By Leo Milmet, The Bird on Fire Resident Film Critic
I had several other ideas for my previous post “Underseen and Underrated Films,” from various decades, so I retroactively (after submitting it to my editor) titled that post “Volume One” and this “Volume Two.” This time, however, the decade in which a film is released means nothing. These are simply some extra films that I love just as much as the others that were left out in order to follow my original rule of “one per decade.” Hope you enjoy.–Leo
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (dir. Robert Wiene, 1920): A beautiful, German, monster-horror-silent film that exudes pure artistry and pure terror at the same time. A fascinating and expressionistic masterpiece.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (dir. Frank Capra, 1939): An all-time American classic about a layman who is chosen to become part of the Senate.
The Third Man (dir. Carol Reed, 1949): A masterful noir thriller. Joseph Cotten stars as Holly Martins, a pulp author who goes to visit his old friend Harry Lime in postwar Vienna, only to realize Harry is dead. Obsessed with understanding the circumstances surrounding Harry’s passing, he is led into a confusing web of contradicting stories about the victim.
The Night of the Hunter (dir. Charles Laughton, 1955): Despite initial failure, this ingeniously directed, incredibly suspenseful thrill ride is one of my favorite films of all time. Robert Mitchum stars as Reverend Harry Powell, a murderous and fanatical priest in prison for car theft when he meets a man who admits he has stolen and hidden $10,000. How far will Powell go to get his hands on the loot?
A Man Escaped (dir. Robert Bresson, 1956): A brilliant exercise in sound editing and mixing. The simple (but wonderfully executed) plot concerns the escape of a prisoner of war in World War II.
Network (dir. Sidney Lumet, 1976): A poignant political satire of insane proportions. Featuring Peter Finch in one of the greatest performances of all time.
Blue Velvet (dir. David Lynch, 1986): A twisted psychological thriller about a happy little suburban town and its deep, dark underbelly.
Clerks (dir. Kevin Smith, 1994): This low-budget, black-and-white comedy depicts the type of people who’d nonchalantly ring you up at a convenience store and then feel entitled to mock you just after you leave. Clerks is one of the best of its type because while it cracks its sometimes-funny and always overly sophomoric jokes, it entices you to latch on to its realistic, relatable and (surprisingly) intelligently drawn characters in a way that few comedies of its type can accomplish. Personally, I don’t watch this movie just to laugh, and that might be the biggest compliment I can give it.
Dark City (dir. Alex Proyas, 1998): This fascinating story, a visionary blending of science fiction and film-noir, is executed with beautifully bleak cinematography and production design. If you like film-noir or science fiction, this is an absolute must-see, even according to Roger Ebert, who named it his #1 film of 1998. Also, if you’ve never heard of this film, don’t look it up, just sit back and watch it one day, as the risk of spoiling one of the film’s many wonderful twists and turns is too high.
My Friend Dahmer (dir. Marc Meyers, 2017): This “horrifying coming-of-age story” (the words of the director, Marc Meyers) concerning the teenage life of the infamous real-life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is one of my absolute favorite films of last year. Its well-written script is brilliantly executed, managing to be at once chilling, hilarious, and emotional without ever missing a beat.
Editor: Claire Jenkins
If you have not seen the film, turn back before it’s too late! This is not the post you are looking for. SPOILER ALERT!!!
storyteller. The Force Awakens was a beautifully directed, mediocre story. J.J. Abrams played it safe and retold Episode 4 instead of creating something new. Although I’d rather have more Star Wars than less, this movie was nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
