Are you spending hours going through your Netflix queue trying to find that perfect movie to watch and make your night complete? Stop wasting time! We have the perfect recommendations for you! Sit back, relax, and check out the Instant Pix below (we picked them special, just for you).

PAY TO SEE (May not be the best thing you’ve ever seen, but entertaining and worth the price of admission.)

The Science of Sleep A timid young man can’t control the fantastical plots and images of his dream world from intruding into his waking hours in this science-fiction romance from director Michel Gondry.

Not as good as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but not as bad as Human Nature. This is a good effort from Gondry, lots of great scenes here and really good performances too. A lot of potential, but just falls a little short. A must-see if you’re a fan of Gondry’s other work, plenty of fun visual gags and creative special effects.

I LIKE AVATAR (If you like Avatar, and Jason Statham is your favorite actor, this is for you. Light on story and heavy on blowing crap up!)

Crank 2: High Voltage After surviving the brush with death that ended the first Crank film, top assassin Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) returns in this action-packed sequel to track down a ruthless Chinese mobster who has stolen his most prized possession: his heart.

I couldn’t finish the first Crank because it gave me a migraine, but I decided to try out Crank 2 anyway. I can’t deny that this movie is pretty fun. It’s completely over-the-top and hilarious. It’s like live-action looney tunes for adults.

REEL LIFE (Documentary recommendation.)

Restrepo Hunkered down with the soldiers in one of the region’s most strategic valleys, the filmmakers uncover the dark humor, sleepless surreality and constant anxiety of war in this Oscar-nominated documentary.

See it before the Oscars this weekend. The footage that the filmmakers capture here is phenomenal, they literally put their lives at risk every day to get this film made. Possibly the most up-close and personal war documentary ever made.

FILM BUFF (For the elite. The smug, film nerds that are willing to sit through a 3 1/2 hour B&W foreign film.)

35 Shots of Rum This heartfelt slice-of-life drama by filmmaker Claire Denis tells the story of widower Lionel (Alex Descas), a train driver, and his grown daughter, Sophie (Mati Diop).

This film takes a little patience, but it is driven by some very well-written characters and exceptional acting. A good example of how stories are sometimes better told with rich characters and not heavy plot.

OLD SCHOOL (Old enough to be on VHS, but not quite old enough to be a classic. Or good enough.)

Brotherhood of Justice Fed up with the violence and crime swarming the halls of his suburban high school, a popular jock (Keanu Reeves) recruits a band of student vigilantes who dub themselves the Brotherhood of Justice.

I was obsessed with this movie as a kid! I mean, the title is Brotherhood of Justice, how can it not be kick-ass? Keanu and Kiefer are in top form here. This movie is a forgotten 80′s classic, mostly because it was straight to video and rated “M” for mature. Don’t let that discourage you though, this movie defies stupid mpaa ratings, it’s that radical!

HAVE A DRINK (These ones will probably be best after you’ve had a few drinks)

Leprechaun 5: In the Hood The bloodthirsty Leprechaun (Warwick Davis) is back — and this time he’s killin’ in the ‘hood. When a group of wanna-be rappers gets jilted by pimp Mack Daddy (Ice-T), the young victims exact their revenge by breaking into Daddy’s place and stealing his stuff.

Ice-T, Coolio, and a rapping Warwick Davis create pure gold! Yes, the pun was intended. I’ve seen this movie countless times and it just doesn’t get old. I have a feeling this gem of a movie is also the reason for this awesomeness.

be sure to check back on our Instant Pix section for more recommendations

Are you spending hours going through your Netflix queue trying to find that perfect movie to watch and make your night complete? Stop wasting time! We have the perfect recommendations for you! Sit back, relax, and check out the Instant Pix below (we picked them special, just for you) :

CLASSIC (Oldy, but goody. Most likely B&W, and undeniably good.)

“Stagecoach”

John Wayne and John Ford, what else do you need to know? If you recently saw True Grit and are in the mood for more Western, check out this classic. Criterion recently did a release of this and it’s about as good as it gets.

DRAAAMA (Heavy-hitting Drama that will drain you emotionally, but a great film nonetheless.)

“A Woman Under the Influence”

One of John Cassavetes’ best and most heartbreaking films. Anyone who has ever had an interest in acting, or just really enjoys seeing an actor give 100%, needs to see this film. Gena Rowlands pulls off what I consider to be the best female performance ever put on screen. The great Peter Falk ain’t to shabby either. This little gem is pure independent filmmaking.

