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They’ve Netflixed Me Again!

2 Jun

June 2, 2011

Awhile back I wrote about the weird suggestions Netflix was giving me, like watching The Larry Sanders Show because I enjoyed Pulp Fiction. I figured that there had to be some logic behind the lunacy and finally realized the connection- Larry Sanders and Pulp Fiction each featured cheese as a significant plot point.

Well, no, they didn’t, but that makes about as much sense as anything else.

With that in mind, and with just a hint of trepidation, I went back to see what Netflix might think I’d enjoy now that I’ve watched more movies and rated some more films. Here is what I got.


The thing to bear in mind is that I wasn’t even searching for Dinosaurs. That came up in a list of films that I might enjoy. Why? I don’t know. This was even before I rated Jurassic Park so maybe this is just something everybody gets. Whatever.

But The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg? What is the connection between dinosaurs and Hank Greenberg? Well, first, both are dead. Secondly, Hank Greenberg was Jewish and so was the Hebrewsaurus. And lastly, neither one is something that I would bother watching. I guess Netflix may be smarter than I thought to come up with all of that.

When I got past that screen I got the same old suggestions from last time and, scrolling past, I got to a new movie I might enjoy.


Really? The Odd Couple? Because I enjoyed The Twilight Zone? Is it enough for Netflix that Walter Matthau was in an episode of The Twilight Zone? Honestly, I don’t watch that show just for him. And it is a good thing because I am pretty sure he wasn’t ever in one. And neither was Jack Lemon. I’m just going to have to throw my hands in the air and give up on that one. (For the record, I happen to love The Odd Couple but it has zero to do with The Twilight Zone.)

Maybe Netflix simply needed some more information. I’d only rated about 1,000 films for them, maybe a couple more would do the trick. So I went and rated some more films and I guess Netflix’s program started getting tired of my hitting “haven’t seen it” for every silly chick flick and anime mish-mash they popped on screen and started asking me questions.


How do I answer that? On the one hand I never saw a Harry Potter film in my life but on the other hand I love Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood and Patrick McGoohan. I guess “never” would be the best answer since I don’t think there are very many prison movies like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. All I can think of is what if HBO’s OZ was produced for the Disney Channel? Someone needs to program some better algorithms into Netflix’s software.


Again, WTF? Wrath of Khan is easily the best Trek film (and no arguing with me in the comments section!) and a personal Top Ten Must Watch. If it is on TV, I watch it. (Goodfellas is on that list too, with Jaws.) And yes, Kirk’s mid-life crisis is a theme of the film, but to call Star Trek II a mid-life crisis movie is like calling Halloween a film about a babysitter. Well yes, but…

And speaking of horror films:


I’ve seen Meatballs. That is a summer camp film but it is nothing like Friday the 13th. I’ve seen Race for your Life Charlie Brown and that is nothing like Friday the 13th. For the third time I hit the “never” button and wondered why I was bothering.


Now here was a dilemma. The question is perfectly proper. But how to answer it? I have seen Crouching Tiger twice. I used to watch those old kung-fu flicks channel 5 used to show on Sunday afternoons but those were dubbed. (And pretty badly too.) I knew that if I hit “sometimes” I’d get nothing but films I couldn’t understand and probably wouldn’t watch even if I did, so I hit “never” again.

After I had all I could take I went back to see what new suggestions Netflix had for me.

Damn! Netflix is determined to get me to watch that film? And the connection between The Odd Couple, Dirty Harry, Psycho, and Casablanca? Each featured cheese as a significant plot point.

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American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior: Cadillac Build-Off Part 1

30 May

May 30, 2011

From the official description of tonight’s episode: Cadillac enlists both OCC and PJD to build a bike in a father-son build-off. But even as the competition heats up, Senior reaches out to Junior with a second settlement offer- this time, without lawyers.

From this blog two weeks ago:  What these two need to do is get rid of the lawyers, sit down together and hammer out a deal.

I really can’t claim any insight or special knowledge, I’m sure most viewers thought the same thing. I just thought I’d point how predictable this show has become.

This is the beginning of the Cadillac build-off. OCC and PJD will each build a Caddy-themed bike and unveil them head to head. The bikes would then be auctioned off for charity.

American Chopper started this week with a short montage about the history of the bad blood between the Teutuls, beginning with Paulie’s firing. It wasn’t a highlight reel as much as it was a lowlight reel of Paul Senior’s lousiest moments. The montage was very one-sided in that it was a lot of clips of Senior running down his son and none of Paulie insulting his father because there are none.

The tone of the show can best be demonstrated by a short sequence at the very cool-looking Cadillac HQ. Senior and Jim were there doing research and development when Paulie, Vinnie, and Brandon arrived. They were kept separate and toured the plant with different guides but at one point they crossed paths in the hallway. The PJD crew all shook hands with Jim, while Senior looked straight ahead and walked past as if they didn’t exist.

“We kind of said hello to each other,” Senior told the camera. No, he didn’t.

“He’s scared,” he said in reference to Paulie. Why? I have no idea. A lot of stuff just falls out of Senior’s mouth that has no bearing in reality. In fact, here are some more nice things Paul Senior said about his son:

“He can’t punk out now.”

“I’m sure he’s real nervous. He’s paranoid.” Some people have been peeking in the shop windows and Paulie had Cody black them out. As the saying goes, it isn’t paranoia if they really are out to get you.

“I’ve been begging for a competition for a while now and he just doesn’t want to compete.” Paulie has been trying to start and build a business. Why would he even think about a competition? This is all Paul Senior’s ego.

“All Jr. did was tweak Jason’s designs.” What show has Senior been watching?

“Jr. doesn’t know how to do a drawing.” Well yes, Paulie doesn’t do them, but we have seen him draw them on the show. He knows how.

“He’s got to do it out of his head, or out of his ass.”

“Knowing Paulie, I guarantee he hasn’t even started putting the bike together… takes him 2 to 3 times longer than us.” The very next clip was PJD already working on the bike.

However, drawings or no drawings, Paulie had one big edge over his father. He brought in a pair of Cadillac CTS-V coupes to work from and they were using actual Caddy parts straight from the cars and fiber optics on the bike.

Senior had a pretty good but not great Jason Pohl design to work from. And as they went, Senior made a few changes. Jason had been on the floor making changes to the design as they built and Senior wanted to know why the fabricators were listening to him. As was I. It was nice to see Pohl with a chagrined look on his face.

Pohl, who Senior said is “a big distraction” in the shop, chimed in and said “I crave the competition.” Early on in the episode Senior pretended to pummel him and I wish there was a workplace accident. 

Obviously, since this is a two-parter, the show ended with the bikes in early stages of construction but I think PJD has the edge so far. He’s using a design where the bike won’t need a kickstand. It will lower and sit flat on the ground. And the technology Senior bragged about and then totally left off the Deadliest Catch bike? So far none of it has been seen on the OCC bike.

In the midst of all the badmouthing Senior thought the time would be right to reconcile with his son and also settle the lawsuit. As usual, he thinks settling the issue of the OCC shares is the same as getting back together with his son. If Paulie is thinking of having a relationship with his father he needs to watch this show first.

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