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

To lie or not to lie, that is the question. Not posed by William Shakespeare of course but rather by the growing interest of “documentary” films today. I recently screened two widely discussed films, “Catfish” and “Exit Through the Gift Shop”. But rather than simply review them, I’ve decided to take a different approach.

What these two films have in common and why I’ve chosen an alternate path to writing this article, is because both films have been questioned of their legitimacy. What’s odd, is that these aren’t the first documentaries to be asked of this however it seems to be a growing trend. Though with all of this controversy surrounding these films, you have to wonder if that was the producer’s plan all along.

Let’s begin first by analyzing each film separately and then from there decide which film in fact holds merit, and which film simply is holding your cash. The first film is “Catfish”, one that I had high expectations for and one that I also enjoyed. Although it should be pointed out that going into this film without knowing it, I believed it to be a work of fiction. The film revolves around the relationship between the center piece of the documentary (also the filmmaker’s brother) and a girl he meets online. I can’t say much more than that although, in the digital age we live in today the film is very interesting. Later, when curious of the film’s reception, I researched it and discovered that the film was actually listed as a documentary. Upon realizing this I also found that many, like myself, questioned the very same thing. What is used as proof of the film’s fraud is that there are scenes that are too convenient to the “arc of a story” and to the “composition of a film”. Furthermore, at the Sundance Film Festival and when asked about the film’s legitimacy, the director’s of the film shut down the Q & A panel, which didn’t help. Regardless of the films authenticity, I still enjoyed it but also can understand why a simple concept and modest budget would attract producers.

What’s truly astounding about this argument in general is while seeing the second documentary, “Exit Through the Gift Shop”, I believed the film to be real. Although once again, once finished with the film I learned that others like me had also wondered of this film’s “true meaning”. The difference in contrast is far more apparent than with “Catfish”. This reason being that the film centers around a street artist known as “Banksy” who is infamously known for his elaborate pranks and also serves as the film’s director. When figuring this out and looking back at the film, of course I became more curious. My final bit of curiosity relied on whether or not the film itself was just another media stunt or if it was making an extremely ironic point about media stunts in general. Though real or not, like “Catfish”, this film is one that is highly entertaining and shouldn’t be missed.

So, two documentaries, real or fake, have been released and it raises the idea of whether or not it matters. In comparison, the recent film “I’m Still Here” about actor Joaquin Phoenix’s recent “retirement from acting” anchored completely on the idea of whether or not the film’s plot was real. When discovered that [SPOILER ALERT] it was in fact a fake, many wrote the film off in its entirety. While somewhat harsh, it’s easy to understand since the film had no real story other than the audience wondering if the film was based on truth. Once again a problem many of Hollywood films are faced with today, you have to base a film around a story not a concept.

While the subject of fake documentaries may be shocking to some, in filmmaking it’s nothing new. The difference being that in most “fake documentaries” or “mockumentaries” as they are often called, the lie is more forthwith. Whether it’s in film with a movie like “Best in Show” or in Television with examples like “The Office” and “Modern Family”, the concept has been seen before. What’s important to realize in all of this is that just like any human being it is what’s inside that counts, and if the film, like a person, has no heart then it’s not worth the effort.

Is it better to be appreciated in your own time, or later discovered for your unacknowledged brilliance? This is something I can’t help but question in the film box office as of late. I was driven to examine this very question after a recent screening of the film “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”.

“Pilgrim” felt like the film people had been wanting for quite some time, and yet when finally released it underperformed; why? When a film has a poor box office gross it could always be a number of things. Sometimes it could be timing, competition, or, in some cases, a scandal involving the film’s cast or crew. The reason why I find this subject so alarming is it feels that lately the films I enjoy the most are the ones that take the mass audience a long time to appreciate.

Now granted this isn’t always the case, but I analyzed every movie I have seen this year and besides two (“Inception” and “Shutter Island”) these films were largely ignored by the public. It started early this year in April when I saw “Kick-Ass” and “Macgruber” at both festival and theater screenings, then later continued when I looked back at other films I enjoyed but no one else saw.

The strangest thing, and definitely the most annoying, was the ignorance of the people who hadn’t seen these movies to begin with. The biggest complaint I heard from people who DIDN’T see “Kick-Ass” was that they said they don’t like superhero movies. While this is a valid complaint when it comes to a film like this, if they had actually watched it they would see the film addressed this very issue.

