ACCESS HOLLYWOOD: Netflix

Netflix is one of the best things to happen to movies.  Ever.  Their mail-in service has the greatest selection of DVD's in history.  Literally any movie you can think of (outside of your own home movies) they have.  They're also stocked with thousands of television shows, both classic and contemporary.  Problem is, it's a mail-in service.  You can't watch movies on a whim with that.  They do, however offer an "instant" service--that is, the movies/shows stream directly (and instantly) to your television/computer/phone/tablet.  Due to copyright laws that I won't begin to pretend I understand, the instant service cannot offer the same quantity of films that it has access to through the traditional mail-in service.  Though the selection is limited, it is still full of gems.

Specific searches will generate a few movies from one director, say.  If you searched for "Woody Allen" you're not going to get Annie Hall.  You're not going to get  Midnight in Paris either.  What you will find are some of his lesser-known or less critically lauded films.  Like  Stardust Memories, or Shadows and Fog.  Because of this, Netflix is a great tool to fill in all the films you don't have easy access to.  Say you didn't listen to me and you went to a Redbox and you picked up Midnight in Paris or To Rome With Love and you loved them.  Now you can see what else Allen has to offer.

Or suppose you've gotten really adventurous and want to explore the French New Wave.  They might not have Godard's Breathless but they'll certainly have Rhomer's Seasons films.

General searches (like "Comedy" or "40's Dramas") will show you an eclectic spread of possible gateways to new film experiences.  You might find a new favorite director, or you might explore a genre you never thought you'd like.  The service is also loaded with documentaries if you're feeling particularly nerdy.

www.netflix.com

LET'S TALK ABOUT... The Graduate

"Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me."  Everyone who's seen the graduate talks about the sexy affair that Dustin Hoffman's character has with Mrs. Robinson, his father's business friend's wife.  Everyone has seen the famous still of her putting on a stocking, leg outstretched, Dustin Hoffman staring from the other end of the hotel room.  This movie skyrocketed Hoffman to stardom, created several hits by Simon and Garfunkel, and added more than a few new sentences to the lexicon ("Plastics!"), but I don't want to talk about any of that.

I want to talk about (what I think is) the most interesting theme in the movie: Isolation.

Mike Nichols sets up several scenes with shots of Dustin Hoffman's character shot through water, creating a physical barrier between the audience and the star of the film.

In this scene in particular, the isolation he feels from his family and his family's friends is exemplified not only by water, but through a door, and a mask.

 

In this scene, later in the film, not only does Nichols return to the pool tableau, but also uses camera angle to show the disconnect between Dustin Hoffman's character and his father.