Queuing Up

The Netflix queue presents a constant conundrum. Either I don’t look at it for three months, and we end up with totally random stuff that sits around for weeks because neither of us feel like watching it, or I micromanage it, updating it daily and adding more movies than I could ever hope to watch in the next year or so.*

I’ve noticed that on our Netflix queue, there are several distinct categories:

1. Movies that Lord Kissington adds that I would never watch in a million years. These are usually ultraviolent and/or star Bruce Campbell. Despite being told many times that Bruce Campbell is “awesome,” I still have no idea who he is. (I also refuse to watch anything with Billy Bob Thornton. I’m sure he’s a fine actor, but he scares the bejesus out of me, especially with his creepy new face**.)

2. Movies that I’ve added that Lord Kissington would never watch in a million years. Recent additions in this category include 13 Going on 30, What a Girl Wants, and Just Like Heaven. None of these would I have paid to see in a theater, but I’m all about them on Netflix.

3. Movies that we both actually want to see. This might be the smallest category. It usually includes recent releases that we missed in the theater and stuff with Tony Leung. I heart Tony Leung.

4. Movies that one of us put on the list and the other one will watch if they don’t have anything else to do.

5. Movies that neither of us remember putting on the list. This doesn’t happen too often, but when it does, it usually leads to an argument over who put this stupid movie on the list. I have a sneaking suspicion it’s usually me.

6. Movies that seem totally random but were added to the queue because they feature any of a number of (usually obscure) actors I find seriously bangable. Some of these could fall into category 2, but not all of them. LK doesn’t seem to mind this category and recently encouraged me to move some of these higher up on the queue so “you can watch them before you get bored with these guys, so we don’t have a repeat of the Sam Rockwell situation.”*** He’s a very understanding husband.

*I’m not as bad as my friend June, who actually maxed out her Netflix queue. Who knew the limit was 500? And how can one actually watch 500 movies? By never leaving the house again?
**If this face was the result of plastic surgery, he should sue his surgeon. If it’s just a symptom of the manorexia, eat a cheeseburger or 8 already.
***Fall 2005 saw a brief fascination with Sam Rockwell where I added many of
his earlier films to the list. They were so far down that they didn’t show up for almost a year, at which point, I was totally like, “Why the hell did I want to watch this?” LK thinks I’m fickle. He’s probably right.