Surprisingly enough, I’m not just obsessed with horror movies. One thing I can’t deny though, is that I have knack for intensely loving anything that’s disturbing, weird, or just plain wrong. I can’t help it, taboo fascination, human subconscious, early corruption and all of that bullcrap psychological blah. Anyway, on to a quite unimpressive list of films that have impacted me in some way or another, be it positive or negative. I am by no means claiming that these are “THE BEST MOVIES EVAR” just that that they hold some cinematic significance to me. Why should anyone care what my top ten favorite movies are? They shouldn’t, but I figured that since I’m always spouting on and on about film and am constantly submersed into one, some that know me may be curious that after the ton of movies I’ve seen, which of those come out on top.
Velvet Goldmine (Todd Haynes, 1998) - Something about this movie, disregarding the terrible ending and the overall cheesiness, just makes me happy. There’s glitter, costumes, beautiful men, fairies (in more than one sense), aliens, awesome concert scenes (everyone likes to see Ewan McGregor naked) and an ultimate CRAP TON of makeup that I proceeded to swoon over for two months straight. The film itself has a plethora of issues, despite that has been nominated for several different awards regarding everything BUT the plot. The script is literally nothing more than David Bowie/Iggy Pop fan-fiction with the names switched around, though it also nods to several other inspirational performers. Obviously, it has an absolutely fantastic soundtrack, which I suggest everyone possess (seriously, everyone, now). The movie portrays lifestyle, relationships, and the particularly fabulous time period of 70’s glam rock with excellent design. You can pause it at any moment and have a poster-worthy picture.
Crash (David Cronenberg, 1996) – Though this isn’t an entirely original idea from Cronenberg, he sure as hell executed it awesomely. The script is based on a novel by J.G. Ballard of the same name. The entire notion of the film is just outright strange; centering around lackluster relationships, the desperate needs of human beings and the exploitation of sexuality as an outlet for just, well, always needing something more exciting. It certainly doesn’t get much more exciting than involving your life around car-crash/accident fetishists. They seek to “meditate the sexuality of those that have died with an intensity that’s impossible in any other form.” The film explores just how odd human bonding and sexuality can get, and how it affects those around them. Also, cue the praise for the awesome special FX, it IS a Cronenberg piece.
Rabbits (David Lynch, 2002) – Seriously. Once you get your name out there as an “artist” it’s possible to get away with anything. As with any Lynch film, it’s hard to watch because at first glance, there’s nothing sensible happening, therefore, there’s not much happening at all. Rabbits is a film made in segments, it centers around people who wear rabbit headpieces, have disjointed and stilted conversation and usually speak in monotone. The setting is what appears to be a normal-ish living room, though sparsely decorated and dimly lit. The episodes are fashioned in the mold of a sitcom, along with an irregularly intrusive laugh track. The most bothersome thing about the film is actually the background music, which is intensely unnerving and deeply morose. Though there isn’t much to it at all, David Lynch knows better than anyone else how to make people severely uncomfortable with the most seemingly insignificant details. Everything is just out of place, frustrating, and wrong, but portrayed as numbingly, unsettlingly normal.
Mysterious Skin (Gregg Araki, 2004) – This one really hit a nerve in me. Mysterious Skin is about two teenage boys who were sexually abused by their baseball coach at a very young age. One grows into an emotionally unstable kid who uses drugs, dabbles in prostitution and is obsessed with getting away from home and into the big city. The other is a rather stereotypical “nerd” who keeps himself shut in and believes that he was abducted by aliens and experimented on when he was younger. The story is of the both of them uncovering the details of what happened and coming to terms with it. I really appreciate that the film shines light on themes that many don’t really want to acknowledge. The power of molestation without any other type of abuse along with it is often overlooked or ignored, and the movie focuses on the massive effect it had on the two main characters. A decade or so later one teenage boy is selling himself to several middle-aged men, but complains that he is emotionally unsatisfied because none of them could ever “love” him as much as the baseball coach had. Another is suffering from reoccurring dreams, which are actually distorted parts of blocked trauma. The everyday stress of trying to remember what happened to him weighs heavily on his life as his memory slowly returns in larger pieces. It’s an emotionally disturbing piece with some rather lighthearted moments mixed in, and ultimately, surprisingly, has a warm ending.
The Poughkeepsie Tapes (John Erick Dowdle, 2007) – I really believe that this is one the most underrated film of the 2000’s. It was done in the pseudo-documentary style, which I understand many don’t agree with (as I usually don’t like it either). There have been many attempts of directors trying to get into the mind of a serial killer, but I honestly don’t think any have come as close as this. Something about watching the killers own recordings, how he speaks loudly for the sake of the camera, perfects his angles, puts time and effort into his costume and poise, just is entirely different than anything else I’ve ever watched. Much like what it aimed for, it’s almost painfully really real-looking, mixed in with interviews of “professionals” that drop subtle but clear hints about how murderers work and think, propelling the story into the confiscated “snuff tapes” that document the killers work. Everything is filmed, from the preparation, to the abduction, to the actual murder. This guy isn’t your regular “I need a killing fix” type of psycho. He wants to be right in the middle of the stage with his audience completely overwhelmed, ready to be praised for his perfectionist effort and stunning performance.
