We're back with even more recommendations for cinephiles looking to broaden their horizons or try out some genres that they've never...
We're back with even more recommendations for cinephiles looking to broaden their horizons or try out some genres that they've never though of experiencing before. The list continues below, and be sure to check back tomorrow evening for part 3!!
11 - Kung Fu Hustle
Synopsis: In Shanghai, China in the 1940s, a wannabe gangster aspires to join the notorious "Axe Gang" while residents of a housing complex exhibit extraordinary powers in defending their turf.
Why you need to see it: Sheer insanity from start to finish, this packs some serious wallop, just hits the ground running and never stops. Blending high octane stunts with slapstick humour, Kung Fu Hustle may be flawed when it comes to the plot but the movie is never less than really entertaining.
12 - Jesus of Montreal
Synopsis: Nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 1989 Oscars, this unconventional Canadian film directed by Denys Arcand, focuses on an acting troupe hired to stage a Passion play about the life of Jesus. Led by Daniel (Lothaire Bluteau), the actors, all struggling with their own issues, work on a bold interpretation of the Biblical tale that challenges accepted Christian thinking and brings a burst of outrage from the Roman Catholic priests who recruited them. As the story progresses, Daniel's life starts to echo the trials of Jesus in unexpected and poignant ways.
Why you need to see it: Lothaire Bluteau’s performance is stunning and heartbreaking as the parallels between his and Christ’s lives begin to resonate. It’s also an absorbing, original story with an uncompromising examination of the Church and asks if the world would really accept a Christ figure if he were a living person today. Powerful stuff.
13 - The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
Synopsis: A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement that is financed and made possible by brands, advertising and product placement.
Why you need to see it: Morgan Spurlock’s captivating style is firing on all cylinders here with a fast paced documentary that involves more than it’s fair share of product placement. While Spurlock may not be for everybody, what he does with Mane & Tail here is worth the watch alone!
14 - Tucker and Dale vs Evil
Synopsis: Two lovable rednecks on holidays in a remote cabin in the woods have to deal with an ever dwindling group of college students who think they’re mass murderers.
Why you need to see it: Taking every horror cliche we know and putting them all on their head, this hilarious black comedy breathes life into a well worn story by subverting our expectations, delivering plenty of laughs from even the darkest situations.
15 - Bellflower
Synopsis: Two friends, who spend their free time planning for the apocalypse so they can rule the wasteland with their imaginary gang, find their lives counting down to tragedy when one of them falls in love hard with possibly the wrong girl.
Why you need to see it: The perfect example of what independent cinema can achieve. Shot on a specially built camera, Bellflower is something you rarely see, a movie that is dark, funny, beautiful, and brutal all at once. And it also has one of the best movie cars ever in form of the fire spewing Medusa.
16 - Chasing Amy
Synopsis: Comic book artist Holden falls for fellow comic book artist Alyssa, only to be crushed when he finds out she’s gay. But this doesn’t change his feelings for her.
Why you need to see it: Director Kevin Smith’s third movie sees him subvert romantic comedies, keeping the raunchy humour of Clerks and Mallrats while at the same time delivering a deep, sometimes heart breaking story. He also coaxes fantastic performances from the films lead trio of Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, and Joey Lauren Adams.
17 - Primer
Synopsis: Four friends, scientists, accidentally invent time travel in their bid to develop an innovative error-checking device. The repercussions of their invention leads to tensions among the group as they wrestle with the morality what they can now do.
Why you need to see it: If brain-meltingly complex sci-fi is your thing, look no further than this time-travelling puzzler. By the time the story wraps up you’ll have tied yourself in knots trying to figure out the multiple time-lines of it, but its also incredibly engaging and most viewers find themselves going back for multiple re-watches, just to unravel the damn thing. Infuriatingly good!
18 - Open Range
Synopsis: A group of cattle herders come under threat from a corrupt lawman and, lead by a reformed gunslinger, they decide to make a stand.
Why you need to see it: Open Range is a western that slipped under the radar on general release but really really deserves a wider audience. All of the performances are rock solid, especially Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall who really are magnificent in it. Coupled with some thunderous gunfights and a gorgeous colour palette, Open Range is just a beautiful, well made, old fashioned film.
19 - State of Grace
Synopsis: Gone for a decade, Terry Noonan (Sean Penn) is welcomed back into the fold in his Irish-American neighborhood in New York City. A one-time street tough, Terry is now an undercover officer targeting crime boss Frankie Flannery (Ed Harris). In the name of duty, Terry rekindles his dormant friendship with Frankie's younger brother, Jackie (Gary Oldman). But as Terry gets closer to his goal, his feelings for the youngest Flannery, his old flame Kathleen (Robin Wright), complicate his mission.
Why you need to see it: Crimially overlooked on it’s release in 1990 thanks to Goodfellas, State of Grace remains one of the best gangster films of the past 25 years. Oldman is electrifying as the deranged Jackie, a man who jokes about with a pair of severed hands he keeps in his freezer and likes to outrun the flames of his own arson attack. Violent with a strong emotional punch and great performances all round.
20 - Police Story
Synopsis: A maverick Hong Kong police officer must clear his good name when the drug lords he is after frame him for the murder of a corrupt cop.
Why you need to see it: Police Story introduced the world to Jackie Chan’s most iconic character. It has spawned a number of sequels but none live up to the sheer mayhem of the original. Incredible choreography, some insane stunts and a superstar at his peak, martial arts cinema has rarely been better than this frenetic adventure. The finale in a shopping mall is widely regarded as one of the finest pieces of action ever committed to film.
