Netflix and I: Widening Horizons, pt. 2

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After I got accustomed to how Netflix worked, I stopped getting the latest releases and went for the older or lesser known movies.  I realized that I had gaps in my viewing, and that there was a broader selection of kinds of movies to watch.

Here’s where I began watching documentaries:  American Nightmare; Mad Hot Ballroom; Paper Clips;  Our Daily Bread; This Film is Not Yet Rated.

I was disappointed in a couple of television shows and stopped watching TV shows on disc for awhile.

I began watching fewer touted anime series. Then I discovered Satoshi Kon’s wonderful films, which are like Studio Ghibli for grownups.  High quality, immersive and provocative.

K and I came to the end of Buffy.  It was emotional and we had a final episode party. (This was before season 8.)

At this point, I began the first of my genre movie projects.  I picked horror because I refused to watch horror movies till I went to college.  Too much of a cowardy-custard.

I’m glad I wasn’t blogging when I started watching horror movies because I think I would have triggered a vigilante group.  One time I mentioned a a certain horror movie was awful and, judging by their reaction, I ruined my friends’ childhood.

I did find a few gems, and it was worth it.  Horror seems to be one of the easiest genres to do and one of the hardest to do well.   The only classic horror movie now I haven’t seen is Rosemary’s Baby.  I keep meaning to.

The Netflix and I: The Journey Begins, pt 1

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Disclaimer:  No gifts were made to me by Netflix.com.  I don’t even get those bonus discs my friends get from time to time.   *grrr*

I was inspired by Film Fanatic’s post to reflect a bit on my film watching habits.  Ever since I discovered her site, I’ve wanted a book like Peary’s.  But it’s OK.

Let me take you back to the olden days.  The first VCR that my family bought was about $500.  There were little VHS stores everywhere in those days.

Time passed, and chain stores with bigger stock opened up.  My family were avid movie watchers.  No section was safe from our foraging.  I remember after we had been renting for 2 years, I went to ask the clerk to recommend a movie for us.  She threw up her hands and said, “You watch everything.  I can’t think of anything.”

Later, when I was on my own, I continued to rent movies.  I was constantly getting caught by late fees and coming home with movies that I had little hope for.  Then my brother’s girlfriend (now wife, hey there W!) told me about Netflix.  I didn’t own a computer or a DVD player but I borrowed her computer and signed myself up.

That was in 2002.

I took my movies to my friends’ houses or my parents’ house to watch them.  It was a little difficult.  But eventually, I bought my own DVD.

There were so many classic films that I had read about but couldn’t find. Now I could get them.  So many of them were disappointing but enough of them were stellar, and kept me going.  I have loved movies for a long but now I could watch all the Godzilla/Gojira movies chronologically.  I see Rashomon instead of simply read an analysis of it.

And the extras and commentary.  It really opened my eyes to the process of film-making  and I gained new respect for how hard my favorites worked and how incredibly smart they are.

I discovered Joss Whedon in this period and joined the Whedon cult.  My sister K agreed to watch Buffy with me.  Those are some fabulous memories. (love you K, and thank you for ‘buffyizing.’)

I had read about Bollywood for years but never saw any of it.  My first was Rangeela AKA Colorful. I still love it even though I’ve seen better since.

Quick note:  Hidden Fortress has little to do with Star Wars, you’re better off watching Buster Crabbe’s Buck Rogers serials.

These lists are sampling of  the movies I rented during that time.

Bucket List for Geeks.

I am utterly against #20: DO. NOT. WANT.

#32 or the Intersect.

I think there could be a more diverse bucket list for geeks. Hmmmm….

Watchlist revisited

I made a list of movies that I wanted to see in 2010.  Quick recaps on what happened.

Clash of the Titans - Fantasy. Lost interest.

Cop Out – Comedy. Universally panned but I thought it was passable.  The bit in the car was high-quality funny.

The Crazies – Horror.  The sidekick made this worth watching.  Not as good as it might have been but not a waste of time either.

Daybreakers – Horror.   Still haven’t seen this one.

Hot Tub Time Machine – Comedy. Lost interest.

How to Train Your Dragon – Fantasy. Still not seen.

Lightning Thief – Fantasy.  Book is better.

Mother – Drama.  Lost interest.

The Runaways – Biopic. Still not seen.

Shutter Island – Thriller.  I was warned against this one.

When in Rome – Romance.  I adore Kristen Bell but this was terrible.

Wolfman – Horror.  Troubled production and you can tell it.  Badly done.

Top 10 Witches

Gallery from Eonline via Whedonesque.  Culled from movies and tv shows.  Fairly representative, I think.  If you want more, I have a sexy witches post, taken from comics and animation.

Romantic Movie Gestures that are actually horrifying

Really, I agree with all of the movies on the list. And I have an unabating loathing for Jocelyn. Even so, I like 50 First Dates; Beauty and the Beast and A Knight’s Tale.

via Tumblr.

Dictionary of Fun

I participated in Encyclopedia of Me blog carnival hosted by Bella Dia a few years ago.  Now Kat from Kat’s Weblog and Beffer from Befflets are going to post about 26 fun things to do.

