in your friend’s your Netflix account and watch at a moment’s notice.

Our Netflix Picks of the Week will be the product of eclectic minds coming together to give you the créme de la créme (or what’s made available by the powers that be over at Netflix) of comedies, dramas, independents, documentaries, thinkers and, our very own creation, the stinkers — terrible movies we love to hate. Sometimes we’ll even throw in a good television show.

You’re welcome.

Comedy

“Something’s Gotta Give” (2003)

I highly doubt 21-year-old college students were in mind when “Something’s Gotta Give” was made –its target audience was probably 45-year-old divorcees — but it captured me as an unrelenting fan nonetheless. It’s Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, two of the best actors of their generation, so how could I not love this movie?

In it, Nicholson plays Harry Sanborn, an incarnation of the old bachelor archetype many of us fear our divorced fathers could become. Harry is a sleazy-ish old-timer with thinning hair, a lucrative career as a business mogul and a penchant for barely-legal women. He knows what he likes, and he sticks with it: a fresh face with no baggage. That is, until he meets Erica Barry, played by Keaton.

The couple get off to a rocky start, and the ending is a bit predictable, as is the case with many romantic comedies, but “Something’s Gotta Give” never failts to entertain. Its witty dialogue and the consummate professionals who deliver it turn what could have felt overdone into something fresh and amusing. A scene where Harry has to rip an IV out from his arm because its contents could react with the Viagra coursing through his veins is movie gold. “Something’s Gotta Give” should be your go-to when you find yourself in need of lighthearted comedy.

Drama

“Juice” (1992)

If you were only planning to watch this movie to see Tupac Shakur, you’d be pleasantly surprised because it’s actually a good movie. Although Tupac delivers an awesome performance that truly exemplifies how talented he really was, the story holds its own. The drama probably doesn’t compare to that of “Boyz n the Hood,” but the plot takes a refreshing and realistic angle on the challenges that kids face growing up in a crime-filled environment. It’s a tale of best friends with very different ambitions and reveals the difficulty of pursuing a future that at times seems improbable at best and impossible at worst. It’s not the same story you’ve seen over and over again where the police are the bad guys, everyone’s mom is a crack addict and the white girl from school tries desperately to guide the young, troubled black kid to a better life. Those are boring and annoying, and “Juice” is none of those.

Omar Epps (“Love and Basketball” and the pussy doctor in “House”) and Tupac carry the weight of the film and do a damn good job at it. It’s a quick film and enjoyable film you’ll be glad to have watched.

Action

“The Avengers” (2012)

Where else can you find Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye joined together in one place? I guess you could always try looking at the local shawarma place, or you can just watch “The Avengers” in all its streaming glory.

The film, directed by cult hero Joss Whedon, tells the story of six heroes as they try to save the world from Loki, Thor’s evil half-brother. Whedon sets off a chain of events that links this Marvel blockbuster with all the rest of the stories in the Marvel universe. He has even developed a TV series that can be traced back to the hints left in The Avengers.

If you’re looking for an action-packed, well-directed and well-scripted film with heart and humor, then look no further than this one. It’s still got the explosions and heroics you would expect from a superhero film, but it also has the Joss Whedon signature wit and heartbreak that has come to define his work.

Independent

“The Virgin Suicides” (1999)

“The Virgin Suicides,” based on Jeffrey Eugenides eponymous 1993 novel, tells of the events surrounding the lives of the Lisbon sisters, five young girls who live in suburban Detroit in the 1970s, after one of them attempts suicide. In a misguided effort to protect their daughters, Ronald and Sara Lisbon react to the event by confining them to a state of near-isolation. This, of course, deepens the girls’ dissatisfaction with their mundane suburban existence and furthers the relentless curiosities and fantasies neighborhood boys have about the beautiful Lisbon sisters. This dark and captivating story is narrated by one of the boys who lusts after the sisters and the air of mystery that surrounds them, creating a theme of foreshadowing that points to an ominous ending. This film is one of Sofia Coppola’s best and an intriguing must-see.

Documentary

“Salinger” (2013)

Reclusive, mysterious, genius. These are three words that dominate the documentary
“Salinger” as it tries to unravel the enigma surrounding the brilliant author behind “Catcher in the Rye.”

This isn’t your typical documentary, though. Its main point isn’t to document Salinger’s life, though it does that in detail. Rather, it presents clues as to what writing meant for Salinger and what his work has meant for the world. It is a film about finding closure, about understanding why someone so brilliant would shut himself off from the success he had, about the costs of presenting the world with your innermost struggles and thoughts.

The film is told in parallel through stories of people who knew Salinger, as well as people who have read and love his work. Each person tells his or her version of Salinger and offers speculation as to why he may have decided to stop publishing. It feels more like a case the audience is trying to crack than a movie documenting the life of one of the literary world’s most intense writers.

We’re given a glimpse into the man that was J.D. Salinger and the effect that his work had on his life and those who entered it. We are provided with context. We’re given closure.

Thinker

“Oldboy” (2003)

If you’re anything like me, you’ve typed “best movies of the decade” into Google around 75 different times over the last year. Time and time again I saw this weird looking Japanese movie on various lists but never really considered giving it a go. Fed up with Naomi Watts wining like a little bitch in “Mulholland Drive” and waiting far too long for her to just die, I clicked on “Oldboy.” This movie can be summed up in three words: Holy. Fucking. Fuck. Japanese people are clearly either super cute and cuddly or batshit insane. Simply put, “Oldboy” is a movie about vengeance. “Kill Bill,” “The Godfather,” “Braveheart.” They all fall short of the weird ass drama contained in this film. The last 20 minutes will have you completely disgusted but enthralled. I realize those are contradictions, but you have to believe me.  It’s the creepiest story ever told, like seriously ever, but without question a Top 10 movie on my list.

Stinker

“Nacho Libre” (2006)

Rated a whopping 40 percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ tomatometer (i.e this movie reeks), “Nacho Libre” will lower your IQ score while simultaneously making you laugh uncontrollably. Jack Black plays the title-character Nacho, who lives and works at a Mexican monastery where he grew up. He worships the monastery and those who frequent it, so when financial problems arise, he finds the nearest pair of tight-fitting spandex he can find and enters a Lucha Libre contest (WWE-esque, for those who aren’t aware). It’s basically Jack Black being obnoxious and fat, but like, in a good way. Just give it a try. You won’t walk feeling good about it but you’ll be glad you did a few years later, kinda like a bad one night stand.

Classic

“Grease” (1978)

You’ll be singing your heart out for days to come after watching the 1978 classic “Grease.” This love story follows a high school couple’s summer fling as it surprisingly follows them into the school year. John Travolta, the bad-boy greaser Danny, and Olivia Newton-John, the sweet, innocent Sandy, star in the film that made this musical comedy so famous. With classics like “You’re The One That I Want” and “Summer Nights,” this movie’s soundtrack will be stuck in your head until you’ve sung them each a thousand times. Don’t miss the T-birds and the Pink Ladies as these old-school cliques show us how high school should have been done.

 

Featured photo courtesy of: The Red List