By Peter Skrzypczak, Film Critic.
To put myself in a sentence, I love cinema. Anything can be considered art but I find that every movie can have something to offer. Movies have put me in awe, revitalized my love for the art, brought me to a new perspective or were just plain fun. .
1. District 9 (2009)
Rated R / Dir. Neil Blomkamp
The topics the movie touches on are xenophobia/racism, apartheid/segregation and government use of private corporations (military or otherwise). The evolution (literal and metaphorical) of the protagonist Wikus van de Merwe throughout the film is one of it’s best aspects. The mockumentary style from the film was lifted right from Neil Blomkamp’s indie film, “Alive in Johannesburg.” The film influences the viewer on what to think of the prawns with the interviews and the shots they choose when depicting them. The name “prawn” itself is a derogatory term created by humans in the film. Special effects are also top notch and director Neil Blomkamp and Weta studios keep upping themselves visually with every project.
“I mean, you can’t say they don’t look like that, that’s what they look like, right? They look like prawns.”
2. The Dark Knight (2008)
Rated PG-13 / Dir. Christopher Nolan
First and foremost Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker is astounding. I would have my mind wiped just to see it for the first time all over again. The opening sequence itself is its own mini movie, leading up to the real introduction of the Joker. Ledger’s performance is perfectly complemented by Hans Zimmer’s score: all one note that keeps getting more and more intense. The practical effects in the film had to have been hard to pull off, but they did it and it’s amazing. They actually flipped a semi-truck vertically in the middle of Chicago. By far, this is the best written story of the Dark Knight Trilogy.
“I don’t, I don’t want to kill you! What would I do without you? Go back to ripping off mob dealers? No, no, NO! No. You… you… complete me.”
3. Gojira (1954)
Unrated / Dir. Ishiro Honda
The Godzilla films were the first influential films of my childhood, and Godzilla himself was the main draw. Although I would eventually watch them all, I’ll have to give the point to the one that started them. When I was young the movies set a precedent for how far I was willing to let my imagination go when a movie presented itself to me. Obviously some movies are as outlandish as possible but with the right execution and under the proper care they can be something amazing. And the shortcomings can still be fine provided someone believed in the project (unless your movie is “The Room” and it’s just the funniest damn thing because it’s so awful). On the movie of “Gojira” itself: it is the heaviest tonally of the entire series. The themes come from a sensitive time and the movie gives some harrowing scenes. Looking back the black and white adds to that effect greatly.
“And what will become of us if a weapon such as this now falls into the wrong hands?”
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1967)
Rated R / Dir. Sergio Leone
One of my favorite movies of all time, but this would be the hardest movie on this list for me to actually suggest. The pacing of this western film pace is a slow burn. It comes from a time when movies were more drawn out. The pace and direction are among the best qualities of the film. Sergio Leone constantly builds tension. While the building of tension has a better snap moment in “Once Upon a Time in the West,” the dynamic between the three central characters is what really brings the movie together. Enio Morricone’s score is iconic and awesome as is the rest of the “Man with No Name” trilogy.
“When you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.”
5. Doctor Strangelove (1964)
Rated PG / Dir. Stanley Kubrick
Go see it. Understand why nuclear deterrence is a bust. It’s a comedy that effectively lays out the problem with the thinking that “because I have nukes, you won’t use your nukes for fear of me nuking you and then everything is nuked.” The film shows viewers how the human element makes us imperfect, capable of mistakes, or in some cases, similar to that of the movie: downright insane. How, with all weapons, it all comes down to the person who wants to annihilate their enemy without thinking. Without strategy. At the end of the day should the fate of nations (or more accurately, the world) rest on the shoulders of men who spend time on pointless photo ops. Stanley Kubrick’s insane attention to detail, as per usual, makes the movie its own, aside from the comedic acting. It is my favorite of his films. Also of note is Peter Sellers acting as three separate characters, two of which interact with each other.
“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room!”
6. Trollhunter (2010)
Rated PG-13 / Dir. Andre Overdal
This is a foreign indie movie with scope, utilizing the found footage style of film. This is the best way to sum the movie up without saying anything else besides the title. Foreign films, let alone indie films, are always hard to recommend and while this movie won’t give you anything to chew on it will entertain you. You will be in awe by the end. The special effects are done well and never look cheesy or phony. Religious folk might be a little put off by the film for atheistic and pagan themes.
“Anyone here believe in God or Jesus… they can smell the blood of a Christian man.”
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Rated PG-13 / Dir. Peter Jackson
It picks right up from the end of “The Fellowship of the Ring.” We know the characters, the Fellowship has split and the adventure begins. The set pieces are awesome and action packed. The balance of practical effects and CGI are at near perfection. They used miniatures and bigatures (like miniatures but on a larger scale) for sets like Helms Deep and Osgiliath. These scenes were handcrafted and scanned into a computer and it gives it more life than something made 100 percent through typical CGI methods. The performances are great throughout. The actors all got to really grow together and as their characters. A little fact that I think helped make the movie work was that it was mandatory for the entire cast to read the books. All the actors who portrayed the hobbits even met with Peter Jackson at his New Zealand home to group read. While I’m a fan of the entire trilogy of films and books, the second film in the series is my favorite.
“Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth day, at dawn look to the east.”
8. L.A. Confidential (1997)
Rated R / Dir. Curtis Hanson
It brings together three of the biggest detective archetypes in one amazing film. The rough cop with a soft spot (Russell Crowe), the guy right out of the academy looking for his big moment (Guy Pierce) and the sleazy suck-up trying to do some good for a change (Kevin Spacey). The performances you get out of the three hit the mark. The pacing of new developments keeps it interesting throughout.
“Don’t start tryin’ to do the right thing, boy-o. You haven’t the practice.”
9. Spider-man 2 (2004)
Rated PG-13 / Dir. Sam Raimi
While not the first superhero movie and definitely not the one that kicked off the trend, Sam Raimi just does Spiderman so right in this film. While Raimi’s first was a fun romp with some drama sprinkled throughout, the sequel is somehow able to replicate the success of the first, retreading old story elements from the first at a different, more complicated, time in Peter Parker’s life. The set pieces are one of the most fun in superhero cinema; the two really of note are the bank and train sequences. While special effects have come a long way since, this movie still shines as one of the best superhero movies.
“Whoa… He just stole that guy’s pizza!”
10. The Big Lebowski (1998)
Rated R / Dir. Coen Brothers
I was young the first time I saw this movie. Too young. “Where are the jokes?” I asked myself. But every so often I would come back. And what started as a blank expression eventually became a chuckle, which would finally be reciting entire lines of dialogue from what is one of the best subtle comedies/noirs of the past century. It’s too simple, yet complicated, of a movie to get into too much without spoiling anything. You should probably watch it at least a few more times if the first viewing doesn’t quite hit you.
“That rug really tied the room together.”