Food, Inc.
There is a burgeoning category of movies that aim to make you never want to eat again. You already stopped eating at McDonald’s after you saw Super Size Me (which perhaps deserves it’s own post, as it’s available on Hulu Plus), but Food, Inc., has surely added to the ranks of vegetarians and locavores.
Parts of this documentary are down-right unwatchable (like the pig farming episode of This American Life), but it’s a must-see if you want to know where your food comes from. In fact, Food, Inc., makes a much better companion to the best-selling Fast Food Nation
Just know, you may want to get your last junk-food fix in before seeing it, because you won’t want it afterwards.
Top Gear
BBC’s Top Gear is a car show, of course, but it’s more than that. It is one of the best-shot shows on television, and it’s truly funny (even if you don’t get the British pop culture references). Even if you don’t care about cars, you’ll likely enjoy the hosts’ friendly rivalry, the often-ridiculous challenges and the best segment: Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, where celebrities compete for the best time around a road track in a compact car.
The worst thing about Top Gear is that it isn’t really available in the U.S. Alright, yes, BBC America shows Top Gear episodes on a six-or-so-month delay, but they cut them up to make room for commercials, and they don’t bother to show all of the episodes anyway.
Netflix has seasons (or series as Brits say) 10 through 12 available for streaming, which will get you the episodes from 2007 and 2008, which isn’t so long ago that the cars are no longer relevant (if that’s your thing). Short of piracy, it’s the only way to really enjoy Top Gear in the States. At the very least, you should check out a few episodes before watching the History Channel’s upcoming American version of Top Gear so you understand what an uphill battle the U.S. show really faces.
Top Gear: Series 10 on Netflix
Top Gear: Series 11 on Netflix
Top Gear: Series 12 on Netflix
