I love movies and the internet so of course I’m going to be a big fan of Netflix. I love that its popularity continues to grow as more people learn how great it is. I had the same feeling or Tivo when I discovered it and was blown away by how fantastic and life changing it was. The fact that they eventually became partners is just incredible. You’ll see why later.

Here are some little known things about your netflix account as well as some excellent websites and apps that can add tremendous value to the experience.

Netflix RSS feeds displays all kinds of useful RSS feeds about your Netflix account as well as all of the useful RSS feeds that Netflix provides.

Netflix Facebook Connection makes it easy for you to share your Netflix and movie activities with your friends on Facebook with the click of a button.

The Netflix community is an ever growing online social network for Netflix and movie lovers. It’s built within the Ning network so if you already have a ning account you can just sign in to join the Netflix community. Once you’re in, you can add friends, chat, share thoughts, etc.

Twitter for Netflix allows you to manage your Netflix account via Twitter.

Netflix App Gallery

Netflix has an excellent App Gallery of websites and applications for desktops and mobile devices that work with their service. Here are just some of my favorites.

Feedfliks provides tremendous amounts of information and statistics about your Netflix account.

InstantWatcher is one of my favorite sites, period. It gives a wonderful at-a-glance view of all the movies you can watch instantly on Netflix. No muss, no fuss, bada bing, bada boom!

DVD Corral is a fantastic visual way to catalog the movie collection as well as the movies you want to own online.
It connects to Netflix wonderfully so you can actually watch it online if it’s available or you can add it to your queue to be delivered. You can import/export lists which is excellent.

I like that it provides a couple of handy URLs that you can share with friends such as your movie collection:

http://www.dvdcorral.com/users/paisano

as well as the movies you want to watch or own:

http://www.dvdcorral.com/users/paisano/wish

Qflip is just a silly way to let others movies for you.

iPhone apps for Netflix

Phoneflicks

Now Playing 2 is an amazing app that does to much to cover here really. In short, it not only tells you which movies are playing near you and when but it also lets you buy the tickets and pops the popcorn (OK I added that last part but you get the gist). They’re included here because they also work with Netflix! You can access your account from your iPhone and manage you queue and other things. Best of all, it’s totally FREE!

i.TV does a great job working with your local TV channel guides. It also has a Netflix connection allowing you to manage your DVD and instant watch queues.

Mobi iNet and Mobi iNet Lite offer access to a boatload of services including Netflix but truth be told, the interface for Netflix isn’t nearly as good as the other apps here. Still, it appears to be a worthy app for all that it offers.

Netflix on Tivo

The ultimate one-two punch has to be Netflix on Tivo which allows you to watch any streaming movie from Netflix on your big screen TV thanks to the Tivo box. Here’s the Tivo HD device with Netflix access.

Final Thoughts

Netflix continues to grow in popularity as it forms new partnerships with other services such as Tivo which only adds value to its service and members. Another trend that I like seeing is the Add to Netflix button popping on in movie reviews such as this one on the New York Times for Little Miss Sunshine. If you love movies then Netflix appears to be a must have service, especially with all of these apps and services that work with your account.

I can’t stop listening to “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” by The Script. It was featured in the original motion picture soundtrack for “P.S. I Love You” which I also loved. They’re an Irish band that were called MyTown before. Great song, video and band!

The Man Who Can’t Be Moved by THE SCRIPT

Going back to the corner where I first saw you,
Gonna camp in my sleeping bag not I’m not gonna move,
Got some words on cardboard got your picture in my hand,
Saying if you see this girl can you tell her where I am,
Some try to hand me money they don’t understand,
I’m not… broke I’m just a broken hearted man,
I know it makes no sense, but what else can I do,
How can i move on when im still in love with you…
Cos if one day you wake up and find that your missing me,
And your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I can be,
Thinking maybe you’d come back here to the place that we’d meet,
And you’d see me waiting for you on the corner of the street.
So I’m not moving…
I’m not moving.
Policeman says son you can’t sit her,
I said there’s someone I’m waiting for if it’s a day, a month, a year,
Gotta stand my ground even if it rains or snows,
If she changes her mind this is the first place she will go.
Cos if one day you wake up and find that your missing me,
And your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I can be,
Thinking maybe you’d come back here to the place that we’d meet,
And you’d see me waiting for you on the corner of the street.
So I’m not moving…
I’m not moving.
I’m not moving…
I’m not moving.
People talk about the guy
Whos waiting on a girl…
Oohoohwoo
There on no hole in his shoes
But a big hole in his world…
Hmmmm
Maybe I’ll get famous as man who can’t be moved,
And maybe you won’t mean to but you’ll see me on the news,
And you’ll come running to the corner…
Cos you’ll know it’s just for you
I’m the man who can’t be moved
I’m the man who can’t be moved…
Cos if one day you wake up and find that your missing me,
And your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I can be,
Thinking maybe you’d come back here to the place that we’d meet,
And you’d see me waiting for you on the corner of the street.
[Repeat in backgroung]
So I’m not moving…
I’m not moving.
I’m not moving…
I’m not moving.
Going back to the corner where I first saw you,
Gonna camp in my sleeping bag not I’m not gonna move.

