Movies You Should See

Some of my favorites. I have probably have told you about them either here or in person. Any additions? Just comment:

Zoolander: possibly the most underrated Ben Stiller movie of all time, Zoolander bombed in the box office, but I feel it’s superior to DodgeBall in many ways. Reasons to watch it: its story is great; Ben Stiller plays a great underdog, and moron fashion model; a large number of twists and turns you won’t be expecting; it has Owen Wilson as a great supporting role; the list of cameos is huge: Jerry Stiller, Billy Zane, Vince Vaughn, Dennis Rodman, to name a few; one word: Magnum.


Unbreakable: a letdown to some, but I still feel this pseudo comic book flick starring Bruce WillisSamuel L. Jackson is some of their best work. As with all M. Night Shyamalan movies, you won’t be expecting the ending at all. It’s not quite a twist that will shock you, but you won’t be expecting it. To sum up the story, just imagine two sides that are not only opposite in mind but in body as well and you begin to see the two main characters: Willis, who couldn’t be damaged by a train wreck (literally) and Jackson, who breaks bones from stepping too hard.


Casshern: hasn’t actually made it to US shores yet, but expect it soon. Casshern is a reimagining of a 1970s Japanese action anime about a half robot/half human man who fits giant robots. The new version of the story makes about half as much sense, but it’s the style that is more important. Each shot is crafted carefully fit into the whole of the movie, using a color grading that not only gives each scene a unified meaning but blends the characters into the world making them seem a little more surreal rather than the world more real (very different from the disappointing Aeon Flux). This movie is also filled with a who’s who of the current Japanese acting world, including the very nice Mayumi Sada and Kumiko Aso.


The Warriors: 1970s cult classic about gang warfare in New York City. Required for anyone who wants a good idea of what the city looked like during its dark days and through the Dinkins era. The story is loosely based on Xenophon's "Anabasis", the account of an army of Greek mercenaries who, after aligning themselves with Cyrus the Younger in the battle of Cunaxa (401 BC) in his attempt to seize the Persian throne, found themselves isolated behind Persian enemy lines. Their battle over 1000 miles of hostile territory to make it to the sea strongly parallels the journey of the Warriors over the expanse of NYC from the South Bronx all the way to Coney Island.


Shawn of the Dead: Somewhat low brow take on the whole zombie horror genre which I feel is getting a little too old anyway. I still think if I saw one crawling out of my television I would start punching the shit out of them rather than cowering in fear and waiting for them to come to me. Set in England and released conspicuously near the excellent 28 Days Later, Shawn and his friends get trapped in a zombie filled London, where comedy ensues and after the rescue, zombies are kept around to fulfill certain tasks and play the occasional game of soccer on PS2.

Batman and Robin: Actually many will laugh at this and I think not everyone should watch this, but for anyone who is ever planning to do anything involving some kind of motion picture camera and film, you need to watch this to see how not to do things! If I ever see another movie as bad as this I will never watch another movie again.