Need a movie break? Well, be sure not to break your mind or mojo with some Starz Play crap or Pirates of the Carribbean again. We have taken the time to pair some movies that go well together, that you might not have seen (or heard about) before. These pairings inform, support, or debate each other in ways that will hopefully blow your mind then ask you to put it back together again when watched back-to-back. A fun way to talk about not-so-funny things is through the comparison of movies. So take a watch, and let us know what you think about these pairs. All movies are available on Netflix instant stream.
Real. Life. Philosophy.
The Philosopher Kings, 2009 NR 69 min. An insightful look at the profound wisdom acquired through the school of hard knocks, this documentary sheds light on the harrowing histories and tireless dedication of several remarkable janitors who toil in obscurity at America’s top universities.
Examined Life, 2008 NR 88 min. Filmmaker Astra Taylor explores the application of contemporary philosophy to everyday life by speaking with leading philosophers in settings that underscore the tangible relevance of their theories.
High Tuition Blues
Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk, 2005 TV-G 116 min. Debunking commonly held notions about the rite of passage known as the college experience, this PBS documentary follows 30
students and their teachers from admission to graduation, and exposes the disappointment, disorientation, and deflation many students feel – in both public and private schools.
Frontline: College, Inc., 2010 NR 55 min. Uncovering the truth about for-profit colleges, Frontline investigates the schools’ powerful recruitment methods, convenient online curriculum, connections to Wall Street, and astronomical revenues.
Not Your Usual Coming of Age
Hide and Seek, 1996 NR 63 min. Set in the mid-1960s, this tale of lesbian adolescence centers around 12-year-old tomboy Lou (Chels Holland) as she tries to understand her budding sexuality in the context of the era’s conventioanl sex-education films and the horror she feels when her best friend takes an interest in boys.
Old Joy, 2006 NR 73 min. When old friends Mark (Daniel London) and Kurt (Will Oldham) embark on a weekend camping trip in the Oregon Cascades, they find themselves exploring much more than nature in this meditation on friendship, memory, and generational malaise.
Cutting-edge Art
We Live in Public, 2008 NR 88 min. Ondi Timoner’s documentary chronicles a decade in the life of Internet pioneer Josh Harris, who instigated an “artificial society” experiment in which more than 100 artists lived under 24-hour surveillance in an underground compound in New York City. After FEMA broke up the project, Harris turned the cameras on himself and his girlfriend.
Strange Culture, 2006 NR 74 min. On the eve of his new exhibit, artist and UB professor Steve Kurtz was shocked by news that his wife had died of heart failure. The medics on the scene became suspicious of Kurtz’s artistic media, which includes genetically modified foods, and the FBI accused him of bioterrorism.
Average Heroism
The Human Experience, 2008 PG-13 89 min. In a world fraught with hostility and violence, an altruistic group of young men endeavor to understand the true essence of the human spirit by visiting forgotten souls such as homeless New Yorkers, Peruvian orphans and isolated Ghanain lepers.
Confessions of a Superhero, 2007 NR 93 min. On Hollywood Blvd, wannabe movie stars dress up as superheroes and pose for photos with tourists.
Corporate Control
The Corporation, 2003 NR 144 min. Filmmakers Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott explore the genesis of the American corporation, its global economic supremacy and its psychopathic image, with social critics like Noam Chomsky and Milton Friedman lending insight in this documentary.
Food, Inc., 2008 PG 93 min. Drawing on Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation and Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, director Robert Kenner’s Oscar-nominated documentary explores the food industry’s detrimental effects on our health and environment.
Selling Capitalism
Capitalism: A Love Story, 2009 R 127 min. Filmmaker Michael Moore (Sicko, Fahrenheit 9/11) takes on capitalism’s roots, the floundering U.S. economy, and 2008′s global financial meltdown and subsequent bank bailout in this rousing documentary.
Independent Intervention: Breaking Silence, 2006 NR 51 min. This penetrating documentary stresses the need for an independent media, free from political bias and corporate ideologies, by examining how various media outlets have crafted the information we’ve been given about the war in Iraq since 2003.
Black Gold, Blue Gold
Gas Hole, 2010 NR 101 min. An unsettling wake-up call to all Americans, this documentary dissects the country’s dependence on foreign pipelines, exposes rich oil companies’ devious dealings, and explores alternative fuels as a viable solution to our global energy crisis.
Blue Gold: World Water Wars, 2009 NR 89 min. Narrated by Malcolm McDowell, this award-winning documentary from director Sam Bozzo posits that we’re moving closer to a world in which water – a seemingly plentiful natural resource – could actually incite war. As water becomes an increasingly precious commodity, corrupt governments, corporations and even private investors are scrambling to control it…which leaves everyday citizens fighting for a substance they need to survive.
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