Films More People Should See (Spoilers Likely)

[Benji]

Ever seen a film you liked but nobody else seemed to have watched it? Well, these days we have Netflix, LoveFilm and other such stuff, making viewing these things a lot easier - so I figure, why not make a thread where we can suggest some potentially underloved films to one another? Doesn't have to be anything amazing, just something you enjoyed and would like to share.

Try and keep spoilers to a bare minimum please!

Clay Pigeons (1998)

Genre: Black Comedy/Crime Thriller

Clay Bidwell (Joaquin Phoenix) is as a small town guy who is engaged in an affair with his best friend's wife. When his friend finds out, he kills himself and makes it look like Clay did it in revenge. Clay's problems worsen when he encounters a charismatic cowboy called Lester Long (Vince Vaughn), and finds himself slowly entering into a tangled web of lies.

30 Days of Night (2007)
Genre: Horror/Thriller

In the Alaskan town of Barrow, there's a period during the winter when there is a month-long polar night. Sheriff Eben Olesen (Josh Hartnett) and the town of Barrow aren't prepared for what comes out at night, as a trouble making stranger locked in the town jail warns only that "death is coming"...

[Mick]

In The Mouth of Madness (1995)

Directed by John Carpenter and Inspired by HP Lovecraft (which should tell you plenty ), an insurance investigator investigates a publisher's claim about a missing bestselling author in the New England town of Hobb's End. Shit proceeds to hit the fan.

[SRN]

Yeah, In the Mouth of Madness is a great shout. It such a over-the-top Lovecraftian film that I can't help but love it. 30 Days of Night didn't sit well with me when I watched it way back when, but maybe I should give it another shot.

I Saw the Devil (2010)
Director: Kim Jee-woon
Writer: Hoon-jung Park

"When his pregnant fiancee becomes the latest victim of a serial killer, a secret agent blurs the line between good and evil in his pursuit of revenge."
This is still one the most intense and actually frightening films I've seen. There is not one dull moment here, it is so action-packed.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)
Director: Chan-wook Park
Writers: Jae-sun Lee, Jong-yung Lee, My-yeong Lee, Chan-wook Park

"A recently laid off factory worker kidnaps his former boss' daughter, hoping to use the ransom money to pay for his sister's kidney transplant."

The summary doesn't do this justice. This film is actually part of the Vengeance trilogy along with Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, and I can't fathom why this one is so hidden away because it is just as intense as Oldboy. You should watch it.

[Jimmy]

Gaea Girls (Kim Longinotto, 2000), Ten (2002, Abbas Kiarostami), Sweet Sixteen (Ken Loach, 2002), Punishment Park (Peter Watkins, 1971), Scarecrow (Jerry Schatzberg, 1973) and Le Samourai (Jean Pierre Melville, 1967).

Should probably add descriptions and pictures but there's a pretty diverse range of films there and they're all really good.

[Mick]

Pictured: Ozzy during his liquid cocaine days.

Prince of Darkness (1987)

Another film directed by John Carpenter, a strange green canister is found beneath a Los Angeles church. A priest (Donald Pleasance) asks a quantum physics professor (played by Victor Wong, aka Egg Shen in Big Trouble in Little China) to investigate it. Shit hits the fan as the priest, professor and his students discover some major oh shit type things.

[9 to 5]

I wouldn't say the Prince of Darkness is a great film per say, but it is a film that stayed with me for hours and made me a bit uncomfortable. I need to rewatch it at some part soon.

[SRN]

I really have to see more John Carpenter movies. I am sort embarassed I have only seen The Thing, In the Mouth of Madness and Ghosts of Mars. First one is awesome, second one is lovely and the last one is absolutely terrible.

Ichi the Killer (2001)

Director: Takashi Miike

Writer: Sakichi Satô

"As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of."

If you are squeamish, faint of heart, soft, easily repulsed or a combination of any of those things, don't watch Ichi the Killer. If you can stomach some extreme scenes but watch beyond that to find what is honestly a really interesting character-driven film.

Marwencol (2010)

Director: Jeff Malmberg

Writers: -

"After a vicious attacks leaves him brain-damaged and broke, Mark Hogancamp seeks recovery in "Marwencol", a 1/6th scale World War II-era town he creates in his backyard."

Such a sad, heart-wrenching yet warm and bright tale. Just watch it. It made such a big impact on me. I have watched a lot of documentaries in my life, but this is definitely one of the most personal and intimate I have ever seen.

[HailtotheYo]

[OctoberRaven]

Death Race 2000 (1975)

Not to be confused with the remake-in-name-only; David Carradine and Slyvester Stallone star in an old-school grindhouse flick about a race across America featuring drivers with wacky gimmicks who are encouraged to run people over to increase their chances of winning. Lots of black humor and great action scenes.

The Warriors (1979)

Just in case there's anyone on EWB who hasn't seen this. Nine members of a street gang from Coney Island has to go from the Bronx back to their home turf... unarmed... with every other gang in the city looking to kill them. Memorable characters and moments in virtually every scene, as well as some fight scenes and (on-foot) chase scenes. Featuring David Patrick Kelley (T-Bird in The Crow); James Remar (Dexter's dad in Dexter); and Lynne Thigpen (who later appeared on the Cosby Show, and also went on to be The Cheif in the Carmen Sandiego game show)

Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976)

Taiwanese Wu Xia film featuring an assassin who uses a unique weapon that... well, it's in the name of the movie. Crazy fight scenes and some great gimmicky characters (my favorite being "Wins Without A Knife" Y Yamazaki)

High Kick Girl! (2009)

Japanese "movie" that is really more just a series of fight scenes with a barebones plot thrown in. The fight scenes are fun though, however they pad this movie... a lot... in a unique way: Instant replays. Of every. Single. Knockout. The movie is already short (81 min) but probably would be an hour if not for the replays... it's THAT overdone.

Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai (1999)

Forrest Whittaker stars in this amazing crime drama about a man who has a self-imposed life debt to a mobster, and works as a hitman for this mobster. However an unexpected loose end to one of his hits leads to him being targeted by the mafia. The hitman lives his life by a bushido manual called Hagakure (an actual book; they quote it several times in the film). Featuring two characters managing to have a conversation despite neither of them speaking a word of the other's language, and a completely random walk-on by RZA.

[Johnny Latino Heat]

I watched the Warriors after playing the PS2 game (I had no idea it was based on a movie when I bought the game). I remember finding it by pure chance, the only copy on the store, really cheap too. Bought it and didn't regret it.

Also, come on, James Remar is obviously more known for being Rayden in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation than for being in Dexter.

[OctoberRaven]

Also, come on, James Remar is obviously more known for being Rayden in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation than for being in Dexter.

I try to forget that there was more than one Mortal Kombat movie.

[Benjamin]

Terrible. The Mortal Kombat movies were cinematic masterpieces!

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

THE PROPOSITION

dir: John Hillcoat, writer: Nick Cave

Ray Winstone, Guy Pearce, Emily Watson, Danny Huston, John Hurt

The best Western film I've ever seen. Set in the Australian outback. When he's captured after some (extremely) naughty business, middle brother of three outlaws (Pearce) is offered a proposition by town "sheriff" Winstone: Either his younger brother is hanged, or Pearce finds and brings in his brutal older brother.

Oh and it's writen by Nick Cave.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

3:10 To Yuma

dir: James Mangold

Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Ben Foster, Peter Fonda, Alan Tudyk

One of the next best Westerns I've seen. Small time rancher Bale finds himself witnessing a stagecoach robery by Crowe and his infamous band or villains. He then agrees to be one of the escorts who will take Crowe to get him onto the 3:10 to Yuma train to prison in exchange for $200.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Thin Red Line

dir: Terrence Malick

Nick Nolte, Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Elias Koteas, Ben Chaplin, John Cusack, Adrien Brody, John C. Reilly, Woody Harrelson, Jared Leto, John Travolta, Nick Stahl, George Clooney.....and more.

The "other" war film that was released at a similar time to Saving Private Ryan. I much prefer it, especially as extended an edition as you can find. Malick shot a ridiculous amount of film, the vast majority not making it to the final cut. Adrien Brody thought he was the main character (he arrived at the premiere thinking so), but found his part hugely shrunk down by the end. Mickey Rourke (you can see his part in the extras), Bill Pullman, Lukas Haas, Billy Bob Thornton's voiceover were all discarded. Gary Oldman, Viggo Mortensen, Martin Sheen, Jason Patric were removed before shooting.

In all that mess though, Malick "found" the film he wanted in the edit room and it's a total beauty - a muse on war, beauty of nature, horrors of battle, madness of soldiers left to die, loneliness, loss....it's staggering. Jim Caviezel is hauntingly good in a top, top cast on top, top form.

It's also where I got a man-crush on Jim Caviezel.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Kingdom of Heaven: DIRECTOR'S CUT

dir: RIdley Scott

Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, Kevin McKidd, Philip Glenister, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson, Jeremy Irons, Edward Norton (uncredited) and plenty of other familiar faces.

No spoilers here. Lots of people watched the cinema release and it was kinda ok. Thing is, the Director's Cut, with 46 more minutes made it fantastic. Really really good. It brought in characters than had been removed on the studio's initial request (they feared marketing another long epic), added depth to others and made weird storyline plotholes make sense. It's glorious. If you've not seen the Director's Cut please track it down. Don't watch the Theatrical Release.

[Benjamin]

Stalag 17, Once Upon a Time in the West, Double Indemnity, A Man for All Seasons, Come and See, The Last Picture Show, The Imposter, Hope Dreams, Rope, The Machinist, Stranger Than Fiction, Sherlock, Jr., The General, Arthur Christmas, 3 Days of the Condor, Redbelt, The Man Who Wasn't There, Celeste & Jesse Forever.

Man, those are a lot off the top of my head. I'll stop now.

[apsham]

In The Mouth of Madness (1995)

Directed by John Carpenter and Inspired by HP Lovecraft (which should tell you plenty ), an insurance investigator investigates a publisher's claim about a missing bestselling author in the New England town of Hobb's End. Shit proceeds to hit the fan.

This sounds almost exactly in my wheelhouse at the moment, perfect.

[Gorka]

MOON

Genre: Sci-Fi

Directed by Duncan Jones

Sam Bell, played by Sam Rockwell, mines helium-3 on the Moon, with only a robot voiced by Kevin Spacey for company. Bell's contract of three years comes to an end in a few days, but Bell undergoes a personal crisis with freedom so close. I loved this film when I watched it recently, Rockwell's performance is fantastic and the character of Bell will leave you heartbroken.

TYRANNOSAUR

Genre: Drama

Directed by Paddy Considine

A very, very dark film. Peter Mullan is Joseph, a violent widower establishes a friendship with charity shop worker, Hannah, played by Olivia Colman. Although it seems that Joseph is the most damaged, he'll find out some horrifying truths about Hannah.

THE DAMNED UNITED

Genre: Drama

Directed by Tom Hooper

The film details the career of the legendary manager, Brian Clough and his short stint at Leeds United that ended after only forty-four days. Michael Sheen plays Brian Clough and Timothy Spall plays his assistant Peter Taylor. The chemistry between the two reflects the friendship between Clough and Taylor brilliantly.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Moon and Sunshine are my two favourite modern sci-fi films.