Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Entering Storyland (aka: Netflix)

I have finally, finally run out of DVDs, old videotapes, and my backlog of shows on DVR and joined Netflix. Though I am a bona fide movie lover, and there are a TON of movies I'm dying to see, I resisted because I kept thinking things like, "Well, do I really want to spend $8.99 or $13.99 this month when I still have five episodes of LOST to watch?" or "I already spent my TV hour today watching The Young & The Restless. I really ought to work instead of ordering Pineapple Express from Netflix..."

But here's the thing: Watching movies is--for me--a little like work. I get caught up in how the writer(s) crafted the story. I'm in the middle of HBO's Rome right now. Not only am I sooo loving Kevin McKidd (and yes, I did see him in Journeyman, which should NEVER have been cancelled), I'm also loving how the writers brought Rome to life both through the viewpoints of both the haves and the have-nots.

My queue on Netflix is now huge, and it's comprised of TV shows and movies that are (from what I've heard) solidly written. Yes, I did add Pineapple Express. No, I won't stop watching Y&R (Writing tip: if you ever want to know how to make characters interesting over the course of several books, watch soap operas.)

And I'm even doing some of the exercise videos on the "watch instantly" queue (which is work of an entirely different kind.)

So what's in your Netflix queue? What shows or movies have captured your interest with their wonderful storytelling?

3 comments:

Jennifer Echols said...

I have a huge queue too! It kept getting longer while I was writing The Ex Games and watching nothing but snowboarding videos. But now I've turned in my revisions, and suddenly I'm a Netflix addict again. Already watched Roman Holiday, What Happens in Vegas (hilarious), and 21 (I'm writing a Vegas book!), and next on the list are Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (which I hear is nothing like the book and therefore disappointing, but I have to find out for myself) and--what else--Pineapple Express!

Debbie Rigaud said...

My queue isn't that long, but I'm working on it. It's crazy how quickly films go from theater to DVD. But it works for me! I get to see "The Secret Life of Bees" soon cuz it's next on my cue. I just got "Tropic Thunder" today. (BTW, the hubby and I miss Netflix--there's a different, *cough* slower, DVD service that we use out here.)

Nicole Burnham said...

I really liked 21. I'll have to try What Happens in Vegas. I have a feeling it'll be quite different from 21, though!