WHAT’S ON TV? (TV Shows worth investing in.)

“Stella”

Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter and David Wain (from “The State”) star in this hilarious, but short-lived, Comedy Central series. I dare you to watch the first episode and not laugh your ass off. It’s lowbrow humor, but lowbrow humor done right. If you’re a fan of Dumb & Dumber, you’ll love this show.

JUST MISSED IT (New movies to Netflix Instant that were recently in theaters.)

“Exit Through the Gift Shop”

My pick for Best Film of the Year. Exit Through the Gift Shop is hilarious, original, and extremely entertaining. What are you waiting for?

WORD OF MOUTH (Smaller Indy films that you might not have heard of, but are definitely worth seeing.)

“This Is England”

A powerful and moving drama about a young boy from the UK that gets wrapped up in the skinhead scene in the mid 80′s. Loosely based on the childhood of the director, Shane Meadows, this is one of those great films that just gets better with each viewing. Two things that I especially loved about this film: The excellent score by Ludovico Einaudi, and one of the best child performances I have ever seen, by Thomas Turgoose.

YOU COULD DO BETTER (You probably could have done a better job making this movie. So bad it’s good.)

“Killer Klowns from Outer Space”

Um…. read the title one more time. Yeah, trust me, it does not disappoint.

FOR THE FAM (Bust out the popcorn, a movie the whole family can enjoy!)

“Clifford”

For most people Clifford seems to either be that movie you love or that movie you hate. I always thought this movie was very funny, but I can understand why some people might think Martin Short playing a 10 year old is a little creepy. Yes, it is in fact a little creepy, but that is half of what makes this film work. To me, this is Martin Short at his best. If you take this for what it is and don’t try to over-analyze it, I think it’s hard not to laugh at every little thing Short does.

be sure to check back on our Instant Pix section for more recommendations

by contributing writer Howard Anderton

Dune.

Man, Dune.

That movie sucks.

David Lynch.

Man, David Lynch…

Unquestionably, he’s one of the most gifted filmmakers who ever lived: David Lynch, a bona fide weirdo, and the grand transgressor of American cinema. His best scenes live on in your mind just like those dreams you’ll never forget: the nightmarish arrival of Robert Blake in Lost Highway, the circus-freak march of The Elephant Man, Dennis Hopper’s oxygen mask in Blue Velvet.

Some of Lynch’s work I embrace and love: The Straight Story is amazing. But most of his work I either don’t touch with a ten foot pole or don’t have the stomach to finish. Admittedly, the only films in the first paragraph I didn’t shut off were The Elephant Man and Blue Velvet. I loved The Elephant Man. I wish I could unsee Blue Velvet.

As alienating as his films are to me, he is a erudite man and a gifted communicator.

The man knows film, and he knows how to communicate his love for film. Heck, even our tastes are similar—he loves Hitchcock even more than I do. I have an intense amount of respect and admiration for Lynch, and for his command of the medium.

And then we have Dune. I was six years old when I first saw this film, and it stuck in my head: The bad guys’ six-inch-long eyebrows… The super-evolved, space-folding psychic monster men… knife-fights with bizarre yellow energy shields… Sting… Even as a kid, I wanted to like the film—giant worms and spaceships, come on!—but it didn’t make a lick of sense.

Thank God for Netflix streaming. In a moment of idle curiosity, I found Dune again. I’ve been on a pre-90s sci-fi kick lately (old school Doctor Who! Yes!!), so I clicked on it…

…and oh my goodness, I feel like throwing up.

The film opens with a shot of Virginia Madsen staring at the screen, fading in and out, setting up the world of Dune for us by talking directly to the camera. It is the year 10,000-something. Something about “the spice must flow.” A bunch of weird names like Atrides and Arrakis. I’m sort of captivated—kudos to Madsen and Lynch for creating a dreamlike erotic atmosphere… but I can’t understand a word she’s saying. Is that English?

Check the opening out. I can’t embed it from youtube, but you can watch it here.

Fade down Virginia Madsen. Fade up opening credits.

And then comes one bizarre, incredibly over-plotted, incomprehensibly weird scene after another.

The casting’s insane: Kyle Maclachlan, Patrick Stewart, Linda Hunt, Francesca Annis, Dean Stockwell, Sting, Jurgen Pronchow, Brad Dourif, Max von Snydow, Richard Jordan, Fernando Rey, Sean Young. All somehow leave a distinct impression on the viewer, delivering full-bodied characterizations in the midst of a very messy film.

