If you’re like me (read: unemployed, reclusive), you have a lot of free time on your hands, with a majority of that time spent by yourself. So, in the past months, between searching for a job, applying for a job, and anxiously waiting for any type of response from said job, I have taken solace in watching movies. I’ve always been drawn to movies as an easily digestible form of entertainment - less mindless than television yet less demanding than reading. The way I see it - at least I have some control over what I watch, know how long it’s going to take, and if it’s bad, I can at least stop without feeling any type of remorse for having wasted my time or money. I am used to watching movies by myself, and sometimes prefer it because I then don’t have to worry if anyone I am watching it with is enjoying it. If the movie turned out to be a bust, well at least I didn’t ruin someone else’s time. I also don’t have to deal with cynicism or the soul-crushing feeling of someone completely tearing to shreds something that I actually liked.
However, what started out as a way for me to escape the crushing boredom of having nothing to do has become one of the only things I do these days. I used to be the type of person that could not take viewing more than 1 movie in a day without feeling absolutely useless. Now I average, in any given week, 2-3 movies a day and am still eager to watch more. The only reason I do not continue watching is because I want to have something to watch the next day. Yes, I am aware of how sad that sounds, but I am not ashamed to admit it. I've wholeheartedly enjoyed every minute of it.
But why do I watch so many movies? I have already watched hundreds more movies than the average person our age, so why do I feel the need to watch any more? Don’t I get tired of it?
The answer is, “I should, but I don’t.” The great thing about movies is that for that hour and a half or so, we are required to give our fullest attention to one activity – watching that movie. That never happens these days. Even when we drive, there are a million things going through our head that by the time we arrive at our destination we don’t even know how we got there. So, when I watch a movie, I watch it for the sake watching the movie, making the decision that there is nothing else I would rather do in that moment than watch a movie. I’ll turn off the world, and experience it, just for that hour and a half, from the comfort and safety of my couch. The best movies allow us that. For that hour and a half, we can completely forget everything about the world, and watch someone else experience it. But the best things happen when we watch – we connect with the characters because in a lot of ways they are just as flawed as us, we relate to the stories because when we break them down it tells us something very real about our lives and the human condition. When we watch movies, in some weird sort of way, it helps us understands ourselves better. And for me, it serves as a daily dose of catharsis or even self-therapy. I fully understand that many of these performances are based on complete fiction, but it doesn’t make the act of experiencing it any less real. There is a quote by Picasso that I believe is (ahem) quite pertinent:
We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.
A good story is universal. Strip us of our phones and computers and what we will truly enjoy is a good story. We tell stories by the campfire; our older siblings told us stories to try to scare us; our parents tell us stories about how they fell in love. What I like about movies is the fact that the best ones are able to tell us that same story but also fill it with absolutely beautiful visuals and amazingly poignant and real performances that allow us to feel and understand that story in that moment. To be in complete awe of something is an amazing thing, and I am able to regularly experience it with movies. I get inspired, I become devastated, I learn new things, I drop old assumptions, and I feel better.
I simply may be the type of person easily influenced by the things that I see or hear (I believed in the boogieman until I was 13) but regardless, I love watching movies and will always continue watching too many for my own good. I encourage everyone to just sit down with a blanket and some popcorn and watch a movie. Don’t feel like your time might be better spent somewhere else or doing something else. Just sit down and enjoy it. Watch it for the sake of watching it.
And with that, I will now provide a few movies that you can watch for free, via Netflix Instant streaming:
Man on Wire – Fascinating true story about a French tightrope-walker who, in the 1970s, broke into the then newly-constructed twin towers with a group of his friends, suspended a tight rope across the two towers, and walked across the rope for 45 minutes before finally stopping. The story of the people involved, how they did it, and the eventual falling out as a result struck me as more interesting than the actual act itself. It’s funny, thoughtful, inspiring, and you will walk away from it extremely glad you watched it.
The Cove – One of the most emotional and graphic documentaries I’ve ever watched. About a cove in Japan, once a famous migration point for dolphins, now the largest site of dolphin slaughter in the world. The story is worth hearing, and the interviews with the crew that was able to catch this act in action are fascinating.
This American Life, Season 1 and 2 – Bar none one of the best series available on Instant Streaming. In the same format as the Chicago Public Radio Show of the same name, it’s the best slices of Americana that anyone can offer. Eat up and enjoy.
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Seasons 1-7 – One of my favorite shows of all time. The sole reason I've become so excited about traveling. Watch it if you haven’t.
Humpday – Mumblecore served up in a fresh can of PBR. A mockumentary of sorts about two old friends (guys, one married), who, after not seeing each other for a few years, meet up and decide it would be a good idea to make a porno with each other. The rest is comedy gold, and the dialog is some of the funniest shit I have ever heard.
The Big Lebowski – ‘nuff said. Watch it if you haven’t.
2001: A Space Odyssey – It would be a travesty to watch it on Instant Streaming, but it’s on there. But I’ll yell at you if you watch it on there. Rent it on Blu-Ray.
A Clockwork Orange – One of my favorite movies and books of all time. Watch it if you haven’t.
Oldboy – Korean movie. One of the best revenge movies of all time. One of the best endings of all time.
Let the Right One In – Swedish vampire movie. Not nearly as stupid as you think it is. It’s a vampire movie for people that actually have some dignity about themselves. One of the best movies of 2008.
The Motorcycle Diaries – The first time I watched this movie was for my Spanish class in college (in Spanish) and I always vowed to watch it again in English. It tells the story of Che Guevara and his longtime friend, Alberto Granado, as they took (what started out as a) motorcycle trip around South America. It’s a snapshot of the poverty and the social, cultural, and health issues that affected South America in the 1950s, as well as what provided the impetus for Che to become the person that he did.
The Flaming Lips: The Fearless Freaks – Watch if you love The Flaming Lips. Watch if you love music.
P.S. If you guys want a full list of my suggestions, sans-reviews, just tell me. I’ll post it in the comments.
Active Discussion