10 Great Movies You Haven’t Seen
Posted by Scott on 06 Apr 2008 at 06:29 pm | Tagged as: Movie Loner Musings
Well, if you’re an avid moviegoer like myself maybe you have seen them. Either way each of these films is worth checking out.
10) Stalker (1979) – Director Andrei Tarkovsky’s metaphysical journey to a place called “The Zone,” where dreams allegedly come true. Overlong and a chore to process this is pure science fiction which is a rarity in movies today.
9) Fulltime Killer (2001) – Competing hitmen duel over the title of #1 Assassin and the affections of the same woman in this brazen bullet-filled action movie. This is the kind of film John Woo used to make before Hollywood ruined him.
8) Irreversible (2002) – Gasper Noe’s brutal meditation on violence and revenge told in reverse-order. Not for everyone, but a brilliant expose on man’s futile battle against time.
7) Amateur (1994) – Maestro of deadpan Hal Hartley’s biting comedy about a porno-writing nun, an amnesiac porn kingpin, and a runaway porn star. Think this movie is about pornography? You’d be correct.
6) Session 9 (2001) – Eerie creepfest about a HAZMAT crew hired to clean-out an abandoned mental hospital. Sanity erodes faster than cheap paint inside the walls of this domed manor.
5) Three Businessmen (1998) – Alex Cox of Repo Man fame directs and stars in this eclectic dialogue heavy tale of two salesman in search of a good meal in Liverpool. Odd but good.
4) Beau Travail (1999) – French auteur Claire Denis’ surreal vision retells Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, focusing on power and the jealousy of youth. Beautifully photographed by Agnes Godard.
3) The Dancer Upstairs (2002) – Oscar winner Javier Bardem plays a pensive detective tracking a suspected terrorist organization in Latin America. A thought-provoking feature length directorial debut by John Malkovich.
2) Killer of Sheep (1977) – Writer/Director Charles Burnett’s neorealist exploration of a working-class family in Watts, Los Angeles. Poetically depicts the monotony of home-life versus the compelling lure of the street.
1) Oldboy (2003) – A masterfully told story about a man held captive in a room for 15 years without explanation. Upon his release the man sets off to find his mysterious captor but instead uncovers a shocking secret that reveals a fate worse than imprisonment.
Agree or disagree with my selections? Eventually, I’ll get around to reviewing all these movies.
