NETFLIX STREAMING - The Unofficial Netflix Blog!

The Lincoln Lawyer: Netflix Streaming Surprises

2012-02-27T14:27:00.000-06:00

Click to watch the Netflix streaming movie here!

If you're a fan of courtroom-style dramas, you're going to absolutely love The Lincoln Lawyer.

I'm a big fan of smart movies, and this movie is definitely on the level of "thinking-ness" (that's a word, right?) that I generally look for in a movie. Meaning, of course, that this is the kind of movie that you can watch, and it really isn't possible to be able to predict what's going to happen next. You have to be following the plot without taking any bathroom breaks, and you have to be paying great attention to detail in order to really get the most out of it.

I like to over-think movies, so movies that invite me to do so I appreciate even more.

I really enjoyed The Lincoln Lawyer, and it was great seeing Matthew McConaughey step outside of the realm of cookie-cutter romantic comedy character to finally play something that takes some range.

The movie is set to a grand pace, and it's definitely something that you'll likely want to watch more than once. It's too bad this movie didn't get more recognition, because it really is a legitimate drama and a fantastic addition to the Netflix streaming collection. Add it to your queue!

Trollhunter: Netflix Hidden Gem Surprises

2012-02-24T14:42:00.000-06:00

Click to watch the movie on Netflix streaming here!

I know what you're going to say: "Oh man, not another found-footage movie."

I thought the same, and I've complained about the genre being done to bits at this point. But for some reason, I still got pulled into watching this film, and it's still a slightly different take on the same general plot line structure we've all become accustomed to.

This movie takes place in Norway, and it follows a group of cameramen who are trying to do a documentary on bear poaching. Little do they know, this turns out to be a much more complicated situation than they originally thought, and of course, as the title suggests, the real animals that have been attacking things in the region are... trolls!

But really cool trolls that are actually scary. Not stupid small lame trolls.

This is a fun movie because it knows how to lead to suspense without having to really rely on violence or jumpy-scare tactics. The movie's not perfect, because there are a lot of long lulls that are kind of annoying to have to sit through (where the characters discuss what's going on), but it really allows for a good setup to the action that does take place.

Add it to your queue if you're a fan of the found-footage genre, for sure.

Nearly 1,000 movies expring February 29

2012-02-20T13:45:00.000-06:00

There has been a list put together that lists the (nearly) 1,000 movie titles (981 to be exact) that will be expiring from Netflix Instant on February 29th.

After skimming through the thousand, here are the notable titles from the bunch that we find noteworthy, and that you should check out asap:

Airheads

Almost Heroes (see our post here)

Apocalypto

Astro Boy (see our post here)

Batman Forever

Beetlejuice

Big

Billy Madison

A Christmas Carol

The Crazies

Final Destination 2

Gnomeo and Juliet

Hellboy

Hulk

Jingle all the Way

Mallrats (see our post here)

Mars Needs Moms

Nine Months

Orgazmo

Party Down (see our post here)

The Pixar Story

Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Scream

Sorcerer's Apprentice, The

Toy Story 3

Tron: Legacy

Twister

Portlandia: Netflix Streaming Surprises

2012-02-18T12:41:00.000-06:00

Click to watch Portlandia on Netflix streaming here!

If you haven't been paying attention, SNL has been pumping out a lot of legitimately funny comedians as of late. One of which being, Fred Armisen (along with his friend Carrie Brownstein) have created a single-cam sketch comedy show that really takes making fun of hipsters to a new level.

The show takes place in Portland, which, according to the show, is where the "dream of the 90's" is still alive. We're to assume that this is a major implication that everyone in the city is a huge hipster. And then the show tears them apart.

It's really very funny, especially if you know people who act in the ways that they're portraying. I personally know of people (you know the type - the really artsy fartsy people) who have irritated me before, it's it's awesome to finally have a comedy show that targets them out for their annoying habits and lifestyle.

If you're a fan of Fred Armisen, you're undoubtedly going to love the show, but if you're not, you should check it out. It's one of the best sketch comedy shows I've seen in a very long time, and although there aren't many episodes, the humor is really fluid and compact. I think it's hilarious.

