The Quig Spot

This list was compiled in retaliation to the one featured on Movies.com. Sure, theirs features a couple of worthwhile gems, but I really don't think movies like Bubble Boy and The Ringer qualify. So with that said, I've made available below my picks for The REAL Top 25 Movies You've Never Seen. Think of it is as a list depicting movies that deserved more recognition from mainstream audiences, but unfortunately didn't get it.

Depending on how much of a movie buff you are, you may or may not have seen many of these. You can gauge your status by whether the "odds that you've seen it" meter ranks in at low, medium, or high. The more movies you've seen, the cooler you are. Oh I'm sorry, did I say cooler? I meant geekier.


25. FEAST

Genre... Horror, Comedy
Odds that you've seen it... Low
What it's about... Patrons locked inside of a bar contend with violent and grotesque monsters.
Why you should see it... This Project Greenlight production deserved a much better treatment than what it was given. It's a riotous and gory comedy that flips the horror genre on its head. Certainly there are people who will argue about how awful it is (due to the lighting, shaky camera work, B-movie acting, etc.), but those people are full of shit. If all you care about is having one helluva time while watching your over-the-top horror films, then pick this up whenever you get a chance. And if that doesn't convince you, maybe the fact that you see monsters doing it doggy style will.
Familiar faces... Jason Mewes - plays Jay in most of Kevin Smith's movies (such as Clerks. and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back).

Trailer Link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=dyAJ2wpqn-s


24. THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS

Genre... Drama
Odds that you've seen it... Low
What it's about... A group of Catholic school friends plan a heist that will make them local legends.
Why you should see it... It's a heartfelt, believable, and oftentimes humorous look into life as a Catholic teenager. Winning performances from the two leads make this a movie worth checking out, and the opening scene is simply terrific (the ending... not so much).
Familiar faces... Emile Hirsch - starred in The Girl Next Door and Alpha Dog, Kieran Culkin - starred in Igby Goes Down

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWtJpUCxU4Y


23. NARC

Genre... Crime, Thriller, Drama
Odds that you've seen it... Medium
What it's about... When the trail goes cold on a murder investigation of a policeman an undercover narcotics officer is lured back to the force to help solve the case.
Why you should see it... Carnahan injects this film with a gritty realism, perfectly complementing his brutal yet witty script. It's dramatic enough to be emotionally satisfying, and action-packed enough to keep genre fans salivating. A great cop drama.
Familiar faces... Jason Patric - starred in The Lost Boys, Ray Liotta - starred in Goodfellas, writer/director Joe Carnahan - recently made Smokin' Aces

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QKmsmjlSyc


22. THE CHUMSCRUBBER

Genre... Drama, Comedy, Thriller
Odds that you've seen it... Low
What it's about... In upper-class suburbia, a teenager is told by a group of drug dealers to get his dead best friend's stash, or else they're going to kill his kidnapped brother.
Why you should see it... It's a dark satire set in dysfunctional suburbia. OK, so that in itself doesn't sound too original, but the film has refreshingly derisive humor and writing that easily help to make it worth your while. Think of it like a mix of American Beauty and Donnie Darko.
Familiar faces... Jamie Bell - starred in Billy Elliot, Camilla Belle - starred in When a Stranger Calls, Glenn Close - starred in Fatal Attraction and Dangerous Liaisons, Ralph Fiennes - starred in Quiz Show and The Constant Gardener, Carrie-Anne Moss - played Trinity in The Matrix trilogy

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6g2JLfH9vA


21. BUBBA HO-TEP

Genre... Horror, Comedy
Odds that you've seen it... Medium
What it's about... Elvis and JFK, both alive and in nursing homes, fight for the souls of their fellow residents as they battle an ancient Egyptian Mummy.
Why you should see it... Because Bruce Campbell is one of the greatest and coolest B-movie actors of our time. And c'mon, did you read that plot synopsis?
Familiar faces... Bruce Campbell - starred as Ash in the Evil Deal trilogy

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWa04UhD87o


20. BRICK

Genre... Crime, Drama, Mystery
Odds that you've seen it... Medium
What it's about... A teenage loner pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.
Why you should see it... This film noir take on contemporary high school features some hilarious snappy dialogue and fantastic cinematography. Some of the plot points don't always gel, but the movie's originality is endearing enough to overlook such problems.
Familiar faces... Joseph Gordon-Levitt - starred in the TV show 3rd Rock from the Sun, Emilie de Ravin - starred in The Hills Have Eyes remake and plays Claire on the TV show Lost

