Netflix

I have to admit I was skeptical of Netflix in the beginning. Why would you pay a monthly subscription to watch movies you receive by mail when you could own them and watch them whenever you want? When Netflix made the movies available through streaming from the internet it made the service a more attractive option. My wife and I gave Netflix a try and I have to say it has turned out to be a great service. Since we started using Netflix I have bought only one DVD. That was the one about a frog, the bayou, and a beautiful young woman who can cook. Once you factor in all of the money saved on DVD's and going to the movies, with Netflix you actually save a little bit. The cheapest service is just under ten dollars or close to $120 a year. This breaks down to the equivalent of about four brand new movies or 24 five dollar movies from a discount bin. With Netflix you can watch all of the movies you would have previously bought and not have to find a place to store them. Streaming movies directly to the TV means you do not even have to wait for them to come in the mail. Besides being able to watch a host of your favorite movies and TV shows, I have found the best part of the service is finding older movies I never saw and newer movies I would have otherwise never even heard of.

A great example of an older movie I never saw is the Sci-Fi movie Outland with Sean Connery. The film came out in 1981. At first glance it looks like the director took an old western and a trafficking story, sandwiched them together and set the whole thing in space. In essence, this is what they did and that is what makes the movie work. The old ideas brings familiarity to the new setting and makes it seem sinister in that, even though the characters are in the future they still have to fear their fellow man instead of an alien of some sort like most science fiction plots.

A Man Named Pearl is a documentary that I would have never watched without Netflix. Due to the fact, that I do not usually watch documentaries. Since I started using Netflix I have found myself watching a lot more of them. A Man Named Pearl stands out because it seems kind of odd and probably boring when you first come across it. Pearl Fryar is a black man in North Carolina who has become the local treasure, especially of Bishopville where he resides. When he moved into the neighborhood the white people believed that because he was a black man he would not, and could not maintain his yard. With no training Pearl created three and a half acres of the most astonishing topiary you will ever see. He changed the perceptions of those around him. My father taught me that when you learn from a teacher, you also learn the limitations of that teacher. Without formal training Mr. Fryar was able shape trees and other plants in ways no one had ever done before. Now people come from all around the world to see his garden for free.

The last movie I will bore you with is American Violet. This one is based on a true story of illustrating how a racist system in Texas systematically targeted and profiled the black community for incarceration. You follow a young mother through her ordeal of being wrongly accused of being a drug dealer. At the time, it only took the word of a single informant to prosecute and convict for drug offenses in Texas. You will be amazed at how the defendants were coerced and pressured into taking plea bargains. You will be disgusted at the nature of the system built up to unfairly incarcerate the disenfranchised. You will be heartened by the will of the young woman to stand up for what is right. It shows that when these kinds of injustices occur we can stand up against them. When someone sticks their neck out, we as a people need to stand with them and support them.

Netflix made it possible for me to see these great movies and many more. The monthly cost may seem like more than you want to spend. Consider how much money you spend on movies through the theater and DVD's and you may find Netflix is more within your range than you might think. You will be able to sort through a vast catalog of movies and shows for your enjoyment, while never having to find a shelf to store a multitude of plastic cases. Movies you never knew you wanted to see will be ready at the push of a button or waiting for you in your mailbox. Movie lovers should consider the service as a great way to see movies and TV shows, new and old.

(Check out the trailers for Outland, A Man Named Pearl, and American Violet. Let me know what you think in your comments.)