Movies I Have Watched That I Previously Had Never Heard Of
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- Written by Nate S.
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NEW MOVIE ADDED! - PRIMER
We've received movie recommendations form friends, haven't we? I know I have and not only from friends but from media sources like the Ron & Fez Show on SiriusXM. (That Pepper Hicks knows his indie films.) With out knowing anything about these movies, I started to watch some of them. Sometimes I don't make it through them but others turn out to be gems. Here is a list of some of my recent adventures into movies I have watched that I previously had never heard of.
PRIMER (2006)
Netflix Description: Quite by accident, an engineer builds a machine that can transport the user back in time. But his discovery comes with an ominous caveat: At the heart of this puzzling device, nothing is as it seems on the surface.
My Take On It: I really enjoyed Primer but I found it a little bit hard to follow. That is to say, I understand what the movie is about and what happened in it, but I'm not sure I am clear on all the small details. The premise is that 2 engineers accidentally create a time machine. What they were originally intending to create was unclear. Later, after they use the machine, things start to spiral out of control but I couldn't follow the vagueness of the plot twists. I like this film very much however I think a re-watch is in order to truly understand what the author intended...or maybe it's just a "what the fuck just happened" film.
This happens to be the full version. How sweet is that?
Director: Shane Carruth
Writer: Shane Carruth
Stars: Shane Carruth, David Sullivan and Casey Gooden
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 79%
Nude Nuns With Big Guns
Netflix Description: After sweet Sister Sarah is victimized by the brutal and corrupt clergy members in her church and nearly dies, God tells her to take revenge. Now she's packing heat and blowing away the bad guys.
My Take On It: I hope you like a good Grind-house before you watch this flick. It raw and gritty with some very heavy violence and abuse, but so what, it's Grind-house, right? Like many titles in this genre, this one tells it all for this movie has nude nuns who themselves have big guns.
Director: Dan Rush
Writer: Dan Rush, Raymond Carver
Stars: Nicholas Hope, Claire Benito and Ralph Cotterill
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 75%
Everything Must Go
Netflix Description: Director-writer Dan Rush makes his film debut with this dramedy based on a Raymond Carver short story about Nick (Will Ferrell), a good-hearted but relapsed alcoholic who decides to live on his front lawn after losing his job and being thrown out by his wife.
My Take On It: Never knew Will Ferrell could be funny and dramatic delivering one line. This movie is amazing. It's simple and smart and filled with wonderful metaphors. A must to see cause I said so.
Unfortunately YouTube poster has disabled embedding of the trailer video so click on the photo below to watch it on Youtube.
Director: Joseph Guzman
Writer: Joseph Guzman, Robert James Hayes II
Stars: Asun Ortega, David Castro and Perry D'Marco
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 27%
Bad Boy Bubby
Netflix Description: Sequestered from civilization since birth, 35-year-old Bubby (Nicholas Hope) is deemed "a bad boy" by his abusive Mum (Claire Benito), who's kept him indoors by telling him he'll die outside. But when Bubby finally leaves the house, he's forced to confront his fears -- and learn some truths about humankind. Australian auteur Rolf De Heer directs this darkly comic cult hit, which won praise at the Cannes Film Festival.
My Take On It: This is a great film. You can really get behind Bubby as he navigates his strange new world. The interactions with "regular people" can be surprising. There is also a great band in the film that reminds me of both the Talking Heads and the Doors. In my mind, that's a nice combination.
Director: Rolf de Heer
Writer: Rolf de Heer
Stars: Nicholas Hope, Claire Benito and Ralph Cotterill
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 83%
Sleeping Beauty (2011)
Netflix Description: In this dark tale, a young college student takes a decidedly offbeat job: As a "sleeping beauty," she's paid to be fondled or otherwise handled by strangers while in a sedated slumber. Soon, however, she begins to wonder what she's submitting to.
My Take On It: Okay I'll admit it, it's a sexy film and that what I was looking for. Some parts are a little bit slow but the movie does progress nicely. There is an air of Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut with the whole mysterious rich men and their naked young lady fetish. The ending left me thinking, it wouldn't happen like that, but you'll have to decide for yourself.
Director: Julia Leigh
Writer: Julia Leigh (screenplay)
Stars: Emily Browning, Rachael Blake and Ewen Leslie
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 50%
The Lost Tribe (2010)
Netflix Description: When their boat plows into a rock during a pleasure cruise, five friends (Marc Bacher, Brianna Brown, Hadley Fraser, Nick Mennell and Emily Foxler) swim to safety on a deserted island, only to learn they aren't alone. It turns out a race of ancient creatures calls the island home ... and they've got a taste for human flesh. With odds like that, exiting the island with their lives intact will be next to impossible.
My Take On It: Take this movie and combine it with Split Second staring Rutger Hauer and ¡BAM! you have a home brewed Predator flick. That and the fact that the Lost Tribesmen look like the Morlocks in the 2002 version of H.G. Well's The Time Machine will have your wife, girlfriend and/or sister saying, "What the fuck are you watching". Don't forget to wait for the eye rolling to begin. Enjoy.
Director: Roel Reiné
Writer: Mark E. Davidson (screenplay)
Stars: Emily Foxler, Nick Mennell and Marc Bacher
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: N/A
Red State
Netflix Description: Director Kevin Smith puts a unique spin on the horror genre in this tale of hormonal urges gone awry. Three high school boys answer an online ad from a woman seeking wild sex and soon find themselves in the hands of some dangerous religious zealots.
My Take On It: Kevin Smith brings it to a new level. Michael Parks delivers a performance that Smith, himself, admits he could never had written or directed. He just let the man go and perfection arrived on set. The story is very topical but then goes further to suppose what the inner workings and mind set of a radical, religious, American cult would be like. The ending will make you wonder, "is this really happening?".
Director: Kevin Smith
Writer: Kevin Smith
Stars: Michael Parks, Melissa Leo and John Goodman
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 58%
I Want Candy
Netflix Description: Stephen Surjik directs this comedy starring Tom Riley and Tom Burke as two film school students whose first movie goes awry. Desperate to finance their flick, Joe and Baggy turn to a pornography producer who puts up the cash -- that is, if the duo can get semi-retired adult film actress Candy (Carmen Electra) to star. She agrees to do it, and soon their earnest script morphs into a raunchy show shot in Joe's parents' suburban home on the sly.
My Take On It: Well, it's one step above a raunchy comedy only for the fact that it wasn't made in the U.S. Oh, and it has Carmen Electra, so where's the problem. There are a few laughs, but that's about it.
Director: Stephen Surjik
Writers: Peter Hewitt, Phil Hughes, and 6 more credits
Stars: Tom Riley, Tom Burke and Carmen Electra
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 67%