Baumer's Top 100 films you have probably heard of but more than likely haven't seen. #1: Cute Clever Mischievous, but don't feed them after midnight!

[Porthos]

Been gone all day,  so I'm late to the party,  but I wanted to chime in on Battle Royale.  Fantastic movie, and one that isn't easily forgettable. Yes, there are some surface similarities between it and THG I/II.  And I'm not about to try to say which one is better or better at what it is trying to say.  While they are both satires and both deal with school kid age teenagers in gladiatorial combat, beyond that they're really different.  Mostly because the satire itself has different targets.

 

For THG, a lot of the satire is aimed at celebrity worship and modern Reality TV.  Sure that isn't nearly all of the satire, but that's the hook.  There's much more to the film, but since I'm not as familiar with it as I am BR, I'll leave it to others to tell.

 

For BR, the satire was more aimed at quirks of Japanese society.  How kids are taught and pressured to conform in a competitive enviroment being at the top of the list.  BR is also a highly, highly, highly subversive film and it's no wonder it had trouble finding an American distributor.   And @Baumer is absolutely right about how THG is far more sanitized than BR.  It is disquieting in every since of the word.  

 

Let's just say one of the very first scenes of the movie sets the stakes about just how take-no-prisoners this film will be.  Literally.

 

So even if one really didn't like the hook of THG, I'd still recommend BR.  Mostly because it really isn't all that similar beyond the one sentence description of "School age kids kill each other in a bread and circuses enviorment to distract people from their tyranical government."  

[baumer]

3 hours ago, Thegun said:

I've seen all but one so far. I'm not sure how underrated a lot of these are.  I think I'd put 5 Cage films before 8mm (I mean I agree its better than what it seemed, but not enough to call it a missed classic per say)

 

I'm not saying these are classic films. It's just a lost of films I think are worth seeing. 

[Thegun]

Got it.  Glad to see GGR. My two favorite plays of all time were both adapted in the same year.  Both really well, and no one ever saw them.  The other would be 

Noises Off.  If you've never seen that, you have to right away!  Stay Tuned too.

[baumer]

Yea I've seen Noises Off lol

[Thegun]

6 minutes ago, Baumer said:

Yea I've seen Noises Off lol

 

 

I've performed in both plays.  I did the John Ritter character in one, Michael Caine's in the second.  In Glengarry I played Williamson (I would love to play Roma or the Machine in the future)  Both plays have some of the best characters of all time that anyone you play is just a treat.

 

I read that in Glengarry, actors would just show up to the sets and watch the others perform even if they weren't on camera.

[baumer]

#52

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

Directed by George Armitage

Starring:  Jon Cusack, Minnie Driver, Dan Aykroyd, Joan Cusack, Alan Arkin, Jeremy Piven

Box office:  28M

 

Grosse Pointe Blank is one of those movies that catches you off guard, the type of film that you never expect to see and when you do, you really don't know how to take it. I love this film. The essential plot would seem to be that Cusack's character from all of his 80s teen-flicks (and face, they were all the same, depressed, alienated, yet fun character) grows up to be hit man and goes to his 10th high school reunion (coming up on my own this year, this film has particular resonance). 

However, much of this is peripheral the scene chewing done by both Cusack and, surprisingly, Dan Akroyd (who puts in a stellar performance as an assassin union organizer). The lovestory is cute and convincing, the sub-plot with Alan Arkin as Blank's psychologist is beautiful, and the violence is surprisingly intense.

Now, this intense violence is what has garnered more than a few complaints from the critics, but I think that it was absolutely necessary to the type of film that they were trying to make. As a black comedy, incongruous elements must be made to ride side by side within the plot (not hard with an assassin as the main character). However, the love story becomes so smarmy (in a good way) that if the violence was not there to counter it, the film would simply become a rather oddy romantic comedy, because we would forget the nastiness of what Blank does for a living (this was the main problem with the film Homefries, because it could never make up its mind to be cutesy or violent and hence was niether). I think that the film is utlimately quite absurd an bizarre and deserves to be on every film fan's viewing list.

 

Trivia:  Dan Aykroyd quotes from the book of Revelation during the final shootout. He has a similar diatribe in Ghostbusters (1984).

