Netflix Chickflix (Or Why I Have the Worst Taste in Films)

This has been something I’ve been meaning to write for a long time. A whole year in fact. December 2012 I joined Netflix for the trial month and when January rolled around and I had forgotten to cancel my subscription and was charged, I thought ‘You can be damn sure I’m making the most of this month and watching the shit out of stuff!’ as I wanted value in money before cancelling. I still haven’t cancelled. As, of course, I got hooked on Netflix, just like everyone who signed up for that free trial.

Now, of course I watch good things on there. I loved House of Cards when it first came out and I’m almost finished this new series. I was also early on the Orange is the New Black train and I can not wait for the new series of that to be released. I like to watch documentaries and I’m impressed with the selection of foreign films on there. I’ve even watched a few episodes of Pingu for nostalgia’s sake and speaking of nostalgia, to the best of my knowledge the original Power Rangers’ series is on there and I WILL be watching that. But the main reason I love Netflix is become of the vast abundance of crappy chick flick films.

It all started that January when I was determined to watch stuff. But I didn’t want anything taxing, so I switched on From Prada to Nada, a film where two rich girls lose everything and are forced to get back to their roots and learn the true meaning of things. Apparently it’s a Latina spin of Sense and Sensibility. I enjoyed it for what it was worth. But then, the flood gates opened. Next time I logged into Netflix, I was got ‘Here’s some recommendations because you watched From Prada to Nada’. 26 film recommendations. And I watched every single trailer on YouTube. Here are my stats from that

• Highest IMDb score was 6.5 (for My Fake Fiancé and Crazy/Beautiful)
• Lowest IMDb score was 3.3 (Bad Girls from Valley High)
• Amount of times I saw Uma Thurman making out in an elevator- 2 (Prime and The Accidental Husband)
• Number of Glee stars- 3 (Vanessa Lengies in The Perfect Man, Mike O Malley in The Perfect Man, Jane Lynch in Sleepover)
• 2 different type of mother portrayed by Heather Locklear (Aloof, busy, detatched business woman in Uptown Girls and caring, involved, I’m-friends-with-my-children mother in The Perfect Man)
• Number of films I had previously heard of- 10 (Uptown Girls, Prime, The Beautician and the Beast, Labor Pains, The Ramen Girl, It’s a Boy Girl Thing, The Accidental Husband, Dirty Dancing 2, Crazy/Beautiful, Heartbreakers)
• Number I had previously seen- 1 (The Beautician and The Beast)
• Number I’ve now seen- 3 (The Beautician and the Beast, Uptown Girls, My Fake Fiancé)
• Number of sequels- 2 (Dirty Dancing 2, Why Did I Get Married Too?)
• Number of Oscar winning actors in these-5 (Meryl Streep is in Prime, Colin Firth in The Accidental Husband and Mo’Nique in Two Can Play That Game, Anne Bancroft in Heartbreakers, Gene Hackman in Heartbreakers). A handful more Oscar nominated actors too!
• Number of Razzies- Surprisingly none! Though My Boss’ Daughter was nominated for 2, and The Beautician and The Beast 1

Obviously not all of them, just a snapshot of some of the films. Some of them I don’t think I’d ever go gravitate towards, not when I can watch some Bring It On films. I’ve watched 3 in the past week and a half, as well as some other teenage films I’d never seen before like She’s All That. In fact, I’d probably prefer these kind of films of chick flicks ones! Though I don’t think I’ll ever give up on these films, they are just too fun. Where else can you watch a film containing Sabrina the Teenage Witch and AC Slater from Saved by the Bell (Holiday in Handcuffs, in case you are interested)? Even if it does get me headshakes and ‘I can’t believe how bad your taste is’ reactions when I tell people I’ve recently watched them. Not that I care, no such thing as a guilty pleasure, am I right?! And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with chick flicks, or chick lit or anything like that. Some of my favourite films and books come under these heading (love the Bridget Jones’ Diary film, it always cracks me up). Though you have to admit some of these DO look terrible (Bad Girls of Valley High, I’m looking at you!) and I am wary of some (Dirty Dancing 2 particularly, for some reason, in my mind it has a Grease 2 stigma attached to it).

What films do you enjoy watching, especially if you just want to unwind, relax and not think of much? Do you have any ‘guilty pleasures’? Let me know in the comments below!

PS If you are wondering why the top of the Labor Pains poster looks a bit wonky and odd in the picture at the top of the page, it’s because when I went to write Click Flix in, my pen did a squiggle without me noticing before I saved it. It looked like a penis. I debated whether or not to leave it in like that but decided I’m not Perez Hilton and had to try and fill back in the colour. I got too lazy when it came to making that edge straight!