Best Movies You Have Never Seen Review

From time to time I'm going to try and cheerlead for some movies that a lot more people should see.   Why?    Because millions of dollars are made by over-produced, noisy crappy films that at their best function like fairly good rollercoaster rides. We are bombarded with ads and 1 minute trailers that make the films seem entertaining-- some are-- but most are at best like comfort food and at worst--fast food.

Meanwhile great movies are rarely screened and don't find the audience they deserve.  Why?  They remain below our radar.  No one suggests we should watch them and with thousands of choices and only so much time... what's someone looking for a 'good' and artistic movie supposed to do? 

I'm talking about very well made movies that deserve to be discovered or re-discovered.   A few of these may be a bit off-beat and not appeal to everyone, but others should be very easy to embrace and enjoy and should be better known then they are.

Unique, one-of-a-kind special movies for you to discover and enjoy.

First up, I have an off-beat one that was recently given an updated everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of release with wonderful extras, a copy of the original screenplay, and everything a fan of this gem could want by Criterion.

#1.

TWO LANE BLACKTOP   1971   directed by Monte Hellman

Hellman who worked with Roger Corman for many years and helped Jack Nicholson get into more serious films, directed two masterpieces, this film and COCKFIGHTER ( both had big memorable roles for the superb Warren Oates).   TWO LANE also features two famous musicians  Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys and James Taylor  (yes that James Taylor) in pivotal roles and NO there are no famous songs from Taylor or the Beach Boys in the film.  Laurie Bird a forgotten young actress is also in the film.  

This is a character-based road movie.  A riff on an idea simply played out like a long slow moving poem.   No one has a name in the movie.  We have  Driver, Mechanic, and GTO as the 3 main characters.  A cross country race is the ‘action' of the film, but it isn't an action packed racing movie at all, but rather a movie that details a particular time in the 1970s, and particularly characters who live life in the moment, for the moment, without a future, without a past.   We get to know the characters slowly over the course of the film.   There is space in the film for you to think about the images you are watching, consider perhaps what the characters are not saying or telling you about themselves.    

It's a fascinating film that may leave some viewers perplexed until they watch it a few more times and realize just how absolutely perfect this film truly is.  It's unique, stylish and very much worth your time to watch a few times.

My original longer Viewpoint review can be found here:

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#2

Le Samourai  1967  Directed by  John Pierre Mellville

Le Samourai is a stylish French crime drama.  And if you really haven't discovered that there are some great movies very much worth seeing that have subtitles and come from places like France or Italy or Germany or Spain or even Iran-than maybe it is time to expand your horizon, step off the curb, or do something different.    It's not even difficult or dangerous at all.

I put Le Samourai up on a pedestal,  because it is a brilliant balancing act of shadows and fog that pretends to give us much more than it actually delivers. It's brilliance is that without character background, we are fascinated and root for a cipher- a person we know nothing about, but because of his placement in a tableaux (a play) we are mesmerized by him and decide to like him for his sense of honor-even if he is cold blooded murderer.

Jef is played by Alan Delon who has been called the French Steve McQueen-a very good looking, stylish fellow who appeared in many wonderful 60s and 70s films-usually from France.  Jef is a hit man and we observe him, slowly realizing he is on a mission.

John Pierre Mellville didn't make a whole lot movies, but most of them are quite good with a very deliberate pacing and style. In fact he was using some of the celebrated French New Wave techniques  nearly a decade before they became recognized (real locations, hand held cameras, experimental editing) Some may  find La Cercle Rouge,  Bob La Flambeur  or perhaps Un Flic nearly as compelling as this one to watch.  I know I do.

A longer review of this film can be found here:

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#3.

Kill Baby Kill    1966  Directed by Mario Bava

Italian director and cinematographer  Mario Bava made several noteworthy genre films, inspiring Italian directors such as Fulci and Argento to make their own cult classics (DEEP RED, SUSPIRIA, THE BEYOND, DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING). Bava's BLACK SUNDAY is a horror classic and his early 70s BAY OF BLOOD, aka TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE is the direct inspiration for U.S. slasher movies and specifically the  Friday the 13th series. He made sex comedies, westerns, a wild super-hero movie: DANGER DIABOLIK and a horror omnibus film BLACK SABBATH.

KILL BABY KILL is perhaps my favorite Bava movie  for it is here several horror elements combine with the surreal and something truly nightmarish.  You can see how David Lynch was inspired by this film.  It is a testament to skill, innovation and filmmaking genius as very, very little money was spent making this tale and yet   atmosphere, mood and several dreamlike effects were convincingly accomplished. The low budget surreal lighting effects, the dream-like sequence all create a unique, effective and very influential film from 1966.

