Top 5 Tuesday: Netflix Picks

Hello Everybody! Its been a little while since the last Top 5 Tuesday! I'll try my best to keep up with my Top 5 picks [of any topic] each week. My brother recently got us Netflix and oh boy, my life has changed! When I sew, I like to have movies in the background to keep me company. Before Netflix, I would rotate the same 4 dvds. If you're curious to know, they are Mean Girls, Ratatouille, The Terminal, and Angelic Layer the complete collection. I think I have seen all twenty-six episodes of Angelic Layer repeated about 5-6 times and the other movies... um... probably close to 20 times! Why do I do this? Well... aside from being my favorites, repeating movies while I work triggers my brain and puts me into an unstoppable working zone! I feel like my body goes into automatic pilot and I'm able to sew faster and faster! Its the science of repetition. SCIENCE!

Although I adore my movies, it sure is refreshing to see something new when sewing duties aren't so demanding. These are what I picked out!




1. Dead Like Me: If you're into Halloween and the Day of the Dead, you can relive the spooky days with this amazing comedy drama! Its a re-imagining of the Grim Reaper folklore. What if Grim Reapers lived and walked among us and had to get regular jobs? Think about it as Office Space meets Zombieland. What I love about this series is all of the colorful characters and how each of them has a different perspective when it comes to dealing with death. I know it sounds grim (haha! no pun intended), but as a whole this short-lived series is thought-provoking, heartfelt, hilarious and at times, a tear-jerker!

Dead Like Me has one of the coolest opening themes I've ever seen! And hey! I spotted a French Bulldog <3


If you're looking for something off-beat and original, look no further! Also, the music in this series is really good!



2. Speaking of music, the next thing on my list was Michael Jackson's This is It. Whatever your opinion was of him, you absolutely cannot deny that Michael was a musical genius and appropriately titled the King of Pop. This film is an inside look of what was to be his last stage performance. The movie has a lot of candid footage that was probably meant to be dvd extras had he lived. The film has a lot of vocal performances, but if you're expecting a full-on concert, than you probably wouldn't like this. It definitely focused more on the man than on the music. I haven't decided if I liked the film or not, however, I felt it was important to watch. I was really impressed by Michael's work ethic! Not only was he a perfectionist but music was his life. He lived and breathed it and even his mannerisms seemed as if there was a musical note or sound effect that went with it. It made me think about my life and I asked myself, what am I passionate about? When it came to music, Michael gave it 200% maximum power! And I should work that hard for what I am passionate about! Definitely check it out even if you're skeptical. Michael is an important American icon who revolutionized the direction of music. You shouldn't miss out on this!

3. When I pick movies, I like to mix old ones and new ones as well as different genres. So in the course of a day I might be watching an action movie starring Angelina Jolie followed by a documentary on red pandas to a foreign fantasy film like Pan's Labyrinth. I decided to give When Harry Met Sally a second chance because I was too young to understand it the first time I saw it. This is an amazing story! The dialogue is sharp and witty. Meg Ryan is as cute as a button, and even I fell for Billy Crystal's swagger a little bit! Strange I know! I have to admit, he was looking quite handsome in the college scenes!

I almost wish that modern storytelling would return to this this kind of screen writing. If this movie was made today, there would probably be some unnecessary sex scenes and a car-gun chase with explosions in the middle of it. No one seems to appreciate the art of conversation anymore and I believe that this movie preserves that. In my opinion, this movie may be the ultimate boy meets girl, girl loves boy film. If you're looking for a sweet film to make you feel soft and gooey in your middle; rent this one. Its a delightfully honest film.

4. Life as a House was my darkhorse pick. I pick uncharacteristic movies to broaden my movie-watching experience. IMDB describes the movie as "a man who is anxious to repair his relationship with his ex-wife and teenaged son after he is diagnosed with terminal cancer." It sounds like a train-wreck of sadness if you ask me! But you know what? I was pleasantly surprised. It actually was a really good film! For any of you who only know Hayden Christensen from Star Wars, watch this movie! SW is not an accurate portrayal of his acting. He has more layers than you think (not to mention he's also pretty cute as a goth/punk kid hahaha). In the end, I was cheering on the heroes and sympathizing with the victims. Its the kind of movie that will leave your emotions tingling. Warning: may be a tear-jerker.

5. I love love love films with quirky, colorful visuals. France has Amelie and now America has Penelope! A beautiful modern fairy tale! I think I actually put this movie on repeat after I saw it the first time! I loved it so much! I think because, at its very core, the lesson to be learned is to "always be yourself". With the crazy lives we live today, sometimes its easy to forget or worse, become lost. The character, Penelope, had some extraordinary obstacles to overcome because she is different than everybody else. She could've easily given up but decided to take a chance and make her life magical. Check out the trailer. Its really cute!



This movie is absolutely fantastic! It will have you believing in love and hope and double rainbows! Its that good!

I hope you enjoyed my picks for Top 5 Tuesday! Let's make it a beautiful week!

-Sarah