I watched “P.S. I Love You” (2007) recently but waited a while before writing about it in order to let it sink in to see how it really affected me. I have to say that my opinion of the movie only gets better as the days go by. I seem to love the story more with time as I think about it.

The two stars were wonderful, Hilary Swank (Oscar-winner from Boys Don’t Cry & Million Doller Baby) & Gerard Butler, whom I just realized was the new Phantom in the 2004 remake of “The Phantom of the Opera” by Joel Schumacher (which I loved!).

In a nutshell, the story is about a husband who dies but leaves a series of letters and surprises for his wife. They are touching, funny and memorable experiences. The best thing about this whole thing is that it never gets too maudlin or depressing despite the subject matter, which is an incredibly difficult thing to pull off. Also, the late husband doesn’t do this to prolong her grieving but to help her get through it and actually go on with her life and actually helps her rediscover her true self and her dreams of youth. Amazing experience you won’t ever forget.

Here’s the Galway Girl scene where a potential new man in her life starts singing a song that her late husband sang to her. Needless to say it brings back a flood of memories. The song is fantastic all on its own but especially magical in this scene. Hilary Swank’s expression is chilling as you can see the memories of her beloved husband hitting her like a ton of bricks.

Here are some scenes with the beautiful song “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” by the Script.

A series of scenes set to “No Other Love” from the film soundtrack

Wonderful scene when they first meet

P.S. I Love You – More free videos are here

Gerard Butler interview

Gerard Butler Interview of P.S. I love you

I think I love the “The Family Man” (2000) because it reminds me so much of my all-time favorite movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946). Instead of the main character wishing he’d never been born at all like George Bailey, Nicholas Cage’s Jack gets a glimpse at what his life would have been like had he chosen a different path 13 years earlier. What would life be like had he chosen love over money and his career?

Well, through the magic of Christmas he gets that chance to find out and it’s a real treat for us all. He gets to experience his life with Kate, played delightfully by Tea Leoni. He goes from being a filthy rich womanizing bachelor to a barely-getting-by but happy family man with two kids. It’s a shocking change to say the least.

All of the characters in the movie ring true which is a key ingredient to a great movie. Once again, Jeremy Priven does a superb job as the best friend just as he did in another one of my favorites, “Serendipity”. Don Cheadle is excellent as well as the rest of the cast.

Here’s the trailer

Sweet scene where Jack sees home movie of himself singing to his wife (something he never did in his other life)

One of the most romantic scenes ever! It ranks up there with the phone scene between George and Mary Hatch.
The way Jack tells her how she’s grown into a beautiful woman and when she asks “How can you do that? Look at me as if you haven’t done it for the last 13 years”

Here’s the beginning which is important and especially poignant when you see the ending. This is the moment that changes the rest of their lives, the proverbial fork in the road.

Here’s the wonderful ending. Don’t watch it if you plan to see it for the first time. Gets me every time!

Here’s the entire movie

I am obsessed with this short 16-minute film short called “VALIDATION”.  At first, I thought it was funny but a little over the top as many indy shorts tend to be but then it just kept getting better and better until the wonderful finale!

There are so many lessons in this gem of a tale. I won’t spoil it in case you haven’t experienced yet. Suffice it to say that the lessons can apply to whatever we do in life. I can’t stop smiling just thinking of this movie. Hope you love it as much as I do. I know you will because you’re just awesome! (Inside joke you’ll get once you watch it).

Serendipity is one of my favorite movies, especially this time of year. John Cusak and Kate Beckinsale are wonderful in the leads as the star-crossed lovers. There are plenty of excellent performances including John Corbett as the famous Zamfir-like musician boyfriend and Jeremy Piven as Cusak’s bestfriend and Molly Shannon as Kate’s best friend.

It’s set in New York City during the Holidays so it has a special vibe for me. I always miss NYC the most during this time of year, mostly the lighting of the tree at Rock Center, the big salty pretzels and all the people watching. This is the perfect time to watch this movie, whether for the first time or to experience it all over again.

As in all great movies, music itself plays an integral role in the experience. Perfect songs are used to accentuate every pivotal scene and highlight key points in the story. Here are some of the best ones.

Waiting in Vain by Annie Lennox is a heart-wrenching tune that captures the anguish that lovers endure while waiting and hoping for their beloveds to come back to them.

The other beautiful track that is used wonderfully is “January Rain” by David Gray.

Northern Sky by Nick Drake is used at the very end of the movie during the snowfall scene.

Nick Drake – Northern Sky – Click here for more amazing videos

It’s been 25 years since “A Christmas Story” was released in 1983. Based on writing from the narrator, Jean Sheppard and directed by Bob Clark (from Porky’s fame!), it’s become a national Christmas classic. Much like “It’s a Wonderful Life” became a Christmas tradition thanks to reruns on television, A Christmas Story followed the same path to the hearts of American families.

