What's on Deck?

I'm going through our evening routine:

1. After dinner, catch up on a couple DVRed shows with the hubby.
2. Jon starts his nightly routine to get ready for bed.
3. Watch my DVRed shows OR turn on Netflix for a movie or series binge.

Tonight I'm caught up on my DVR collection, so I've switched on my PS3 and turned on Netflix.

I have no clue how many shows and movies I have in my line-up.  I know I've hit the limit, however many that may be.  A couple of times.  Every now and then, I just need to watch a few things to open up some slots.  There are just too many shows I want to watch!

I just finished my binge catch-up session for Haven (on SyFy).  I'm all set for the new season to start next week.  It's time to figure out what to watch next, which is never an easy task.

I probably pick my shows and movies the way anyone else would.  Aside from searching for movies I've wanted to see for a while or wanting to re-watch an episode of a beloved show, I tend to rely a lot on the recommendations at the end of the program.  You never know what you might run across!

Due to that alone, I would have to wonder what an outsider would think of what I have lined up to watch.  Looking through, there really is an eclectic selection.

The majority are horror movies.  I love them.  Be it a classic, like The House on Haunted Hill (I'm talking the original, not the remakes or take-off versions) or something B-rated (think Plan 9 From Outer Space); I love them all.  There is no movie too horrible for me to watch.

I prefer the beauty of good make-up, costumes and special effects.  Acting doesn't have to superb, but at least entertaining.  If I want a good scare, I'll go for a good psychological supernatural thriller.  If I don't want to sleep, give me Torture Porn (like Saw or Hostel) and I'll be cringing for the rest of the night.  When I need a laugh, give me B all the way.

I can only recall one horror flick I couldn't make it all the way through and yes, I've seen both Human Centipede movies in entirety.  I could not finish Poultrygeist.  I can't even tell you if it was because of the disgusting quality or that they were trying to make it as a musical.  I just couldn't keep subjecting myself to this monstrosity.  This from someone who watched a movie in which Ron Jeremy's um... organ... was the main antagonist.  It was a horror, not a porn.

The only reason I have so many horror films on Netflix is because I can't watch them with Jon around.  Don't get me wrong, he loves some of them, but he's got a VERY overactive imagination, which I found out about the hard way.

Probably a month or so after we met, I was at his house for the night.  I thought it would be fun to watch Scream, something fun, but not really horror.  He told me he couldn't do horror, but I didn't really understand why.  I told him it wasn't bad and besides, I would be there with him.  

Fast forward through the movie and past bedtime.  We're both sound asleep.  Jon is having a dream.  I get punched in the eye and push him bodily off the other side of the bed.  Apparently he dreamt that, someone was attacking me and he was my hero.  No more horror movies for him and so began the nearly endless list that I want to watch alone.

Of course, that's not all I have on deck.  I don't think anyone would have a problem if I only had horror, excepting that they may worry I might be a serial killer.  

There is, of course, a wide selection of TV series to choose from.  I've got old favorites to revisit, like Heroes and Buffy.  I've also got shows I've wanted to watch, but never got around to or never finished - Alphas and Eureka.  Then follow the suggestions, which are often shows I've forgotten about or never heard of to begin with.

The suggestions are how I realized that, for some odd reason, I really like shows based out of Canada.  I couldn't tell you why.  It's not like they are better made or hide some deep meaning.  I just know that I will usually see that Canadian maple leaf at the end of the credits for a show I've enjoyed.

Combine that with my love of the "Coming of Age" genre (think Stand by Me and The Sandlot) and you've got some pretty interesting shows.  Two of my favorites were Dark Oracle and Todd and the Book of Pure Evil.  One is about a comic book that turns the lives of two twins upside down.  The other is about a book of pure evil that makes your darkest dreams come true.  Odd?  Yes.  Fun to watch?  Definitely.  Also, one of my favorite cartoons, Ruby Gloom, is Canadian.

I do have a small collection of cartoons to get through - anything from anime to Powerpuff Girls (an old favorite to revisit).  Yes, I'm caught up on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.  I am proud to call myself a Brony - not a Furry Brony, mind you - just a Brony in the traditional sense: an adult fan of the show.  There.  I've officially come out.

I think my other most favorite genre would have to be documentaries.  I love watching nature programs - another forbidden television option in our house.  I love my husband for being such an emotional man, but in the face of the circle of life (read: cheetahs going in for the kill), the tears start to fall.  We had to watch March of the Penguins with a box of tissues nearby.

I also can't get enough of biographical and historical documentaries.  I've mentioned I'm not crazy about history, but I find a lot of these shows fascinating.  I've seen dozens of shows with subjects ranging from Hitler, Ed Gacy, H. H. Holmes, various cults and hidden historical secrets.  OK, I find serial killers and history's villains very interesting.  I'll also watch biblical mysteries and histories, cryptozoological legends and behind-the-scenes docs for different jobs and companies.  It was pretty cool learning about the history behind Pixar and Chipotle.  I've also gotten some excellent recommendations from what my Facebook friends watch.

They all provide the perfect background for whatever I'm doing for the day or evening.

Which reminds me.  I finally decided what I wanted to watch tonight and have now worked my way through several episodes while contriving my offering for the evening.  Frisky Business.  This is QUITE the interesting docu-series out of the UK.  Lifetime-UK, to be exact.  Picture a light seductive narrator overlaying the everyday experiences of the Customer Service reps, Returns department, Developers and Owners of Lovehoney, the largest sex toy distributor in England.  I thought I've dealt with some strange customer service experiences...  and some of these returns!  These people can't help but have a laugh to get through the day and the show itself is all in good humor.

Have I mentioned I've got eccentric tastes?