Add it to your queue!

Workaholics: Netflix Streaming Surprises

2012-02-13T12:43:00.000-06:00

Click to watch the show on Netflix here!

Workaholics came on after South Park on Comedy Central one day when I was watching, and seeing it, I thought it was just easy, stupid humor. I immediately wasn't interested, because I'm just not a fan of what (I'm pretty sure I'm getting this right) some have dubbed "alternative humor."

I've always felt like there are some weirdness factors that are just easy ways out of sticky drama situations in comedies, and it makes the writing actually worse because of it. I feel you probably know some of those "weird" comedies I'm talking about.

Anyway, I was completely wrong about Workaholics. Each episode is a well-crafted plot, with the full story usually being positioned in such a way that makes it worth watching every minute, in case you miss something amazing on the way.

I've heard it compared quite a bit at this point to It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which I'd say is a pretty accurate comparison. There's a similar level of naivete and nihilism, minus the darkness of Always Sunny. To this point, Workaholics seems almost just like a brighter version. (Don't get me wrong, Always Sunny is my favorite comedy currently on TV).

Check this show out, there's a good chunk of episodes available that are definitely worth watching and will make you laugh. Add it to your queue!

Top 10 Horror Films Streaming - February 2012

2012-02-06T20:27:00.000-06:00

Netflix has been been allowing a lot of pretty good horror movies to become available on Netflix as of late. Here's our latest Top 10 list for Netflix Streaming!

10. The Exorcist

9. Dead Snow (read our post)

8. Scream

7. The Crazies

6. Let Me In (read our post)

5. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (read our post)

4. Insidious (read our post)

3. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (read our post)

2. The Evil Dead

1. The Last Exorcism (read our post)

The Next Three Days: Netflix Surprises

2012-02-03T12:33:00.001-06:00

Click to watch the movie on Netflix streaming here!

I've come to realize that Russell Crowe movies can be pretty hit or miss. There are some that I love (ie Gladiator) and some that I have no interest in even checking out because I assume they're going to be long, drawn-out, watered versions of Gladiator (ie Robin Hood).

This falls into the "Wow, I'm surprised how much I liked that Russell Crowe film" surprise category, as, before I watched it, I wasn't expecting much. Little did I realize, this would be a genuinely fun and exciting prison-break style movie, that really kept me on the edge of my seat.

One of the fun things about prison-break or heist movies is the fact that you're never really able to be able to guess what's going to happen next, and therefore the level of stress in the movie is (supposed to be) pretty high. I had a bit of stress watching this film, and therefore I know they were doing something right.

The runtime of 133 minutes seemed a bit long at some parts, but, like all movies in this category of film, the climax makes it all worth watching. Let me know what you guys thought of the movie, and if you felt like the payoff was worth it as well.

American: The Bill Hicks Story: Netflix Surprises

2012-01-30T12:56:00.001-06:00

Click to watch the documentary on Netflix streaming here!

I'm going to be honest, before I'd seen this documentary, the extent of my knowledge of who or what Bill Hicks was about was from that one Tool album. Tool had a track on one of their albums where they played a bit from Bill Hicks, played to the typical Tool sound, and it sounded angry and raw. It intrigued me for a long time, but for whatever reason I never seeked out any of his material until now.

I saw that the Bill Hicks documentary "American" had become available on Netflix Streaming, so I gave it a shot. It's phenomenal.

Bill Hicks died at the age of 32. This is the story of how his career (which started at the age of 16) of standup comedy started off slow, and then right when he was about to explode, 'the biggest joke of all' was played on him, and he wasn't able to become everything that everyone knew he could be.

A lot of people view Bill Hicks as an angry man, and this movie really does address that viewpoint, by showing that he wasn't a two-dimensional person. He was a very complicated man, and throughout his entire life he really was coming to find wisdom through his own methodology. He experimented and experienced all sorts of things, which led him to have a very distinct and defined viewpoint of the world, of which more people need to hear.

Check it out, the animations of the pictures that are on the screen while people are telling tales of his childhood are cool enough alone to make this one of the types of docs that really do the person justice.