The King and the Clown (Lee Jun-ik, 2005) – First of all, it must be said, Lee Jun-ki is the most beautiful person on the planet. I usually can’t stand any type of over dramatic, Shakespearian-esque tragedy, but this one ripped me apart. It’s based on a classic play called “You”. In this movie, two street clowns and their clan are arrested for making fun of the king during a performance, and are mercifully given one last chance to make the king laugh, which determines whether or not they’re allowed to live. The severely mentally unstable king enjoys their performance, and orders them to move into the palace, where a series of cliché but totally heart-wrenching events follows (I refuse to spoil any of it). The cinematography is damn near flawless, the acting is awesome, and although it was heavily laden with homosexual themes (very unusual for mainstream Korean films), it got every bit of recognition it deserved in several countries (with the exception of China, where it was banned, douchebags.) This is the perfect “I feel like eating a whole tub of ice-cream” type of film. Sometimes, but rarely, I am a lady.
Ken Park (Larry Clark, 2002) – It wasn’t until I saw this film that I realized that yes, someone other than Irvine Welsh can make sex the most horrible and disgusting thing in the history of ever. A script written by Harmony Korine and carried out by Larry Clark can’t be expected to make anyone comfortable, at all. This film revolves around teenagers and their odd, abusive, or just depressing home lives and personal issues. Much like Crash, this is a story in which there are several issues that are cut short or masked by people attempting to cope with them, using sexuality as an outlet to do so and failing. This is the kind of movie that leaves you feeling sick and eviscerated, mostly because it’s too real for comfort and impossible to ignore. It really gets you thinking about how disturbing certain relationships and situations are that usually may go under-the-radar, and then some that are just easily hidden from the public but could be anywhere.
Session 9 (Brad Anderson, 2001) – Something about “Simon” is just simply horrifying. I’ve watched this movie countless times, and every time it bothers me just as much as when I first viewed it. Pretty typical "people hired to clean out an abandoned mental hospital go crazy" film, for the most part. It really focuses more on the seriousness of every day stress. Being overworked, arguing at home, financial difficulties, parental responsibilities, and other common, normal stressors. This movie expresses that somewhere in everyone’s mind, behind the barrier of when stress is finally too much, lurking right around the corner of the wrong thing being said at the wrong time is a part of your subconscious that can’t be controlled once released. The thing that lurks there calls himself Simon, and Simon will hurt everyone you love. This film probably wouldn’t have much an effect on those who are generally carefree personalities, but I definitely am not.
I Saw the Devil (Kim Jee-woon, 2010) – Okay, so, everything about this movie is awesome. Just totally, undeniably awesome. It’s an action-horror film with a very simple, but unbelievably well portrayed plot. Serial killer gets a hold of wrong girl. Secret agent boyfriend hunts him down, and seriously, this cute little dude unleashes a thousand different types of hell. He even catches the killer more than once, but lets him go just so he can chase him and torture him longer, but the bad-guy isn’t to be underestimated, after all, he puts up a damn good fight. Really, it’s just the most satisfying chain of events ever, minus the ending, which is kind of a tear-jerker. It was done on a large budget, with very well-known and successful actors (Choi Min-sik, aka Korean Jack Nicholson, plays the villain in this film, and Lee Byung-hun aka Korean Johnny Depp, plays the “hero”), and it is one of those situations where mainstream was just the best and only way to go.
The Good, The Bad, and The Weird (Kim Jee-woon, 2008) – Yes, I really like Korean movies. Yes, I did put the same director on here twice. Yes, this film also stars Lee Byung-hun. I didn’t intend for the list to actually be in strict order, and it isn’t, but I do have to say this is ultimately my all-time favorite movie. It’s basically an Eastern Western, constant gunfights, hijacking a train, seeking treasure, and I’m pretty sure there’s a cowboy hat in there somewhere. The story follows three different main characters, all who are after a map that’s said to lead to a goldmine of the Quing Dynasty’s buried treasure. Someone searching for the map hires The Bad, a hit-man, to retrieve it from a train passenger for him. Through the confusion of The Bad and his gang taking over the train, The Weird, a ‘petty thief’ gets the map and takes off with it. The Good, a bounty-hunter, is after the The Bad to claim money from killing him. Basically it’s a big triangle (not really a triangle, because eventually they’re ALL being chased by the Japanese Imperial Army, and manage to evade them, which can only happen in an action/western) of everyone being after one another, trying to shoot each other, and hilariously killing multiple people in process. Along with general badassery, the film is also laced with a lot of light and dark humor. It’s fun, it’s cool, it’s overall entertaining. It shall forever be my ‘go-to’ flick for movie night.
Honorable mentions: Oldboy, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Irreversible, Santa Sangre, The Audition, An American Werewolf in London, Bad Santa, Frontiers, Mermaid in a Manhole (I have revised this list umpteen times, dangit.)
I should probably work on broadening my vocabulary, and should probably watch more classic movies with more merit in them and I should probably care that people are going to be like “What, are you retarded, there’s no Citizen Kane, no Gone With the Wind?” No. This is MY list and I DIDN’T like Citizen Kane and I HAVEN’T seen Gone With the freaking Wind. I should also probably take a writing class or something. I would like to cite the alwaysohsodependable Wikipedia for helping me out. And just because I really enjoyed this, I’m contemplating a “top 10 directors” and a “top ten books” just because, well, because I can.
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