Netflix Book Club

Episode 24, as chosen by KC Arora, is The Grocer's Son. A film that "hits close to his heart" (these were his initial words). It's a quaint little indie film set in Provence, France. Our protagonist Antoine has returned home with a guest in tow to help out with the family business after his father has suffered a heart attack and can no longer fulfill his duties. Riveting, morally shaking stuff here. OK, SO IT'S A DUD. BUT IT'S NOT WITHOUT IT'S MERITS. Listen to the podcast to hear us discuss it's pitfalls as well as it's finer points. Drop by the main page to leave a comment;are we wrong? What should we watch? Catch us next week for our first animated film, The Boxtrolls.

Episode 24 puts to rest a major issue for two of our hosts, Dennis Rooney and KC Arora. We had never seen The Blues Brothers. To make matters worse, we're stand up comedians. KNOW YOUR HISTORY FOLKS. This concept started as a Saturday Night Live sketch, became this film, and still runs around today in various mediums. There's a ridiculous amount of cameos in this, both musical and otherwise. But is all this enough to get a stream it from the crew? Listen to the podcast and find out. Head on over to the main page at www.flixbookclub.com, tell us what you think, whether it's what we thought too or we didn't think it at all. Tune in next week where we talk about the mysteriously unrated film The Grocer's Son.

Episode 23 as selected by Stephen is Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, an interesting flick based on the autobiographical memoir of game show creator/host/possible CIA assassin Chuck Barris. This marks the directorial debut of George Clooney, responsible for the excellent casting of Sam Rockwell as our lead Chuck. Sounds like the makings of a blockbuster, no? Listen to the podcast to see if Confessions gets that badge of honor, and if it doesn't, WHY THE HELL NOT? Swing over to the main page at www.flixbookclub.com, leave us a comment! Which of us are way off base? Are we all wrong? We wanna hear it. Catch us next week where we return to talk about the comedy classic The Blues Brothers (it's streaming on Netflix, duh. Go watch.)

KC brings us episode 22 with his biblical pick, Darren Aronofsky's 2014 Noah. You know the story already: a man has a vision of a great flood sent from God to wipe the Earth clean, and he is to build an ark to protect the innocent (read as: animals). Super exciting stuff, right? Right? I mean Russel Crowe is in it and it's directed by the Pi/Black Swan/Requiem guy so it's gotta be good...right? Listen in and see how the boys weigh in, there are some surprising views on this one. Head over to the main page at www.flixbookclub.com to leave us a comment/suggestion for a pick. Next week swings back Stephen's way with his pick Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

Episode 21 is Dennis' pick - a documentary produced and directed by Mike Myers about a long time friend of his: Shep Gordon. The movie is called Supermensch - mensch being a yiddish term for someone of great and noble character. This dude-man has been a talent manager since the late 60's, he's worked with every celebrity you can think of, and everybody loves him. Why? How could anybody be so likable? Watch the movie to find out and listen to us talk about ol' Shep, whether there's more to his story, and why Mike Myers even made this movie. Oh, it's another blockbuster too. Hit up the main site at www.flixbookclub.com to leave us a comment or a suggestion. Tune in next week where we return to fiction (sorta?) by talking about Darren Aronofsky's Noah.

Are you happy with the car you drive? Is vehicular safety your number one concern in life? Do you love sales? Well then episode 20 is for you - Bulletproof Salesman, a documentary about a self admitted war profiteer in the business of selling armored vehicles. This documentary marks yet another blockbuster selection from our friend Stephen here at The Flix Book Club. It's only a little more than an hour long and stars maybe the most charming German fellow you've ever conducted a pseudo arms deal with: Fidelis Cloer. Check out the main page over at www.flixbookclub.com and leave us a comment - what'd you think? Is this dude horrible or just a cold German businessman? Tune in next week where we watch and discuss a documentary about a very different but equally notorious individual titled Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon.