Snake Eyes: Netflix Hidden Gem Surprises

2012-01-27T15:37:00.001-06:00

Click to watch this movie on Netflix streaming here!

I know there are a lot of people out there who are sick and tired of Nicolas Cage movies, but those people should shut up and realize that there are a lot of Nicolas Cage movies that are pretty dang good. This is one of those movies that's a lot better than you'd think it would be.

Snake Eyes starts off with one of the best opening scenes I've ever seen in a movie. The elongated shot tells the entire story of the movie in a very fun way, introducing all the different characters involved and allowing you to really feel like you're a part of the action.

We follow Nicolas Cage as he walks through a casino where a boxing match is about to take place, meeting all sorts of different people that are all contributing factors to the end game.

This is a thriller/mystery type movie that's fun to watch because it's in a closed environment, and you're able to take part in figuring out what's going on. You get to follow the clues and it's fun to see if you can figure out what's going on and what's going to happen before the characters do.

If you're not a Nicolas Cage fan, you should recognize that there are some movies that are a lot of fun to watch. If you are a Nicolas Cage fan, you'll enjoy this one as well.

I wish he did more movies like this one.

Peep Show: Netflix Hidden Gems Surprises

2012-01-23T12:54:00.001-06:00

Click to watch this hidden gem on Netflix streaming here!

I've never been one to be too keen on British humor (or 'humour') but within the past couple months, I'm beginning to like it more and more. Peep Show has a lot to do with this.

I had a lot of trouble watching The Office UK. There's something about watching characters dealing with extremely social awkward situations that can make me, myself, feel extremely awkward while watching. I know it's probably cliche at this point to call this out as a problem, but I can honestly say that this is one of my problems (or has been one of my problems) with British humor until lately.

I checked this show out, and this show really seems to have been my gateway drug to being able to watch and enjoy that "awkward British humor" thing I'm talking about.

Peep Show is a very interesting idea for a show. Besides the fact that the show is about two boring characters going through their everyday life, the show is called "Peep Show" because every single camera angle is supposed to be from the vantage point of one of the characters. Seriously, every single scene is seen from the eyes of one of the characters.

Now, this might seem like it wouldn't work, or would be awkward (ha), but it really makes for a cool show. Not only do we get to see from the characters' point of view, but we also get to hear their inner-monologue. This is such a cool way to tell stories that I can't believe hasn't really been done before.

Along with all of this, the show is very funny. So yeah, you should check it out, especially if you're a fan of British humour. Add it to your queue!

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret: Netflix Hidden Gem Surprises

2012-01-16T13:20:00.000-06:00

Click to watch the show on Netflix streaming here!

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret is one of those shows that popped up on Netflix that I was confused by, primarily because I'd never even heard of it before. This is strange, because I'm a big fan of David Cross and Will Arnett (have you seen that 'Arrested Development' show? I heard it's pretty good...).

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret's season one has made its way to Netflix Instant, and it's pretty dang good. The show has David Cross as the lead, as its most clueless lead I've really ever seen in a show. He's an American, and has just been given a big promotion to lead a marketing department in England.

The show demonstrates what it would be like to throw a stupid, lying, clueless individual into an international business situation, and how hysterical that might be. It's a very short season, but that's somewhat the beauty of it. The conciseness of it allows it to be very well written and it makes it all smooth and hilarious.

If you're a fan of David Cross and/or Will Arnett, you should check this out immediately. Add it to your queue!

The Making of South Park: 6 Days to Air: Netflix Surprises

2012-01-09T13:20:00.000-06:00

Click to watch it streaming on Netflix Instant here!

I'm a huge fan of South Park, and I've always wanted to look into the world of Trey and Matt, so this was the perfect (mini) documentary to watch.

I saw commercials for this a few weeks back playing on Comedy Central, and I was furious with myself when I realized I'd forgotten to DVR it. I was very happy to see it become available on Netflix Instant Watch.

Anyway, this mini-doc (I say that because I'm pretty sure it doesn't even break an hour) shows the process that Trey Parker and Matt Stone have to go through each week to get an episode on the air. Unlike most (all?) other cartoon shows on national television, they don't take nine months to write, script, draw, animate, and broadcast a show. They do it in about six days.

