October 09, 2006

Movie Recommendations?

My desire to move out of my Mom's house is debatable by the fact that I signed up for Netflix's free two-week trial and arranged all my speakers so the sound waves would form a nexus directly over my bed, on which a bank of pillows has been thoughtfully placed.

It's been a while since I've rented a lot of movies, so I need some recommendations. First, here are mine:

Movie theater: Little Miss Sunshine. It's hilarious, heartfelt and lives up to the glowing reviews.

Rentals: Full Metal Alchemist. It's a Japanese anime series (English dubbed) about two young brothers on a request to restore their bodies into their original, human form. I watched 13 1/2-hour episodes so far and it keeps getting better. The series' creators wholly adapted the language of film, and it shows up in all facets of the story telling, from the camera angles used to the evocative music.

Dodgeball: Ben Stiller: Evil Dodgeball guy. Vince Vaughn: Good Dodgeball Guy. That's pretty much the whole movie. The movie has a lot of funny, silly moments that somehow makes its formulatic elements more comforting than annoying. If this movie were a food, it would be pizza.

Battlestar Galatica: If you like TV science fiction, this is your best bet. Hot pilots, gripping drama, and robots. What more could a sci-fi fan ask for?

Jim Gaffigan: Beyond the Pale. I've watched the shortened Comedy Central version of his stand-up three times. Besides the fact that his jokes are hilarious, I admire him for choosing to be funny without using crutches like cursing or taking cheap shots at ethnic groups.

Okay, so what do you recommend? Post a comment with your picks.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think 'Brick' is a good film.

Jason said...

Brick: added. I saw Joseph Gordon-hyphenated name-the kid in 3rd Rock of the Sun in a movie called Mysterious Skin, and he was really good in it.

"Man of the House":
"Texas Ranger Roland Sharp (Tommy Lee Jones) finds himself college bound when he's tapped to protect a boisterous group of University of Texas cheerleaders -- who happen to be the only witnesses to a federal snitch's murder. To keep an eye on them, Sharp goes undercover as their assistant coach, a job that requires him to live with them and master the art of choreography ... with hilarious results!"

Laurie, although I appreciate you taking a bullet for movie goers everywhere, you need to explain, in full detail, the circumstances that led to the thought of, "Hey, this looks pretty zany! Let's give 'Man of the House' a try."