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEi9U1kOxGY


19. SAVE THE GREEN PLANET

Genre... Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Foreign
Odds that you've seen it... Low
What it's about... Believing that the world is on the verge of a horrible invasion, a possibly insane man kidnaps his "alien" boss with hopes of saving the world.
Why you should see it... This twisted and insanely goofy picture is a million genres in one; part dark comedy, part thriller, part sci-fi, part slapstick, and part horror torture-fest. It's so blatantly "out there" that you can't help but have fun with it. It's a B-movie tribute that's sure to delight anybody with a penchant for weirdness.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NLbDgyMusk


18. RUNNING SCARED

Genre... Action, Crime, Thriller
Odds that you've seen it... High
What it's about... A young boy steals a gun that was previously used to kill a dirty cop, and shoots his father with it. The person responsible for disposing of the gun is offered only one way out: get the gun back before the cops do, and kill the boy.
Why you should see it... This hyper-violent and gritty thriller was one of most disappointingly overlooked movies of 2006. It's loaded with over-the-top gratuity and non-stop ass-kickery, mish-mashing a twisted fairy tale with various aspects of the crime genre. Even Paul Walker impresses, shocking as that may be.
Familiar faces... Paul Walker - starred in The Fast and the Furious, Cameron Bright - the emotionless kid from Godsend and Birth, Vera Farmiga - played the hottie love interest in The Departed

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGSzKDMNFow


17. THE RULES OF ATTRACTION

Genre... Comedy, Drama, Romance
Odds that you've seen it... Medium
What it's about... The incredibly spoiled students of Camden College are a backdrop for an unusual love triangle between a drug dealer, a virgin and a bisexual classmate.
Why you should see it... It's visually one of the most interestingly directed films ever made, playing with some very effective split-screen and time-reversal techniques. The story itself is also interesting, and the performances are solid. If you're looking for a twisted tale about the self-inflicted hardships of college life, this is for you.
Familiar faces... James Van Der Beek - played Dawson on the TV show Dawson's Creek, Ian Somerhalder - played Boone on the TV show Lost, Kate Bosworth - played Lois in Superman Returns, Jessica Biel - is really fucking hot

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byeiYY5e5f8


16. ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW

Genre... Comedy, Drama
Odds that you've seen it... Low
What it's about... A lonesome shoe salesman and an eccentric performance artist struggle to make a connection.
Why you should see it... It's another delightfully weird film, this one probably being even more peculiar than those previously mentioned. The film has a colorful and artsy appeal to it, but it also contains plenty of explicit sexual content. The harsh contrast is surprisingly refreshing.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qko1DbEMZQ


15. THUMBSUCKER

Genre... Comedy, Drama
Odds that you've seen it... Low
What it's about... A teenage boy attempts to break free from his fixated addiction to suck his thumb.
Why you should see it... It contains one of the most impressive young acting performances ever seen on film (by newcomer Lou Taylor Pucci), and delivers a thoughtful and well-realized look into the difficulties of adolescence. It also explores people's constant desire for addiction. This is a coming-of-age story with bite.
Familiar faces... Vince Vaughn - starred in Wedding Crashers, Vincent D'Onofrio - played the killer in The Cell, Keanu Reeves - starred in The Matrix trilogy

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9GXKQbTeNM


14. PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE

Genre... Drama, Romance
Odds that you've seen it... Medium
What it's about... A quiet and lonely small-business owner falls in love with a mysterious woman.
Why you should see it... It's a beautifully shot and musically stimulating experience that will amaze your senses. The film is nothing short of bizarre, but it has a bleakly colorful style that's both charming and original. It also features Adam Sandler in his best acting role to date.
Familiar faces... Adam Sandler - starred in Anger Management and Click, Philip Seymour Hoffman - starred in Capote and played the villain in Mission: Impossible III, director Paul Thomas Anderson - made Magnolia and Boogie Nights

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNeZi1y_v88


13. THE SQUID AND THE WHALE

Genre... Comedy, Drama
Odds that you've seen it... Low
What it's about... Two young boys attempt to deal with their parent's divorce in Brooklyn.
Why you should see it... It's a touching and realistic tale of family life and the problems that come with it. Everything about the movie feels sincere, from the writing to the acting. Think of it like a Wes Anderson film, except more adult, and with less "goofy" appeal.
Familiar faces... Jeff Daniels - starred opposite Jim Carrey in Dumb & Dumber, Laura Linney - also starred opposite Jim Carrey in The Truman Show (as his wife), Anna Paquin - played Rogue in the X-Men movies

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfdrJ0wHUGw


12. THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE

Genre... Comedy, Adventure, Foreign
Odds that you've seen it... Low
What it's about... A grandmother teams up with an old song-and-dance trio to help rescue her grandson, who was kidnapped during the Tour de France.
Why you should see it... It's a bizarre story told with plenty of heart, gorgeous animation, and wonderful music, but almost no dialogue. French animation at its finest.