Supposed suicide victims are found with gold coins implanted into their hearts. A strange little girl is seen. The superstitious townspeople fear the countess and the huge estate she lives in.  Is it a ghost?  Witchcraft?   

You'll have to find out for yourself.

#4

THE WHITE BALLOON  1995  directed by Jafar Panah

This is one of the finest family films ever made.

Yes, I'll say this again, because few of you have heard of this movie, and even though I wrote about it at Viewpoints before, few have checked out my review.

Watching this film is witnessing one of the best performance from a child (Aida Mohammadkhani) that I have ever seen on film.  She's playing a little girl who convinces her mother that the goldfish they have in their home for the New Year party are too skinny and not special enough.  She has to go and get much better Goldfish for the party.  Finally mom gives in and gives her some money to go buy the goldfish.

I suppose I should mention to you that this movie is from Iran.  Yes, that means it is subtitled. WAIT...keep reading a moment....

The New Year party is the celebration of the Persian New Year or No Rooz and is a special day with specific rituals, one of which has to do with Goldfish. 

Anyway that is the set-up of this special film.  As the little girl goes out to get the goldfish, something truly tragic happens.  The money slips out of the little girl's hands and falls down the street grating.  She can't retrieve the money herself and she can't go back home and admit she still just a little irresponsible girl who loses money.  She must, absolutely, positively must come back home with a better goldfish.   I'm sure you can understand her dilemma.  It's a universal one, right?

What happens in a little under 90 minutes will charm you.   I guarantee you will be utterly on the edge of your seat rooting for this little girl to accomplish the little but seemingly impossible task that she believes is the most important task in the whole world to accomplish.

See this movie.  It's magic.  

Read more about it here:

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#5.

And I've saved the very best for last:

THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC   1928   directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer

If I could only choose one film to illustrate that Film is as legitimate an art form as Art, Music, Theater or Dance, I would choose PASSION.   It is an uncompromising masterpiece that features one of the very finest acting performance by anyone EVER.

And it is in a silent movie.

That's right a silent movie.    Ever seen a feature length dramatic silent movie?

I have been cheerleading for this movie for years and was delighted when Criterion released a superbly detailed restored version several years ago, that is still available.

Director Dreyer originally released the film without credits,and without a chosen music score to be played along with it's showing. The film has almost no establishing shots (it does have one of the torture room which still lacks enough of a perspective to give the viewer a conventional idea of room size however) and relies almost entirely on stark close-ups of some of the most interesting and fascinating faces you have ever seen in any painting, photograph, or on film. Faces without make-up. Dreyer forbid the use of make-up on the film. It may sound positively Dogme95 to some. Indeed it's no secret that Lars Von Triers (Dancer in the Dark)is obsessed with Dryer.

It was 1928.

The film is based with a great deal of meticulous accuracy on the 29 cross examinations which led to Joan of Arc being burned as a witch at the stake in 1431. The film avoids any mention of witchcraft or the occult however. The film also condenses the 29 cross examinations into approximately 5, which is the number of reels the film runs (at 82 minutes). The film also ends with a riot that never actually occurred.

The 1999 released DVD includes a wealth of extras which include the choral and orchestral work that the film inspired: Richard Einhorn's Voices of Light. It serves as a near perfect musical accompaniment to the film. The meticulous restoration of the film is stunning, especially when we can see glimpses of how the 1981 found print actually looked before it's digital re-master and repair. On the disk is also a commentary from Dreyer scholar Casper Tybjerg of the the University of Copenhagen which is quite informative. There is also
a production design archive and an audio interview with lead actress Falconetti's daughter, Helene.

Ironically I wrote a passionate review on this for Viewpoints on May 27th , of 2007 and I don't think anyone noticed.

If you are interested in learning more about one of the greatest films ever made I direct your attention to:

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5 great movies I'll assume very few of you have seen that are better than 99.5 percent of the movies ever made that many of you have seen.  I realize a couple of these movies may be acquired tastes and won't have you immediately jumping up and down screaming how incredible they are. . .but then again... you might just fall in love with these 5 films from the moment they begin-I don't know.. it's subjective. We all have our likes and dislikes. I don't expect everyone to think all 5 of these movies are brilliant, but I know a lot of you will be glad you took the time to watch them and I am sure that most will find a new favorite film among these 5.

Enjoy.