What I learned over the holidays: Things I watch edition

So given a little time to hang out and some much needed recovery time, I have been able to watch some great stuff in the past couple months. None better than:

In The Loop 

Surely one of the most Brittish movies I've ever seen, even though half the cast was made up of and half the plot revolved around Americans. So if you have a couple hours available and you can get through the first five minutes of bind blowingly quick English dialogue, you will be doing yourself a favor. It's brilliantly written, sarcasticaly hilarious, and doesn't take itself seriously at all; despite the incredibly serious scenario.

I never would have thought a political comedy starring James Gandolfini and the grown up little chick from My Girl could be so good, but my buddy Evans and I watched it last month and were pretty blown away. And if you  know Evans, he hates everything (mostly himself... and probably me) so that's saying a lot. Thank you Netflix and hungover Saturday afternoons.

Misfits

Staying with the theme of shows from the merry motherland, Hulu Plus has started to come in handy by picking up shows that Netflix doesn't have.

The only thing that could make the first season and a half of this strange British sci-fi drama comedy better is if they only played songs from the band the Misfits.

Five young people (I say young people because I have absolutely no idea how old they're supposed to be) doing community service are caught in a freak lightning storm that gives them each a secret superpower. Sounds pretty typical and not that fun until you hype up the violence, make each character seriously flawed, and then introduce crazy super villains each week and the fact that a shitload of other people have gotten powers too. It's fast, it's fun, it's addictive, the accents are fantastic, you're going to like it, but if you don't you probably hate everything, mostly awesome things.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

There is only goodness about this movie. I have been hearing about it for a couple years now, but it finally got released this year. I have no idea how someone could see this movie and not want to give the filmmakers a ton of money and the actors huge hugs.

Completely flipping the college kids go camping genre around, Tucker and Dale takes everything Wrong Turn and the like has sucked at doing for years and does it amazingly.

Allan Tudyk (if you haven't watched Serenity/Firefly/Dodgeball/Knocked Up/A Knights Tale or anything else he's ever been in you are doing yourself a huge disservice, he's awesome) is awesome. He's one of the best actors around right now and he can play any role ever. Never would have pictured him as a hillbilly trying to go on vacation, but it works.

Same with Tyler whatever his last name is, the big dude from Reaper (another show you should have watched, but nobody did), who perpetually plays the big should be ugly dude who gets the pretty girl and actually makes me believe it's possible. Gives fat bearded guys around the world hope.

I just watched Tucker and Dale and I already want to watch it again. In fact I will do that much sooner than later and you should too. Thank you Netflix and whoever else had anything to do with making/distributing/letting me watch this movie.

Dive!
I hate to keep giving Netflix so much attention, but if you want to see these things I figured I'd make it as easy on you as possible. Dive is a documentary that you think is going to be about dumpster diving, but ends up being about hunger, waste, corporate ridiculousness and hipsters in LA. Besides how they look, they never get tell you about the bands they heard about first or assure you that you wouldn't understand something they've "conceived". Instead they make a remarkably artful documentary that is only an hour long and is a really fun watch. If it doesn't make you question at least a couple things then it isn't the movies fault, it is strictly your fault and you are wrong in every way. Why? You wouldn't understand. Maybe you should listen to the new Kitty Grundle track, oh, you've never heard of them, yeah, they're pretty underground, you're probably used to mainstream stuff like Ripping Hammer and Hygenic Pixie. Oh, you've never heard of them either?

OTHERS


I also just saw the last few episodes of Rescue Me, which ended up being better than the last three seasons put together. I realize this isn't breaking any ground or blowing anyone's mind, but if you got lazy with watching the show after it jumped the shark while riding another shark, like I did, I'm just saying, you should give the last season (at least the last three episodes) a chance.

Find yourself a copy of Another Earth. Very cool, totally worth the watch. Might even be on Netflix, I don't know.

I also watched Super 8 again... not as good as the first time. Still good, just not as good. Still recommend it, but if I weren't really tired and lazy I think I would adjust the first Nerdy Things for Nerds post about summer blockbusters.