Monthly Top 5 - October

Hey, remember the What's Weekly Top 5 feature? So do we. The only problem is that it rarely came on a weekly basis, so we're switching gears. In  High Fidelity, the characters compare their top fives in a variety of categories. Being big fans of both the film and novel, we here at the What bring you our Weekly Monthly Top Five, a feature focused on five fantastic things that you should become familiar with.

Documentaries to Check Out

As a somewhat newcomer to Netflix, I am still enamored by the streaming video available on my television, despite the company's many recent missteps. Recently, I have found myself forgoing movies and shows in favor of documentaries. From early American serial killers to aging pro wrestlers to a variety of studies on sex, I have seen docs on a litany of topics. Below are the five I have enjoyed most over the past couple of months.

5- Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue: Everyone loves a good horror flick, and if they don't, they should. This doc takes a broad look at the genre from the silent, Nosferatu era to the torture porn of the Hostel and Saw franchises. Nightmares gives interesting insight not only into your favorite scary movies, but sheds light on what makes these films so popular. Any horror fan owes it to themselves to check this one out.

4- American Grindhouse: I am a sucker for B-movies. The sex, violence, and overall depravity displayed in these flicks is just flat-out fun. Much like the previous documentary, this one takes the viewer into the creation of the many grindhouse goodies and midnight movies that have populated sticky, rundown movie houses around the country. For people like me, who have only recently stumbled into this debauchery, this doc gives great insight into a genre of films too often overlooked.


3- Let's Talk About Sex: Getting away from documentaries about movies for a moment, this feature focuses on how sex is (or isn't) discussed in American culture and how it affects our youth. The filmmaker contrasts American parents and teens with their European counterparts, arguing that a more progressive, open dialogue and acceptance of the sexual nature of young adults leads to less instances of STDs and unwanted pregnancies. This valid argument, while nothing new, is still interesting, and brings the question to mind: Why can't our nation of prudes accept this knowledge?

2- This Film Is Not Yet Rated: Three out of five documentaries on this list pertain to the entertainment business, films in particular. Clearly remnants of my life as a film student are still clinging on. Whether or not you are a movie buff, I highly recommend checking out this doc. Have you ever wondered what makes an R-rated film an R-rated film? Ladies, have you ever complained that female nudity is significantly more prevalent on screen than male nudity? Do you want to know who makes this so? All of the answers are in this film that touches on a new form of censorship.

1- Freakanomics: Does your name predetermine your fate? Is it wise, or ethical, to bribe under-performing students to do well? What affects did Roe V. Wade have on the generation that followed it? This documentary, sprung from the book of the same name, uses numbers and basic data to examine these and other questions. I may not me much of a numbers guy, but I found this fascinating. A variety of topics are dissected by a couple of self-proclaimed rogue economists by examining data to reveal "the hidden side to everything." Check out this doc and you will be amazed at their findings.