Sunday, September 2, 2012

Netflix Instant's Best Movies

Updated : 9/30/12










Movie
Genre
IMDB
Rating
Expiring

Nothing Sacred (1937)
Comedy
7.4
Sept 14
Another great screwball comedy with Carole Lombard, this time with Fredrich March.

The African Queen (1982)
Action
8.0
?
Watch two of the greats, Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn, as they ride the creaky African Queen down a river in 1916, East Africa.



The Thing (1982)
Horror
8.2
?
John Carpenter's story about an alien in the Antartic. Kurt Russell stars.




Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Drama
8.6
?
Billy Wilder's story of an aging former film star and a struggling writer. Wonderful movie.




The Omen (1976)
Horror
7.6
?
If you like horror this is the movie to watch. The devil's son is adapted by an American ambassador (Gregory Peck).




The Conversation (1944)
Drama
8.4
?
Francis Ford Copolla's great movie has Gene Hackman and John Cazale playing surveillance experts.




Braveheart (1995)
Action
8.4
?
William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson, unites the 13th Century Scots in an attempt to overthrow English rule.




Traffic (2000)
Drama
7.5
?
Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas) is appointed by the President to lead the war on drugs, only to discover that his daughter is a drug addict. Won four Oscars.




Shoeshine (1946)
Drama
8.0
?
Another great neo-realist film by Vittorio De Sica. This one has two boys in Italy, the year after the war ended, trying to make enough money to buy a horse.




Super 8 (2011)
Adventure
7.2
?
A group of friends try to make a movie with their Super 8 camera back in the summer of 1979. A very well done science fiction movie.




Downfall (2004)
History
8.3
?
A fascinating look at Adolf Hitler, in his last days in the bunker under Berlin.




Warrior (2011)
Action
8.3
?
A movie about two brothers, their father and mixed martial arts. It shouldn't have a 8.3 rating on IMDB but it was pretty good.




Platoon (1986)
War
8.2
?
A movie by Oliver Stone that shows the horrific side of the Viet Nam war. Oscar for Best Picture and Best Director.




Quest for Fire (1981)
Adventure
7.3
?
The best movie ever made about prehistoric man. When a tribe loses its carefully guarded supply of fire, one of them sets out to find some more.




Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Gangster
8.0
?
The gangster classic based on the true story of the most famous bank robbing couple in history.




Captain America : The First Avenger (2011)
Action
6.8
?
A very solid superhero movie finds Captain America fighting the Nazis.




The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
Mystery
7.2
?
I'm a big fan of Sherlock Holmes' movies and this one by Billy Wilder is my favorite.




Kick-Ass (2010)
Action/Comedy
7.9
?

A comic book fan decides he wants to become a super hero. Really different black comedy that may cross the border to be disturbing for some.

The Big Lebowski (1998)
Comedy
8.2
?
Every time I see this Coen brothers comedy I like it better. Huge cult following (count me in).




Harry Brown (2009)
Crime
7.3
?

Michael Caine gives a great performance as Harry Brown, a retired ex-serviceman who sets out to avenge his best friend's murder. Violent and disturbing.

Sin Nombre (2009)
Crime
7.6
?

A drama about gang life in Honduras. Brutal, disturbing and scary.

The Long Goodbye (1973)
Detective
7.6
?

Director Robert Altman has Eliot Gould playing detective Philip Marlowe who is trying to help a friend accused of murdering his wife.

Cinema Paradiso (1988)
Drama
8.5
?
An art house movie about a famous film director who recalls his early years in a Sicilian village where he developed his love for film and a girl named Elena. This is a movie that you can really fall in love with.




The Fighter (2010)
Action
7.9
?
Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg play brothers in this boxing movie based on a true story. Christian Bale won Best Supporting Actor and Melissa Leo won Best Supporting Actress.




Winter's Bone (2010)
Drama
7.3
?


Jennifer Lawrence, the star of The Hunger Games, was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as a teen growing up in poverty and crime in the Ozarks mountains. A great performance in a really good movie.

Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)
Comedy
7.8
?

Preston Sturges made some really good movies, but this is my favorite.

Chinatown (1974)
Drama
8.4
?

An 8.4 rating on IMDB is very high, but it is probably too low for this great film.

The Producers (1968)
Comedy
7.7
?
A one note story that really works. Outrageous Mel Brooks comedy.




The Graduate (1967)
Comedy/Drama
8.1
?
Works as a comedy and a drama. Iconic film.




This is Spinal Tap (1984)
Comedy
8.0
?
A mockumentary that some people will think is the funniest movie that they have ever seen, while others will think it is the worst movie ever made.




