Ring Around the Rosie (2006)

Netflix Synopsis: Sent by her ailing grandmother to clean out the family’s mountain estate and liquidate its assets, Karin (Gina Philips) and her boyfriend, Jeff (Randall Batinkoff), arrive to find a desolate property in the hands of a questionable caretaker (Tom Sizemore) tasked with overseeing the stables. But the more they learn about the house’s mysterious past, the less they want to know — and the sooner they want to leave.

Review: This is billed as a horror flick, and the only horror one experiences is actually sitting through and watching the whole thing. A complete and utter waste of 87 mins. No real plot, jumps from scene to scene with no real rhyme or reason… I hated this movie!

Submitted by: Lisa 4/30/06

Zathura (2005)

Netflix Synopsis: Jon Favreau directs this science-fiction adventure from the creators of Jumanji, based on the book by acclaimed children’s author Chris Van Allsburg. After discovering a mysterious game in the basement of their house, pint-sized brothers Danny and Walter Budwing (Jonah Bobo and Josh Hutcherson) are sent flying into space, where they must finish the game by reaching the planet Zathura — or be trapped in galactic limbo forever.

Review: I thought this was going to be a “dumb kids movie” and I was way off the mark! It’s a GREAT family movie, marketed with kids in mind, yes. But it is also thoroughly entertaining for adults as well. My entire family had a blast watching this together….it was thrilling and exciting, I was on the edge of my seat wondering just what else could possibly happen to these characters next that could be worse and I cringed every time a card popped out of the game. There is of course a lesson to be found in this movie, a lesson about siblings, but it’s not too heavy or preachy so kids “get it”. Fantastic family film!!

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Submitted by: Brandy 4/30/06

Prime (2005)

Netflix Synopsis: This refreshingly offbeat comedy puts love under the microscope. Newly divorced and wondering what the world now has to offer her, Rafi (Uma Thurman), a Manhattan businesswoman, is surprised at how quickly love finds her in the form of Dave (Bryan Greenberg), her polar opposite, an artist from Brooklyn. But is the situation as blissful as it seems to everyone around her, from her shrink (Meryl Streep) to her best pals? Rafi quickly finds out. …

Review: I agree with Mel’s review of this movie. It’s cute and it has it moments but overall, it’s a slow movie. It’s billed as a romantic comedy but I think it’s more a drama with funny moments. The potential was there in the plot to have a really hilarious, fresh comedy and the producers & director did not explore that to the fullest which I think is a shame. The plot is a unique concept and the actors were great, the movie felt contained, almost suffocated, and not allowed to grow to it’s full comedic potential.

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Submitted by: Brandy 4/30/06

Meet the Parents (2000)

Netflix Synopsis: Every beau’s biggest fear becomes Ben Stiller’s enduring nightmare when he meets his fiancée’s parents (Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner) for the first time. It’s a hilarious case of Murphy’s Law where everything that can go wrong does go wrong, all under De Niro’s hawklike gaze. Based on a low-budget 1992 movie, Meet the Parents ups the ante thanks to its high-octane cast.

Review: Today was the first time I watched this movie all the way through. I can’t believe I waited so long! This was LOL funny to me. Very entertaining. One I’m sure I’ll watch again.

Submitted by: Mel 4/29/06

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Netflix Synopsis: Two sheepherders — Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar (Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger) — meet and fall in love while working together near Wyoming’s Brokeback Mountain in 1963. Over the next 20 years, their lives take different courses: Jack becomes a rodeo cowboy while Ennis remains a ranch hand. Anne Hathaway, Randy Quaid and Michelle Williams co-star. Ang Lee directs screenwriter Larry McMurtry’s adaptation of a short story by E. Annie Proulx.

Review: I don’t understand why everyone loved this movie. The gay issue aside, the movie was wrong for other moral reasons. This movie showed 2 people
who fell in love, had a summer affair, went on to marry other people, and start new lives, and then meet 4 years later to rekindle their flame, and then twice a year or so after that for the next 20 years. Who thought a movie about betraying the people you marry was a good idea? I was very irritated with this film for that reason and that reason alone. Just my 2 cents.