For episode 19 KC chose the 2014 reboot of the 1987 Robocop, which takes place in 2028. 867-5309. Holy Christ! This movie is packed with big names: Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, hell I'll even throw in Jay Baruchel and Abbie Cornish. Also some dude I've never heard of plays Robocop, which is fitting, as I'd never seen the original film (this is written by Dennis). Listen to the episode to hear our thoughts on why some films just need an R rating and what exactly "character development" entails. Shoot over to the main page at www.flixbookclub.com and leave us a comment! What'd you think? Got a recommendation? Check out Bulletproof Salesman streaming on Netflix to get a head start on next week's episode.

Listen up Flix folk: we have an irregular episode today because life is crazy sometimes. Like when you're Jewish but you hate Jewish people. We'll get to that in a minute though! OK, so if you watched the Robocop reboot don't worry; we'll be back next Wednesday to talk about it. But for now! Here's an early episode of The Flix Book Club with the original theme song and name! SOAK IT IN. The movie we talk about is called The Believer - one of Ryan Gosling's earliest films, it shows the story of a self-hating Jewish man coming to grips with who he is. Comments should be directed towards the main site www.flixbookclub.com, (complaints to flixbookclub@gmail.com) let us know what you thought, who you agree with, or whether you think it's #streamit quality or #dontstreamit rubbish. Next week we're back to our regularly scheduled programming to talk about Robocop (2014).

Episode 17 is Dennis' pick - Mystic River, the Clint Eastwood directed murder-thriller-mystery flick that stacked up tons of awards and nominations in 2003. While Dennis had never seen it before, KC and Stephen had. That doesn't mean they had solid opinions about the movie...Listen to the episode to see who changed their mind to make this Dennis' first blockbuster! Head over to the main site at www.flixbookclub.com and drop us a comment, whether you agree, disagree, or think there's a movie we just HAVE to see. Let us know if ya liked the movie with a #streamit or #dontstreamit, and be sure to check out next week where we watch the RoboCop reboot, cleverly titled...RoboCop.

It's episode 16 again folks and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooold out there today! Stephen chose the Bill Murray staple Groundhog Day...As you know, one of the rules here at The Flix Book Club is that for a movie choice to qualify, it has to be a first time viewing experience for at least one of the guys. KC and Stephen watched this movie YET AGAIN...While Dennis had never seen it before. How that happens, nobody knows. Check out the movie whether you've seen it before or not, listen to the podcast to hear our thoughts, drop by the website www.flixbookclub.com and leave us a comment! Should others #streamit or #dontstreamit? Catch us next week for Dennis' pick, the Boston set drama Mystic River.

Episode 15 is KC's pick - a film by Andrew Haigh titled Weekend starring Tom Cullen and Chris New. This unrated little indie flick is a snapshot of a weekend shared by two young gay men. We get to know them as they do each other, discussing gay sex, gay politics, gay art, and mugs. This is truly a film grounded in dialogue and character exploration - but is it enough to keep these three idiots entertained? Check out the podcast and find out. Head on over to the website www.flixbookclub.com and leave us some opinions or recommendations! Next week we watch a comedy classic with philosophical overtones - Groundhog Day.

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya! A very happy St. Paddy’s Day from us here at The Flix Book Club to you listeners! Episode 14 is Irish-American’s Dennis Rooney’s pick, titled The Quiet Man. It’s a film from 1952 starring The Duke himself – John Wayne, and the lovely Maureen O’Hara. Ever wanted to marry a girl you met yesterday, and the only thing standing between you and matrimony is an Irish bullheaded older brother? If so, you should probably watch this flick. It’s funny as hell, and a great way to celebrate the man who drove the snakes outta Ireland. Tell us your thoughts in the comments section or give us some recommendations if you think we’re overlooking something huge. Tune in next week for KC’s pick: Weekend.

Our non-fiction enthusiast Stephen plucks one from Netflix's bouquet of documentaries this week. Episode 13 is a documentary titled How To Survive A Plague, a movie about the early days of the AIDS crisis and the activist group ACT UP that came out of it. This is heavy duty stuff and has some of the best raw footage I've seen in any documentary ever - including a protest inside of St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC. Check out the movie, listen to the podcast, hit us up at www.flixbookclub.com and leave us a comment! Be sure to let us know whether you thought it was #streamit or #dontstreamit material. Next week is a very special St. Patty's day episode where we'll be watching and talking about The Quiet Man.

