All of these films are special in their own ways. They aren't perfect, and they vary widely in their release years and content. What connects them all is that I know less than five people that have even seen them. Hopefully after reading this, those numbers will at least climb a little bit. Now let's get on with it. In alphabetical order.
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Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Verna Bloom
Genre: Comedy
Why You Didn't See It:
It's a Martin Scorsese flick that isn't about gangsters.
Why You Need To:
Imagine if Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut was a comedy set during the 1980s and you have a pretty good grasp on what to expect in After Hours: a guy decides to venture into the New York underground and ends up getting way more than he bargained for. I actually prefer After Hours over Kubrick's take on this story, because while Eyes Wide Shut has a tendency to wander off into weird places that don't necessarily make much sense, After Hours asks a simple but entertaining question: How much shit can one guy pile onto himself in the span of one night?
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| I think they call that a "blowjaws". |
Where can I find it?
You can buy After Hours on amazon.com for $6 right now.
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Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring: John Turturro, John Goodman
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Why You Didn't See It:
The Coen brothers didn't really blow up until Fargo was released a few years later.
Why You Need To:
Well, it's one of the three best films by the Coen brothers, which is quite a feat when they have so many great ones to choose from (the other two being Lebowski and No Country). It's also a unique look into the business of screenplay writing. Turturro and Goodman both put in some of the best performances of their careers here. It's a shame that they've largely been dismissed in modern cinema. Fink has also been forgotten, and that's a shame, too, because it's one of the best films of the 90's.
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| You gotta remember to turn off the stove, John. |
Where can I find it?
You can watch Barton Fink on Netflix Instant Streaming right now.
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Director: Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton
Starring: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack
Genre: Silent Comedy
Why You Didn't See It:
It's a silent film that doesn't have Charlie Chaplin in it.
Why You Need To:
Because there was another powerhouse comedian in the silent era, and his name was Buster Keaton. As history likes to pick a winner, Chaplin ended up being remembered while Keaton has been almost completely forgotten in the past 80 years. With The General, Keaton created the best silent film I've ever seen (which, granted, is still pretty limited). Hilarious comedic timing and physical humor carry the movie, which focuses on a train chase in the middle of a Civil War battle. One of the most impressive things about The General is that Keaton did all of his own stunts in the film. In today's world that doesn't sound so amazing, but you have to remember he was jumping from railcar to railcar at full speed on a fully operational train. It's insane. And hilarious.
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| Dear Buster: You jelly? - Charlie Chaplin |
Where can I find it?
You can watch The General on Netflix Instant Streaming right now.
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Director: Gaspar Noe
Starring: Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, Albert Dupontel
Genre: Thriller
Why You Didn't See It:
It's a foreign film, it's very disturbing, and Noe is still a pretty unknown director.
Why You Need To:
Actually, I'll preface this by just warning you that Irreversible includes a very disturbing and lengthy rape scene, so if you don't think you can handle that, just skip on down to the next film. If you're still reading, then I'll say that Irreversible is a film that affected me deeply. Not because I can relate to the subject matter necessarily, but because, after it was over, I was completely drained of emotion. Somehow the rape scene manages to come off as not exploitative but perhaps even necessary for the full impact of the film to work. This may be because of the presentation of the film, which is shown reverse-chronologically (like Memento without amnesia). By doing this we are forced to look at all actions without full context and weigh their morality through the action itself instead of through emotional connection to the characters.
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| Yeah... I'm not even gonna try to make a joke here. |
Where can I find it?
You can watch Irreversible on Netflix Instant Streaming right now.
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Director: Hal Ashby
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Dennis Quaid, Otis Young
Genre: Dramedy
Why You Didn't See It:
Nicholson has a ton of movies from the 70's. Also, the posters make it look like a gay sailor porno.
Why You Need To:
Well, it's not a gay sailor porno, and while Nicholson's other, more popular 70's films (like Chinatown, Cuckoo's Nest, Five Easy Pieces, etc.) are probably better, The Last Detail is right up there with them. Instead of playing the usual guy-going-crazy role, Nicholson plays an everyman sailor who's trying to help out a rookie being sent to naval prison by making their trip to the prison eventful. Shenanigans, of course, ensue. The Last Detail may be one of the first instances of a "bromance" film, where there isn't really a love interest and the story revolves around tales of male bonding. It's a great film and it always blows my mind when I find out that absolutely nobody has seen it.
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| I promise you it isn't a gay sailor porno. |
Where can I find it?
You can buy The Last Detail on amazon.com for $12.50.
