“Kill Bill”
When I was 10 years old — yes, 10 years old — I convinced my parents to let me rent “Kill Bill Volume 1.” I didn’t know who Quentin Tarantino was, but I had an unshakable feeling I was going to like this movie. 11 years later, as I write this against a “Kill Bill” computer background (on a “Kill Bill” sticker-clad computer), I guess you can say I liked it a lot. And earlier this year, much to my exuberance, Netflix has finally added both titles to its streaming repertoire — the whole gory story. “Kill Bill” details The Bride’s (Uma Thurman, “Batman & Robin”) roaring rampage of revenge across its sprawling four hour running time. The first volume — a no-holds-barred action epic — juxtaposes the quieter second volume — a cathartic, satisfying western-tinged climax. Tarantino might always be remembered for his genius 1994 directorial debut “Pulp Fiction,” or for his Academy Award-winning follow-ups “Inglourious Basterds” and “Django Unchained,” but it’s “Kill Bill” that will always hold the primary cinematic piece of my heart. And what could be better than this cool, energetic, stylistic masterpiece just a few clicks away?
Alec Stern, Senior TV Editor
“The Fall”
Jamie Dornan is soon to be a household name, if he’s not known already. The Irish-accented, dark-scruffed, suit-and-tied star of the film adaptation of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” which comes out Feb. 13, is about to reach sex symbol status. So you are going to know him. But not for the right reasons. Unbeknownst to most, Dornan also starred in the barely-seen 2013 BBC series “The Fall,” alongside “The X-Files” star Gillian Anderson. The six episode first season follows Anderson as a hard-edged English investigator on the case of an Irish serial killer, whose chosen prey are young professional women. In a twist on the whodunnit trope, the first scene of the show reveals Dornan as Paul Spector, the killer, stalking and then attacking a young woman in her home. It’s a chilling scene that speaks to the greater themes in “The Fall” — the show is not interested in who is performing the murders, but developing the psychology behind Paul. Surprisingly eloquent and detailed, “The Fall” goes beyond classic law and order serials to develop a cast of flawed, potent characters. It’s Dornan at his best, regardless of how sexy of a Christian Grey he may be come February.
Natalie Gadbois, Senior Film Editor
“Cool Runnings”
As far as early to mid-’90s films go, “Cool Runnings” is royalty (“Heavyweights” is king, of course, but Netflix has yet to get the memo). Very loosely based on the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team, the film follows a group of young men from Jamaica as they train for the Winter Olympics with none other than Irv Blitzer (John Candy, “Uncle Buck”) at the helm. If you’re wondering if this movie still holds up compared to the last time you watched it, presumably in 1994, it does. And Doug E. Doug gives the performance of a lifetime. According to Wikipedia, “Cool Runnings” is also the last John Candy film to be released while he was alive, cementing its place among cinema’s best. The last time I watched it, I drank three to four Bud Light Limes, sat on my bed under my electric blanket and had the time of my life.
Erika Harwood, Senior Music Editor
“Californication”
Like I do for most shows, I started watching “Californication” after it had already finished. I was perusing Netflix one day, and I saw the image of Hank Moody with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. I cued up the first episode, and before I knew it, I was 12 episodes in. I’ll be the first to admit it: “Californication” isn’t a perfect show. It can be infantile, repetitive, casually misogynist and homophobic, and the last season sucks. But it’s such a gleefully wrong show. Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, condensed into half-hour episodes that always manage to have a conscience in the end. Seriously — a successful writer struggles to keep it in his pants, and not drink himself to death. It’s every college kid’s dream!
Giancarlo Buonomo, Senior Community & Culture Editor