 

 

 

 

[baumer]

Number 51

Mississippi Burning (1988)

Directed by Alan Parker

Starring:  Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Brad Dourif, Frances McDormand, Michael Rooker, R. Lee Ermey, Stephen Tobolowsky, Kevin Dunn, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Tobin Bell

Box office:  34.6 million

 

Where does racism come from? How can one race feel superior to another? Are we born with it? No. Do we become it on our own? Maybe? Or is it perhaps that we are taught it? There is a small scene in Mississippi Burning that is just as powerful as any Gene Hackman speech or any violent montage to gospel music that is in this film. There is a rally at a park with the head of the KKK ( without his hood ) telling thousands of people that have gathered that he loves being white. He loves the fact that Mississippi is segregated. And in the crowd the camera pans across and shows three year old kids smiling and cheering as gleefully and loudly as their parent's are. It is haunting.

This film is bit like JFK in a way. It is not an absolute recreation of the events that took place in 1964, but it is a film that tells a true story and then adds a bit of fiction to make it more interesting for a mass audience. For example, the case was not cracked by Mr. Anderson fooling around with Pell's wife. But that is besides the point, the point being that this film is mesmerizing. Everything from its direction, cinematography, acting, writing and music, it is the best film of 1988. And having Rain Man take most of the major awards is really quite sad. Because Mississippi Burning is much more ambitious, important and well done. Rain Man is a very good film and I will even go as far as to say that Hoffman is the only one that deserved to win best actor just as much as Hackman did. But 1988 was a bad year for the rest of the Oscars. Just my opinion of course.

Hackman is brilliant. He gives the performance of a lifetime and it is his anger that gives him his edge. He sees things differently than Mr. Ward does and that sometimes makes them bump heads with each other. But they ultimately have the same goal in mind. Just different ways of achieving that goal. Dafoe is great as well, but it is the supporting cast that really makes this film. From Dourif to R. Lee Ermey to Stephen Tobolwolski, these characters are richly portrayed by the actors that play them. There is however one actor in particular that I wanted to touch on and that is Michael Rooker. He plays Frank, the nastiest, meanest, no conscience, negro hating person that I think I have ever seen on film. I don't know where his anger comes from, but he is the kind of character that you can imagine had a violent father that drank too much and always told stories about how bad the black man was. When Rooker is on screen you listen. You pay attention to what he is saying and doing. And my hatred of him was one of my favourite parts of the film.

Mississippi Burning shows us how strange people are when it comes to racism. The characters in this film don't know why they hate the way they do, they just know that they do. And they are powerless to stop themselves. What happened to the three civil rights workers was a disgrace and a tragedy. But not just because three boys were murdered, but because no one knows why they were murdered,besides racism that is. Why did they have to die? Because they were a different colour of skin? Because they were Jewish? It really doesn't make any sense.

Mississippi Burning is one of the best films I have ever seen. It is important and it is entertaining. If you haven't seen it, do so just for the scene with Mr. Anderson and Deputy Pell at the barber shop. "I'll cut your fuckin head clean off and not give a shit how it shows on the report sheet"

 

 

 

 

[baumer]

#50

Soldier (1998)

Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson

Starring Kurt Russell, Jason Isaacs, Jason Scott Lee, Connie Nielsen, Gary Busey, Sara Paxton, Wyatt Russell

Box office:  14 million

 

Here's a bit of a rarity.  I do not like this film.  In fact I kind of hated it.  But over the years, it has gained a small but loyal following and because it takes place in the same universe as Blade Runner, I think it's worth a viewing, if you can find it.  David Webb Peoples wrote both Blade Runner and Soldier and he considers this an unofficial semi sequel to Blade Runner.  Kurt Russell worked out for 18 months to prepare for the role and he was paid 20 million dollars for his trouble.  The film bombed and Russell was never given that kind of money again.  Peoples' script is quite apparent in the first half of the movie. Soldiers trained from birth, taught to kill, and never had a normal life. They are replaced by better, genetically engineered soldiers and Todd, one of the original soldiers, is left on a planet and left for dead. There he must cope with a group of refugees, some want him to stay others hate him and there is an interesting drama here. BUT THEN...

...The bullets start to fly as the new soldiers move onto the planet for a military exercise and try to kill all the people. Big, violent, loud action ensues and Peoples' script turns into an Anderson action-fest. It is hard to believe that the script was originally written that way.  As I said, I didn't care for this film, but maybe I should give it another watch.