This documentary shows the process behind one show, but it demonstrates the immense amount of effort that goes into that one show. It's amazing, and it's nothing short of astonishing that they repeat it every single week.

If you're a fan of South Park, or Trey Parker/Matt Stone, this is definitely worth checking out.

Top 10 Action & Adventure Movies - January 2012

2012-01-03T13:37:00.000-06:00

Here's this month's Top 10 list for Action & Adventure movies streaming on Netflix Instant. All are worth putting on your queue!

10. Lethal Weapon

9. The Expendables

8. Last Action Hero

7. Jackie Brown

6. Iron Man 2

5. Speed

4. GoldenEye

3. Die Hard: With a Vengeance

2. Die Hard

1. Kick-Ass

True Grit: Netflix Streaming Surprises

2012-01-02T17:44:00.000-06:00

Click to watch the movie on Netflix streaming here!

This film, in my opinion, had the Best Picture award stolen from it in the Oscars in the year of its release. True Grit is not only the best western I've ever seen, but it's also one of the best films I've seen in quite awhile.

Obviously, any movie by the Coen Brothers is going to likely be exceptional, but there was something about this film that really made me like it even more than say, something like No Country for Old Men in terms of that whole "best picture" quality.

This movie is stacked with great actors: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and a very surprising Hailee Steinfeld, who all but steals the show.

What I love about this movie, is (and I know this sound simple and stupid) the way everybody talks. There's an overall fun level of diction that's used throughout this movie that just makes you feel like you've sped to the past, and are actually completely enthralled in the time of the story.

The acting is great, and it has that whole Coen Brothers wittiness that has its way of taking a serious tone every year or so. This one hits on all cylinders and it's great.

If for some reason you haven't seen this film yet, now's your chance! It's a great movie to watch, even if you're not a big fan of westerns. Really, I think this movie should have won Best Picture.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil: Netflix Hidden Gem Surprises

2011-12-29T13:47:00.000-06:00

Click to watch the movie on streaming here!

What do you look for in a good horror movie? Is it uniqueness? Is it hilarity? Is it good acting? If you're looking for any of these, you've come to the right place.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is one of the better comedy/horror films I've ever seen... mainly because I've never seen a 'horror' film turn out this way.

If you haven't seen the trailers yet, don't. The trailers give a little too much away in terms of the outcome of the movie, but let me just say this: this movie is about two guys who are at their home away from home, surrounded by a tremendous amount of stupid teenagers.

See, the teenagers think that Tucker and Dale are evil, and are trying to be vigilantes against them. The problem is, they're all tremendously stupid, and constantly keep putting themselves into situations where they're easily killed. So, then, it appears that Tucker and Dale are the bad guys, see?

It's a fun ride and people need to watch this, if for nothing more, to show a middle finger to all the different distributors who refused to take on this film and put it into mass theaters for the longest time (this movie was basically on the shelf for a year or two, just waiting to be picked up by any distributor).

So go ahead and add it to your queue, I'm sure you'll be watching with thousands of other people today!

GoldenEye: Netflix Streaming Surprises

2011-12-20T14:08:00.000-06:00

Watch the film on Netflix streaming here!

Now, I'm not the biggest 007 fan. I've only seen four or five of them, and the ones I've seen are from the past 10 years or so (aka the beginning of the Brosnan era).

I've always found the 007 to be a little too cheesy, and therefore just kind of stupid. That being said, GoldenEye works on all the things that made the 007 cheesiness work, and it worked well.

If you're a normal human being, you played the Nintendo 64 game of the same title, and if you're like me, you might have even played the game before watching the movie. Doing that made watching the movie a surreal experience (honestly, at the time I didn't even know that it WAS a movie - I thought it was just a game).

I really loved and still love this movie, but honestly I don't know if I'm able to look at it in an unbiased manner. Alec Trevelyan is one of my favorite bad guys ever, and I loved the dichotomy of two special agents having to fight one another throughout the film.

