It is becoming widely apparent that America enjoys disgusting television. It is not the sort of disgusting that creeps you out like Fear Factor or makes you not want to go down the dark hall after watching Criminal Minds. No, it is the type of disgusting that puts a smile on our face as we watch a man devour 6 pounds of beef, tuna semen, 4 sticks of butter, and so many more tasty treats. Shows like Man vs Food, which I am guilty of watching plenty of, feed America's insane addiction to watching eating. Eating is a way to stay alive and keep the body at its best, instead we have turned it into an exhibition of grotesque proportions. Sure watching this man, Adam Richman, take on some insane challenges is entertaining but is that because we want to be eating this food or because in some sick way we are hoping something horrible happens? Many people watched Super Size Me hoping for Spurlock to vomit and when he did audiences were pleased. The appeal of these shows is a mystery because the majority of people who watch shows in which huge amounts of food are being served or eaten make comments on how disgusting it all is. Maybe it's the fact that achieving something like eating a 5 pound burrito is truly amazing, or maybe we secretly want these normal guys to overcome the odds, or maybe we just want to see them have a heart attack on television...who knows?
Just as a quick side note for anyone having nightmares of debt and crying whenever the words college textbooks comes up in conversation, checkout www.textbookrentals.com Yes this seems like a weird advertisement and yes the name of the site sounds too simple to be useful but it actually lists all of the websites that have the book you're looking for (including chegg, ecampus, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc) and it lists them in price order. Not to sound like an ad but it actually saved me nearly $150 and my friend over $250. It's a good site so give it a look when you have the time.
Speaking of college lets talk about Netflix. Instant streaming has become hugely popular and the instant stream library is quickly becoming home to some of the strangest and eclectic movies and television series imaginable. I'm just going to run through a few quick selections that you should check out for a good time. First of all in the television category they now have Hercules...that's right Kevin Sorbo as the demigod himself so stop what you're doing and go watch Mr. Sorbo "act" and "punch" and have a hairy chest, go on. Also they have a ton of awesome shows from overseas including the Queen's favorite car show Top Gear. Top Gear has some of the most incredible and hilarious car related challenges and as someone who knows absolutely nothing about cars I can honestly say it is accessible to anyone. Merlin, Doctor Who, Jekyl, Black Adder, they're all English and they're all fantastic. On the US side of television Netflix has just about any series you could ask for but do yourself a favor and go watch the 13 episodes of Firefly that are up for instant streaming. Firefly is a space western created by Joss Whedon, the guy what made Buffy and Angel, and it is outstanding. It is one of those shows that does so many things right that even when it does something wrong you make excuses for it to be right. Sadly only one season was made of Firefly so after you're done with it the only other bit of Firefly-esqe action you can get is the movie Whedon made called Serenity which is a nice two hour closure, also on instant streaming. Now as for movies there are a whole bunch but I'll mention two that are, in my mind, must sees. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels is the movie that every robbery comedy tries to be. The movie involves a then unknown cast including Jason Statham, Vinnie Jones, Jason Flemyng, and even Sting. The movie centers around a group of thieves and criminals who are in a big time debt and go to great lengths to pay it off. Director Guy Ritchie adds some fun moments with the gang that make the movie pop and the writing is top notch. Statham is exceedingly funny as the movie rushes forward and the twisting multi-sided story intertwines itself so well that it all makes perfect sense and gives the viewer a sense of knowing over the cast. Overall it is a fun ride that makes a huge impression with its witty dialog and great twists on common criminal movie situations.
Another great movie is the rough gem known as Brick. Starring a very young Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a teenage investigator looking into a murder of a has been love of his. Jocks, geeks, actors, druggies, and other typical high school clicks are well represented in this movie and each one is depicted as if from an incoming freshman's nervous mind. What makes Brick so amazing isn't the clicks or the acting or even the story. While all those elements are solid for a budget indie film what stands out is the incredible dialog. These are all high school students yet they all speak in 1950's cop talk. Each sentence is filled with gibberish that almost needs a second listen to understand what they're talking about. Brick is one of those movies that makes you think while it's on and when it's done. A story about a lost love, drugs, money, oh and Gordon-Levitt gets his ass kicked...a lot, Brick is a truly hidden gem among the tons of movies on Netflix so stop watching White Chicks and Epic Movie and go watch Brick.
As promised
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