The Men Who Stare at Goats
Here’s an interesting movie. A stacked cast, a quirky script, biting satire of the military industrial complex… and all based on a true story? Well, that was the pitch anyway.
I had to check it out just because of the tag line: “No Goats. No Glory.” In the end, the movie is as uneven as its Netflix reviews, which range from “headed for cult status” to “shockingly unfunny,” might suggest. Though I might point out to the latter reviewer that satire isn’t always laugh-out-loud funny.
This movie is worth seeing for at least two reasons: (1) to see George Clooney staring at things and (2) to form your own opinion of one of the strangest movies of the decade.
The Men Who Stare at Goats on Netflix
Chuck
When Chuck premiered three years ago, it didn’t seem to have much of a shot. It was promoted as heavily as some other new shows by NBC, and you could be forgiven mistaking some of the leads for stars from other shows (Zachary Levi says he gets mistaken for John Krasinski, and there is something very Seth Green about Josh Gomez).
But Chuck has all the style (and all the beautiful people) you’d expect from a show co-created by The O.C. and Gossip Girl’s Josh Schwartz. Plus, the action is decent, the jokes are funny and the characters are interesting. It’s also chock full o’ guest stars and geek culture references.
In a bit of a departure for Qworthy so far, Chuck’s previous seasons aren’t available for streaming anywhere, but the current season is on Hulu. Only the last five episodes are available at any one time (the first episode of the season expires in four days), but if you missed the season premiere and feel like jumping into a new series with both feet, head over to Hulu and check it out.
Weeds
Although Showtime has generally lagged slightly behind HBO in original series, it has a legitimate hit on its hands in Weeds, the story of a suburban soccer mom turned pot dealer. Some critics have said the show has passed its prime, but the good news for you is that means best seasons are on Netflix Instant.
It also doesn’t hurt that the main character, played by West Wing’s Mary-Louise Parker, is all kinds of hot. If only all suburban soccer mom pot dealers were so gorgeous. And it’s a rare title that can bring together fans of Desperate Housewives and Friday.
Weeds is currently nearing the end of its sixth season (and has been picked up for a seventh), and the first five seasons are currently available on Netflix.
Coupling
I suppose you could say we are in the habit of featuring British TV shows, but it’s not my fault there are so many available for streaming and this is only the third one, so get off my back. Wait, where was I? Ah, yes… Coupling. I guess you could call this the British Friends, only it’s funnier and much raunchier. If you watch much basic cable, you may recognize Gina Bellman from TNT’s Leverage.
There aren’t may shows that can make you laugh out loud (yeah, literally “LOL”) even when sitting by yourself in your living room. My advice is to avoid streaming it at work, because you’ll definitely get caught when everyone in the office gathers around your cubicle to see what’s wrong with you.
As with most successful shows from the old country, there was an attempt to make a US version (featuring Colin Ferguson, now of SyFy’s Eureka). Unlike The Office which re-imagined the series for a US audience, Coupling took the same route The I.T. Crowd later tried and just had American actors recite the same scripts. (I was also a little disappointed the US version didn’t use Cake’s version of Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps—the theme song from Coupling.)
There were four seasons of Coupling, and their all available on both Netflix and Hulu (free, not Plus), so do yourself a favor and carve out a few weekend hours for the next few weeks and check it out.
48 Hrs.
This is Eddie Murphy’s film debut and an action comedy that actually took the action part seriously. I still think about 48 Hrs. whenever I hear The Police’s Roxanne (though, to be completely honest the scene it recalls for me is from the beginning of Another 48 Hrs.).
My favorite scene is near the beginning, when Cates goes to the police station. It’s done all in one shot, following Nolte around the station, with multiple overlapping conversations, including Cates berating a witness.
Like me, you probably saw this movie on TV a dozen times throughout the 80s and 90s, but a word of warning if you only ever saw it on basic cable: don’t watch it with kids in the room. There is an ample supply of f-bombs and some nudity.
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Modern Family
Last year while most of the country was watching Charlie Sheen and John Cryer over on CBS, ABC was busy taking The Office’s formula (quirky, single camera, documentary style, with no laugh track) and applying it to the new traditional family. And they did it to great success—they just won the Emmy for best comedy (plus eight others).
The show is worth watching just to see Ed O’Neill in a family sitcom not playing Al Bundy. And Cameron Tucker (played by Eric Stonestreet) is the funniest character on television. We’ve still got a couple weeks before the fall TV season kicks off and the new season of Modern Family premieres. If you work real hard at it, you should be able to squeeze in all 24 episodes of season 1 before then.
The I.T. Crowd
Here at Qworthy HQ (HQworthy?), we love British TV shows. Well, the ones we have access to, anyway. When it comes to British workplace comedies, everyone knows The Office (though I get the feeling some people only pretend to like the original series) but less known over here is The I.T. Crowd. I.T. is less about cringe-worthy moments and more about broad physical comedy, but the best part, by far, is the slew references to nerdery—RTFM T-Shirts, Electronic Freedom Foundation stickers, a constantly telling callers to reboot their computers, social awkwardness… everything you love about the I.T. department.
The I.T. Crowd walks the line between completely ridiculous and standard “realistic” situation comedy in a way that U.S. multi-camera shows never seem to get right. As evidence, search YouTube for the dead-on-arrival NBC version of The I.T. Crowd staring Joel McHale. It has nearly the same script as the original and even brought over Richard Ayoade to reprise his role, but it hardly worked at all. (I suppose we can feel thankful that pilot wasn’t picked up, because Community is a great show that suits McHale much better.)
If you normally don’t go for British shows but like geek jokes and slapstick humor, this may be a good introduction. Or maybe you don’t care. They’ve made four short seasons of The I.T. Crowd, but only three have made it to video and Netflix streaming. Here’s to hoping season four comes along soon.
The I.T. Crowd: Series 1 on Netflix
The I.T. Crowd: Series 2 on Netflix
The I.T. Crowd: Series 3 on Netflix
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The Jerk
One day, after I’m wildly successful through some fluke of my personality quirks, I’d like to think I’d crash and burn as successfully as Navin R. Johnson, Steve Martin’s greatest character ever. From the opening lines through the end when he’s found in the alley clutching his beloved thermos, the titular Jerk is the funniest ass in all of Hollywood.
Like all good comedies, you either love it or hate it. And, if you love it as much as I do, you’ll take any opportunity to watch it. I think I’ll go do that now. And then I’m going to look into getting this site listed in the phone book.
Also, pizza in a cup.
Ghostbusters 2
The studios have long loved to make sequels, and now they also love to make those sequels available for streaming. I assume it’s just to spite me. But in this case the joke is on them, because Ghostbusters 2 holds up pretty well next to the original. Venkman’s TV show, Vigo the Carpathian, the river of slime, and the Statue of Liberty walking down the streets of Manhattan… what more could you ask for in a sequel?
I keep hearing rumors that they’re going to make a third Ghostbusters movie, featuring a whole new set of ‘busters. If they do make it, I’m sure it will be on Netflix streaming mere moments after it comes out.
Short Circuit
When you look over Steve Guttenberg’s body of work, one movie stands out as better than the rest. But since Cocoon isn’t available for streaming, we’re left with Short Circuit. It may not have won any Oscars, and it may have been slightly racist in parts (really, Fisher Stevens as an Indian?), but it was one of my favorite movies growing up. And it holds up surprisingly well, even with the dreadful ’80s attire.
They were shooting for a futuristic look, but the decades have revised Number Five into a sort of proto-steampunk robot traipsing around the world and learning what it’s like to be alive. Just remember: disassemble = dead.