There's something about this movie that pushes itself over the top though, in terms of being able to be watched again and again even if ignoring the nostalgia factor. It's a superb 'Bond' film (I know that's not saying much considering how few I've see) but if you have seen many, I'm sure you'll agree that this is one of the best. If you haven't seen it before, just know that it's a fun, exciting action film. Just add it to your queue!

Funny CollegeHumor Netflix Video

2011-12-15T13:15:00.000-06:00

I don't know how I never came across this College Humor video during that entire "Qwikster" fiasco, but I just watched it and I couldn't stop laughing during most of it. It's very cutting and still relative to a lot of people's feelings on the current selection of movies available on Netflix Streaming (hint: if you want to find hidden gems, you've come to the right place!)

(Warning: Language)

Netflix Fireplace for Your Home

2011-12-14T12:49:00.000-06:00

Check it out, Netflix has put on streaming the ability to make your home television set a fireplace. I remember seeing this "fireplace" video footage in countless television shows and movies (of which, of course, I can remember none of off-hand).

Anyway, if you're looking for something to put on in your living room this Christmas season (or whatever holiday you choose to celebrate this month - I love all of you) you can't possibly name anything less threatening than footage of a fireplace.

Although not really a movie or show, this is nonetheless a cool addition that Netflix made available.

Mallrats: Netflix Surprises

2011-12-12T15:39:00.000-06:00

Click to watch the movie on Netflix streaming here!

Even though Kevin Smith has kind of "dropped off" in terms of quality in films lately, there was a time in which he was making a series of View Askew movies, all similar in tone and containing mostly the same character set. Or actually, maybe just Jay and Silent Bob, with reoccurring actors.

Mallrats was one of those "Kevin Smith early films" that made him so famous. Not because it was even all that good, but because it was unique in terms of being a low-budget, honest, witty comedy. I mean, there's nothing particularly amazingly hysterical about this movie, but it's easy and fun to watch, and it's always funny to watch the sharp dialogue that Kevin Smith is able to write.

I'm making this movie sound boring, which it definitely is not. It's just, a Kevin Smith movie. It's kind of hard to describe without being a big Kevin Smith fan, but there are aspects about his movies that are just uniquely enjoyable for the sheer ability to be shockingly realistic.

Although this Kevin Smith movie bombed in the box office, it's known as one of the great hidden gems of the View Askewniverse. If you enjoy Jay and Silent Bob, you're going to enjoy this movie. If you enjoy watching Ben Affleck be a dick, you're going to enjoy this movie. If you enjoy comedies that aren't cheap and obviously took time to write and conjure up realism, you're going to enjoy this movie.

Add it to your queue and let me know what you think of this movie.

Stephen Fry in America: Netflix Hidden Gem Surprises

2011-12-05T14:32:00.000-06:00

Click to watch the series on Netflix streaming here!

I didn't know who Stephen Fry was until recently, but now that I know who he is, it's crazy that I haven't read and watched everything he's ever written.

I remember the first time I really sat down to listen to his speaking when I came across a YouTube video of him on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, wherein, Ferguson had him on the show and decided that it would be better for everyone involved if there was no audience during the filming. Because of this, the conversation was able to be a lot more coherent and serious in tone than it would be with a studio audience. (See part 1 of it, here.)

Anyway, after I watched that, I was astonished at how I hadn't heard about him before, because I really do love hearing very intellectual people speak their minds in a structured and logical manner. Needless to say, I really respected him thereafter.

Seeing his opinions on America sounded like a good time, and the fact that he was going to travel across every single state and experience every different culture sounded like a hilariously good time. So yeah, I watched, and yeah, it's awesome.

It's really fun to see Stephen Fry experience all these different things in different states in such a quirky manner. He really is curious in an infantile type of mindset, which makes it really fun and funny.

Add it to your queue if you're interested in Stephen Fry and/or the idea of seeing the sights and cultures of all the different states. This is the first "See all the 50 states" type of documentary-thing I've ever watched, and I assume this is probably the best I'll ever see.

Top 10 Comedies on Netflix - December 2011

2011-12-01T14:00:00.000-06:00

Listed below are our Top 10 comedies on Netflix streaming for the month of December!

