In my queue » gimme some film

{in my queue} Streaming Kathryn Bigelow

If Friday’s wide opening of Zero Dark Thirty (see my review here) has you craving more Bigelow ASAP, here’s what’s available on The Internets right now:

The Hurt Locker

The 2008 six-Oscar-winning film was Bigelow’s first outing with screenwriter Mark Boal. You could say the partnership was a success.

{in my queue} The Wire, Season 2

DVD 196.
The Wire, Season 2: Disc 5
2002-2008. Created and largely written by David Simon (Homicide: Life on the Street, Treme), starring Dominic West (300)

I watched the first season of The Wire several years ago and have been meaning to complete the rest of the epic Baltimore-based series ever since. Simon had a previous life as a Baltimore Sun crime-beat reporter, and it shows in the series’ uncompromising realism.

{in my queue} The Host

102. The Host (Streaming)

Not to be confused with the Stephanie Meyer novel or its film adaptation coming out next year (side note: which the audience audibly scoffed at during the trailer at The Hobbit midnight showing I saw), this The Host is a Korean monster movie that came out in 2006 and was hailed by some to be one of the best of the genre. Ever. Originally titled Gwoemul, The Host is written and directed by Joon-ho Bong, who’s also responsible for another film in my queue, the highly-rated crime drama Mother. The Host has a super-fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes (93%) and tells the story of a river-dwelling monster and the family who fights it. Critics called it “ingenious,” “ambitious,” “imaginative,” “outrageous,” “bizarrely delightful” and a “must-see.” Which is why I put it in my queue. Sad I haven’t gotten to it yet!

What’s in your queue?

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{in my queue} The Cell

DVD #129: The Cell

I put this visually imaginative thriller from 2000 into my queue after seeing director Tarsem Singh‘s The Fall. I was enamored with Singh’s surreal dreamscapes, saturated color and artfully composed shots. Along with these delicious visuals was a multi-layered story that had emotional heft.

I don’t know much about The Cell , but the movie stills suggest that the film similarly moves through competing realities and places a premium on eye-popping sets and costumes. I’m hoping for Out of Sight- level Lopez and a window into how Singh developed his signature style. (The Cell was Singh’s debut feature.)

{in my queue} The Do-Deca Pentathlon

@ 2012 Duplass Brothers Productions

DVD 447.
The Do-Deca-Pentathlon
2012. Written and directed by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass, starring Mark Kelly and Steve Zissis

I saw this DIY film by the Duplass Brothers (Cyrus, Jeff Who Lives at Home, The Puffy Chair) last year at SXSW and immediately fell in love with their poignantly hilarious storytelling style. The story of two estranged brothers who restage a childhood athletic competition, Do-Deca inspired a Duplass Netflix spree and is definitely worth a repeat viewing. Yes, the Mark Duplass who co-directs this film is the same Mark Duplass who stars in Safety Not Guaranteed and Your Sister’s Sister.

{in my queue} Rabbit Hole

@2010 OP Eve 2, LLC

Instant 87.
Rabbit Hole
2010. Directed by John Cameron Mitchell, written by David Lindsay-Abaire (based on his Pulitzer-winning play), and starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart.

Nicole Kidman was nominated for an Oscar for her performance as a grief-stricken mother in this well-received film. Good reviews made me queue this indie exploration of how one couple deals with loss.

{in my queue} Million Dollar Baby

DVD 190.
Million Dollar Baby
2004. Directed by Clint Eastwood, screenplay by Paul Haggis (Crash, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace) and starring Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman.

This famous film won four Oscars in 2005 (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Leading Actress), but somehow I shamefully missed it. Maybe I was too busy watching Jack and Rose in The Aviator and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind that year.

{in my queue} Is Anybody There?

Once a week or so, I’ll randomly draw numbers to reveal what’s in my Netflix queue and why.

Instant 18.
Is Anybody There?
2008. Directed by John Crowley, written by Peter Harness, and starring Michael Caine.