Glenn
11-10-2002, 08:06 AM
Thanks for all your suggestions. I now have a list that I can bring to Blockbuster with me. As promised, here are a few films I feel are worth checking out.
Bandits (German, 1997)
No, not the Bruce Willis Film that was released about a year ago... Bandits is a German film released in 1997 which was directed by Katja Von Garnier. It is the story of 4 female inmates who form a band, escape from prision, and become a national phenomenon. The movie is in German, but the music they play is in English, so it is quite watchable even for those who fear subtitles. Also, the dialoge is not terribly complex, so nothing is lost in the translation. This is not the best movie ever, but it doesn't try to be. It tells a story with great visuals and great sound and is very entertaining in my opinion. It is no Vertigo, but it is much better than most other "entertaining" films (Lethel Weapon is a good example) because in addition to telling a story that will keep your attention, it makes great use of cinematic devices other than plot and dialogue. It has been described as "Spice World" meets "The Fugitive". I would personally never put it in the game class as "Spice World", I would say more like Thelma and Louise with prettier girls, a better soundtrack, and better cinematography. Girls will like it because it is about girls and their relationships. Guys will like it because it appeals to the senses...volume, visuals, and violence. Just remember not to take it too seriously.
As an aside, this movie has the best trailer I've ever seen. It is loud, visually excellent, violent, etc... My friends and I saw the trailer a few times and every time we were like "we've gotta see that". It was so good that until we rented it, we had no idea the movie was in German. If you get the DVD check out the trailer.
Testament (US, 1983)
This is by far the most brutal movie I have ever seen, yet there is no violence. It is the story of a family slowly dying due to the effects of a nuclear attack on the US. There are no mushroom clouds, no presidents scrambling to save the world, just a family trying to survive. You don't know how it started or what happened. It was a small budget American Playhouse film that did profess to be flashy as did "The Day After" which was released in the same year. The only negatives are 1) William Devane is awful as the father -- but he is dead for most of the movie so it is ok /forums/images/icons/smile.gif and 2) Watching it makes you feel awful. The editing is brilliant. Jane Alexander is brilliant. While this isn't a good date movie, and you probably won't want to watch it more than once it is great to watch just to see the power that even a simple movie can have.
True Romance (US, 1993)
This one is not terribly obscure, but is often forgotten. It was directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino. The title is a bit misleading. It is a love story of sorts, but definitely not a traditional one. The cast is filled with stars playing various wonderfuly constructed characters. Of course, given that Tarantino was involved, the movie is full of graphic violence (they had to cut it so it wouldn't be NC-17), so it is not for the terribly sensitive. The writing is excellent, and the actors all give great performances. It is a movies based on exagerations. The characters are charactitures of different types of people and they are placed in outlandish situations that they handle with style. Probably my favorite movie to watch of all time.
Swimming With Sharks (US, 1994)
Swimming With Sharks stars Kevin Spacey as an abusive Hollywood producer and Frank Whaley as his newly hired assistant. This was before Spacey became trendy with The Usual Suspects and American Beauty, so a lot of people haven't seen it. Spacey's berating of his employee is quite funny and makes the movie worth watching in itself, but the movie takes a twist when Whaley kidnaps his boss and tourtures him. It becomes a story of the motivaitons of those in Hollywood. Check it out, if nothing more you'll enjoy watching Spacey throw pens at Whaley.
Rebel Without a Cause (1955, US)
This is obviously one of the most influential and copied films ever made. It is the movie that created James Dean's legend. I'm sure most of you old folks have seen it, but most young people haven't. It is a timeless and accurate portrayal of the struggles of youths. While the language is dated, the kids and their motivations are still accurate. When you see some "expert" on CNN talking about kids shooting up their schools, remember that Rebel said the same thing 50 years ago. I think Dean is amazing, although some say he and the other teen actors are overly dramatic. But he should overact, he is playing a teen! There is wonderful juxtoposition of their obvious desire to be adults with their childish tendencies. Because it has been copied and parodied so much, those of you watching for the first time might find it hard to take seriously, but look at the ideas addressed, and look when it was done.
Croupier (UK, 1998)
Finally something about gambling. This one won't need much selling because it revolves around a topic that we all love. Clive Owen plays a man working as a croupier while he writes a novel. He is addicted to watching people lose. His life becomes the novel, and the novel becomes his life.
