Let’s face it, if you love movies, and who doesn’t, you probably have Netflix. Those crazy cats have made the Watch Instantly feature one of my favorite new things of the millennium. For those of you not in the know, Watch Instantly allows you to stream some movies and TV shows right onto your computer or through your Xbox 360, via Xbox Live, right onto your TV. It’s free with a paid membership and you can watch the movies on there as much as you want and it’s basically like a giant all you can eat buffet. Like any buffet there is some good stuff and a load of stuff that would most likely induce vomiting. Here to help you through are my current “Top 10 Do Let This Awesomify Your Brain” and later I’ll give you my current “Top 10 Don’t Put This In Your Eyeballs”, summed up in tiny capsule size joy.

Do Let These Awesomify Your Brain

10. Red Dwarf -The Entire Series

The BBC North comedy series follows Dave Lister as the only human left alive after a freak accident occurred on the space mining ship Red Dwarf while he was in suspended animation. Re-animated 3 million years into the future, the only other beings on the ship are a hologram of his uptight asshole roommate, Arnold Rimmer, the ships computer Holly, and the descendant of his pet cat that has evolved into a sentient being. The writing on this show is amazing. The first season is the best, but the following seasons keep it going with inventive plots and some of the funniest Brit comedy in existence. This show was made in the late 80’s and early 90’s and normally that would imply crapitude of a magnanimous proportions, but this show was way ahead of its time. Give the first two episodes a chance and you will be hooked.

Series One on Netflix

9. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

A foreign film from France that follows the true story of a French magazine editor Jean (Dominique Bouby), who was left entirely paralyzed and yet somehow managed to dictate his memoirs. This movie is a masterpiece of direction and won all kinds of awards for its unique work. The set up sounds like a bad Hallmark movie, but the work of actor Mathiue Almaric and director Julian Schnabel create a brilliant film that will blow you away with its inventive approach. (Once again, do not fear the subtitles)

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8. Casablanca

If you have never seen this classic then do so. It really is one of the greatest films ever made. If you have seen it, then let yourself be amazed again. It stands up over repeated viewing. Hollywood at its finest.

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7. Grindhouse -The Full Experience

After its disastrous theatrical release, Tarantino and Rodriguez’s ode to 70’s action and horror was itself mutilated into two chunks with most of the fake trailers removed. Here it is restored to its original glory. Each movie is only about and hour and small change so you won’t be losing a day or anything to watch this. For added bonus open your window and crank your TV and pretend you’re at a drive in, in 1977. Bonus points if you drink while watching; there are a variety of awesome drinking games you can play with these movies. If you have seen both movies already separately then give them a chance here as they were meant to be seen. It’s worth it.

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6. Let The Right One In

I couldn’t believe that this made it on Watch Instantly. Do not let the opportunity to see the best vampire movie in recent memory pass you by. I have been banging the drum on this one forever, for more on it check the forums under Movies. I cannot stress enough how much this film kicks ass. It’s disturbing and sweet as it follows the story of a pre-teen boys first love who turns out to be a vampire. Its from Sweden, but fear the vampire not the subtitles.

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5. In The Company Of Men

Before he was Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight, Aaron Eckhart starred in this blackest of black comedies from writer/director Neil Labute. The story follows two corporate middle managers who are on a 6 week transfer to a different office who decide, as a way to kill time, to find the most insecure woman in the office and independently romance her then simultaneously dump her. This brutal film is like a horror movie for romance fans. Watch it with a group of friends and then discuss afterwards for a night that’s sure to end in screamed arguments. Huzzah. (For an extra kick watch it with your significant other and then point out all the ways that you would never be as bad as these men.)

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4. Taxi To The Dark Side or Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

Both films are made by the talented Alex Gibney and both are documentaries. Taxi to the Dark Side examines the recent U.S. activity at Guantanamo Bay and in the Middle East. Far from coming off as some left wing tirade the film uses the story of a captured Afghan taxi driver named Dilwar, who died while being questioned by U.S. soldiers. The films allows the soldiers who were at the base, as well as other detainees, the opportunity to speak. The result is a thought provoking and well rounded look at U.S. interrogation techniques and whether or not the ends justify the means. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is a more lighthearted affair that looks at Enron executives and breaks down exactly what went wrong and why. Believe it or not Gibney manages to make stocks and boardroom executive intrigue interesting and easy to follow, as well as darkly humorous. Wanna know why were currently in a recession, watch this before its time documentary. Also, it has a killer soundtrack.

Taxi

Enron

3. Friday Night Lights Season 1 and 2

Again, I have been chanting the praises of this show forever. From director Peter Berg comes this spin off from his hit movie of the same name. Usually anything with the phrase spin off sucks like Hoover, but here the writers expand different variations of the characters from the movie and take the time to make sure that you are invested in each and every one. Following the ups and downs of the families in small town Texas this show features a talented cast and story arcs that read like a really good novel. Season 2 starts a little shakier (they were supposed to be cancelled after Season 1, but fans got the show reinstated) than the rest, but after the first two episodes they find their feet again and never miss a step after that. The show will take few episodes to get to you, like a novel they start off slow and build from there. It’s worth it.

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2. The Last of The Mohicans

Daniel Day Lewis. Michael Mann. Historical action film. Your face. Rocked.

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1. Little Britain ,The League of Gentlemen, and Monty Python

British humour bookends this list and rightly so. Little Britain is a sketch comedy show that uses the same characters in each episode and slowly build a story arc for each. There are only two guys who play all the parts, but they nail every single one. It pretends to be a BBC special on British people and follows such characters as proud Dafyyd from Wales, “the only gay in his village”, a maniacal fantasy obsessed Scottish innkeeper, and Vicky Pollard, the Brit white trash teenage girl with a stream of conscious banter that is impossible to follow but funny as hell to hear. That’s just a few and they all kick ass. Seasons 1 and 2 are partially available, so as to give you a sample of the show.

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I am cheating here by giving three series the top spot but, screw it. The League of Gentleman has nothing to do with the similarly named crapfest of a Sean Connery film from a few years back, it is instead a show that follows a unfortunate hiker who stops in the town of Royston Vassey and finds that leaving is not and easy thing to do. The League is obviously in love with horror movies from the 70’s and here both horrify you and make you laugh at the same time. Like Little Britain the town members are all part of some sketch or another that builds as the series progresses and finishes in a grand finale. If you like your laughs mixed with terror then this is cup of tea.

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Monty Python are the masters of comedy. They are the Beatles of humour. Their entire series is here for your perusal. You probably were a pathetic nerd like me in high school and watched Holy Grail and Life of Brian and chances are you have seen many episodes already, but most of what you laughed at then is even funnier now.

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