News-Record.com

I'm going to begin with something simple -- Netflix.

And, of course, you think you know all about Netflix. You pay a flat rate. They mail you movies. You mail them back (or forget to mail them back for weeks at a time).

But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the feature that now allows you to watch movies instantly on your computer.

Those new to Netflix (or those who've just been mailing away for things, adding things to their cue and using it the way they have for years) may not be aware of this relatively new deal. You get the number of hours of instant viewing that you pay in dollars each month. So, for example, I'm on the two-out-a-time plan that costs $15 a month. So each month I get 15 hours of instant-viewing on top of the two movies they send me as fast as I can get them back in the mail.

The entire Netflix catalog isn't available for instant viewing (too many studios with too many digital rights issues to make that happen yet) but a number of really great movies and TV shows are available.

The top ten movies/TV shows I'm excited about being able to watch on my laptop anytime:

1) The entire first season of Heroes (and the first two episodes of the new season). The Cheerleader is undeniably cute -- but I the crazy chick who becomes another person and kills people in awful, gruesome ways is hot.

2) The entire first season of NBC's 30 Rock. I love Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan so much I want to take them back behind the middle school and get them pregnant!

3) All of the seasons of Magnum P.I. Yeah, I like Magnum P.I. -- even the weird first season when it couldn't decide whether it was a detective show, a spy show or a weird fantasy adventure with magical ninjas. You wanna make something of it?!

4) All of the seasons of two of my favorite sci-fi shows from my childhood -- Sliders and Quantum Leap.

5) The first season of Friday Night Lights -- which I'm going to have to get around to watching so that I can be outraged when it's canceled.

6) All of the seasons (so far) of both the British and the American versions of The Office.

7) Letters from Iwo Jima -- I missed this war epic, directed by Clint Eastwood, when it was in theaters. Now I don't even have to put on my shoes to get it instantly.

8) John Waters: This Filthy World - Filmed in New York, this is the one-man show waters (director of Pink Flamingos and Hairspray) recently brought to downtown Greensboro.

9) Who The #$&% is Jackson Pollock? - "When brash trailer park resident Teri Horton bought a secondhand painting for five bucks, little did she know it could be a genuine Jackson Pollock worth millions. This film documents Horton's volatile 15-year journey into the heart of the art world's elitist establishment to have the painting authenticated."

10) Lenny Bruce Without Tears -- Documentary about the legendary comedian and free speech figure who taught us: "There are no dirty words - just dirty minds."

There are also a lot of big name, big budget, big studio movies -- but these are the shows I'm excited about and some of the movies you can't find just anywhere. I'm keeping my Netflix cue full of movies for them to send me -- but I'm also able to kick back and watch any of these and more any time I like.