The villains of Dune are classic David Lynch. Brad Dourif, whose ridiculous pyscho-religious dialogue and bizarre gestures and body language set the viewer on edge. Kenneth McMillan as a flying, psychopathic fat man. A bunch of attendants with their eyes and ears sewn shut. A psychotic doctor who whispers sweet nothings into Kenneth McMillan’s ears while sucking puss out of his face. A bald witch lady. Michael Bolton.* Sting.

About halfway through the movie—long after I gave up trying to make sense of it–Kyle Maclachlan and his mother get stranded in the desert. They’re taken in by some sort of native terrorist tribe run by Everett McGill, who has the coolest voice this side of James Earl Jones. From this point on, the movie threatens us with comprehensibility… there’s a neat sequence where Maclachlan uses some sort of psychic shouting thing to blow up rocks. The giant worms show up. The editing becomes smooth (it’s a complete hack job up until this point), and the film’s atmosphere becomes stronger. In another sequence, Kyle Maclachlan drinks a potion and goes on an acid trip. When he wakes up, the giant worms are sitting at his feet like puppy dogs, and he’s become, apparently, some sort of Future Space Jesus Christ.

At this point, I have the impression that Lynch may have had a good film here somewhere during the editing process.

I also have a headache. I pop a Tylenol and continue.

Finally, there’s a climactic battle in which the heroes attack a future space dessert city while riding giant worms. It should be noted that the special effects here aren’t the greatest, and the battle looks like… well, it’s a bunch of penis-shaped worm puppets attacking a miniature city.

The good guys win. Virginia Madsen shows up for the first time since the opening, speaking one line (why was she in this movie again)? Kyle Maclachlan fights Sting and stabs him to death. Then Kyle Maclachlan, summoning his Future Space Jesus Christ powers, makes it rain. Cue closing credits.

All in all… what the heck just happened?

That said, I think there was a good film in there. It should have been an hour longer, allowing Lynch to flesh out the story and give us something more comprehensible. The novel Dune is based on is thick—like 544 pages. It is regarded as the Lord of the Rings of science fiction—i.e. it is a unique, intricate, and complete world, filled with maps and glossaries and mishmash. Imagine if the first Lord of the Rings film had been cut down to two hours. We all would’ve hated it.

According to my research,** Lynch turned in a four hour cut, and it was chopped down by the producers for release—Lynch was contractually obliged to turn in a two hour film. An obvious mistake on the producers’ part.

Ridley Scott was developing Dune to direct before Lynch, and had suggested splitting the first book’s story into two films. This was probably the wisest choice. The Sci-fi Channel’s miniseries adaptation of the novel spanned six hours, and apparently made a lot more sense. There’s just too much information in the novel to adapt into a sensical two hour film.

Lynch’s film has its good points, buried in an obsence mess of uniformly awful editing. The score by Toto is sublime. The cinematography by Freddie Francis is atmospheric and heady. The performances, as I noted earlier, are full-bodied, weird, and attention-grabbing. And it has the touch of an auteur, which can make a terrible film like Dune more entertaining to me than vacuous fluff like Night at The Museum.

That said, it still made me wanna throw up. Netflix it at your own risk.

· Bolton can be spotted in a single shot at the end of the film. He plays a drummer during a climactic knife fight between Sting and Kyle Maclachlan.

** By research, of course, I mean Wikipedia.

Robert Duvall turns 80 today.

Hiyao Miyazaki turns 70.

The blogosphere’s heaping an incredible, much-deserved amount of attention on the great Robert Duvall, and there’s no way I could show my appreciation better than they do.

But I’m not reading a lot about Mr. Miyazaki, who along with John Lassiter remains the most important filmmaker in the world.

Here’s a smattering of trailers for his masterful animated children’s films:

Two years ago, I stood less than six feet from both Mr. Lassiter and Mr. Miyazaki in the press pit at San Diego Comic-Con.  I swear I got misty-eyed when Miyazaki, humble and soft-spoken, emerged onto the stage to promote his latest, the ecstatic fantasy-comedy Ponyo (which you should watch right now on Netflix streaming).  As I saw clips from Ponyo, I witnessed an animator who had completely reinvented his style, abandoning computer-aided drawing for a hand-drawn technique that at times looks almost fingerpainted.