(The trailer wasn't available on YouTube, so here's the movie's opening prologue. Don't worry; the rest of the movie is very vibrant and colorful... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDsIUmJoD68)


11. HARD CANDY

Genre... Thriller, Drama
Odds that you've seen it... High
What it's about... A 14 year old girl uses herself as bait for a pedophile, ready to expose his lies and screw with his mind.
Why you should see it... It's a sadistic thriller (with masterful cinematography) set almost entirely in or around one house with two actors playing a game of cat-and-mouse. Ellen Page does a phenomenal job making her character as believable as possible, and the movie manages to play with your mind. You want to see the sick pedophile get tortured, but the movie makes you realize how sick that is in itself.
Familiar faces... Patrick Wilson - starred in Little Children, Ellen Page - played Kitty Pryde in X3, Sandra Oh - from Sideways

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOYl7voMc2c


10. THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE

Genre... Horror, Fantasy, Foreign
Odds that you've seen it... Low
What it's about... A young boy who is left at an orphanage in the middle of nowhere is faced with the presence of a former occupant's ghost.
Why you should see it... It's the first of Guillermo del Toro's Spanish Civil War-based trilogy, featuring an intense ghost story that avoids the standard clichés of the genre (while also adding an interesting layer of political depth). A brilliantly crafted picture.
Familiar faces... Director Guillermo del Toro - made Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHm_Me0CDC0


9. PRINCESS MONONOKE

Genre... Action, Fantasy, Anime
Odds that you've seen it... High
What it's about... A prince infected with a strange disease heads far east in hopes of finding a cure, but instead finds himself in the middle of a war between the animal inhabitants of the forest and a mining colony.
Why you should see it... It's a beautifully animated and shockingly gory film that indulges itself in all the best aspects of anime. The movie's complex without being convoluted, and poignant without being forced. A stunning achievement, and an epic fantasy adventure.
Familiar faces... Director Hayao Miyazaki - made Spirited Away

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkWWWKKA8jY


8. FRAILTY

Genre... Horror, Thriller
Odds that you've seen it... Medium
What it's about... A religious fanatic father tells his two kids that he must do God's will and murder people to dispose of the "demons" that occupy them.
Why you should see it... It's a claustrophobic and disturbing Southern Gothic thriller that's exactly as effective as you'd hope it would be. It manages to be scary and shocking without resorting to absurd amounts of gore and jump-scares.
Familiar faces... Director/actor Bill Paxton - starred in Apollo 13 and Twister, Matthew McConaughey - from Sahara and Two for the Money

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kQOaRb-aZ4


7. LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS

Genre... Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Odds that you've seen it... High
What it's about... After things go wrong in a high stakes card game, four London working class stiffs are forced to come up with half a million pounds in one week.
Why you should see it... This is the somewhat lesser known companion piece to Guy Ritchie's Snatch, and it's almost as good. It's a gritty crime-filled black comedy with a killer script, stylish direction, and excellent performances. No one does it better than Ritchie (...too bad he married Madonna).
Familiar faces... Director Guy Ritchie - made Snatch, Jason Statham - starred in The Transporter movies

(For some odd reason, the trailer wasn't available on YouTube. Click on THIS LINK to watch it elsewhere.)


6. THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN

Genre... Adventure, Fantasy, Foreign
Odds that you've seen it... Low
What it's about... Fuck if I know. Something about a scientist stealing children's dreams to stop him from aging.
Why you should see it... The movie transports you into its warped yet engrossing fairy-tale world, populated by Cyclops men, kidnapped children, nasty insects, deep-sea divers, and clones. It's a haunting and undeniably original tale of evil, innocence and redemption.
Familiar faces... Ron Perlman - played Hellboy