 

Trivia:  Todd's service record, displayed on a computer screen, includes the following: - The battles of Tannhauser Gate and Shoulder of Orion (references to Blade Runner (1982)) - Receipt of the "Plissken Patch" (reference to Escape from New York (1981) and its sequel Escape from L.A. (1996)). Receipt of the "O'Neil Ring Award" (reference toStargate (1994)) - Receipt of the "Cash Medal of Honor" (reference to Tango & Cash(1989)) Receipt of the "Maccready Cross" (reference to The Thing (1982)) - Receipt of the "Capt Ron Trophy" (reference to Captain Ron (1992)) - Receipt of the "McCaffrey Fire Award" (reference to Backdraft (1991)) - Receipt of the "Dexter Riley Award" (reference to The Strongest Man in the World (1975), Now You See Him, Now You Don't(1972), The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)) - Citations for the Nibian Moons Campaign, the Antares Maelstrom War and the War Of Perdition's Flames, locations referred to in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982).

 

 

 

[DeeCee]

I remember we watched Mississippi Burning in high school and I'm glad we did. Fantastic film. 

[baumer]

It's definitely a film that people aged 15-25 more than likely haven't seen.  It's a terrific film and hopefully people take a chance on it.

[The Stingray]

Grosse Pointe Blank is a fun flick.
 

Need to see Mississippi Burning.

 

[75Live]

1 hour ago, Baumer said:

It's definitely a film that people aged 15-25 more than likely haven't seen.  It's a terrific film and hopefully people take a chance on it.

 

yeah I always liked the film myself

[baumer]

First 50 are done......now onto the rest.

[ProtoMan]

I haven't seen Mississippi Burning in years but it was a movie my father made me watch as a kid. Glad that he did that. Very powerful movie.

Edited July 27, 2016 by ProtoMan

[Fancyarcher]

Mississippi Burning is such a strong powerful film.

[baumer]

I'm glad that not only you heard of it bug you've seen it.

[baumer]

#49

A Bronx Tale (1993)

Directed by Robert DeNiro

Starring: Chazz Palminterri, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Lilo Brancato, 

Box office:  17.2M

 

This was Robert DeNiro's directorial debut. I've read after seeing the play on off-Broadway in 1990, DeNiro asked Chazz Palminteri for the film rights, which he agreed to in exchange for the starring role in the film. Due to both the critically and commercially successful run of the play and film respectively, Palminteri revived the play and took it on tour in 2007 where I was able to meet him and see his play in Tucson, AZ. I put A Bronx Tale right up there with Casino and Goodfellas. It reflects the mafia in a way no previous films of its time had. There's lots of humor and life lessons alike. Chazz told me and in many other interviews it's loosely based on a variety of situations he was exposed to as a child growing up in the Bronx. It has a very humorous side, but can also be serious in it's story.  It's got a lot of terrific lines and some really interesting ways of looking at life.  There's one scene where someone owes "C" $20.00.  C wants it and decides he's going to beat the crap out of the guy.  Sonny (Palminteri) tells him to leave him alone and that the guy cost him $20.00 but that was a small price to pay to learn that he wasn't a good friend.  I use this philosophy to this day.  A wonderful film but criminally ignored when it came out.

 

Trivia:  De Niro wanted Palminteri to be involved in every aspect of production. Palminteri was involved in casting, scouting locations, editing and sound mixing.

 

The fictional motorcycle gang Satan's Messengers is obviously based on the notorious and real Hell's Angels. There have been dozens of fictionalized versions to the Hell's Angels in movies and TV shows with convoluted variations on their name. Here, in A Bronx Tale, the word Messenger comes closest to the true intent of the real name; the literal translation of the Greek word "aggelos" from which the word "Angel" is derived, means "messenger".

 

 

 

[baumer]

#48

The River's Edge (1986)

Directed by Tim Hunter

Keanu Reeves, Crispin Glover, Ione Skye, Dennis Hopper

Box office:  4.6M

 

I can remember a college professor commenting as to how disturbing this film was, reflecting the apathy of adolescents (this was before Generation "X").

In a way, most of us are products of the same consumer culture; these high school kids spend their time drinking, getting high and wondering what to do about the body left on a riverbank.

What would they do today? Would things be different?. Some very important questions. There are some excellent scenes with Keanu Reeves, and the dysfunctional family he lives with; his 11 year old brother going out to get wasted; the mother has no idea what to do- spends her time drinking with her boyfriend.

This film was a bit before its time in that it addresses the problems in lower class American society; these kids had no outlet; what is available for them in this dirt-water town? . All in all a few interesting social commentaries are presented, and there are no solutions.   Dennis Hopper is one of the craziest motherfuckers you will see in film.  He took this role and ran with it.  

