By Peter Skrzypczak, Film Critic.
MOON (2009)
Dir. Duncan Jones, Rated R, 1h 37 m
Do you like movies about betrayal? What about actors playing opposite themselves? What about Kevin Spacey? Then this movie has all you need. It stars Sam Rockwell as an astronaut singularly maintaining a station on the moon. Left with only a monotone A.I. named GERTY, voiced by the great Kevin Spacey, to help him through the day.
LEON THE PROFESSIONAL (1994)
Dir. Luc Besson, Rated R, 1h 50m
This film follows Leon, a “cleaner” for the mob, as he befriends a young girl by the name of Mathilda (Natalie Portman). It’s packed with strong performances all the way through.
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006)
Dir. Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, Rated R, 1h 41m
This film focuses on the story of a dysfunctional family whose youngest member desperately wants to participate in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. The family does their best to make it across the country and get to the pageant on time but also not fall apart.
THE LIVING DEAD TRILOGY (1968-1985)
Dir. George Romero, Unrated
Zombies were hardly the cultural phenomenon they are today when these movies were released; but, that’s because they were the movies that put zombies on the map. Each movie is a step further into the apocalypse.
THE GAME (1997)
Dir. David Fincher, Pedro Coutinho, Rated R, 2h 15m
Like twists but not Shyamalan? This movie plays a game on you. It’s a film with no sense of trust and it’s all structured so perfectly.
AMERICAN BEAUTY (1999)
Dir. Sam Mendes, Rated R, 1h 40m
This is the hardest movie to give a brief description for. I could say this movie is an examination on mundane suburban life or a mid-life crisis. Whatever you may take from this movie, existentialism abounds.
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999)
Dir. Eduardo Sanchez, Daniel Myrick, Rated R, 1h 45m
One for the books, this movie pushed horror into a new age. Its marketing campaign blurred the lines between reality and fiction while it would also kick off a huge trend of found footage films. This one sits on top of the pile.
MEMENTO (2000)
Dir. Christopher Nolan, Rated R, 2h
Be forewarned: this movie may require multiple viewings in order for you to follow what’s going on. This film follows Leonard Shelby, a man plagued by anterograde amnesia, who cannot sustain new memories for long. It’s broken into two distinct styles: the story is in black and white while it’s juxtaposed with constant flashbacks in color.
LIFE OF BRIAN (1979)
Dir. Terry Jones, Rated R, 1h 34m
The second full-length feature by the brilliant comedy troupe, Monty Python, this film travels back to the B.C. era to have a humorous look at proselytization and religion in general. Monty Python’s humor is on point and as biting as ever in this irreverent but thoughtful comedy.
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005)
Dir. Ang Lee, Rated R, 2h 14m
It was a controversial movie for its time and subject matter. The story follows Ennis Del Mar and Jake Twist— two cowboys hired to herd sheep through the Wyoming mountains. Adapted from a short story of the same name, the author herself praised the emotional film as a whole and its faithfulness to the source material.