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Submitted by: Heather 4/29/06

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

Netflix Synopsis: Andy Stitzer (the hilarious Steve Carell) has a pleasant life with a nice apartment and a job stamping invoices at an electronics store. But at age 40, there’s one thing Andy hasn’t done, and it’s really bothering his close group of friends: To the shock of everyone he knows, he’s still a virgin. The guys at the store make it their mission to change that, but Andy seems hopeless — until he meets single mom Trish (Catherine Keener).

Review: Very much a guy movie with all the cussing and reference to women. Don laughed out loud quite a bit while I just cringed with some of the dialogue and I am not that sensitive to cussing. The only part of the movie that had me laughing was the last 5 mins or so, other than that I could have passed this one by completely. I am giving it 3 stars for the premise and the 2 main characters.

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Submitted by: Bear 4/28/06

My Sister Eileen (1955)

Netflix Synopsis: In this charming comedy written by Blake Edwards, actress Eileen Sherwood (Janet Leigh) and her sister, Ruth (Betty Garrett), plan to take Manhattan by storm once they arrive. But Ruth’s dreams are immediately quashed when her new boss, editor Robert Baker (Jack Lemmon), deems the stories she’s been turning in substandard and orders her to write about her famous sibling’s love affairs — much to Eileen’s horror and rage.

Review: With Betty Garrett and Janet Leigh, though they give Jack Lemmon top billing, he really is in the movie only about 20 mins. It is about 2 sisters moving to New York to find work, one is a writer the other an actress. It is a musical with some great dancing and nothing like seeing Lemmon sing. If you like movies from the 50’s you’ll probably enjoy this one.

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Submitted by: Bear 4/28/06

Serendipity (2001)

Netflix Synopsis: A mélange of the plot lines from When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle (sans the galvanizing element of Meg Ryan), Serendipity has John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale meeting cute during a Christmas shopping spree but parting company soon thereafter. Ten years (and a few failed relationships) later, they yearn to put true love to the test by reuniting. But first, they have to find each other.

Review: I’m not a big fan of romantic movies but I just adore this one. I’ve kind of been in the mood for it, so had it sent the other day from Netflix.

Its a very sweet love story, regarding 2 people and a chance meeting, and relying on fate to bring that love together.

John Cusack is in the lead and I swear, the older I get the more I fall for him! Kate Beckinsale plays the female lead and if I remember correctly this was her first movie that really got her career going.

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Submitted by: Lisa 4/27/06

The Forgotten (2004)

Netflix Synopsis: A desperate mother tries to prove the existence of her missing son in this chilling psychological thriller. Unable to cope with the loss of her 8-year-old boy, Telly Paretta (Julianne Moore) seeks counsel from a psychiatrist (Gary Sinise), who tells her that her son was merely a figment of her imagination. After meeting another parent (Dominic West) with the same story, Telly sets out to uncover the truth. Also stars Alfre Woodard.

Review: Woah, interesting story. Has anyone else seen this? There is an alternate ending, but I couldn’t get to it without watching almost the entire movie again. I think my disc might have some problems, as I had to skip a scene to get the movie to keep playing. I liked the ending the original movie showed. I’m just curious about the alternate, but not 2 more hours curious.

Submitted by: Mel 4/26/06

Prime (2005)

Netflix Synopsis: This refreshingly offbeat comedy puts love under the microscope. Newly divorced and wondering what the world now has to offer her, Rafi (Uma Thurman), a Manhattan businesswoman, is surprised at how quickly love finds her in the form of Dave (Bryan Greenberg), her polar opposite, an artist from Brooklyn. But is the situation as blissful as it seems to everyone around her, from her shrink (Meryl Streep) to her best pals? Rafi quickly finds out. …

Review: I remember that I put this in my queue because of a scene shown in the trailer. It was an ok movie. Some funny moments, a little slow. A one
time watcher for me.

Submitted by: Mel 4/22/06