Thursday, August 14, 2008

Netfluxxed Beyond All Recognition "Not Really A Quiz Anymore" Quiz #2

I knew that I could only try it once. The whole point of my initial Netfluxxed Quiz on weird Netflix recommendations was that there was no way in hell anyone could predict that a movie like Flamenco could come out of a Buster Keaton silent comedy, a rough Ridley Scott sword duelling epic and a British TV series featuring Fry and Laurie as a posh ninny and his brilliant butler in the 1920's. (To see all the hubbub, click here and here.)

So, there is no point in continuing such a quiz. But I do wish to continue putting up these silly things, mainly because it gives me a quick post for those extra busy days (or those days when I am feeling "not so fresh"), but also because it is so damn silly. And for this round, it will also serve to celebrate the fact that, near the end of my fourth summer here in Southern California, I recently spent my first Sunday (albeit a mere couple of hours) on one of the many beaches here. Unlike most of Alaska, this beach had sand. And bikinis. And lots and lots of canines -- it was the Huntington Beach Dog Beach, right there in Surf City itself. And only some of the bikinis were on dogs.

And the place had a handful of surfers, which is why I am choosing the following two recommendations. First, the titles which inspired Netflix to recommend the first film, and all of them are probably somewhere in my 50 favorite films of all-time, if not an even more exclusive list with a number much smaller than 50:

Annie Hall - Woody Allen's Oscar-winning classic comedy with a spider as big as a Buick.
Blue Velvet - David Lynch's amazing whodunit, my romantic litmus test, and which also serves as the film with my all-time favorite movie walkout scenario.
A Clockwork Orange - The Kubrick film I always retreat to when I wish to smash an eggy-wegg (but not my pal Eggy).

Granted, according to the description of the documentary Surfwise: The Amazing True Story of the Paskowitz Family, about an aging surfing guru with nine kids who lives in a camper by the beach and dispenses odd life lessons, there is likely comedy in it which is both intentional and unintentional. And I haven't seen it, obviously, so I cannot fully judge if it really does fit in with these films. But it still seems like a big leap to connect three Oscar-nominated and/or winning narrative films to a doc about a hippie weirdo.

Now, for the other surfing recommendation. I will let Netflix do the talking for the documentary Blue Horizon:

This innovative surf video follows two-time surfing world champion Andy Irons and "soul-surfer" Dave "Rasta" Rastovich, comparing and contrasting their personal and professional styles. Director Jack McCoy spent a year shooting footage at exotic locations around the world to capture the excitement and passion of two very different athletes. In the process, he reveals how far the sport has come -- and how much further it could go.

And the film (not even a real film, actually, but a television special) which inspired this sports documentary recommendation?

The Best of Victor Borge.

I will also let Netflix do the talking for comparison:

Combining physical comedy and classical music to brilliant effect, Victor Borge was a pioneer in his field, and this performance features many of his greatest routines, including "Introducing Mozart," "My Favorite Barber" and "The Timid Page Turner." Borge also welcomes a pair of special guests -- soprano Marylyn Mulvey and pianist Sahan Arzruni -- who join him on stage for some hilarious moments.

Wow. Apparently it's a short swim from the beach to the stage at the Philharmonic.

Netflix, you're a wonder...

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