New!  Crazybay from crazybay46913 has joined our Dictionary of Fun.

ABC page—

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

B is for Casual Gaming from crazybay

D is for Daydreaming from moonlitgarden

D is for Doctor Who from befflets

I is for Internet from kat’s weblog

Writers who died in 2010

Martin Gardner (1914 – 2010) Mathematician, Science Writer.  His annotation of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass is highly entertaining.

Ruth Park (1917-2010) Author.  Playing Beatie Bow is an excellent time travel story.

J. D. Salinger (1919-2010) Author. Catcher in the Rye

Sid Fleischman (1920-2010) Author. The Whipping Boy. Newbery medal.

Patricia Wrightson (1921-2010) Author (fantasy). The Dark Bright Water. Hans Christian Anderson medal.

Donald H. Tuck (1922-2010) Bibliographer.  Hugo medal. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy

Eva Ibbotson (1925-2010) Author (fantasy).  Which Witch? and The Secret of Platform 13

Sharon Webb (1936 – 2010)  Author (fantasy). Earth Song trilogy

Erich Segal (1937 – 2010) Author and Academician. Love Story

Harvey Pekar (1939-2010) Comics writer. American Splendor and Our Cancer Year.

Stephen Joseph Cannell (1941 – 2010)  Mystery writer and TV show creator.  Appeared most recently in the TV show Castle.

Takeshi Shudo (1949-2010) Main writer for Pokemon.

John Steakley (1951-2010) Author (sci-fi and horror).  Armor and Vampire$ (much, much, much better than the film by John Carpenter).

Stephen Perry (1954 – 2010)  Scriptwriter. Thundercats cartoon and comics.

Jennifer Rardin (1965-2010) Author (paranormal fiction). Jaz Parks series.

Obituaries

Martin Gardiner – Telegraph; Scientific American

Ruth Park – Guardian

J. D. Salinger – NYTimes

Sid Fleischman – Washington Post; NYTimes

Patricia Wrightson – Times

Donald H. Tuck -  Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

Eva Ibbotson -  Independent; Telegraph

Sharon Webb – Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

Erich Segal – Washington Post;  Guardian

Harvey Pekar – Blog.Cleveland; Newsweek

Stephen Joseph Cannell – NYTimes

Takeshi Shudo - Suite 101

John Steakley –   Dallas News

Stephen Perry – Tampa Bay Online

Jennifer Rardin – Guardian

The Secret of Platform 13

Pondering Bella & Edward’s sex lives

Via Bookshelves of Doom – Which of these five sex positions will Edward and Bella attempt on their wedding night? -  here is the article’s suggested soundtrack.

Books I read in 2010

Cover of Usagi Yojimbo, Book 1: The Ronin

I thought I had read very little the past year but this isn’t bad.  158 titles, depending on your judgment of what a ‘real’ book is.

I put in bold the titles I especially liked.

Juvenile Fiction  (Listed alphabetically by title)

1. Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
2. Andrew Lost: In the Garden by J. C. Greenburg
3. Andrew Lost: On the Dog by J. C. Greenburg
4. Aphrodite the Beauty by Joan Holub
5. Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer
6. Bargain Bride by Evelyn Lampman
7. Beast by Donna Jo Napoli
8. Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs
9. Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson
10. Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe
11. Cam Jansen and the School Play Mystery by David A. Adler
12. Coraline by Neil Gaiman (Newbery)
13. Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins (Newbery)
14. Crunch by Leslie Connor
15. Danny Dunn, Scientific Detective by Jay Williams (rereading)
16. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
17. Dolphins at Daybreak by Mary Pope Osborne
18. Don’t Sit On My Lunch by Abby Klein
19. Dragon Magic by Andre Norton (rereading)
20. Escape  to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key
21. Fairy’s Return by Gail Carson Levine
22. Frognapped by Angie Sage
23. Good Masters!  Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz (Newbery)
24. Guys Read: Funny Business  edited by Jon Scieszka
25. House of Dolls by Francesca Lia Block
26. Iron Ring by Lloyd Alexander
27. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos
28. Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka
29. Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka
30. Light Maze by Joan North
31. Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
32. Miss Daisy is Crazy by Dan Gutman
33. My Life as a Book by Janet Tashjian
34. Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr
35. Pharaoh’s Daughter by Julius Lester
36. Skate Park Challenge by Jake Maddox
37. 39 Clues: Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
38. Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler
39. Uncle Pirate by Douglas Rees
40. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (Newbery)
41. White Captives by Evelyn Sibley Lampman (rereading)
42. Worry Web Site by Jacqueline Wilson

Teen & Adult Fiction  (listed by author surname)

1. Ideal Wife by Mary Balogh
2. Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
3. Geektastic edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
4. Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs  (rereading)
5. Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot
   
6. Original Miss Honeyford by Marion Chesney
7. Our Lady of Pain by Marion Chesney
8. Building of Jalna by Mazo De La Roche
9. Bite (anthology)  Laurell K. Hamilton et. al.
   
10. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
11. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
12. Unfinished Clue by Georgette Heyer
13. To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt
14. To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt
15. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
16. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
17. Christmas Wish by Betty Neels
18. Edge of Winter by Betty Neels
19. Romantic Encounter by Betty Neels
20. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult – post 1, post 2
21. Under Gemini by Rosamunde Pilcher
22. Dancing in Midnight by Julia Quinn
23. Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber
24. Androids are Coming.  edited by Robert Silverberg.
25. The New Girl by R. L. Stine
26. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
27. Watch Your Back by Donald E. Westlake
28. What’s the Worst that Could Happen by Donald E. Westlake

Comics (Listed alphabetically by title)

1. Anita Blake: Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton, Stacie Ritchie #1
2. Anne Frank by Sidney Jacobson
3. Babymouse: Queen of the World by Matthew & Jennifer Holm
4. Bachelor Prince by Debbie Macomber, Misao Hoshiai
5. Batman: Crime Time by Bill Matheny
6. Black and White by David MacAuly (Caldecott Medal)
7. Black Bird by Kanoko Sakurakoji #1
8. Bleach by Tite Kubo #1, #2, #3
9. Bone: The Dragonslayer by Jeff Smith #4
10. Bone: Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith #1 (rereading)
11. Bone: Eyes of the Storm by Jeff Smith #3
12. Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Michael Burgen, Jose Alfonso Ocampo Ruiz
13. Breaking Up by Aimee Friedman
14. Butteflies, Flowers by Yuki Yoshihara #1
15. City of Light, City of Dark by Avi
16. Copper by Kazu Kibuishi
17. Empowered by Adam Warren #1
18. Fall in Love Like a Comic by Chitose Yagami #1, #2
19. Foiled by Jane Yolen, Mike Cavallaro
20. Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya #1, #2, #3
21. Geisha by Andi Watson
22. Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel
23. In Odd We Trust by , Dean Koontz, Queenie Chan
24. Justice League Unlimited: United We Stand by Adam Beechen
25. Other Side by  Istvan Banyai (wordless)
26. Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto #1, #2, #3
27. Peach Fuzz by Lindsay Chibos, Jared Hodges #1, #2, #3
28. Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci, Jim Rugg
29. Robot Dreams by Sara Varon
30. Scooby-Doo in The Agony of De Feet! by Robbie Busch
31. Scott Pilgrim: Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley
32. Shinobi Life by Shoko Konami #1
33. Spider-Girl: Touch of Venom by Tom Defalco
34. Spider-Girl: Bedeviled by Tom Defalco
35. Spider-Girl: Fun and Games with the Fantastic Five by Tom Defalco
36. Stepping on Roses by Rinko Ueda #1, #2
37. Stitches by David Small
38. Tail of the Moon by Rinko Ueda #1
39. Tiny Titans: Welcome to the Treehouse by Art Baltazar
40. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Young Kim
41. Usagi Yojimbo: The Ronin by Stan Sakai #1
42. Usagi Yojimbo: The Samurai by Stan Sakai #2
43. W.I.T.C.H. : Between Light and Dark #4
44. Zebrafish by Sharon Emerson
45. Zinc Alloy vs. Frankenstein by Donald Lemke

Nonfiction  (listed alphabetically by author surname)

1. Time Traveller Book of Rome and Romans by Heather Amery (rereading)
2. Caribbean Pirates by George Beahm
3. Sandman Companion by Hy Bender
4. Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain
5. Past Imperfect edited by Mark C. Carnes (rereading)
6. What Do Illustrators Do? by Eileen Christelow
7. Don’t Know Much About the Pilgrims by Kenneth Davis
8. Philosophy of Horror by Thomas Fahy
9. How to Talk to Your Dog by Jean Craighead George
10. How to Talk to Your Cat by Jean Craighead George
11. Art of the Comic Strip by Shirley Glubok
12. Online Kids by Preston Gralla
13. Ultimate Indoor Games Book by Veronika Gunter
14. We Gotta Have It by Esther Iverem
15. Talking about Detective Fiction by P. D. James
16. Dark Game: True Spy Stories by Paul Janeczko
17. Mistakes that Worked by Charlotte Jones (rereading)
18. 5001 Nights at the Movies by Pauline Kael
19. True-Or-False Book of Cats by Patricia Lauber
20. You Wouldn’t Want to be a Roman Gladiator! by John Malam
21. Weird U.S. by Mark Moran
22. Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern
23. Pick Me Up by Jeremy Leslie, David Roberts
24. Write Your Own Graphic Novel by Natalie Rosinsky
25. So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George, David Small (Caldecott Medal)
26. So You Want to Be an Inventor? by Judith St. George
27. Smart Aleck’s Guide to American History by Adam Selzer
28. Swords, Spears, and Sandals: The Story of the Roman Legions by Richard Suskind
29. Great Shark Stories by Valerie Taylor
30. Paperfolding to Begin With by Florence Temko (rereading)
31. Girls Think of Everything:  Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine Thimmesh
32. Whatcha Mean, What’s a Zine? by Mark Todd
33. Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
34. Story of Three Whales by Giles Whittell

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