 

I once read Roger Ebert's review of River's Edge. Then years later, I read it again, and again...and again. I became increasingly curious about this movie since it was inspired by an actual murder case. 
The movie is not a docudrama. It is just a fictional story whose plot was inspired by a real-life murder. It was the 1981 murder of Marcy Conrad, who was killed by Anthony Jacques Broussard. Broussard bragged about the crime to his high school friends, and brought them over to the ravine to view the corpse. The disturbing thing about the case was that the none of the kids, who learned about Broussard's crime, went to the police. That's what River's Edge is all about: teenagers deciding to protect their friend, in lieu of reporting his misdeed.

I recommend River's Edge. It is a young adult drama that stands out in my mind, and whenever I feel compelled to talk about it, I do so. River's Edge is a story that shows just how apathetic some people can be.

 

Trivia:  Neal Jimenez read the story in the newspaper while visiting friends, wrote a script and turned it in to his instructor while he was an English major at Santa Clara University. Jimenez said "that the incident is merely the inspiration for the screenplay".

 

 

 

[baumer]

#47

Oscar (1991)

Directed by John Landis

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Chaz Palminteri, Don Ameche, Vincent Spano, Maisa Tomei, Tim Curry, Kirk Douglas

Box Office: 23.5M

 

I'll get the bad stuff out of the way right now: This movie is somewhat predictable and Sly mugs for the camera too much.

That's it. That's all the bad stuff I could think of to say about this movie. The rest is all good.

People tend to react with disbelief when they hear about a comedy starring Sylvester Stallone. While I'm not sure about the range of Sly's comedic abilities, "Oscar" proves that he CAN do comedy, and given the right part, can do it very well.

Sly plays Angelo "Snaps" Provolone, a mob boss who promises to his dying father to give up the crime racket for good. The movie focuses on the morning in which "Snaps" is preparing to join the ranks of a bank administration at noon. During that morning, his daughter gets engaged... three times. She also reveals that she's pregnant... except she's not. "Snaps" repeatedly loses and regains $100,000 dollars... and a bag of women's underwear. And then there's his "other" daughter who's not (he thinks) really his daughter. Behind him all the way are his flunkies, reduced from robbing banks to scooping melon balls, and incapable of breaking the habit of calling him "boss" if their lives depended on it.

Kudos for expert scene theft go to Peter Riegert as the shifty Aldo, Marisa Tomei as the spoiled brat Lisa Provolone, Martin Ferrero and Harry Shearer as the Finucci brothers and Tim Curry as the unctuous Dr. Thorntone Poole.

 

Trivia:  At the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1991 which went to Kirk Douglas, Sylvester Stallone in his tribute to Douglas recalled the filming of the scene where he hits Stallone in the face. After a swing and miss, Stallone jokingly told Douglas to slap him hard. "Let me have your best", whereupon Douglas proceeded to beat Stallone silly. Stallone said "I learned the hard way: never spar with Spartacus".

 

 

 

[baumer]

Number 46

Children of the Corn (1984)

Directed by Fritz Kiersch

Starring:  Linda Hamilton, Peter Horton, Courtney Gains

Box office:  14.5M

 

The many, and admittedly mostly very poor sequels to Children of the Corn, already prove that the original movie did something very well for them wanting to revisit this concept. 

From the incredibly creepy opening scene to the introduction of the actual likable two main characters the movie sets the tone of the suspense to come perfectly. There is no weak acting in the movie and even the children do a phenomenal job. Two of them are actually really high in my list of creepiest characters horror movies. And that soundtrack! It's easily just as eerie and effective as the Halloween soundtrack by John Carpenter. Admittedly, this movie has a few weaker scenes but some are so brilliant it easy to forgive the movie for those. The story is quite simple, maybe even thin, but that in no way hurts the atmosphere and the viewer becoming invested in what happens on screen. 

The first time I watched it I remember being scared at every corner while walking my dog for quite a while, my imagination making the worst out of my actually very peaceful and somewhat boring village! Maybe by today's standards, this movie isn't that scary anymore but I bet many people who haven't seen it yet will still really enjoy this underrated little gem.  Stephen King wrote a lot of good scary books.  Not all of them translate well into film.  This is one of them that did.

 

Trivia:  Though real corn was used for most of filming, polyurethane corn had to be used for the more difficult action sequences.