Availability changes often, but all of the following titles were available to stream from Netflix at the time of this posting. The genre listed after the title (Documentary, TV Shows, Horror, or Sci-Fi & Fantasy) describes where you'll find each movie in your onscreen groupings. Try doing a manual search if one seems to be missing.
If you have recommendations of your own, please share in the Comments section below. You can check out a trailer for each entry by clicking the title.
_________________________________________________________________
Documentary / 1hr 21min / NR / HD
Fantastic overview of the exploitation genre. It's loaded with great clips and features commentators like Jack Hill, John Landis, and Joe Dante. Keep a note pad handy, because you'll be jotting down titles on your "Must See" list from beginning to end.
_________________________________________________________________
Documentary / 1hr 37min / NR / Standard
Have you ever wondered how the Motion Picture Association of America decides upon the ratings for all of those movies you watch? You'll probably be a little aggravated by the answer. Though it's now a bit dated - the MPAA now allows filmmakers to cite other film's ratings for comparison - this is still a fascinating look at how an elite few decide what is and is not appropriate for the masses.
_________________________________________________________________
Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy / 1hr 24min / G / HD
When's the last time you treated yourself to a good, old-fashioned black and white monster movie? This one features a surprisingly good prehistoric mollusk monster from the depths of the Salton Sea. I still vividly recall seeing this as a youngster hosted by the Bowman Body on Shock Theater.
_________________________________________________________________
TV Shows / 42min / TV-MA / HD
The Walking Dead gets more press, but I find American Horror Story more consistently entertaining. The second season is just now winding up on FX, so Netflix only has Season 1. If you missed the first season, seize the opportunity to catch up. I love the idea of making each season a self-contained story arc, and Jessica Lange was awarded both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her incredible performance here.
_________________________________________________________________
Documentary / 1hr 36min / NR / Standard
The American Nightmare (2000) - not currently available on Netflix - covered much of the same ground to arguably greater success, but this examination of the evolution of the American horror movie is still worth a look. Narrated by Lance Henriksen and featuring commentary from the likes of John Carpenter, Larry Cohen, and author John Kenneth Muir.
_________________________________________________________________
Horror / 1hr 36min / NR / HD
If you haven't seen Pontypool and have no idea what it's about, I envy you. I'm not going to ruin your opportunity to be pleasantly surprised by one of the most original and spellbinding genre movies of the last ten years. You can thank me later. Rumor has it we may get a sequel called Pontypool Changes in the not so distant future. I hope so. This one was a big crowd pleaser at the Movies At Dog Farm II Pre'Ween Picture Show last year.
_________________________________________________________________
Horror / 1hr 24min / R / HD
It probably sounds like a cop-out, but this exploration of the sleazy underground genre of fetish films is another one you'll get the most from by watching cold. Even the most jaded horror enthusiasts will likely be skeeved out by the subject matter.
_________________________________________________________________
Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy / 1hr 38min / PG / HD
This supremely entertaining B-movie gem starring Strother Martin and Dirk Benedict (the original Starbuck!) somehow escaped my notice until last year. Lots of real snakes add verisimilitude, making Sssssss more squirm inducing than its silliness would seem to dictate. An incredibly cheesy transformation at the end is the icing on the cake.
_________________________________________________________________
Documentary / 1hr 24min / NR / HD
. . . and one final documentary, this one exploring the sub-genre of Filipino lensed exploitation and horror movies from the 70's and 80's. The doc benefits from the specificity of its topic. Funny and enlightening. This one will have you digging through the delete bins for heretofore unknown gems, too.
_________________________________________________________________
Horror / 1hr 56min / R / HD
V/H/S was probably one of the most polarizing horror movies of 2012. See it for yourself and decide - is it ambitious and original or over-hyped and tedious? It has the earmark of almost all anthologies in that the quality of its five segments varies wildly, but at least three of the five segments are solid and unnerving. I jumped more than once, and isn't that what horror movies are all about? I love the segment entitled 10/31/98 that closes the movie.
_________________________________________________________________
