It’s called what? or the best movies you’ve never seen. (Part 1)

Ok, I have seen thousands of movies. I have rated almost three thousand movies on Netflix alone, and I have seen many more movies than that.  So I know that there are many under appreciated movies out there.  So in an attempt to remedy this I will be posting ongoing lists of my favorite unknown movies.

To that end I will begin with my general best movies list:

                                                              (in no particular order)

“Oldboy”(2003)

Wow, this is a FΩ©ked up movie.  The second film from Korean director Park Chan-wook’s loosely connected “Vengeance Trilogy”, “Oldboy” tells the story of Dae-su, an every day family man who is inexplicably kidnapped and held prisoner for fifteen years, then just as abruptly he is released:  again, with no explanation.

At his release Dae-su is anonymously provided with clothes and money, which he uses to begin his search for answers.  As his journey progresses he is lead into a world where money paves the way for vengeance and madness.  This is not a film for the squeamish, if you have a hard time with blood be prepared to look away.  But if you can take a bit of gore, the payoff is a pretty mind-blowing film.

“Titus”(1999)

Based on Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus” this stunning film is filled with beautiful men, scenery and insanity.  Visually stunning, the film is also filled with fabulous performances by Sir Anthony Hopkins as the title character of Titus and Jessica Lange as Tamora the goth queen.  Allan Cummings is slimy and conniving as the easily led Ceasar, Saturnius.  The cast also includes some  wonderful actors in supporting roles, like Colm Feore, Johnathan Rhys Meyers and  Angus McFadyen.

Titus and Tamora  begin a war of ever escalating acts of revenge, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake.  The production has very interesting and distinct look to it, from the first entrance of Titus and his troops, coated from head to toe in mud, and the subsequent shower scene to the maiming of his daughter, (which is both creepy and cool) to the final brutal dinner party.  This is a film that you won’t easily forget.

“Crash”(1996)

This is David Croneberg’s “Crash”, not the 2004 morality tale/sob fest by the same name.  In this movie a group of people have come together because of their mutual sexual fascination with car wrecks.  

It stars the ubiquitously deviant James Spader (Man do I LOVE him) as a man whose work and home/sex life have become stagnant.  When he is involved in a terrible car accident, he stumbles into a strange world of sex fueled by car crashes.   Elias Koteas, plays Vaughan, a man who claims to be a scientist studying the phenomenon, but in truth he has been drawn in to a ferocious sexual game that includes Rosanna Arquette as a woman held together by braces and prosthetics (there is a really disturbing scene featuring sex involving a horrible scar).

The cast also includes Holly Hunter as a woman who likes anonymous sex in cars, particularly wrecked cars and Debra Kara Unger as Spader’s confused wife.  Be warned this film contains some pretty explicit and strange sex scenes, but like any car wreck you just cannot look away.

“Oscar”(1991)

OK, just don’t judge all Sly comedies by “Stop of my mom will shoot”.  This is another animal entirely.  I cannot tell you enough how much I love, love, love this movie.  This is perhaps one of the best, underrated movies of all time.  The plot is clever, the dialogue witty, witty, the costumes and sets are beautiful and accurate to the time, and the cast, ironically enough is full of Oscar winners and nominees. 

Just to give you the Oscar roll call:  Sylvester Stallone-2 nominations, Don Ameche-1 win, Peter Reigert-1 nomination, Marisa Tomei-2 nominations, 1 win, Chaz Palminteri- 1 nomination, Kirk Douglas-3 nominations, 1 win. Ornella Muti-3 David (Italian Oscar) nominations, 1 win. Plus Emmy winners, Tim Curry, and Ken Howard, and Emmy nominees, Linda Gray and Harry Shearer.  Not to mention a plethora of great supporting characters like Kurtwood Smith, Martin Ferrero,  Joey Travolta and the Iconic Yvonne De Carlo.

This movie is modeled on the classic Shakespearian comedy. It actually has all of the elements listed in wikipedia as standards of Shakespearian comedies:
    ·   A struggle of young lovers to overcome difficulty, often presented by elders
    ·  Separation and re-unification
    ·  Deception among characters (especially mistaken identity)
    ·  A clever servant
    ·  Tension between characters, often within a family
    ·  Multiple, intertwining plots
    ·  Use of all styles of comedy (slapstick, puns, dry humor, earthy humor, witty banter,  
        practical jokes)
    ·  Happy Ending, though this is a given, since by definition, anything without a 
        happy ending can't be a comedy

Set during prohibition, the story revolves around “Snaps” Provolone, a gangster who has made his money selling illegal liquor.  On his deathbed Snaps’ father asks him to go straight.  Unable to deny his dying father, Snaps agrees.  On the first day of his honest life, a multitude of situations arise, designed to keep Snaps from getting out of the business.

You do have to pay attention to the dialogue; it is filled with fast witty banter, and great timely lines like, “its the Music you kids listen to today, don’t think I haven’t heard the words to “Minnie the Moocher”.”  This film is a great little rollercoaster ride from start to finish. 

“Strings”(2004)

This is one of the most unusual movies that I have every seen.  All of the characters are marionettes.  Expertly manipulated by Master Puppeteers, these marionettes are very human in their movements and gestures.  Originally made in Sweden, with Swedish actors doing the voices.  It was re-released in America with English speaking actors doing the voiceover, very much like “Howl’s Moving Castle”.

The main character, Hal, voiced by James McAvoy, is the son of a king.  When his father commits suicide in despair over the warring state of the kingdom, the king’s brother, Nezo steals the suicide note and tells his nephew Hal that the neighboring kingdom had the king assassinated.  Nezo hopes to eliminate Hal by sending him to be killed by their “enemy”. Hal leaves the kingdom and begins a quest for vengeance. 

This movie is really interesting in the way that it constructs a whole world for the marionettes.  In this world your “head string” is what connects you to God.  If your head string is cut, you die. If the string to you legs is cut you become "lame".   New children are born when the father carves a new wooden baby, which the “pregnant” mother brings to life by connecting strings which have grown around her own  to the wooden infant.  Even the gates to the castle only have to consist of a single bar high above head height that blocks the strings from passing.

As Hal travels the land looking for answers he meets Zita who helps shed light on the reality of war for Hal. This path leads Hal to a new understanding of how ignorance and misinformation can lead to war, and how tolerance can bring understanding.  This is one of the most beautiful and magical movies ever.  A must see for all ages.

Well that’s just a start on the best movies you’ve never seen, I will have more for you soon.