10. Airplane!

9. Grumpy Old Men

8. Hot Tub Time Machine

7. Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie

6. Mallrats

5. Swingers

4. This Is Spinal Tap

3. The Man Who Knew Too Little

2. Dumb and Dumber: Unrated

1. The Big Lebowski

The Game: Netflix Streaming Surprises

2011-11-29T11:47:00.000-06:00

Click to watch the movie on Netflix streaming here!

The Game is one of my absolute favorite movies. If you've been reading my blog at all over the past year or so, you know how much of a fan I am of thrillers, David Fincher, and cerebral movies. This movie is a great culmination of all three of these things!

The Game is one of those kinds of movies where you SHOULD NOT read any reviews, previews, or analyses on the movie. It's not the kind of movie that you want to go into knowing ANYTHING about. And just to save you the worry, I promise you that this is not another one of those movies that has a Schizophrenic cop-out ending. I say that with a slight condescension on that plot device, because it's been done so many times now that it's become redundant and isn't surprising when it happens anymore.

Instead, this is the kind of movie where the main character goes through a series of events that are so complex and long in nature, that you're absolutely amazed at how much happens. The reason why it's so good and the reason why I'm not telling you anything that happens is that simply, it's the experience that counts. If you were told that in Saving Private Ryan, they find Private Ryan after a bunch of battles, it's not the same as experiencing it, right?

Maybe I'm not the best at describing these types of things. Maybe I should just stop talking.

If you have not seen this movie, add it to your queue immediately and let me know what you think. You will not be disappointed with this film.

Thanksgiving Streaming Movie?

2011-11-24T11:24:00.000-06:00

It's Thanksgiving! You know what that means...

It's ThanksKILLING time! That's right. If you're looking for a straight-up awesome (albeit absurdly gratuitous) movie that's very Thanksgiving holiday specific, you're not going to get any more awesome than ThanksKilling.

What is it about? A murderous turkey. Yeah, that's about all you need to know. If you need to know anymore, feel free to read our blog post we did about it last year.

But seriously, it's hysterical. In the worst possible way possible.

Panic Room - Netflix Streaming Surprises

2011-11-21T13:02:00.000-06:00

Click to watch the movie on Netflix streaming here!

I've been a big fan of David Fincher ever since I can remember. Two of my absolute favorite movies of all time are Fight Club and Se7en, of which he directed both. There's something about the way he's able to make the dark and depressing so outstandingly memorable to me, and everything he touches (generally) turns to gold. Or at least is somewhat good, you know...

Anyway, this film was directed by David Fincher, and it really does have that "David Fincher" feel. There's a very dark aspect to the film, and if you know anything about me and my taste of movies, you know I really do appreciate it when a movie can keep its scenery to a minimum and allow the acting to flourish. This is definitely that type of a movie, as the main characters are forced to protect themselves within a "panic room" (hence the movie title, see!) the entire film while people attempt to break into their home.

It's a fun movie, and cool to see how David Fincher is able to make a home feel so large in scope. There's just something about the way in which he tones things that makes the smallest scene feel immeasurably huge in your head.

So yeah, I enjoyed this movie, but apparently I might just be a big David Fincher fanboy. If you're a fan of his work, or enjoy the acting of Jodie Foster, you'll very likely enjoy this film. Add it to your queue if you're interested in a good thriller!

New Arrested Development: Netflix Instant Exclusive!

2011-11-18T19:12:00.002-06:00

You read that title right everybody, and yes I know it's shocking. New episodes of Arrested Development!

From Deadline.com:

Beverly Hills, Calif., November 18, 2011—In a landmark deal, all new episodes of the Emmy Award-winning comedy series “Arrested Development” will be coming exclusively to Netflix for its U.S. members to watch instantly, beginning in 2013.

This should surely help people who have been considering defecting from Netflix to stop doing so, and I expect this to help stop the continual decline of their stock prices as well. More than anything, this is an impressive first step for Hollywood to recognize that the Internet (or more specifically, the ability to stream) is THE new medium to broadcast entertainment.

Added Howard, “After a long hiatus, I’m dying to finally get back to the narrator’s microphone…’It’s Arrested…Development.’

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?