Movies worth watching on Netflix streaming

There have been some articles recently whinging about how Netflix doesn’t have the movies you want to watch. While this is true, it’s clear that, because of rights issues and costs, we’re a LONG way from Spotify from movies, so it also means that the point is moot. Also, there are plenty  of movies worth watching on Netflix streaming, many of which I’m guessing you haven’t seen. Some suggestions to add to your queue (All pointers to InstantWatcher, a great service for browsing Netflix):

• 28 Up The first significant of the “7 Up” series.
• 48 Hrs. Still funny.
• The Addams Family Silly and macabre.
• The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Cult classic.
• The African Queen Bogart and Hepburn at their finest.
• All About Eve Sparkling dialogue, delightfully catty.
• Amelie Adorable French pixie, delightful filmmaking.
• The Apartment Jack Lemmon at this finest.
• Apocalypse Now Redux The also have the not redux if this is too long.
• The Battleship Potemkin Eisenstein’s cinema classic; Odessa Steps is worth it alone.
• Bedazzled – Peter Cook at his most slyly humorously evil.
• Beverly Hills Cop – Set the standard for big Hollywood comedy.
• Big Trouble in Little China – Campy chopsocky fun
• The Birth of a Nation – Yes, problematic, but the birth of modern cinema
• Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Actually haven’t seen it, but supposed to be worth it.
• Breaking Away – Low key classic about… cycling!
• The Bride of Frankenstein – The best of the Frankenstein flicks
• Broken Blossoms – More DW Griffith
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – Haven’t sen it, but, you know, Redford and Newman
• Charade – Possibly the best non-Hitchcock Hitchcock.
• Cherry 2000 – Goofy low-budget sci-fi fun
• The Chinese Connection – Any Bruce Lee movie is worth watching
• Clueless – It’s good!
• The Conversation – I’m personally not a fan, but it’s an interesting film
• The Crow – One of the best comic book flicks
• The Crying Game: Collector’s Edition – I haven’t seen it since its first run. Does it hold up?
• David Holzman’s Diary – Daring cinema verite film from 1968.
• The Day the Earth Stood Still – Smart science fiction classic.
• Death Race 2000 – Introduced the idea of scoring points for running over pedestrians.
• Donnie Darko – Don’t think too hard about it… just enjoy it for its weirdness.
• Double Indemnity – Film noir classic. Total must-watch.
• Dracula – Personally, not a fan, but you can’t deny it’s lasting impact.
• Duck Soup – For my money, the Marx Brothers’ best film
• Dumbo – “When I see an elephant fly…”
• Enchanted April – Haven’t seen since college, when I was surprised how much I liked it. Don’t know if it holds up.
• Encounters at the End of the World – Visually stunning Antarctica documentary, made a touch stranger thanks to Werner Herzog
• Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn – Splatter comedy progenitor.
• Fargo – Among the Coen’s best.
• Faust – Pretty much anything by Murnau is worth viewing.
• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – SAVE FERRIS.
• A Fish Called Wanda – I have never laughed so hard in a movie as I did when I first saw this.
• Forrest Gump – Yes, Forrest Gump. Ignore the haters.
• Frances Ha – I haven’t seen it yet, but often featured as a top film of 2013.
• Ghost – Solid Hollywood Entertainment. Action! Romance! Special Effects!
• Ghostbusters – Pretend your 12 again. (If you’re me.)
• Glengarry Glen Ross – (Admitting: I haven’t seen it.)
• The Grapes of Wrath – Hollywood classic, directed by John Ford, starring Henry Fonda.
• Heavenly Creatures – The film that proved Peter Jackson was more than a talented shlockmeister. Surprisingly affecting.
• Helvetica – Hustwit’s first is still his best. Obsession over typefaces makes for a good movie!
• Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer – Haven’t seen it since it first came out, but I was distinctly impressed and moved by this flick.
• High Noon – Classic Western (and I’m not a fan of Westerns).
• His Girl Friday – Howard Hawks screwball comedy at its finest.
• Hoop Dreams – Groundbreaking documentary on inner-city kids.
• The Hunt for Red October – Excellent action thriller.
• Indie Game: The Movie – Compelling, loving look at the quirky world of Indie Video Games
• Intolerance – More DW Griffith. Spectacle and scale non pareil, all while inventing cinema.
