FSU Student Life Cinema

Let’s be straightforward. All of us are entirely addicted to the Netflix Instant play library. It makes wasting time the easiest thing on the planet when you have so much content at your disposal. I think we all remember when the library was so slim we’d have trouble finding even one good film to watch. Now, as Netflix has almost entirely taken over the DVD rental market, its library has grown to an enormous size. So instead of desperately searching for a half- way decent movie to watch, the problem becomes choosing an excellent movie in this massive, loosely- organized collection.

Well, I’ve got you covered. Here are seven movies on Instant that you should see before they go away (in no particular order):

1. The Secret of Kells (2009) - Dirs. Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey. One of the best examples of hand- drawn animation I can find. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2010. It’s adventurous and scary, but definitely good for kids and daydreamers.
2. Full Metal Jacket (1987) - Dir. Stanley Kubrick. This is an excellent war film. It is beyond frightening and Vincent D’Onofrio’s scenes are especially haunting. There are plenty of other war films on Netflix, but Full Metal Jacket is by far the best crafted.
3. Cannibal! The Musical(1996) - Dir. Trey Parker. This one is a little more on the silly side. I’m not going to say it’s bad, but it isn’t exactly worthy of great accolades… Basically, it’s just fun. Gory, yes. But it’s one of those movies that’s just downright ridiculous. And I think that’s the best part. It’s completely self aware of how strange and silly it is.
4. Half Nelson(2006) - Dir. Ryan Fleck. I like Half Nelson because I feel like it’s a great balance to movies like Dead Poet’s Society and Stand and Deliver that showcase teachers who make a difference in their underprivileged students. Ryan Gosling’s character is essentially a horrible person and teacher who ends up needing to be saved by none other than one of his own underprivileged students. It’s one that will definitely make you think.
5. 8 ½(1963) - Dir. Federico Fellini. All film geeks have to see this movie. It’s a beautifully constructed film about the creative process and the struggle to create something beautiful. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and, interestingly, inspired the 1982 musical Nine and the 2009 movie/musical of the same name.
6. Some Like it Hot(1959) - Dir. Billy Wilder. This one’s a fantastic comedy. It has Marilyn Monroe, an all girl band, and cross dressers! AFI calls it the greatest American comedy of all time. Not only is it hilarious, but it also has some really great social lessons in it. It tackles sexuality and violence in a way that is simply ahead of it’s time. Definitely see this if you are interested in the cultural implications of cinema.
7. Amadeus(1984) - Dir. Milos Forman. Tom Hulce is excellent as Mozart in this one. If anything you will love his laugh. It’s ranked in AFI’s 100 years… 100 Movies list at 53, so it has critical acclaim and is just an all around great film about a great man.

Here are some extras!

Okay, now these are also on Instant, but hopefully you’ve already seen them by now. Just in case, here are my runners up:

1. The General(1926) - Dirs. Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton. Silent, Buster Keaton, Hilarious. That is all.
2. Blue Velvet(1986) - Dir. David Lynch. I’d recommend this one strongly if you are a fan of Twin Peaks or any other great Lynch projects. It’s one of my favorites as it establishes his “truth behind the white picket fence” modus operandi that we see later in Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive.
3. The Machinist(2004) - Dir. Brad Anderson. This one was overly hyped when it came out because of Christian Bale’s weight loss, but as it turns out, it’s actually a pretty good film. It’s creepy and confusing, and if I were to compare it to others, I’d say it closely resembles Memento and Fight Club. Excellent portrayal of mental illness.
4. The Graduate(1967) - Dir. Mike Nichols. The seventh greatest film of all time according to AFI. It has an outstanding soundtrack, and is probably the best example of messed up love that exists. Simply see this movie. You will be better for it.
5. Airplane!(1980) - Dirs. Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker. The tenth funniest American comedy according to AFI. This is one of those movies your dad makes you watch that actually turns out to be incredible. The jokes are corny and awesome and the delivery is spot on for every character. Love.
6. Charade(1963) - Dir. Stanley Donen. Audrey Hepburn and Carey Grant. What more is there to say? It’s a great genre bender as it is hilarious at parts and dramatic/scary at others. Very well crafted and an easy watch.

- Erika