QUEUE THIS!

This week, I put a little thought into the five selections I picked for you folks and chose films that had something in common-- in other words, a theme!  But I can't decide if the theme is "Intense Movies" or "Doc & Narrative Takes on the Same Topic." I'll let you decide which one you prefer, since I'm on an early flight to San Francisco and operating on about thirty minutes of sleep.  The last one, by Susanne Bier doesn't have a related doc, but I hear it does fall under the intense umbrella.  Note that some of these are only available on Netflix as a DVD.  Let's get queueing!

Boys Don't Cry (dir Kimberly Peirce, 1999 DVD) Netflix says: "Based on actual events, director Kimberly Peirce's powerful, often harrowing drama stars Hilary Swank (in an Oscar-winning performance) as Brandon Teena, a transgender young man searching for love and acceptance in a small Midwestern town. But even as he forges a deep connection with local beauty Lana (Chloë Sevigny), the prejudices of the community threaten to doom the fledgling romance."  A film that really inspired me as a young filmmaker.  Yet, somehow I have a filmography full of comedy...??  

The Brandon Teena Story (dir Susan Muska & Gréta Olafsdóttir, 1998)  Netflix says: "Brandon Teena -- a Nebraska woman who was born Teena Brandon but identified and dressed as a man -- is the focus of this absorbing documentary that uses interviews, reenactments and news footage to tell the story. Although Brandon found happiness with a girlfriend and made a number of friends, he was brutally attacked -- and later murdered -- when his secret was discovered."

Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (dir Nick Broomfield & Joan Churchill, 2003)  Netflix says: "Documentarian Nick Broomfield trains his lens on infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who began her murder spree in 1992. A highway prostitute at the age of 13, Wuornos was convicted of killing six truck drivers who she insisted tried to rape her."  I'm curious as to why Netflix doesn't mention Joan Churchill in the description even though they list her in the directing credits.  I saw the movie referenced as a Nick Broomfield movie somewhere else as well.  What's that all about?

Monster (dir Patty Jenkins, 2003 DVD)  Netflix says: "Charlize Theron took home the Best Actress Oscar for her electrifying performance as Aileen Wuornos, an emotionally scarred highway hooker who shoots a sadistic client and ultimately becomes America's first female serial killer."  

In A Better World (dir Susanne Bier, 2010 DVD)  Netflix says: "Danish director Susanne Bier delves into the realm of fathers, sons and their perceived burden of male responsibility with this drama about the interplay between two dysfunctional families. With his father working abroad, bullied Elias (Markus Rygaard) finds solace in a budding friendship with a volatile new student (William Jøhnk Nielsen). But the boys' shared revenge only seems to invite more violence."  I decided to include one of Bier's films after catching a preview screening of her new film Love Is All You Need.  She did such a great job striking the perfect tone with that film that I knew I needed to see more of her work. Bier won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for this one. 

QUEUE THIS! is a weekly post by Destri Martino that appears on the Broad Humor Blog every Thursday morning.  The goal of the post is to get more women-directed films in Netflix queues in order to make a sizable impact on Netflix analytics and buying patterns; thus, getting more films by women directors distributed and seen, and generally heightening awareness about this often overlooked pool of talent.  View the past two QUEUE THIS! posts here and here.