• The Invisible Man: Special Edition – Claude Rains. Never too much Claude Rains.
• Jackie Brown – Actually haven’t seen it, but those I trust consider this Tarantino’s best.
• Jackie Chan’s Project A – My favorite Jackie Chan. Best combination of martial arts, stunts, and comedy.
• Jiro Dreams of Sushi – Documentary on obsessive sushi chef.
• L’Age D’Or – Luis Bunuel’s Surrealist classic.
• The Lady Eve – Maybe Preston Sturges’ best, with brilliant Barbara Stanwyck. Never too much Stanwyck.
• The Lady Vanishes – Not as showy as his later films, this is still a top 5 Hitchcock.
• Let the Right One In – Swedish vampire flick.
• The Longest Yard – A great, bawdy sports film.
• Love Actually – Mawkish and sentimental, sure, but again, don’t let the haters bring it down. This film will get you.
• Man on Wire – Tightrope walker across the World Trade Center. Captivating documentary.
• Man With a Movie Camera – Aaah. Formalist Constructivist Cinema. Must-watch film classic.
• Men in Black – Just watched this, and I was surprised how well it stands up.
• Metropolis Restored – Brilliant, influential silent science fiction.
• Microcosmos – Beautiful, breathtaking, idiosyncratic documentary about bugs.
• The Naked City – 1948 NYC crime film that established the ‘shot on location’ template.
• Once Upon a Time in the West – Henry Fonda at his most wicked.
• Ordinary People – Powerful and emotional.
• Passion Fish – Maybe John Sayles’ best. Small but powerful.
• Pi – Aronofsky’s debut has a buzzing kineticism that still grabs.
• The Piano – Rich, fascinating, brutal, beautiful.
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Black Pearl – Let’s forget there ever was a 2nd and 3rd film.
• Planes, Trains and Automobiles – When John Hughes just aims for funny (see: “Ferris”), he’s quite good.
• Planet of the Apes (1968) – Eminently quotable. Hokey, but moving.
• Primer – Delightful mindfuck time travel flick.
• Pulp Fiction – Quintessential Tarantino.
• Raging Bull – Not Scorsese’s best, but still essential to watch.
• The Red Balloon – Poetic and enchanting film about a boy and his sentient balloon.
• Reservoir Dogs – Tarantino figuring some stuff out.
• A Room with a View – This was the hottest flick among my female friends in 12th grade. And it’s actually good!
• Rosemary’s Baby – Horror classic.
• Say Anything… – (This one’s for my wife, but, also, it’s a good movie!)
• Scream – Actually funny and actually scary.
• Seven Chances – The first of 3 Buster Keaton films on this list (and there are even more on Netflix).
• Sherlock Jr. – My personal favorite Keaton. 45 minutes of comic gold.
• Slacker – Helped foment the indie and Austin film movements.
• Smoke – Delightfully shaggy compilation of stories.
• Soapdish – Better-than-it-needs to be showbiz comedy.
• Some Like It Hot – Classic. CLASSIC. And funny.
• South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut – Blame Canada.
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – The best of the Trek flicks.
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – Funny, and, of course, a must-watch for those of us who love San Francisco.
• Steamboat Bill, Jr. – The third Keaton film on the list. Nothing tops the cyclone sequence for bravura stunts and filmmaking.
• Strictly Ballroom – Baz Luhrmann’s first is still his best.
• Supercop – More Jackie Chan martial arts action.
• Tabloid – I’ve been meaning to see this. Errol Morris documentaries are always worth watching.
• Thelma & Louise – Relive the early 90s.
• There Will Be Blood – Paul Thomas Anderson on a grand scale.
• Trading Places – I need to see this again. It’s been too long.
• Trainspotting – I’ve never seen this, but by all accounts, worth watching.
• Urbanized – Hustwit’s other film worth watching (on urban planning/design).
• Vernon, Florida – Errol Morris’ second film. Delightfully different.
• West Side Story – Eminently danceable and singable.
• What’s Eating Gilbert Grape – Haven’t seen it since it first came out, but I remember being impressed by its sensitivity, and Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance.
• Witness for the Prosecution – Delightful courtroom drama, directed by Billy Wilder (see: “Some Like It Hot”, “Double Indemnity”), Charles Laughton is great (as usual).