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Director: John M. Stahl
Starring: Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain
Genre: Thriller
Why You Didn't See It:
It's a movie from the 40's and it's not called Casablanca.
Why You Need To:
Because it basically set the foundation for films like Misery, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, and Fatal Attraction. That's right: the birth of the obsessed maniacal female template. Gene Tierney plays one of the most coldhearted characters in the history of cinema. Those films that followed later tended to use the graphic violence and cruelty of the character to drive home just how evil they were, but in Heaven, there is no graphic violence; the understanding of just how sadistic Tierney's character is becomes increasingly obvious by her changing demeanor and actions throughout the film. It's one of the best films of the 40's.
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| Seriously, who wears a suit jacket on a boat? That's pure evil. |
Where can I find it?
You can buy Leave Her to Heaven on amazon.com for $11.50.
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Director: John Huston
Starring: Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Eli Wallach
Genre: Drama
Why You Didn't See It:
Everyone involved was either considered past their prime or relatively unknown.
Why You Need To:
First off, it's a great and often overlooked film in the careers of every single person involved. I love the story, which focuses on the impact of a woman on the lives of a group of cowboys who tame mustangs for a living. It's an early example of a film where "nothing happens", by which I mean there is no twist or conspiracy or political themes; it's just about a group of people living their lives. More importantly, though, is the historical importance of the film itself. The Misfits is Gable's final film; he actually died days after shooting ended. It's also Marilyn Monroe's last movie. Montgomery Clift was lucky enough to get three more out before he died. Pretty depressing. On the flip side, this was the second significant role for Eli Wallach and the first screenplay by Arthur Miller.
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| Trivia: Look up the making-of of this film. It's pretty crazy. |
Where can I find it?
You can buy The Misfits on amazon.com for $11.
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Director: Sergio Leone
Starring: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern
Genre: Gangster
Why You Didn't See It:
Because it's by Leone and it's not a western. Also, it's about four hours long.
Why You Need To:
Because it's one of the top five gangster movies of all time. Sure it's bloated. I mean, it's four hours long. But that's what Leone does. Check any of his beloved westerns and you'll see multiple instances of extended scenes where the only thing happening is accompanying music. This is what makes Leone Leone, and these trademarks separate this film from all the other gangster films. America covers the loyalty and respect themes that dominate gangster movies, but it also gives equal time to the history of the man behind the gang, like The Godfather Part II. It's a very original movie, one of Leone's best, and a film worth checking out for any fan of gangster stories.
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| "Jennifer Connelly's in this movie? Does she do ass-to-ass?" |
Where can I find it?
You can watch Once Upon a Time in America on Netflix Instant Streaming right now.
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Director: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou
Genre: War
Why You Didn't See It:
Kubrick hadn't yet become a superstar director when this film was released.
Why You Need To:
Because it's one of the best films by one of the best directors of all time. It's better than A Clockwork Orange, Spartacus, Dr. Strangelove, The Shining... everything except 2001: A Space Odyssey, actually. With Paths of Glory, Kubrick created one of the first true anti-war films, a genre that wouldn't really explode for another 15 years or so. Set in France during World War I, Paths looks at the effects of a French officer retreating in a vastly outnumbered battle. Instead of punishing the officer for cowardice, the military decides to execute three random soldiers for the "crime". The film depicts these injustices apathetically; the only person with any emotion is Timothy Carey's character, who understandably doesn't understand why he is being killed. Paths of Glory is Kubrick's hidden gem.
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| If I pinky swear that I didn't do it, can I go free? |
Where can I find it?
You can buy Paths of Glory on amazon.com for $11.50.
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Director: John Ford
Starring: John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Thomas Mitchell
Genre: Western
Why You Didn't See It:
It's a film from the 30's and it's not called Gone with the Wind or The Wizard of Oz.
Why You Need To:
Because of all the old westerns (and there are a ton), Stagecoach is probably the best of the bunch. The story follows a group of travelers on a stagecoach attempting to cross Indian country. It's a very tense and exciting film with one of the best chase/shootout scenes in any film. John Wayne, in one of his biggest early roles, shows why he will eventually become the most iconic actor in history by stealing virtually every scene he's in with his charisma and flair. Like a lot of 30's films, Stagecoach is fairly cheesy and has some funky dialogue, but don't let that stop you from seeing it. It also has a pretty intricate plot and great characters, especially considering that it's not even 90 minutes long.
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| "Wayne, are you sure you know how to use a GPS?" |
Where can I find it?
You can watch Stagecoach on Netflix Instant Streaming right now.
