When the end of the month rolls around, Netflix takes the Leonidas approach: “Give them nothing, but take from them everything!” Nothing is what we get this week. Well, that’s not entirely true. We get mainly crap and one documentary I’ve been dying to see.
Leaving the Stream
- ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ (2/29): The loss of ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ means that there’s no more Miyazaki streaming instantly. Okay, technically you can still watch ‘Lupin the 3rd’, but that’s a pre-Ghibli film and really doesn’t have the same kind of charm. If you’ve never seen a movie directed by the man often referred to as the Japanese Walt Disney, then you owe it to yourself to watch ‘Howl’s Moving Castle‘ before it’s gone.
- ‘Party Down’ (2/29): I stumbled across this when looking for more Adam Scott (Ben Wyatt from ‘Parks and Recreation’). ‘Party Down‘ has to be the funniest show that I’d never heard of. The show has Scott, Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Megan Mullaly, J.K. Simmons and Jane Lynch, just to name a few of the many talents that appear on screen. Do yourself a favor and get on this one as soon as you can.
- ‘Toy Story 3’ (2/29): What can I say about ‘Toy Story 3’ that hasn’t already been said? I’ve seen it three times now. I’ve loved it every time and cried at the end every single time – several times during the last half hour, really. At the theater, I wept like a girl. That’s not a metaphor. The girl next to me was crying almost exactly like me. The point is, watch ‘Toy Story 3‘.
Entering the Stream
- ‘Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey’: Elmo has been around for practically the whole run of ‘Sesame Street’, but he didn’t come to life until Kevin Clash took over the role. From then on, Elmo’s popularity grew to the point of the Tickle Me Elmo days. ‘Being Elmo‘ is the story of Kevin Clash and his career. The trailer makes this movie look amazing. It’s going on right after I wrap up this post.
Aaron Peck
EVERYONE MUST WATCH ‘BEING ELMO’ EVERYONE!
One of the most moving, uplifting, and spirit-filled documentaries I’ve ever seen.
Dick Ward
Holy hell that was good! Lived up to an exceeded my expectations. Damn them for showing Henson’s memorial though – that started the waterworks flowing :p
Aaron Peck
I was sitting there in the Sundance screening of it, saying to myself, “Dammit, a grown man does not cry about puppets. He doesn’t.” It was futile.