My First Month With Netflix

I started using my sister’s netflix account this past month to watch movies on my computer during the hours of boredom at college. Here’s six out of the twenty things I’ve watched. All summaries are from the Netflix video page.

The Vampire Diaries:  Pilot Episode.  ”Trapped in adolescent bodies, feuding vampire brothers Stefan (Paul Wesley) and         Damon (Ian Somerhalder) vie for the affection of captivating high schooler Elena (Nina Dobrev), who attempts to unravel the many dark secrets of her hometown of Mystic Falls.”
This first episode is full of teenage angst and drama as any good teen vampire series should be, though it was, at time, overwhelming. It’s bookended by voiceovers (I hate voiceovers) of the main characters reading journal entries that start “Dear Diary.”
Based on the books by L.J. Smith.
I give it 1.5 out of 5 stars.

Blue Mountain State:  Seasons 1 and 2.   “This cheeky comedy series chronicles the myriad misadventures of three incoming college freshmen — quarterback Alex Moran (Darin Brooks), running back Craig Shilo (Sam Jones III) and mascot Sammy Cacciatore (Chris Romano) — at fictitious gridiron powerhouse Blue Mountain State. Packed with pranks, crass humor and nubile coeds, the show also stars former pro footballer Ed Marinaro as head coach Marty Daniels.”
The second season marks sophomore year and the departure of Craig Shilo, who during the first season became the “token black guy.” He was replaced by an all star quarter back who’s character was not quite as fun and offered less to the dynamic between characters. One essential Character is missing from the above synopsis and that’s Thad, the captain of the football team, middle linebacker and the main reason to watch this show. It’s absolutely hilarious and certainly a comedy series one should hate to love.
Created by Eric Falconer and Chris Romano.
I give it all 5 stars.

Louis CK: Chewed Up.  “Unabashed, untamed and uncensored, Louis C.K. brings down the house in this Showtime special drawn from his 2008 Chewed Up tour. The Emmy Award winner tackles the issues that keep audiences rolling in the aisles. Among his observations this time around: what politically correct euphemisms really mean, the worst drink to have before sex, the right age for a girlfriend and what it’s like to be white in America.”
Louis CK is an extremely smart and funny comic. He’s old and jaded and it’s wonderful.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars

All Good Things    “After restless real-estate scion David Marks (Ryan Gosling) weds middle-class beauty Katie McCarthy (Kirsten Dunst) against the wishes of his disapproving father (Frank Langella), suspicions of murder fall on the unmoored heir when his wife mysteriously vanishes. Though he’s not indicted in her disappearance, people with ties to the case begin turning up dead when it’s reopened two decades later — and the unhinged David is the prime suspect.”
This move is very well done in my opinion. It’s interesting and suspenseful in many ways. I found myself hoping that David didn’t kill his wife through out the entire movie. Ryan Gosling gives a great performance, not surprisingly. He once again shows his versatility as an actor on the screen. Kirsten Dunst, who I am not normally a fan of, also  gave a very compelling performance that truly showed the depths of her character.
Directed by Andrew Jarecki
I give it 4 out of 5 stars

Cherry.  ”Brilliant but naïve Ivy League freshman Aaron (Kyle Gallner) becomes enchanted by free-spirited older student Linda (Laura Allen) — and when she invites him for dinner, he hopes they hook up. But it turns out Linda’s spunky 14-year-old daughter, Beth (Brittany Robertson), takes a liking to him. As he fends off Beth’s aggressive advances, Aaron finds himself in the middle of an unusual emotional triangle that teaches him some unexpected lessons.”
This film is full of holes and odd plot points that left me asking “why?” At some parts it appeared as though I was watching a College Comedy at other I felt like I was seeing an episode of Cops. It was very unusual, the characters were strange, and I’m not quite sure how the ending came to be, though that was the only part of the movie I enjoyed. The ending was one that made me smile and feel a sense of joy for a character the defied the odds and beat his nagging professor by thinking outside of the box.
Directed by Jeffery Fine
I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars

Chaos Theory “Thanks to a strict regimen of timetables, to-do lists and index cards, efficiency expert Frank Allen (Ryan Reynolds) lives his life exactly how he wants it. That is, until his well-meaning wife (Emily Mortimer) decides to set their clock back a mere 10 minutes. Suddenly, Frank’s once-safe and predictable life is spinning dangerously out of control … which is the one thing he never bothered to plan for. Stuart Townsend and Sarah Chalke co-star”
Learning that your life has never been what it seemed to be must be a crazy feeling. Ryan Reynolds performance was captivating and raw. His character makes choices by putting things he wants to do on note cards and randomly selecting one each day, he also takes up smoking in order to kill himself. The movie is a story within a story but when I was propelled into Frank Allen’s story I completely forgot that there was ever anything outside of it.
Directed by Marcos Siega
I give it 4 out of 5 stars