The Woman in the Window (1944)
Film Noir
7.8
?
This movie is what film noir is all about. Edward G. Robinson never knew what hit him.




Chop Shop (2007)
Drama
7.2
?
A movie that brings you to the Queens, NY, as we visit the lives of Alejandro and Isamar, as they hustle to make a living. Roger Ebert has listed it as one of his Great Movies.




Donnie Darko (2001)
Fantasy
8.2
?
A six foot rabbit tells Donnie to do some bad things in this cult classic.




Kes (1969)
Drama
7.7
?
English director Ken Loach's wonderful story about a poor working class boy and the pet falcon that he grows to love.




Marathon Man (1976)
Action
7.6
?
Dustin Hoffman and Lawrence Olivier star in this movie about a Nazi war criminal who wants to know if it is safe.




Oldboy (2003)
Drama
8.4
?

A mystery thriller that will not be for all tastes. If you like Tarantino then you will like this movie about a man who is imprisoned for 15 years and is then let loose to find out why he was imprisoned (from Korea with subtitles).

The Bicycle Thief (1948)
Drama
8.4
?

An art house movie that is the most famous, and the best of the Italian neo-realist movies.






The Stranger (1946)
Drama
7.5
?

A lesser known Orson Welles movie, that was also his most commercial, starring Orson Welles and Edward G. Robinson. Really good.

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
Crime
7.4
?
Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei and Ryan Phillippe star in a pretty good crime drama.




The Conspirator (2010)
History
6.9
?
The story of Lincoln's assassination is presented in a slow moving way, stripped of much of the drama. Trying to be true to history, and perhaps trying to draw parallels with the post 9/11 infringement of individual civil rights, some people will love this movie and others will hate it.




Rango (2011)
Animation
7.4
?
There's a new sheriff in town, and he's a chameleon. Great animation.




Scarlet Street (1945)
Film Noir
7.9
?
Another Fritz Lang film noir starring Edward G. Robinson. Watch it back to back with 'Woman in the Window'.




Mona Lisa (1986)
Foreign/Crime
7.8
?

A really good English crime drama starring Bob Hoskins.






Withnail and I (1987)
Comedy
7.3
?
Set in 1969, two unemployed blokes head out to the country to get some rest. A quirky cult favorite.




Shane (1953)
Western
7.7
?

The great Western starring Alan Ladd. Shootouts don't get any better than this. One of the greats.

The Last Emperor (1987)
Drama
7.8
?
A fascinating (but long) look at Pu Yi, the last emperor of China.




The Lady Eve (1941)
Comedy
8.0
?

A wonderful Preston Sturges comedy with Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda. I've seen it ten times and hope to see it ten times more.






War of the Arrows (2011)
Action
7.1
?
An action movie from South Korea set in 1636 has arrows flying all over the screen. If you liked Apocalypto you will probably like this similarly themed film with the evil Manchus chasing the Joseons (Koreans). It's not as good as 'Apocalypto', but it's still pretty good.




The Apostle (1997)
Drama
7.1
?
Robert Duvall is an unbelievably good actot, and this may have been his best performance




Duck Soup (1933)
Comedy
8.1
?
The Marx brothers at their zany best, which is as good as anything that was ever made.




The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
Crime
7.8
?

The original Swedish, subtitled version of the movie, is wonderful. Is it better than the 2011 American version? It's a film that needs to be seen twice anyways, so you might as well see each version. Graphically violent and disturbing.

Adaptation (2002)
Comedy
7.8
?
A quirky comedy with Nicholas Cage.




Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
Drama
7.2
?
An off-beat comedy starring Bruce Campbell with Elvis and JFK, both alive and in a nursing home, fighting for the souls of their fellow residents as they battle an ancient Egyptian Mummy. Doesn't seem like it should work, but somehow it does.




Ghandi (1982)
Drama
8.1
?
A very well done biography of Ghandi. A great performance by Ben Kingsley. Won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director. A long movie, over three hours but worth it for those who enjoy history.




Groundhog Day (1993)
Comedy
8.1
?
If you had the chance to live your life over what would you do? A really good movie with Bill Murray at his best. This is a movie that needs to be watched, and then watched again.




The Karate Kid (1984)
Action
7.0
?
A handy man teaches a bullied boy karate.




Snatch (2003)
Drama
8.3
?
Brad Pitt plays an Irish Gypsy (a 'pikey') in this Crime/Comedy Thriller. If you don't watch it with subtitles you will miss half the dialogue. Really, really different and really good.




