Why 1995 Was Probably the Best Year Ever for Movies
When Taylor Swift sings about stars aligning as she meets one of the many men of her dreams, I grimace. "Stars do not align! They never align! What does that even mean?!" I shout at her while listening to "Love Story" for the third time that morning on the train. Explaining the desirable outcome of an unprecedented combination of complementary events with the alignment of stars is a simplistic and ignorant approach to understanding anything. A complex and lengthy series of circumstances and decisions is what leads each of us to any given moment, not stellar synchronicity. READ MORE
Previously: 
Hate Actually
With its cast of international superstars, 135-minute running time, nine interconnecting subplots, and ostentatious tagline “The Ultimate Romantic Comedy,” Richard Curtis’ Love Actually seems to have made its way into the pantheon of Christmas classics by sheer force alone. It’s a glossy, big-budget film with borderline-detestable examinations of love and romance containing perhaps three genuine moments that seem to be of our own universe, but Love Actually is one terrible Christmas movie that has strong-armed its way into the hearts of millions (including my own) despite being absolutely terrible. And this is why. READ MORE
That Movie You Should Watch On Netflix Instead of Melancholia or Jack & Jill
Melancholia opens and closes with [spoiler alert?] the end of the world. Director Lars von Trier removes all uncertainty, showing us that Earth and all its inhabitants will be obliterated by the film’s end — that there will be no twist, only death. And the feeling of dread that's present throughout Melancholia is similar to the one found in the trailer for Happy Madison Productions’ dark new drama Jack & Jill. No, unlike Melancholia I have not seen Jack & Jill in its entirety, but those two minutes and 30 seconds of promotional footage were all I needed to decide it is as devastating as von Trier’s haunting meditation on depression and the apocalypse. READ MORE
That Movie You Should Watch on Netflix Instead of That Movie Released in Theaters Today
There are only two movies being released widely today. One is a big budget heist movie with a cast from 1996 by the director of The Family Man and Rush Hour 3. The other is the continuation of a dumb joke that began with the first Harold and Kumar movie. No, you really shouldn’t watch Tower Heist or A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas 3Dthis weekend, but you can always find something similar to watch instantly on Netflix. READ MORE
That Halloween Movie You Should Watch on Netflix Instead of That Non-Halloween Movie Released in Theaters Today
It’s Halloween weekend, so if you don’t want to pay $13 to see one of today’s many new releases, watch one of the many Halloween-ready movies available instantly from Netflix instead. The week’s biggest horror story is that Hocus Pocus isn’t streaming, but the following selections should come close to making up for its absence. READ MORE
That Movie You Should Watch on Netflix Instead of That Movie Released in Theaters Today
If you don’t want to pay $13 to see a movie this weekend, watch a complementary title available instantly from Netflix instead. Or don’t. Or realize that today is your sister’s birthday and brainstorm selections for a celebratory movie marathon that the two of you would watch if you both lived in the same city. It would probably begin with a breakfast of eggs and grits while watching My Cousin Vinny, and transition into the ultra-violence and illiteracy of Freeway with Reese Witherspoon and Kiefer Sutherland. As a break from the blood, we’d watch Heart and Souls, followed by a nice Shirley MacLaine double feature of Two Mules for Sister Sara and In Her Shoes. For dinner we’d have BBQ ribs while watching the cannibals in Ravenous, and then we’d close it off with Overboard because it’s common knowledge that every day should end with a Randy Newman song. READ MORE
