Netflix Movies At Home

Medicine for Melancholy

Shipped on 11/10/09.

Waking from a one-night stand that neither remembers, Micah (Wyatt Cenac) and Joanne (Tracey Heggins) find themselves wandering the streets of San Francisco, sharing coffee and conversation and discovering that they share an unexpected deep connection. Barry Jenkins (nominated for a Best First Feature Independent Spirit Award) directs this poetic tale of love and sex that blends the elements of old-fashioned romance with the sensibilities of modern-day relationships.

Ballast

Shipped on 11/10/09.

In a small Mississippi Delta township, one of the poorest places in the rich nation of America, a single mother struggles to provide for herself and her son. Their fragile lives are tragically ripped apart when an extreme act of violence occurs. Michael J. Smith Sr., JimMyron Ross, Tarra Riggs and Johnny McPhail star in this lyrical drama (nominated for multiple Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature) that explores long-standing conflicts and the meaning of family.

Fear(s) of the Dark

Shipped on 10/29/09.

Six leading graphic artists and cartoonists turn their personal terrors into reality in this nightmarish animated anthology. As reality crosses over into the unknown, these six interlocking stories bring to life fears of the dark, injections, pursuit and more. Stylistically connected, the stark black-and-white imagery adds a layer of the surreal to the already disturbing subject matter.

Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages

Shipped on 10/20/09.

In this legendary Danish silent film, writer-director Benjamin Christensen traces the history of witchcraft and the occult, using reenactments to explore parallels with intolerant attitudes toward psychiatric patients in the early 20th century. Blending science, humor and horror, Christensen covers possession, satanism, grave robbing and more. The 1968 version of the film, narrated by William S. Burroughs, is also included.

Faces

Shipped on 10/14/09.

Director John Cassavetes' probing film examines the collapse of a 14-year union. The disenchanted couple -- husband Richard (John Marley) and wife Maria (Lynn Carlin) -- seeks comfort in the arms of others: Richard with a hooker (Gena Rowlands) and Maria with an aging playboy (Seymour Cassel). But the couple's liaisons are just pointless diversions to end their suburban malaise. Carlin and Cassel earned Oscar nods for their performances.