declaring my Netflix queue bankrupt

[Paul Lee]

I have nuked my Netflix queue. Seeking recommendations...

I had dozens of titles treading water in the middle, token new releases at the top (choked by mediocre, "when did we select that?" titles), and some very sad, lonely "I would be a better person if I watched this titles" languishing at the bottom. No more. All gone (except for a select few).

So, RED folks, what's good out there in the last couple of years?

Genres of interest:-
Comedy (smart, dark, "quirky [not "idie" BS]," dry, painful, British, etc. (loved Shawn of the Dead, but could not get into Trailer Park)
SciFi (not action, CGI orgies, but smart, SCIENCE fiction (Moon), or maybe surprising kick-ass like BSG or Chronicles of Riddick)
Drama in the Terrance Malick or Paul Thomas Anderson fashion
Awesome "kids" movies- "Fantastic Mr. Fox," "Where the Wiled Things Are"

Recent surprise favorites- Gentlemen Broncos (if you liked this, you are a true nerd, and my friend), Let the Right One In, Fantastic Mr. Fox, all things Zach Galifianakis, Treme (that show is tight!!!)

Jump on in there and tell me how to live... please....

 

[Tom Lowe]

I'll toss out a couple older ones...

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Yi-Yi

Recently....

The Cove

Crazy Heart

 

[Miguel "Macgregor" De Olaso]

The road. Blindness. Burning plain.

 

[Brad Webb]

I just watch Let the Right One In (literally just watch it).

If you liked Shaun of the Dead (my favorite movie of all time) you should check out "Hot Fuzz" and "Spaced."

If you have Blu-Ray, "Days of Heaven" is a good re-watch.

 

[Steve Das]

Drama in the Terrance Malick or Paul Thomas Anderson fashion....

All the Vermeers in New York
The Director had no script but raised $300,000 on the concept alone
and improvised and shot it in NY on 35mm. released in 1990

 

[Nathan Garofalos]

y tu mama tambien

Dr. Strangelove or How I learned to Love the Bomb.

 

[Shawn Nelson]

Start going down the IMDB top 250, a great mix of critical and populists favorites

 

[Nathan Garofalos]

Start going down the IMDB top 250, a great mix of critical and populists favorites

That is really good advice.

 

[Louis Kreusel]

Chop Shop by Ramin Bahrani. It's part of the small subculture of American neo-neo-realist movies written about by AO Scott at the NY Times.

 

[Austin Glass]

I just mailed back "Timecrimes." It's a well-crafted time travel film that fits into the three-act paradigm perfectly. A little bit Sci Fi, a little bit Thriller. Actually, less Sci Fi than thriller. It's a Spanish film, and the wit translates well.

 

[DRappazzo]

Just wanted to second "The Road" hits DVD on May 25th I believe. A great film that was largely unseen last year. I would also recommend "City of God", "Sunshine", "The Diving Bell and The Butterfly".

For a great indie doc, I would also recommend "Blood, Boobs, and Beasts" a great little film about a local (Baltimore) low budget film maker, Don Dohler. Not sure if you are into that sort of thing but had to recommend it anyway.

 

[Andrew Rieger]

Here are some independent films films I saw recently that were excellent:

Ballast: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1153690/ Very well acted by non-actors, feels very real since the dialogue is mostly improvised, also shot with all available light.

Primer: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390384/ A film only for those who wish to use their brain, great for repeat viewings. The director was also the lead actor, cinematographer, producer, editor, writer and music composer. It was shot for $7,000 in three weeks.

Hunger: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0986233/ What can I say, its a great historical piece, a film that will never be seen by American audiences, Thanks criterion collection!

Moon: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1182345/ The best scifi film of recent memory that no one saw.

Gomorrah: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0929425/ If you like gang films and foreign films, you will probably enjoy this.

The Fall: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460791/ The best cinematography I have ever seen. Well acted for the most part, the little girl is hard to understand at times but if you want eye candy that is also thought provoking, this should do the trick. If nothing else, watch the opening sequence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhARR-zmTCE&feature=related or this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NRqApvRqTU&feature=related

I Am Cuba: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058604/ A film that revolutionized camerawork and no one has heard of it outside of film circles. This has influenced the work of Paul Thomas Anderson and many others. This is still one the the best shot films in movie history: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFrHPcKiXaQ&feature=related

The Machinist: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361862/ A great example of Christian Bale as a talented actor, not the crap they tend to put him in these days (The Dark Knight is of course exempt from this). A real head trip in low budget greatness.

Thank You For Smoking: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427944/ Very very funny film, great use of creative editing by the way.

The Constant Gardener: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387131/ If you liked City of God, this is also a great film by the same director. A little slow at the beginning but it really picks up. Ralph Fiennes is great as always.

Just to name a few

 

[Jaime Vallés]

I second The Machinist.

Also, off the top of my head:
Sci-Fi: Dark City (make sure it's the Director's Cut)
Comedy: Clue (Madeline Kahn alone is worth the whole movie)
Kids: Casi Casi (shameless plug for my movie, but it is a lot of fun!)

 

[Paul Lee]

Wonderful- we've all seen lots of good stuff so it's fun to here of new things!

 

[Andrew Rieger]

Any other suggestions?

 

[David Wilson]

Any other suggestions?

All of the films of Bela Tarr - especially Satantango, The Man from London, Damnation, and Werckmeister Harmonies.

 

[Andrew Rieger]

All of the films of Bela Tarr - especially Satantango, The Man from London, Damnation, and Werckmeister Harmonies.

I was going to recommend those as well. Bela Tarr is a master. I am one of the few people I know that can sit through his films. Great to see that there are other fans of his work on this site.

 

[N_Villers]

I'll toss out a couple older ones...

Nausicaä

Is really one of my favorite all time films. On a completely different front I would suggest a gem of a classic (if you can find it) "The girl Hunters" where Mickey Spillane plays his own fictional character Mike Hammer. A bit camp but the fight scene towards the end is worth watching if for no other reason.

 

[N_Villers]

Another favorite that is pretty much unknown outside of Hungary is "Egéséges Erotika" literally translatable as "Healthy Erotica" but for some reason on IMDB translated as "Sound Eroticism." It is a crazy film that is literally played backwards and was made in what was a still communistic system with many wonderful "hidden" messages. Another Hungarian classic worth seeing is "A Tanu" in English "The Witness" that was banned for several decades and gave birth to the symbol for the political changes in 1989 that started the domino effect of eastern European countries asserting their rights to become (at least in name) democratic and independent of Soviet influence.

 

[Paul Lee]

All very good. I was feeling a little parched...must..avoid...Avatar Blu Ray...