Though it was set in a long ago era, every generation can appreciate its sentiment. Who doesn’t remember the extreme joy of Christmas as a kid and the anguish of longing for a gift that you knew you wouldn’t ever get. This is a timeless classic that people will watch every holiday season.

This anniversary will be sad because the director Bob Clark (67) was tragically killed in a head on automobile accident in 2007 along with his 22-year old son by a drunk driver. Jean Sheppard passed away at 78 in 1999 of natural causes. Darren McGavin who played the dad passed away in 2006 at 83.

Here are some clips from the movie including the first 10 minutes of the movie, the original trailer, movie review from Roger Ebert * Gene Siskel and a reunion of all the kids from the movie.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081129/ap_on_en_mo/christmas_story_celebration

One of my pet peeves about the Academy Awards (there are many!) is the ridiculous anti-comedy bias the members have towards movies that are comedies and the actors that star in them. It’s almost as if they believe it’s just harder to act in a drama. Any actor will tell you that performing in a comedy can be even more difficult than more serious of dramas. This theory has also been proven by a UCLA-Hardvard study which found that an actor in a drama is nine times more likely to get a nomination than an actor in a comedy.

It really is a shame too. There have been countless excellent performances dishonored by the Academy that has insisted on ignoring and snubbing them. Taking a look at the history of the Best Actor Oscar will reveal this anti-funny bone. In recent years, Italian Roberto Beignini won in 1998 for Life is beautiful but it was a comedy set in concentration camps. the previous year jack Nicholas won for “As Good As It Gets” but before that you’d have to go back to 1977 when Richard Dreyfus took the honor for his incredible turn in Neil Simon’s “The GoodBye Girl” (1977). Ironically enough, he beat out Woody Allen for his role in “Annie Hall” which incidentally won the Best Picture Oscar that year which is another extremely rare event at the Oscars!

Speaking of Best Pictures that were comedies, it’s been a decade since the last winner was considered a comedy. That was 1998 for “Shakespeare in Love” which was more of a romantic period piece with comedic moments. Forest Gump won in 1994. Driving Miss Daisy and Rain Man won and were funny but were they truly comedies? I’d say Woody’s “Annie Hall” is really the only TRUE comedy that has won the Best Picture Oscar in the last 30 days.

As for snubs, here are some of the ones that come to mind for me. Jim Carrey has done work a few times that deserved at least a nomination but for whatever reason he has always been given the cold shoulder. It’s a crime that Steve Martin has never been honored. Robin Williams has been snubbed many times but fortunately he’s been acknowledged for his “Serious” roles such as “Good Will Hunting” which he won for Best Supporting Actor and nominated for “The Fisher King”, “Dead Poet’s Society” and “Good Morning, Vietnam”. Tom Hanks was nominated for his great job in “Big” but lost. Dustin Hoffman was nominated for his awesome work in “Tootsie” but deservedly lost to “Gandhi” so that was forgivable.  The list of snubs is endless.

Anyway, I like the way the Golden Globes sets aside two different categories for Comedy and Drama. The Oscars could do the same thing or just stop all the anti-comedy bias and start honoring these brilliant actors. If they do, then there will be no doubt that Jack Black will be giving the best acceptance speech EVER!

Speaking of Jack and the Oscars, here’s one of the funniest bits ever on the show. Jack Black and Will Ferrell address this anti-comedy bias by the members of the Academy in song! Embedding disabled yet again for some reason. Here’s the link

One of my favorite movies and a vastly underrated one is “St. Elmo’s Fire” (1985). Yes, it featured what was then called the Brat Pack (under-handed slap in the face reference to the Rat Pack with Sinatra & Dean Martin). The Brat Pack consisted of young actors, i.e. Demi Moore, Alli Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe and others.

Anyway, this was their crowning achievement. Ok, that’s not saying much. Still, I really enjoy this movie. I think it’s because it brings back such great memories of the 80s. I also enjoyed the whole vibe of the movie. It was about a bunch of 20somethings right out of college full of hope and ready to conquer the world. I was a little younger than they were but I understood the whole feeling.

For example, one of the sweetest moments comes in the following scene. Mare Winningham portrays a rich young woman who refuses to take money from her dad and wants to make it on her own. She works at a shelter for practically no money and gets a tiny little apartment. In this scene she’s near tears describing how happy she was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the middle of the night because she realized it was her apartment and it was the best sandwich she ever had. Poignant scene. Monumental for everyone that finally moves out on their own in this life. In this clip, before this scene, Rob Lowe talks to Demi Moore and reveals what the title of the movie means.

I also love the music soundtrack for the movie. David Foster’s love theme is magnificent and I even enjoy John Parr’s St’. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion) rocker that was a big hit. The movie was set in Georgetown and around our nation’s capital.