In part 2 (#45-41) I talked about a stop-motion heist comedy, a legendary martial arts film, a look into Zen Buddhism, a trippy Italian supernatural horror, and one of the most famous sci-fi/horror movies of all-time. And now for the next 5.
dir. Frank Oz
Musical/Comedy/Horror
The 1960 Roger Corman version may be fun, but the genius move of transforming it into a musical was... well, genius. Every choice they made here was simply brilliant. From the casting (Levi Stubbs was an amazing choice) to the music and overall quality, there isn't a single thing about this movie that isn't an improvement over the original. Rick Moranis was tons of fun, Steve Martin has probably never been funnier, and the setting and '50s/'60s aesthetic helped bridge the gap with the original without feeling like it was just repeating what was already done. It's fun, visually intriguing (and even pretty impressive), the soundtrack and cast are great... It's a total blast.
dir. John Carpenter
Horror/Sci-Fi
Body horror is right up my alley (as you'll be able to tell throughout this list), and when you combine that with a bottle drama and science fiction AND have a cast with the likes of Kurt Russell and Keith David in it, you know I'm gonna love it. John Carpenter is one of the best genre directors ever, and this combination of styles is the perfect blend for him. The creature effects are totally awesome, and the sound design that accompanies them is unsettling and unforgettable. Like the 1951 original, the Arctic setting is used perfectly, and really helps establish the isolated tone of the story. One of my favorite sci-fi horror movies ever.
dir. Paul Bartel
Action/Sci-Fi/Comedy
It's amazing to me that a cheesy, violent, cheap, and ludicrous movie like this could be such an interesting social commentary, but there you have it. This is an incredibly twisted movie with a wonderful sense of humor (assuming you're an awful person like me) and a fun cast of unique characters. David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone are both entertaining, with Stallone taking on the over-the-top antagonistic role that works better for him than you might expect. I love cheesy crap like this, and this is one of my favorites of this satirical variety. One of the most entertaining movies of the 1970s.
dir. Akira Kurosawa
Drama/Crime/Mystery
Akira Kurosawa was amazing. And while he made two large handfuls of movies I enjoyed a great deal, the one I watched the most often and recommend to people with the greatest frequency is this. Telling the story of a samurai, his wife, and a bandit's fatal encounter, the film spends the majority of its time presenting the events through the perspectives of each character, highlighting their individual agendas and motivations in order to be perceived as the innocent party. It's a perfectly constructed an executed movie with great performances by all involved. Seven Samurai is grander in scale and Red Beard is more emotional, but Rashomon is effectively perfect. Perfection wins.
dir. Christopher Guest
Comedy
The mockumentary is a great form of presentation for comedy, and while I love What We Do In The Shadows, This Is Spinal Tap, and several TV shows of this variety, my favorite would have to be one of the first ones I ever saw. I didn't even like it or understand it at the time, but over the years I've come to love it. Not only is the folk music pretty great, but the Christopher Guest Ensemble are all at the top of their respective games here, with Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy in particular stealing the show. Not only is this movie hilarious and quotable, but of all the Guest mockumentaries, this one has the most heart.
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