What's in your Queue?

OK, so I suspect this is going to be a regular segment for this blog - the title of course referring to Netflix. Movies by mail. While not quite Urban Fetch of the late 90s, damn I miss those cookies they'd bring with your order, Netflix does provide a convenience to renters that is hard to match.

Since becoming a parent my ability to get movies is limited and strategic most days. As such renting movies has become a means to an end of seeing all that I want to see. With the ongoing writer's strike and the recent trend of making TV series available on DVD now is the perfect time to get caught up or catch that series that was "on too late" to watch when it aired on TV. I mean really, how much American Idol can one individual take?

What I am recommending:
Something New - Bourne Ultimatum
Bourne Ultimatum should definitely be in any action fan's top 5 if like me you missed it in the theater. In my humble opinion it is much stronger than the the sequel and I thought, better paced than the original. This is a rare case of an action series getting stronger.

Something Old - Braveheart/Princess Bride
For anyone who is like me, DVD's have given us two very fun components to film watching - extras and director's commentary. Hearing the perspective of the director and on occasion the actors brings nuance to films you love - I highly recommend it. Extras often involved deleted scenes and bloopers which are always fun. One of my personal favorite Director's commentaries is Braveheart. If that's not your cup of tea than an absolute must is The Princess Bride.

Something Obscure - Domino
For those of you who have jumped on the Kiera Knightley band wagon, check her out in this far from period piece. It's an action thriller from Tony Scott where she plays a model turned bounty hunter. Yes it is as strange as it sounds.

Something Classic - Manchurian Candidate
If you are like me and HATED the Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber remake, revisit the original. It will restore why it is a classic.

TV on DVD - Sports Night
Before there was The West Wing (season 1-3 at least) there was a little watched Aaron Sorkin show called Sports Night. The setting mirrors what one would imagine Sportscenter to be like behind the scenes. But worry not, this is not for sports fans only. It's sharp, funny and at times profoundly touching. Besides, it's got Felicity Huffman before she set up camp on Wisteria Lane and Peter Krause before he went Six Feet Under. If you are not convinced after the first episode, don't pass on it until you've watched "Shoe Money Tonight" and "The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee Tech".

So, as we go into a long holiday weekend, which for me is apparently going to include snow - here is what is in my Queue. What will you be adding to yours?

My top 5 Queue:
Reign on Me - a reluctant rental, because it has Adam Sandler in it but I am hoping Don Cheadle overrides that.
Letters from Iwo Jima - Clint Eastwood's films are usually too slow for my taste, but this has my Ken "la la la" Wantanabe in it and I am curious about the story being told from the side of the Japanese.
The Good German - A little seen George Clooney, Cate Blanchet film directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Elizabeth the Queen Parts 1 & 2 - The HBO film about Elizabeth I with Helen Mirren. It'll be interesting to see this Elizabeth after her turn in The Queen, where she played England's current monarch.