If you watch these or have already seen them I'd like to hear your opinons...
tired of writing...more some other time
-g-
Bandits (German, 1997)
No, not the Bruce Willis Film that was released about a year ago... Bandits is a German film released in 1997 which was directed by Katja Von Garnier. It is the story of 4 female inmates who form a band, escape from prision, and become a national phenomenon. The movie is in German, but the music they play is in English, so it is quite watchable even for those who fear subtitles. Also, the dialoge is not terribly complex, so nothing is lost in the translation. This is not the best movie ever, but it doesn't try to be. It tells a story with great visuals and great sound and is very entertaining in my opinion. It is no Vertigo, but it is much better than most other "entertaining" films (Lethel Weapon is a good example) because in addition to telling a story that will keep your attention, it makes great use of cinematic devices other than plot and dialogue. It has been described as "Spice World" meets "The Fugitive". I would personally never put it in the game class as "Spice World", I would say more like Thelma and Louise with prettier girls, a better soundtrack, and better cinematography. Girls will like it because it is about girls and their relationships. Guys will like it because it appeals to the senses...volume, visuals, and violence. Just remember not to take it too seriously.
As an aside, this movie has the best trailer I've ever seen. It is loud, visually excellent, violent, etc... My friends and I saw the trailer a few times and every time we were like "we've gotta see that". It was so good that until we rented it, we had no idea the movie was in German. If you get the DVD check out the trailer.
Testament (US, 1983)
This is by far the most brutal movie I have ever seen, yet there is no violence. It is the story of a family slowly dying due to the effects of a nuclear attack on the US. There are no mushroom clouds, no presidents scrambling to save the world, just a family trying to survive. You don't know how it started or what happened. It was a small budget American Playhouse film that did profess to be flashy as did "The Day After" which was released in the same year. The only negatives are 1) William Devane is awful as the father -- but he is dead for most of the movie so it is ok /forums/images/icons/smile.gif and 2) Watching it makes you feel awful. The editing is brilliant. Jane Alexander is brilliant. While this isn't a good date movie, and you probably won't want to watch it more than once it is great to watch just to see the power that even a simple movie can have.
True Romance (US, 1993)
This one is not terribly obscure, but is often forgotten. It was directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino. The title is a bit misleading. It is a love story of sorts, but definitely not a traditional one. The cast is filled with stars playing various wonderfuly constructed characters. Of course, given that Tarantino was involved, the movie is full of graphic violence (they had to cut it so it wouldn't be NC-17), so it is not for the terribly sensitive. The writing is excellent, and the actors all give great performances. It is a movies based on exagerations. The characters are charactitures of different types of people and they are placed in outlandish situations that they handle with style. Probably my favorite movie to watch of all time.
Swimming With Sharks (US, 1994)
Swimming With Sharks stars Kevin Spacey as an abusive Hollywood producer and Frank Whaley as his newly hired assistant. This was before Spacey became trendy with The Usual Suspects and American Beauty, so a lot of people haven't seen it. Spacey's berating of his employee is quite funny and makes the movie worth watching in itself, but the movie takes a twist when Whaley kidnaps his boss and tourtures him. It becomes a story of the motivaitons of those in Hollywood. Check it out, if nothing more you'll enjoy watching Spacey throw pens at Whaley.
Rebel Without a Cause (1955, US)
This is obviously one of the most influential and copied films ever made. It is the movie that created James Dean's legend. I'm sure most of you old folks have seen it, but most young people haven't. It is a timeless and accurate portrayal of the struggles of youths. While the language is dated, the kids and their motivations are still accurate. When you see some "expert" on CNN talking about kids shooting up their schools, remember that Rebel said the same thing 50 years ago. I think Dean is amazing, although some say he and the other teen actors are overly dramatic. But he should overact, he is playing a teen! There is wonderful juxtoposition of their obvious desire to be adults with their childish tendencies. Because it has been copied and parodied so much, those of you watching for the first time might find it hard to take seriously, but look at the ideas addressed, and look when it was done.
Croupier (UK, 1998)
Finally something about gambling. This one won't need much selling because it revolves around a topic that we all love. Clive Owen plays a man working as a croupier while he writes a novel. He is addicted to watching people lose. His life becomes the novel, and the novel becomes his life.
If you watch these or have already seen them I'd like to hear your opinons...
tired of writing...more some other time
-g-