DVD has meant that theres a cavalcade of material waiting to be explored.
So Im going to hop in the time machine and strongly recommend that everyone watch the German psychological thrillerM.
Fritz Lang is one of the most influential directors of his generation, for good reason.
This was the movie that made Peter Lorre a star.
When you hearIn The Hall Of The Mountain King, you know the predator is waiting to strike.
This is the perfect rainy day film and, despite the sad moments, it always makes me smile.
If youve seenAmelieand loved the magical Frenchness of it, get ready for a treat!
Its also kind of a cheat as its partly in English, partly in Spanish.
An antique shop owner finds a rig, a strange mechanical insect, that confers eternal youth upon him.
As is often the case with such magical artefacts, its benefits come at a terrible price.
What begins as a gentle, pleasant drama gradually morphs into a Spanish episode of theTwilight Zone on mescaline.
Best watched in a triple bill withThe Devils BackboneandPans Labyrinth.
But what makesBreathlessso unique is its maverick aesthetic both revering and rebelling from the classic narrative system.
By no means was this the first film to defy the laws of convention.
But a lot of these art house classics quickly disappear up their derrieres.
Goddard, though, knew that while cinema can be art it has to be entertainment.
It also contains my favourite-ever moment of dialogue.
Now, if thats not a mantra to live your life by, then what is?
Censorship is portrayed by a man with a bell who deems kissing scenes unsuitable.
Toto matures and falls in love with first girlfriend Elena.
Tornatores detractors accuse him of presenting a sentimentally ideal view of Italy to the world.
The film is certainly sentimental but only for the loss of innocence and what might have been.
Evocative of the sheer pleasure of cinema-going, its amusing, heart-warming, exquisitely photographed and beautifully acted.
It was probably the first major world cinema film I saw at the cinema.
Some people will never watch world cinema because they hate subtitles.
This short-sighted opinion excludes many from the delights of some truely excellent films.
What makes this story special is the fantasy scenes that are cut into the more straightforward retelling of events.
Directed by Takashi Miike,The Happiness Of The Katakurisis a wonderful celebration of life and death.
Oh, and its completely and utterly bonkers.
Their idyllic dream comes unstuck when their guests start dying all over the place in bizarre ways.
Bad move as it turns out when the guests come back as zombies.
Singing and dancing zombies.
Its original, its totally off its rocker and its alarmingly good fun.
This video gives a pretty good taste of what the film has to offer.
Trust me, youve never seen anything like this before.
You wont see anything like it at your local multiplex this weekend, that I can guarantee you.
Im talking about theSen to Chihiro no kamikakushi, which is better known to Western audiences asSpirited Away.
When he makes a play for her daughter, he ends up dead on the kitchen floor.
There are two elements that make this film particularly memorable.
One is Carmen Maura who plays Raimundas mum.
I couldnt urge you more to track it down.
The film is incredibly funny and quite moving at times.
I would highly recommend this to anyone.
Mounting tyranny and several personal tragedies force Marji to make bold decisions for her future.
As she recovers from whatever accident messed with her memory, people around her start dying.
While a bit cliched, its entertaining from start to finish and the ending has a cracking twist.
For years all I heard about was how scandalous it was.
and its director was stripped of his civil rights for five five years.
(Funnily enough, all was forgotten when he won nine Oscars forThe Last Emperor…).
Cest arrive pres de chez vous (Man Bites Dog)Michael Leader
Just one?
This is almost carte blanche to go art-house, to strike a pose and declare This Is The Canon.
Something by Jean Renoir?
How aboutA bout de souffle?La jetee?8 1/2?
Poelvoordes gives a powerhouse performance, carrying the film while creating a uniquely bizarre character.
He is also arrogant, bigoted and aggressively self-centered.
The film itself is incredible.
Perhaps the only film to be able to tick the boxes awesome vampire film and touching drama.