Sneakers (1992)
Drama
7.0
?
Robert Redford and Sidney Poitier star in this computer conspiracy thriller.




Looking for Eric (2009)
Comedy
7.1
?
Eric Bishop, a postman who has a lot of trouble in his life gets advice from soccer legend Eric Cantona. A must for soccer fans.

Drive (2011)
Drama
8.0
?

Ryan Gosling staes as a mechanic and getaway driver who decides to help out his neighbor while her husband is away in prison. A very good action/thriller/drama.

Apocalypse Now (1979)
War
8.6
?
One of the greatest war movies ever made. Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, and Marlon Brando star. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."




Best in Show (2000)
Comedy
7.4
?
A funny mockumentary style movie about a dog show and dog lovers.




Michael Collins (1996)
Historical
7.0
?
Liam Neeson stars as the title character, who was influential in the forming of the Irish Free State in the 1920's. A complicated movie about a complicated subject.




The Patriot (2000)
War
6.9
?
An exciting movie about a family who gets caught up in the American Revolution starring Mel Gibson.




Rocky (1976)
Drama
8.0
?

After a two day absence from Netflix the iconic boxing movie starring Sylvester Stallone is back.

Adventureland (2009)
Comedy
7.0
?
In 1987, James a recent high school graduate gets a job he really doesn't want, at an amusement park. A pretty good little movie.




The Cider House Rules (1999)
Drama
7.4
?
Some good acting here with Michael Caine, Tobey Maguire and Charlize Theron. Homer is a young man raised in an orphanage who decides to leave to see the world. Presents both sides of the abortion issue and gets you thinking about whether "the rules" are fair to everyone.




Life is Beautiful (1997)
Comedy/Drama
8.5
?
You wouldn't think a comedy/drama in a Nazi concentration camp could work, but this one did. Won a bunch of Awards including Best Foreign Film (from Italy) and Best Actor in a Leading Role.




Rounders (1998)
Drama
7.3
?
A pretty good movie about gambling and debts and friendship starring Matt Damon, Edward Norton and John Turturro




Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Drama
7.3
?
A comedy/drama about the trials and tribulations of a young William Shakespeare. Won seven Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actress.




Thor (2011)
Action
7.0
?
Comic book super hero is sent down from Asgard to live among the humans. A pretty good movie that arrived to Netflix Instant rather quickly.




Serenity (2005)
Action
7.9
?
A very good science fiction movie following the adventures of the space ship Serenity and it's crew. Based on the Firefly TV show.




His Girl Friday (1940)
Comedy
8.1
?

Cary Grant plays a newspaper editor who is trying to keep his ex-wife and best reporter (Rosalind Russell) from getting married again. Never gets old.






Lonesome Dove (1989)
Western
8.8
?
Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, this mini-series had a great story, great acting and great production values. Almost 6 1/2 hours long.




Battle Royale (2000)
Action
7.8
?
Before there was The Hunger Games, there was this movie from Japan. A movie that became a cult classic very quickly. Brutal and disturbing : this is not for all tastes.




Hellboy (2004)
Action
6.8
?
A movie about the son of the devil who helps the FBI fight against Nazis and paranormal activity. It might not sound like something you would like, but try to think of it as Indiana Jones with horns on, and give it a try.




Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Comedy
6.7
?
A romantic comedy with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan that is very sweet and very watchable.




Twelve Monkeys (1995)
Science Fiction
8.1
?
A convict (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to discover the cause of a virus that almost wiped out the human race.




The Agony and the Ecstacy (1965)
Historical
6.9
?
Pope Julius II is determined to force a reluctant Michelangelo (Charlton Heston) to paint the Sistine Chapel.






The Bad News Bears (1976)
Comedy
7.1
?
The re-make wasn't too bad, but I liked this, the original version, with Walter Matthau and Tatum O'Neil better.




Boyz n the Hood (1991)
Drama
7.7
?
Cuba Gooding Jr., Lawrence Fishburne, Angela Bassett and Ice Cube star in this movie about friends growing up on the LA streets.




Donnie Brasco (1997)
Gangster
7.8
?
Based on a true story, a gangster named 'Lefty' (Al Pacino) takes on a protege (Johnny Depp) who happens to be an FBI agent. Wonderfully acted.




The Fifth Element (1997)
Science Fiction
7.5
?
In the twenty-third century a cab driver (Bruce Willis) becomes involved in helping to save the universe from an evil threat.