Normally I would chalk this up to mere ignorance, but there seems to be a growing epidemic of film preconceptions. This happened just a month later with “Macgruber” where people simply just wrote the film off entirely even when it had some surprisingly good reviews.

To put my own movie preconceptions to the test I screened two films against my will. My roommate’s girlfriend had previously recommended two films to me and I scoffed at both. She told me to give them a chance because I was being too cynical and I replied with just more cynicism. To make amends, I told her I would watch the two films with her and give my honest opinion. What were these two films you ask? “The Ugly Truth” and “The Last Song”, yes I know, bad, right? I swallowed my pride with a big, nervous gulp and went where few men have boldly gone before.

When it came to “The Ugly Truth”, I knew the film would be bad by both my standards and that of the general public. Katherine Heigle is a “1-note actress”, she has only proven herself in one role (“Knocked Up”) and has simply replayed that same sassy yet slightly annoying character in different shades since. I also knew by the bad acting and atrocious dialogue in the trailer that I had a pretty good idea of how the film would play out. So what happened after I was done viewing the film? Was I surprised? No, of course not! Because, SPOILER ALERT, the two characters who “hate” each other by the end fall in love just as I predicted and yes Heigle’s shades of Grey acting were all the same. The sad part about this is, I fell asleep halfway through the film because I knew this very thing would happen, so I had to wake up and endure the finale.

By the time I finished “The Ugly Truth” I simply did not have it in me to finish the “The Last Song”. I watched the first half of the film and after realizing the similarities between the two, I knew I would not be fooled twice in one night. So while I gave the films that I had preconceptions about a chance, I’m sure you are asking, what did I learn?

Well to be honest, not a whole hell of a lot, sadly. What I did scrape by with however, was this; when you decide whether or not you want to see a movie, do your research. Now I know that sounds like work but it’s really not. The reason why I knew “Knight and Day” would be an enjoyable film was because both the director (James Mangold -  “Walk the Line” “3:10 to Yuma”) and it’s star (Tom Cruise) have proven track records. The reason why the film failed at the box office however was simply because people are unwilling to forgive Mr. Cruise for his past transgression in the tabloids.

So stop basing your opinion of a movie on a trailer or a man’s religion, but maybe see what the film is about and who the writer or director was instead. To compare, the films the director of “The Ugly Truth”  had made previously were “Legally Blonde” and “Monster-in-Law”, yeah ’nuff said. It’s not too hard to detect the bad films of the world out there, but occasionally you can be fooled. Although when it comes to bad movies I’d much rather watch “Dinner for Schmucks” again instead of watching Miley Cyrus try to act.

Sterling Cooper. If you have no idea what that name means or signifies, than I’ve already lost you. However, if you do know what Sterling Cooper means than you can understand why it makes “Mad Men” the OBSESSION OF THE WEEK.

For most people I know, “Mad Men” is a show that takes a little while to not only understand but to also love. Yet once you do get the premise and genius of the show, you’re completely hooked. As soon as you hear the short but sweet symphony begin the title sequence, you know what it means; it’s Draper time. Draper being the main character behind the show, Donald Draper to be exact. Don Draper works at Sterling Cooper, an advertising agency in the 1960′s, hooked yet? Yeah, neither were most people.

Though the more you watch the more you realize not only the significance of advertising in the 1960′s but also how you’ve been transported into a whole other world that you’ve never before witnessed. Granted, it’s probably because most of the show’s fans weren’t alive when it’s many historic events occurred. Whether they are representing a Bra company that asks “are you a Jackie or a Marilyn” or showing the beginnings of racial stereotypes in advertisements. “Mad Men” is a show that interests both history buffs and culture aficionados alike.

That’s not to say the show doesn’t offer many other eye popping interests as well. With a fantastic premise the show boasts a beautiful cinematic look all its own while still being faithful to the time period. “Mad Men” also has a fantastic cast of mostly relative unknowns and a writing staff that previously worked on “The Sopranos”. If that’s not enough to make you watch I’m not sure I can better convince you.

What else makes the show so addicting is the lifestyle it presents, when watching an episode your tempted to make yourself an “old fashioned” just to feel like you’re in that world. With sharp dialogue, amazing costumes, and set decoration, it’s very easy to get wrapped up in this place that time may have forgotten.

Don’t miss out on this engrossing and masterfully made program. It’s worth every drop.

Mad Men airs Sundays at 7:00 ET 10:00 PST on AMC