Although I have always been a big fan of movies, Netflix and HD digital cable (with Tivo-like recorder) have really made it very easy to access lots of movies and TV shows. Over the past couple months, I have watched some really well done and entertaining shows. Don't know if I can remember them all, but here are a couple of my favorites, in no particular order:
1. The Office (BBC) season 1 and 2 along with Christmas special addition. One of my all-time favorite series. David Brent is perhaps my favorite (and funniest) characters. If you like British humor, you will love this one. Some of the jokes are a bit inside, and watching the show with my UK friends has really helped but it's still insanely funny. Fake documentary.
2. Dave Chapelle Show, complete season. I have always been a fan of Dave's comedy. Season 2 is much funnier but 1 is worth seeing if you are unfamiliar with his work. Sketch comedy.
3. Reno 911 First Season. Again, second season is much funnier but this one is still very good. I love the characters and highly recommend this one.
3. Arrested Development Season 1. This is probably the best written, best produced American comedy on TV. Ron Howard is a producer and contributes to the voice-over commentary. Just rent it and you will see what I'm talking about. Jason Bateman is excellent as the lead character and his family of misfits are a bit silly but always manage to get huge laughes out of me. Season 1 dvd has the full pilot which was never aired on TV. It's a shame the original pilot never aired in its full version because it's funnier than 99% of the crap on TV. If this show doesn't make it, comedy on free TV is doomed.
4. Curb Your Enthusiasm, First season. This show has actually gotten funnier but the first season is still awesome. It took a while for me to appreciate Larry David's approach to this show but after a couple episodes I found myself liking it more than Seinfeld. Larry is a walking disaster and watching the show makes it very easy to see his massive contribution to Seinfeld. No laugh track on Curb but it's not needed. There is a very "organicly" funny quality to this show that I absolutely love. Genius comes in many shapes and sizes and Larry David may be one of the strangest of all.
5. Saved (movie) starring Macaule Culkin (sp?), Mandy Moore and a bunch of unknowns. Very well written and well produced spoof on a highschool of holy rollers and their hypocracy. I really enjoyed this movie, much more than the typical sophomoric/moronic highschool movies that were much more popular (American Pie, etc.). Heck, I liked this one more than the boxoffice darling "Mean Girls". Mean Girls was well written and pretty good, but I enjoyed Saved much more. Please note, this one is probably going to get me some flack from right wing religious groups. The movie pokes fun at hard-core christians and is a bit over the top. I still thought it was very funny and entertaining.
6. Maria Full of Grace, subtitled movie from Columbia about a young girl who gets pregnant and gets tied up with a herion smuggling ring in her native country of Columbia. This real-life horror film follows her journey from to the US and provides a stark and frightening look into the brutal world of drug trafficking. This may not be a movie for everyone but it provided a glimpse into this horrific world from a perspective that is rarely shown. I believe this movie won several awards at Sundance. One of the most disturbing movies I have ever seen, I hope it wins an Oscar. There were no fight scenes, chase scenes or graphic scenes of violence but it the movie managed to keep me on the edge of my seat.
I don't know if any of you have seen these movies/shows. Many may not be suitable for young people and a comple may offend sensitive types, but I found them to be very entertaining.
Cheers,
J
