5 Flix Pix to Please Plenty

With promotional ads for Star Wars, Krampus, Sisters, and other recent releases gracing the internet, it might be time to leave the house and hit the theaters with your friends.

Or maybe not.

When I want to watch a movie, I turn to Netflix and grab some snacks from my cupboard rather than a 20 minute drive to the Walnut Creek theater, where I pay 10 dollars for a single movie (2 dollars more than a month of Netflix) and then pay double that amount for the horribly unhealthy food and beverage options at the concession.

The only drawback to having an unlimited number of movies at my fingertips is that I usually scroll through the hundreds of titles and am left paralyzed with indecisiveness.

Here are a few Netflix title recommendations that should make the queues upon queues of options a little less overwhelming.

Kill Bill 

While many shower praise on the classic Pulp Fiction or the more recent Django Unchained, for me, Kill Bill  is Tarantino’s best directorial effort. With witty characters, a well-developed plot, and more action than most “action” movies, Kill Bill is the ultimate entertainment.

City of God

The allure of this film is its realism. This isn’t to say that I necessarily enjoy documentaries or real events more than I do fiction, but the lack of hyperfocused plot development –no romance, no dramatic speeches, no happy ending to make the audience feel good– is a refreshing one. Guns, shooting, and drugs –think Narcos, but less talking and more shooting. And more hardcore. And Brazilian.

The Shining

Lauded as one of the best horror movies of the modern era, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining follows hotel caretaker Jack Torrance’s psychological downfall during a winter season with his family at the Overlook Hotel. Though the fear factor has withered with age, the premise, dialogue, and supernatural intrigue more than compensate. Moreover, with the burden of finals drawing nearer, you might find yourself sympathizing with the deranged murderer. “No one cares about my responsibilities?” Same, Jack. Same.

Dude, Where’s My Car?

This is the original Hangover movie. No matter how badly your day is going, a run-through of stoners Jesse and Chester’s antics will make you feel a hundred times more shibby.

Gladiator

A moving film about a dishonored general forced to participate in gladiator contests after the throne is seized by the late emperor’s jealous son, Gladiator didn’t win 4 BAFTA awards for nothing. A perfect balance of drama and action, this is the film to try for anyone interested in war films who want a bit of substance along with their violence.