He is one of the few filmmakers that is so gifted at invoking sense that you can almost smell the film.  But his images, often hallucinagenic in their beauty, are built around carefully constructed, specific stories.

His masterpieces–My Neighbor Totoro, The Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Castle in The Sky–burst with candy-colored detail.  The gentle, character-based beauty of My Neighbor Totoro somehow uses animated fantasy to invoke the works of Ozu.  The Princess Monoke is an uncharacteristically dark, rich action film.  Spirited Away is Alice in Wonderland for this generation: a bold fantasy that works as both family entertainment and acidic satire.  Castle in The Sky stands as a masterpiece of action filmmaking and environmental dogmatism.

Take some time today to investigate the immense, captivating worlds created by Hiyao Miyazaki.  Happy birthday, Sensei.

I like recommending films to people, especially now that people have so many films that they can Watch Instantly on Netflix. It makes it so much easier. So, with that said, I’m starting this little section that is devoted to film recommendations based off of what is currently available on Netflix Instant. These won’t archive very well as the Netflix films rotate in and out of Instant Watch, but I’ll still keep old posts up in case you decide to add the film to your regular queue.

I am not going to do big write-ups on the films I recommend, just maybe a sentence or two. Preceded by a link and brief synopsis from Netflix. I will list them by categories (and with icons), which you can find below. You can find a brief explanation of each category if you’re a little confused as to why I’m recommending certain films. I’ll probably only recommend a handful of the following categories with each post. I won’t be able to do every category like I am demonstrating here.

Lastly, I will be posting these randomly, I won’t be posting once a week or anything. I’ll try to get a couple up each month. I will number the posts too so that’s easy to keep up with how many there have been. If you watch any of the recommendations please leave a comment letting us know if you liked or disliked the film. Happy movie watching!

CLASSIC (Oldy, but goody. Most likely B&W, and undeniably good.)

RASHOMON Considered one of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s masterpieces, this Oscar-winning crime drama unfolds as four witnesses to a rape and murder report their versions of the attack, leaving the viewer to decide what really happened.

Kurosawa, Mifune, and samurai swords. What more do you need?

DRAAAMA (Heavy-hitting Drama that will drain you emotionally, but a great film nonetheless.)

PARIS, TEXAS Director Wim Wenders is at his offbeat best in this “road movie” about weary drifter Travis Henderson (Harry Dean Stanton). In a quest to rebuild his life and reconnect with his son, Travis — who’s been gone four years — tries to untangle his thorny past with his wife (Nastassja Kinski).

I adore this film. Beautiful cinematography and a wonderful performance from the incomparable Harry Dean Stanton. One of the best films I’ve ever seen on the subject of divorce, and lost love.

WHAT’S ON TV? (TV Shows worth investing in.)

BRICK CITY Mayor Cory Booker, Police Director Garry McCarthy and Central High School Principal Ras Baraka join the citizens of Newark to fight an uphill battle against crime, poverty and corruption in the New Jersey metropolis.

This is a 5 part mini-documentary-series that originally aired on The Sundance Channel. The access that the filmmakers have here is phenomenal. This show is so engaging, it’s some of the best TV programming I’ve seen in a loooong time. You can’t write stuff this good, unless of course you’re a writer for The Wire. Which by the way, if you are a fan of The Wire, this show is an absolute MUST.

JUST MISSED IT (New movies to Netflix Instant that were recently in theaters.)

MOON As he nears the end of a lonely three-year stint on the moon base Sarang, astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) begins to hear and see strange things.

Ok, so it was probably over a year ago that this was in theaters, but that’s ok because I think most people missed it. A great psychological thriller with some sci-fi elements and an amazing performance by the great Sam Rockwell. Worth watching for the Clint Mansell score alone.

WORD OF MOUTH (Smaller Indy films that you might not have heard of, but are definitely worth seeing.)

SHOTGUN STORIES Set in southeast Arkansas, this cautionary indie tale from director Jeff Nichols tracks a blood feud that erupts when two sets of half-brothers come to blows at their father’s funeral.

A powerful, but subtle, revenge film. Doesn’t focus on the violence of revenge but rather the consequences. I loved the fresh take on this genre. I also loved the fact that the feud is between two sets of brothers all with the same father, such great writing.

YOU COULD DO BETTER (You probably could have done a better job making this movie. So bad it’s good.)