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNYG9cXTSds


5. THE HOST

Genre... Action, Comedy, Horror, Foreign
Odds that you've seen it... Low
What it's about... Along with the rest of his family, a father attempts to save his daughter who has been captured by a chemical-created mutant creature.
Why you should see it... If you were to take a big Hollywood blockbuster like Godzilla, mix it with Little Miss Sunshine, and blend it in with lots of Korean culture, you might get something like The Host... but probably not nearly as good. It's powerful, heartfelt, intense, and beautiful. All of that from a monster movie? You better believe it.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJnq9sm4Zxk


4. SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE

Genre... Crime, Drama, Thriller, Foreign
Odds that you've seen it... Low
What it's about... A deaf man attempts to get his sister a kidney transplant by kidnapping his daughter's boss. But when things go horribly wrong, the two men find themselves stuck in a cycle of violence and revenge.
Why you should see it... It's part two of Chan-wook Park's "revenge trilogy" (which includes the brilliant Oldboy, a movie that might've made this list had it not developed such a prominent fanbase). The film is a bleak, hardcore masterpiece of cinema, illustrating through two men the chaos that can ensue when you become consumed by vengeance.
Familiar faces... Writer/director Chan-wook Park - also made Oldboy

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT6EJDE_5MU


3. KISS KISS BANG BANG

Genre... Action, Comedy
Odds that you've seen it... High
What it's about... A thief pretends to be an actor studying for a part in a film, and soon finds himself dealing with murders and murderers.
Why you should see it... It's an incredibly amusing (and sadly overlooked) take-off on the murder mystery genre, perfectly lampooning the standard clichés you so often tend to see in Hollywood productions. The writing is exceptional, with the slick direction and top-notch performances perfectly complementing the script. Plus, it's got Val Kilmer playing a hilarious gay detective. Priceless.
Familiar faces... Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, writer/director Shane Black - also wrote Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PigmRzFpU7I


2. CITY OF GOD

Genre... Crime, Drama, Foreign
Odds that you've seen it... Medium
What it's about... The intersecting lives of teenagers forced to grow up in the violence-filled world of Brazil.
Why you should see it... It's an intense and emotionally gripping piece of cinema. The direction is especially stunning and beautiful, adding a visual sensation to the heart-stopping story. A near-flawless masterpiece.
Familiar faces... Director Fernando Meirelles - also made The Constant Gardener

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSu4Xg4neTk


1. BATTLE ROYALE

Genre... Action, Thriller, Foreign
Odds that you've seen it... Medium
What it's about... A group of 42 ninth-grade students are captured by the government and forced to kill each other until there's only one left standing.
Why you should see it... It's one of the craziest, coolest, most outrageous movies ever made, and it's done with a searing sense of dark comedy. The non-stop action is vicious and exciting, but there's also a political message underneath the shocking amounts of gore. Seeing teens kill each other has never been so much fun.
Familiar faces... Takeshi Kitano - appeared in Johnny Mnemonic and played Zatoichi in The Blind Swordsman

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-T7yPJVvXw


RUNNER-UPS:

PI -- The director of Requiem for a Dream made this solid black-and-white thriller about obsession, patterns, mysteries, hallucinations, and math. A little too "student film" and arthouse for my taste, but a very strong first effort.
ELECTION -- A hilarious dark comedy starring Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon as a teacher and student who get a little too wrapped up during a high school election. This is a "small" film, but one that's highly entertaining.
FUNNY GAMES -- Another thriller from Michael Haneke (of Caché), this time about a family held hostage that's being forced to play twisted, life-threatening games. This is one of the few movies I've seen where breaking the fourth wall actually works well.
THE COOLER -- William H. Macy plays a man who's made a career out of spreading bad-luck in a casino, but things snap into reverse when he falls in love with a cocktail waitress (to his boss' chagrin). This great little romantic-dramedy is made by pre-Running Scared director Wayne Kramer.
THE MATADOR -- Pierce Brosnan plays a lonely hitman who strikes up a friendship with a distraught businessman, played by Greg Kinnear. This bizarre comedy was one of 2005's most unfortunately overlooked gems.
BAD TASTE -- This low budget and incredibly gory horror-comedy marked Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson's first film. It's not exactly highbrow, but it's great disgusting fun.
THE HITCHER -- Recently remade by producer Michael Bay, this quietly terrifying thriller features Rutger Hauer as a psychopath stalking a man driving to California. Parts of the movie are a little over-the-top, but it's always highly entertaining.

NOTE: Just to give credit where it's due, many of the plot outlines have been paraphrased from IMDB.

Labels: 'Best of' Lists, Top Ten Lists

Posted by quigles on Monday, June 04, 2007 at 7:39 PM | Permalink