My latest Netflix review

I have recently enjoyed the easy dvd rental outfit called Netflix. Prior to my membership, I had know acquaintances who were big fans, and after receiving a two-week free trial, I decided to be a member myself. It was better than watching the same re-run of "Seinfeld" on my cable-less television.

I've been watching some good 80s movies recently. I saw "Kiss of the Spider Woman" which was mainly a character study between William Hurt's old movie obsessed Molina in search for his leading man, and Raul Julia, as the tortured political prisoner who finds happiness in the unlikeliest person. I just now finished watching "St. Elmo's Fire", which for 80s cult classics is probably mandatory viewing. A Pittsburgher also wrote the screenplay, so it seemed I had to see it and judge for myself.

The theme song is beautiful and, unfortunately, the rest of the movie nowhere near gets as good as those musical interludes (although I did enjoy Rob Loewe's sax playing scenes). The relationships between the characters were forced and contrived - their inside jokes didn't even come off as something natural between good friends (it didn't even make sense). The characters were lacking in meat and many were not well developped at all - Poor Emilio Estevez was a wierdo stalker obsessed with Andie MacDowel - Who doesn't seem to mind the little creep following her and banging on her door late at night.

The sentimental 80s cheese was a bit much and taken outside of its context; this movie would be laughed at today, and not for the right reason. The characters are all self-obsessed, except maybe Mare Winningham who goes to the other extreme as the Mother Theresa of the bunch. For a much better rendition of self-obsessed 80s film, I'd see Whit Stillman's "Metropolitan".

Next up, I get Mike Leigh's "Happy Go Lucky", just out on dvd!