So I just learned that you can use Netflix. As you can imagine I have been watching many manly movies. However, I have also been watching things besides Jackie Chan and Bruce Willis movies. I have also been watching some indie stuff.

My first indie movie was The Ramen Girl. The movie is about a young woman who has been essentially abandoned in Japan, which, as you can imagine, is filled with Japanese people who speak Japanese. So she seeks refuge in a authentic ramen shop across the street (We’re not talking about that powdered stuff here, this stuff is sexy). She is tutored on the making of ramen and lives happily ever after.What I liked about this movie was that it was very down to earth without being underground. Most major movies today are very bombastic and out there that you can alugh at the character on the screen, but you would never relate to them or the plot. While not all of us get the chance to go to Japan, the majority of us know what it is like to be alone in an unfamiliar place. It is this motif that the film is based on, giving it a very strong base.

But Netflix has more to offer than just indie movies, it also has shows making fun of hipsters. Portlandia is perhaps the most brilliant thing I have seen this year. Of course, the show is probably more hilarious if you are a non-hipster living in Portland, but as long as you know what Hipsters are, its still very entertaining.  Now, I have nothing against Portland, while I like Seattle better (Coffee and Nirvana cannot be trumped), Portland seems like a great place if you are a hipster. In fact, while it does make jabs at the hipster culture, I can see it being used as an educational program for the older generations on what in the world a hipster is. Though, I fear it would not be very effective, as it would either just confuse them more or indoctrinate them. And the last thing we want is a wave of hipster grandmas.

While this  movie is not on Netflix yet, It does involve random people with cameras. Chronicle is a very well done movie, mastering the balance between an authentic home video style and awesome special effects. This creates an eerily believable experience for the audience. Beyond the special effects, the actors and writing are created in a way that makes these characters easy to relate to, but still gives distinct personalities and traits. As one who has been excited for this movie ever since I saw the trailer on a Youtube video, it saddens me to see this film be so underrated. It saddens me even more to realize I will never be able to have those awesome telekinetic powers.

FYI: If you are a fan of some of the Starz movies on Netflix, you should treasure them while they last.