Top 10 Movies You Haven't Seen

I'm often asked by friends for recommendations on films they haven't seen. Usually, I'll start by pointing them towards lists that have already composed, like the ones from the American Film Institute.

But once they've exhausted those lists and come back to me looking for more, this is when I typically start pointing them in new directions.

These are films I would consider to be classic, but perhaps don't quite get the recognition they deserve. Some, are blockbuster failures-- some are the ugly little sister to a director's golden child.

(Remember, this list is relative and I generally write towards an audience of movie lovers who are only just now starting to expose themselves to classic cinema.)


1. I Confess-

When people talk Hitchcock, there are always the usual suspects that come up in the conversation. Psycho, Rear Window, Vertigo, Dial M, North by Northwest, to name only a few. He is after all the greatest Director to ever live and has an arsenal of classics attributed to his name.

Then there are the 'I've heard of it, but haven't seen it' movies he's made like Rope, The Man Who Knew Too Much and The Lady Vanishes. And then there is I Confess. I Confess is the most underrated film of Hitchcock. It is a character driven plot that focuses on a priest who struggles with the decision of saving his own life or upholding his integrity as a man of God. The Parallels the film makes are wonderfully crafted and make for one of my favorite of all of Hitchcock.

2. Miller's Crossing-

While praised by audiences and critics alike, this 50's gangster film from the Coen brothers was a blockbuster flop that even now has struggled to find an audience. With the same kind of tangled up plots that we've come to love and almost expect from the Coens, this film is a beautifully complicated story that revolves around a wicked smart Irish American gangster who plays the field between two rival mob bosses. What makes his character so interesting is his inability to physically perform the act of killing, despite being deep involved with the act. This is actually one of my all time favorite gangster films.

3. Finding Forester-

A gem of a movie that revolves around a young African American kid from the Bronx with an opportunity to play basketball at a prestigious private college. When it is discovered he holds to a hidden talent of writing, he makes an unlikely friendship with a one hit, world renown author who has secluded himself from society for some forty years. This is a beautiful piece and a personal favorite of mine that went over looked upon its release and still remains somewhat of a diamond in the rough, though it is slowly starting to be appreciated now.

4. La Jetee/Twelve Monkeys-

When Twelve Monkeys was released with the the up and coming star Brad Pitt, audiences where extremely divided on how they felt about this film. This was yet another blockbuster failure that has slowly began to be appreciated now as people have began looking back at the earlier works of now major movie stars. The film is actually an adaptation of a short French film known as La Jetee, which was composed of nothing but still images-- BUT DO NOT LET THAT DISCOURAGE YOU! La Jetee is a dark, wickedly smart film that deserves your attention. I suggest watching both.

5. The Blade-

Perhaps its unfair to put a foreign film on a list like this, considering the likelihood of a young, born again film purist's fairly recent exposure to the finest in the craft. But I'm putting it on the list anyway. The Blade is a Kung Fu movie. And a wonderful story straight out of one of the finest of Hong Kong's directors Hark Tsui. For those unfamiliar with the style and the sensibility of Eastern cinema, I think the Blade is an excellent place to start. It's a action packed tale, told with the typical over the top fighting and violence that we've come to expect from the genre. If violence upsets you, look elsewhere-- but this is currently my favorite Chinese film of all time.

6. Blow Out-

While I admit to not necessarily being the biggest Brian DePalma fan, I do recognize how loved and cherished some of his other works have been and feel the need to spotlight this not so cute, but still gorgeous middle sibling of a film is. Here, we have a great performance from the young John Travolta who, while working as a folly artist for cheap B reel movie house, records audio of a possible murder. As he puts the pieces together in a not so conventional means of incrimination, we get a great picture about a man who gets in a little too deep on conspiracies he shouldn't.

7. Kingpin-

I'm amazed how many people haven't seen this film. If you're too much of a snob to appreciate the stupid humor of the great Farley brothers, I think it's time you reached in the backside of your pants and pulled that long stick out of your butt. This movie is funny! I am a Farley brothers fan and this is one of their best. With some of the most hysterical performances from Bill Murry and Woody Herrelson, this is one you can't miss. Following the success of Dumb and Dumber, this is one of the few outrages comedies that warrant multiple viewings.

8. Insomnia-

This is another ugly middle child film on our list. This time it's the great Christopher Nolan. Oh, I'm sorry. Should I repeat that? Christopher Nolan made this film. What's that? You've already added it to your Netflix's insta-que. Good. Considering my audience, I think that that may be enough for me to get you to watch it. It's good movie.

9. Blue Ruin-

Being a thespian and a writer, I've naturally found myself drawn to films and books that have an innate capability to entice me with their dialog. I love watching movies with characters who know how to talk and have something interesting to say. This is not one of those movies. What does that tell you about the film? It's a damn good movie. It revolves around a homeless social misfit who seeks revenge for the death of his dad and finds himself trapped in a game of cat and mouse with a homicidal family of hicks. Oh, and he barely says a word through out the film.

10. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels-

This is a movie I've been trying to show my friends since I was eight years old. Some great movies lose their steam in the tumult of the next big thing. This film has become somewhat lost as audiences have forgotten just how funny Steve Martin really was. A couple of con men who wine and dine young, rich heiresses out of their fortunes become involved in a unique contest with each other to solve a dispute over territory. It's smart. It's funny. It's a forgotten classic.