In the Mood for Love (2000)
Drama
8.1
?
An art-house style movie from Hong Kong about a man and a woman who both suspect their spouses of cheating. Some people will love this movie, others will fall asleep during it.




A League of Their Own (1992)
Comedy / Sports
7.0
?
Penny Marshall directed this movie about the the formation of a women's pro baseball league that formed in 1943. A great cast in a pretty good movie.




Love and Death (1975)
Comedy

7.7
?
Before Woody Allen started making more serious adult comedies, he made movies like this that made fun of everything that came on the screen. Here tsarist Russia is his target.




Once Upon a Time in the West (1975)
Western

8.7
?
A great Western by Sergio Leone. Off beat, beautifully filmed and wonderfully acted and directed. Who would have thought Henry Fonda could be so evil? Don't let Roger Ebert's review influence you.




Radio Days (1987)
Western

7.5
?
Woody Allen takes a look back to 1942 NYC, with a series of stories about a household and the radio they all listened to.




Raising Arizona (1987)
Comedy

7.5
?
A wacky, early comedy by the Coen brothers about a childless couple (Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter) who kidnap one of the quintuplets they see on TV. Really good.




Reds (1981)
Historical

7.4
?
A long, beautiful and wonderful look at the Communist movement in the US and John Reed who went to take part in the Russian Revolution. If you like history and you have never seen this, you should.




Superman (1978)
Action

7.3
?
With all the comic book superhero movies coming out these days, take a look back at how it was done really well over thirty years ago. Roger Ebert has added this to his Great Movie reviews




Sleeper (1973)
Comedy

7.3
?
A health food store owner, who had been frozen, wakes up in the future. Goofy, slap stick humor is not for all tastes (but I loved it).




Don't Look Now (1973)
Mystery

7.5
?
A couple (Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie) lose their daughter in a drowning accident and then move to Venice and start seeing her again. Spooky, haunting, creepy and mysterious. Recommended for people who enjoy re-watching a movie a second time.






Ronin (1998)
Action

7.2
?
Robert DeNiro and Jean Reno are a great combination in this spy/thriller. A pretty good action film.




The Devil's Double (2011)
Biography

7.1
?

Based on the story of Latif Yahia who was chosen to be the body-double of Saddam Hussein's degenerate son Uday. Dominic Cooper plays both Uday and Latif in what has been called the Iraqi Scarface. Brutal, graphic, disturbing ... will be fascinating for some.

The Girl Who Played with Fire (2008)
Action

6.9
?

If you liked The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo you will probably like part two in the series (in Swedish with subtitles)

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2009)
Action

7.1
?

Part three in "The Girl" series. I kiked them all. (in Swedish with subtitles)

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2011)
Crime

7.3
?

The last movie by the great Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Network, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico), is not one of his best but is still very good. In this adult drama, two brothers plan to rob their parents' jewelry store and no one comes out of it the same. Some will find it slow going, others great.






Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
Comedy

7.4
?
I love Woody Allen and this is my favorite movie by him. "My hand to God, she's gonna be at Carnegie Hall. But you - I'll let you have her now at the old price, OK? Which is, which is anything you wanna give me. Anything at all."




The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1984)
Crime

7.7
?
Cop, Walter Mattau and crook, Robert Shaw match wits in the NYC subway hostage thriller.




Memento (2000)
Drama

8.6
?
Before Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and Inception, Christopher Nolan made Memento. If you like being confused and watching a movie more than once, this is the film for you.




Rob Roy (1995)
Historical Fiction
6.8
?
Set in the Scottish Highlands in the 1700's, Rob Roy (Liam Neeson) has to fight for his wife and his land. Great cast with Jessica Lange, Tim Roth and John Hurt. One of the best sword fights ever shown on the silver screen.




The Chaser (2008)
Thriller
7.9
?

A movie from South Korea about an ex-cop pimp, call girls and serial killer. Not for the squeamish.






The Messenger (2009)
Drama
7.2
?

A soldier wounded in the Iraqi war gets a new assignment notifying the families of soldiers killed in combat. Great acting in a movie that some might find depressing.

Let the Right One In (2008)
Horror
8.0
?
Oscar an unpopular and bullied boy, falls in love with Eli, a girl who doesn't like to come out in the light and needs to drink blood to stay alive. A Swedish movie with subtitles (remade in 2010 as "Let Me In").




Reservoir Dogs (2008)
Thriller
8.4
?

Quentin Tarantino's first movie with Lawrence Tierney, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Steve Buscemi. A jewelry heist gone bad. Brutal, disturbing and really well done.


Posted by at
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)