CON AIR When the government puts all its rotten criminal eggs in one airborne basket, it’s asking for trouble. Before you can say, “Pass the barf bag,” the crooks control the plane, led by creepy Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom (John Malkovich).

This first 5 minutes of this movie get me every time! So, so, soooo funny! Some of the worst acting you’ll ever see from some of the best actors working today, Cage especially.

FOR THE FAM (Bust out the popcorn, a movie the whole family can enjoy!)

3 NINJAS A neat twist on The Karate Kid finds three youngsters — Samuel, Jeffrey and Michael — aiding their grandfather (Victor Wong III) in his fight against an old “friend” named Snyder, who turns out to be a corrupt FBI officer.

“We should run, we should hide, we should kick their butts!” With the new Karate Kid coming out, this is a good warm up. If you’re afraid this is just a movie for the boys, and the girls in the family won’t enjoy it, boy are you ever wrong! There’s a girl in it… somewhere. Anyway, also make sure to take note of the basketball scene, not since White Men Can’t Jump have I seen such moves put on screen.

PAY TO SEE (May not be the best thing you’ve ever seen, but entertaining and worth the price of admission.)

SINGLES Generation X neighbors share their bittersweet, intertwined stories of the single life in director Cameron Crowe’s quirky relationship comedy set against the backdrop of Seattle’s grunge music scene in the 1990s.

For the ladies, this is basically the original Sex and the City. Definitely dated, and not that great, but fun to look back on. Grunge is actually back in style, so the ripped jeans and flannel shirts won’t look too unfamiliar. Full of Cameron Crowe’s (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) sappy dialogue.

I LIKE AVATAR (If you like Avatar, and Jason Statham is your favorite actor, this is for you.  Light on story and heavy on blowing crap up!)

THE ROCK When a disgruntled ex-Marine (Ed Harris) seizes Alcatraz prison, taking hostages and threatening to blanket San Francisco with nerve gas, the feds send in a strike force led by a chemical-weapons expert (Nicolas Cage) and an ex-con (Sean Connery) who broke out of “the Rock” years earlier.

Pure action awesomeness.

REEL LIFE (Documentary recommendation.)

THE YES MEN This humorous documentary monitors the exploits of a group of jokester liberals who make names for themselves as they mimic members of the World Trade Organization at various venues across the globe.

Funny, entertaining, informative, and educational. The perfect ingredients for a great documentary. Watch it for 10 minutes and I bet you won’t be able to turn it off.

FILM BUFF (For the elite. The smug, film nerds that are willing to sit through a 3 1/2 hour B&W foreign film.)

FUNNY GAMES An affluent German family is settling into their lakeside vacation home when a young man named Peter (Frank Giering) comes to the door asking to borrow eggs. Anna (Susanne Lothar) is alone in the house while her husband (Ulrich Muhe) and son (Stefan Clapczynski) are off swimming.

This is the original one, I haven’t seen the remake yet. When I first saw this film it haunted me long after and I immediately wanted to track down everything by Michael Haneke. I was hooked from the moment that classical music turned to death metal in the opening title sequence. This film meets the insatiable appetite we Americans seem to have for violence in cinema. It pries our mouths open and forces it down our throats with a shovel.

OLD SCHOOL (Old enough to be on VHS, but not quite old enough to be a classic. Or good enough.)

THE PISTOL: THE BIRTH OF A LEGEND “Pistol” Pete Maravich (Adam Guier) pushes himself to the limit in this stirring biopic recounting the National Basketball Association all-star’s adolescence and first year on his high school’s varsity squad.

I used to watch this film religiously as a kid. It’s the story of Pete Maravich and how he learned the game of basketball. If you’re not into basketball then you could still watch the film and make a drinking game out of it. Take a shot every time there is a montage and you’ll probably blackout in the first 45 minutes.

Which brings me to our last category…

HAVE A DRINK (These ones will probably be best after you’ve had a few drinks)

THE OCTAGON A group of terrorist ninjas have been wreaking havoc on the life of a wealthy woman named Justine (Karen Carlson), so she hires former karate champion Scott James (Chuck Norris) to be her bodyguard.

Ok, I know the whole Chuck Norris thing is way played out, but this film is golden. This is the type of film that made Chuck Norris what he is today. You have to watch at least 15 minutes of it just to hear the hilarious, whispering voice-over that Norris does throughout the film.

be sure to check back on our Instant Pix section for more recommendations