KC rebuttals Chinatown this week with his pick, The One I Love, starring Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass. Charlie McDowell's directorial debut, this movie puts a sci-fi/fantasy twist on the modern romantic comedy. A young couple visit a vacation house in an attempt to fix their marriage, but something is awry. It's Kafka-esque, Roald Dahl-esque maybe, or some other champion of the weird short story. Either way check out the movie, listen to the episode, contact us with a #streamit or #don't stream it on www.flixbookclub.com. Catch us next week for Stephen's pick, the documentary How To Survive A Plague.

Episode 11 is Chinatown, the 1974 Roman Polanski film. When film noir is discussed, Chinatown is considered a touchstone and a classic to the genre. It's about a detective who starts snooping on an allegedly unfaithful political figure, only to be pulled down the rabbit hole way over his head. This conversation gets HEATED. The boys have some strong opinions on this one. This is what The Flix Book Club is all about: arguing with your friends about movies. Give it a listen and see what side of the conversation you fall on. Leave us a comment on the website at www.flixbookclub.com. Don't forget to tag 'em with a #streamit or #dontstreamit. Catch us next week for KC's pick, The One I Love.

Stephen picked another documentary this week because he hates fun. OK, that's not true, and Stephen has picked some killer docs (check out episode 1 Deep Water), so we went into this weeks pick optimistic. It's a very recent documentary titled Video Games: The Movie, and yes, it's about all things video games. There was a lot of ground to cover on this movie, and all three of us have at least a bit of a gaming background. Listen and find out if we were glazed with nostalgia or pissed from errors and nerd talk. Leave us a comment at our website www.flixbookclub.com, reach out and let us know if you thought it deserved a #streamit or #dontstreamit. Tune in next week for Dennis' pick, the noir classic Chinatown.

We are back on track this week with the highly regarded The French Connection. KC picked this, Dennis had been dying to see it, and it was a revisiting for Stephen. It's about two cops trying to thwart a massive drug deal in 1970's NYC. I had to wipe my hands after watching this movie ('cause it was so gritty. Get it?). This movie has one of the best car chases of all time, but listen in to find out if that's enough to keep everybody on board. Check out the website www.flixbookclub.com and leave us a comment, if it's worth a #streamit or #dontstreamit. Tune in Wednesday where we cover Stephen's pick, a recent documentary called Video Games: The Movie.

Like Forest Whitaker's eye, we have you guys lookin' one way, but we're going in another. We know we had The French Connection on the menu for this week, but we're gonna drop in this bad boy for now. Out of the Furnace is the story of one man trying to walk the line, and teeter tottering all over the place. Some great acting on this one, but will it keep everybody's attention? Listen in and see who gave it a #streamit or #dontstreamit, and hit us up on twitter @flixbookclub to let us know how you feel! Head over to the website www.flixbookclub.com and drop us a comment, requests, and questions. Tune in next week where we dive into The French Connection (ignore The Good The Bad and The Weird for now, we'll get it to ya in time!).

Dennis got to pick this week and he's waited a long time to see this movie. All Is Lost is a film starring Robert Redford as our guy at sea, dealing with a shipwreck. That's it. That's the whole movie. TITILLATING STUFF HERE GUYS. No seriously that's the whole plot and there is no dialogue in this movie at all. A short monologue at the top but that's it. Give a listen and see if this movie holds up to Dennis' hopes. Leave us a comment on our official site www.flixbookclub.com and shoot us a #streamit or #dontstreamit on Twitter @flixbookclub! Join us next week for Stephen's pick, a documentary called Video Games: The Movie.

Stephen chose Frequencies for our episode 6 pick. It is a sci fi romance that does A LOT of things, and a lot of people have been talking about it. This movie was seen by all of us on several "best of Netflix" lists so we were curious to see what all the hubbub was about. We know for sure this one's gonna bring in a lot of mixed reviews. Leave us a comment/shoot us an email through the website www.flixbookclub.com and tweet us your thoughts @flixbookclub! Make sure to hashtag it with a #streamit or #dontstreamit. Next week we watch the few worded Robert Redford vehicle All is Lost.