Movies You Really Should Watch

I've recently been trying to compile a list of movies that you really should see before they get popular. A list of future cult classics, remember Donnie Darko, or The Big Lebowski. Maybe cult classic might not accurately describe it, more like movies that did poorly at the box office but are great films and usually do well with DVD releases or on premium movie channels, or whatever.

After about a week (month) or so of watching movies nobody's heard of and thinking that everyone should watch them, I had a thought: what if I just like bad movies? Maybe that's why they're not popular and never took off. Well, some/most of these movies have won awards (I know because I looked it up), so I figured maybe I don't like bad movies, maybe just artsy shit that's not meant for popular consumption. Well that could be true, but because you're reading this, I'm hoping we're on the same wavelength (even if just a little bit). Maybe they just had bad marketing campaigns. Regardless, I consider these films real gems that most people aren't even cognisant of. But should be. So without further adieu:

Underrated Movies You Should Watch: (clicking on the title opens the trailer in a new window)

Metropolis (1927) - Yes it's silent, yes it's black and white, but it's so good. I'm not sure if you'd call it a dystopian future, but it's a society where the "workers" and "thinkers" (read: proletariat vs the bourgeoisie) are completely separated which, needless to say, causes some problems. Brilliantly done, Fritz Lang is a genius. Watch it, it's one of my favorites. (Warning, kind of shitty trailer)

The Lives of Others (Die Leben des Andern)- Yet another German film, but much newer. It won an Academy Award last year for Best Foreign Film, and it's brilliant. It's the story of an East German Stasi agent who is assigned to monitor an intellectual. It's a an in depth look into human soul and doing the right thing blah blah blah. Brilliant cinematography and I totally got engrossed in the movie. So good. Also, the director's name is Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. And I mean you can't compete with that shit.

The Science of Sleep (La Science des rêves)- A French(ish) film screaming of surrealism depicting the trials and tribulations of a young man unwilling to accept the responsibilities of adulthood. There is actually no blue screening in this movie, and all the dream sequences were stop action and/or really done, which is amazing. Watch the trailer to understand what I'm talking about. Starring Charlotte Gainsbourgh and Gael Garcia Bernal this is a film you watch and just say awwww at the end. (I've already written about this one, so you really should have watched it)

Something The Lord Made - Finally, an American addition to the list. I actually just found out that this is an HBO made-for-TV movie, which would explain it's poor box office performance, but I really like it. Starring Alan Rickman (Snape in Harry Potter) and Mos Def, it tells the true story of the first heart bypass surgery. Great casting and a truly touching story. Bad trailer and poor quality. It was the best I could find. Sorry.

Pi - One of Darren Aronofsky's earliest movies (He's the guy that did Requiem for a Dream). Awesome and fascinating. After watching it 3 or 4 times, I've decided that it's about man's quest to understand his environment, and Pi is just a vehicle to help attain that goal. I actually first watched this movie in English class as an example of surrealism. Though I can't really qualify the movie as surrealistic or not, it's really worth watching.

Kind Hearts and Coronets - Another black and white film (did I mention that Pi was black & white too?), starring Alec Guinness (Obi Wan Kenobi) as 9 of the main characters. Seriously. Dark humor and dry wit at their finest, this movie is about one man's ascension to power. And so much more.

Titus - A true to form adaptation/modernization of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus (heads up: it's a tragedy). The main character, Titus, is played by Anthony Hopkins and is scarily good. The main bad guy, Emperor Saturnine, is played by Alan "I have a gigantic nose" Cummings, and is also brilliant. A story about loyalty, tradition, lust, betrayal, and a ton of bloodshed, (I swear I wrote this before looking at the trailer) the movie's both long and worth it.

The Triplets of Belleville (Les Triplettes de Belleville) - French, beautifully animated, mostly silent (but in color), beautiful film. Just watch the trailer.

I mean I'm sure I could put a lot more on if I put the thought/time/effort into it, but it's late, and I'm tired, ergo this is what you get.