Netflix Ate My Brain

Here's what Netflix bestowed upon my mailbox this week.

Idiocracy

To test its top secret Human Hibernation Project, the Pentagon picks the most average Americans it can find -- an Army private (Luke Wilson) and a prostitute (Maya Rudolph) -- and sends them to the year 2505 after a series of freak events. But when they arrive, they find a civilization so dumbed-down that they're the smartest people around. Mike Judge and Etan Cohen ("Beavis and Butthead") reteamed for this futuristic farce."

Oh, Netflix, did you recommend this to me because I loved Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny? You have so much to learn about me. Because when you make a movie starring stupid people? It's best if the movie itself is really smart. Idiocracy had an interesting concept, but it ended up being as dumbed-down as the people it mocks. Turned it off half-way through.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

"This sequel to the 2005 blockbuster follows Fantastic Four superheroes Reed (Ioan Gruffudd), Sue (Jessica Alba), Johnny (Chris Evans) and Ben (Michael Chiklis) as they battle the enigmatic Silver Surfer (Doug Jones), who travels the earth preparing it for total destruction. Director Tim Story's comic book adventure introduces viewers to the space-faring explorer Silver Surfer, created in 1966 by legendary Marvel writers Stan Lee and Jack Kirby."

Yay! Chockful o' hunks, up to and including the Surfer himself, looking all sleek and sexy on the outside and deep and dreamy on the inside, thanks to the velvet tones of Lawrence Fishburn. This movie was so well done, the special effects did everything the serve the story, the cast isn't overtaxed, and the stylists probably had a lot of fun trying to make Jessica Alba look smart enough to say scientific things.

An Inconvenient Truth

"Director-producer Davis Guggenheim (HBO's "Deadwood") captures former Vice President Al Gore in the midst of waging a passionate campaign -- not for the White House, but for the environment. Laying out the facts of global warming without getting political, Gore makes a sobering impression in this Oscar-winning doc on the audiences who hear his message, urging them to act "boldly, quickly and wisely" ... before it's too late to act at all."

Jesus Christ, this movie scared the shit out of me. As a somewhat lazy liberal who voted for Ralph Nader in 2000, I came away from this movie nearly in tears that Gore didn't become our president and we've spent the last six years blowing up Iraq and ignoring the worst environmental disaster in world history. Excuse me, I have to go write some letters to Congress. And then I'm going to finish watching . . .

Not Just the Best of the Larry Sanders Show, Disc 2

"As the title says, this isn't just the best of "The Larry Sanders Show," the Emmy-winning cable-TV hit about the life of talk-show host Larry Sanders (comedian Garry Shandling). It's also a collection of more than eight hours of exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage capturing Shandling interacting with a slew of the show's celebrity guests, including Alec Baldwin, David Duchovny, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Sharon Stone and Tom Petty."

I have nothing to say except that this was the best-written, funniest, most shockingly human and heartbreaking show on television, ever. I haven't gotten to the interviews yet, and I have to stop now because my computer's making a noise like it's a jetliner taking off on an international flight and it smells like burning rubber.

Comments

[Jessi]

Idiocracy was a great movie - total satire - you should have watched it all the way through - it gets better!!

[heather]

I liked Idiocracy too... I think I remember doubting it until about half way through, my husband is known for getting these movies that no one has heard of and usually there's a reason that no one has heard of it! But by the end of this movie, I decided I really liked it; it was different and I thought it was surprisingly smart!

[Kelly]

definitely give Idiocracy another shot. I was meh about it the first time I watched it, but subsequent viewings have made it one of my all-time faves. You have to let it grow on you a bit.

[ap]

I watched Idiocracy all the way through, but I wish I had turned it off -- or not gotten it at all. I agree with you, Mrs. Kennedy. Wasn't smart enough.

[Michele]

I remember feeling the same way you did after watching An Inconvenient Truth and then I looked over at my husband who was sound asleep. I used scotch tape to keep his eyes open the next night.

Feel all out of the loop with Idiocracy, but it's now on my queue for shits and giggles.

[BaltimoreGal]

How about Gore getting all "Nobel" as well?

[Maxine Dangerous]

But it has electrolytes! ;)

[melanie]

Idiocracy, I think, is probably going to turn into one of the great cult classics. Don't be so quick to judge.

[Hot Librarian]

Idiocracy is probably my favorite movie right now. I loaned it to a friend and got REALLY anxious when she didn't return it right away because I have to watch it like every 2 weeks.

It has also convinced my husband that we need lots more children.

[T.]

De-lurking to ask you to definitely give Idiocracy another chance!

I usually just watch DVDs once and return them right away, but I watched this one at least three more times over a two day period.

"Uh...water...you mean, like, from the toilet?" ;-)

[tom]

idiocracy is so wonderful. it is already quite a cult film as you can see from the comments here! so completely ridiculous, in the best way.

[Mrs. Chili]

I MUST watch An Inconvenient Truth....

[Sarah]

Idiocracy is great satire! It's good but yeah parts are stupid, which actually is kind of the point. Haha, sort of scary though. =)

[Mrs. Kennedy]

People, I have loved my share of stupid comedies but at the moment this will not one of them. I should add that it didn't help that Jack had gone from hopeful to bored and had his thumb on the remote so we could switch to a sure thing (Larry Sanders). Sometimes, the Netflix, she offers too easy a way out.

[sweetney]

gonna haveta join the chorus of "IDIOCRACY GOOOOOD" here, dude. and now if you'll excuse me, i have some batin' to take care of...

[rebeccala]

um, not to judge, but seriously? tenacious d? with the d--- pushups (as a PLOT device!)?

count me in for idiocracy.

[The Muse]

Okay, so my bf rented Idiocracy for me one weekend while I was stuck in bed from a neck injury. I spent a good portion of it snickering and/or laughing until my jaw hurt.

Then I realized that I'd been on vicodin for 3 days and attributed my amusement to the narcotics.

Not so fast...

Watched it again a few days later and *still* thought it was great.

[Robin]

Add me to the pile of people saying Idiocracy is great. In this time of American Idol worship and turning a blind eye to anything important while we watch Britney's private parts leave another car, it's especially poignant.

[Mrs. Kennedy]

See, that's one thing that bums me out, that the movie encourages you to feel superior to other people.

[tom]

i dont need encouragement to feel better than other people, i just need them to tell me their opinions on art.

[julia m.]

Eden, you described Idiocracy's flaw exactly.

I think it totally fails as the cathartic laugh-fest it could have been for many adults, but it strikes me that it might be perfect for sixth-graders, and I don't mean that in a snotty way. The idea of combatting anti-intellectualism is gotten across, a message the young set definitely needs, and the level of "dumb" would crack them up quite a lot, I think.

It pissed me off so much because it was a waste of (studio) money and (studio) indulgence -- neither of which will likely be given again for the same type of (potentially very interesting) project. It could have been so much smarter, so much funnier.

[julia m.]

Eden, you described Idiocracy's flaw exactly.

I think it totally fails as the cathartic laugh-fest it could have been for many adults, but it strikes me that it might be perfect for sixth-graders, and I don't mean that in a snotty way. The idea of combatting anti-intellectualism is gotten across, a message the young set definitely needs, and the level of "dumb" would crack them up quite a lot, I think.

It pissed me off so much because it was a waste of (studio) money and (studio) indulgence -- neither of which will likely be given again for the same type of (potentially very interesting) project. It could have been so much smarter, so much funnier.