Netflix Limbo is a series of articles that examines the films that may have been skipped over in your Netflix Queue but need to be watched immediately.

To leave a legacy in this day and age can be a tough thing. With so much available to you with technology; to simply document your life is no longer a feat. But what about before all that? What about before we could see a life streaming as it happens on the Internet? If you truly understand what it means to not only leave a legacy, then you will understand why Senna is such an important name.

In the self titled documentary “Senna”, the film follows the career and life of formula one racing drive Ayrton Senna. Now, I will admit my knowledge of formula one racing begins with the video game “F1 Pole Position” and ends with Sacha Baron Cohen’s portrayal in the racing farce “Talledega Nights”. From that limited experience, I can fully admit that a film chronicling an athlete of a sport I knew very little about didn’t interest me. So there it sat at the very front of my Netflix Queue for months on end. Many people told me to see this film but I just made one excuse after the next. Fortunately, one morning I was just awake enough to finally give those suggestions a try. This documentary is not only an amazing work of art but one of the finest films I have ever seen.

What truly makes this documentary extraordinary is the fact that it contains all the necessary factors needed for an amazing documentary and then some. The footage of the film is what truly makes it stand out above the rest, because that is all you see. There are no talking heads but merely voices in the background that narrate this story you feel should have been told a long time ago. We see footage from when Senna was very young all the way and through his famous career. The audience is given a front row seat to this man’s amazing life through family home movies, driver’s seat racing footage, intimate interviews, and private conversations. The footage shown throughout the film feels so personally by the end, you feel as if you truly knew Senna.

When the film ended I couldn’t help but feel impacted in a way that a documentary hasn’t done in a very long time. I not only implore you but demand of you to see this film as soon as possible. It has a story that unfolds with characters so rich you would think they had to have been written. “Senna” will have you captivated from start to finish with a pacing that simply can’t be matched. The film is directed flawlessly by Asif Kapadia, a director that after seeing this film will be one to constantly watch out for years to come.There are movies that you should see and then there are movies you HAVE to see; the documentary “Senna” is both.

“Senna” is now available on DVD/BLU Ray and Netfllix Watch Instantly

A lot of people are unhappy with the changes Netflix has made, but I still think they offer the best service out there (mostly due to their Watch Instantly library). Here’s 10 reasons why:

1. All the Criterion films on Instant. New and old, there’s a lot and they keep adding more.

2. Every season of Mad Men is on Instant. The new season doesn’t start until 2012, you have plenty of time to catch up.

3. Lots of MST3K. Always good for a laugh.

4. Troll 2 and the countless other “so-bad-they’re-good” movies. These are good when you want to host your own version of MST3K.

5. Miniseries, trilogies, and more. If you have the time, these are all worthy marathons.

6. Louie Season 1. It’s the best show on TV right now. If you haven’t seen it, you need to. If you have seen it, watch it again.

7. The New Arrivals for Instant aren’t half bad. Everything from 13 ASSASSINS and HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN to COLD WEATHER and I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS.

8. All seasons of South Park. Still the best animated series out there.

9. The films of Jan Svankmajer. Several of them are on Instant. If you haven’t seen any, it’s time to change that.

10. National Geographic. Whether you want to learn about the Science of Dogs or the World’s Most Dangerous Gang, it’s all there.

Are you keeping your Netflix service? If so, why? If not, what service are you switching to?

Remember channel surfing? Remember staring at the television, vacuous, changing channels compulsively, brainless and never really watching anything?

With the advent of TiVO, Netflix streaming, Amazon streaming, hulu, youtube, ad infinitum, a new world was opened up to us: focused entertainment. No more channel surfing. In most cases, no more commercials. No more scheduling our evenings around entertainment–the entertainment schedules itself around us. Together, we’ve embraced this new technology, revelling in the new worlds opened up to us, but have–if you’re anything like me–realized that tv still hasn’t cured boredom.

Netflix streaming has saved me tons of money–I no longer have to buy all four seasons of Battlestar Galactica or Veronica Mars. There’re tons of eclectic films available that I’d never have shelled out five bucks to rent: I am Love, Hunger, Duck, You Sucker, Night and The City, The Orphanage, The Devil’s Backbone. Most of the great documentaries end up on Netflix streaming. I’ve been introduced to great films by Johnnie To, Errol Morris, Woody Allen, and Steve McQueen.

So why the heck do I still end up browsing my Netflix queue for hours? It feels like I haven’t finished a thing I’ve started on Netflix lately. Among my abandoned viewings:

- The British show Downton Abbey, an ecstatically reviewed show that I found ludicrously boring.

- Mesrine: Killer Instinct, a hyped up French action film compared to the works of Melville. I gave it forty minutes. In spite of the great performances, I felt like I’d seen the movie a dozen times before.

- Hunger, which I couldn’t stomach. It’s a good film… I just couldn’t
stomach it.

- Shutter Island, which I’m watching for another article. For some reason
I just keep losing interest. I even liked the movie. I just… urgh.

- Max Ophuls’ masterpiece “The Earrings of Madame De…” I didn’t even
make it through the opening credits.

I keep clicking on random titles hoping to be surprised. Normally I’m disappointed. The last streaming film that grabbed me by the delicates and
never let go was “A Man for All Seasons.”

At the end most of my aimless video binges, I end up working on something, whether it be a writing project or and one of the films I’ve been working on lately.

The lesson, as of late, seems to be that man finds more satisfaction in
creating than consuming. As much as childhood has me wired to sit in front
of the TV and watch Nickelodeon for six hours, it often feels like a waste
of time now. I don’t watch to enjoy, I watch to create noise so I don’t
have to think or feel. It’s rare that I have a nice communal TV viewing
experience lately, unless it’s with family–and even then I’m such a
workaholic that I end up working on something while it’s on. I don’t know if I’m over it all or what–a man just needs a hill to climb, or something. Or maybe my attention span has atrophied to the point where I can’t sit for two hours and watch something. Or maybe the movies aren’t as good.* There’s a part of me that’s tired of sifting through hours and hours of garbage, trying to find a single work of art that I can connect with. It doesn’t click with me as easily as it used to. Even with 50,000 titles to look through, I can’t help feeling like I’ve seen it all before.

*Eh–I’m sure they mostly sucked back then, too.

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