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Robert - 6.13.01 

 

#14: SWITCHBLADE SISTERS (1975)

After directing some outstanding Pam Grier films like Coffy and Foxy Brown, Jack Hill brought out on of the best exploitation films I've ever seen with Switchblade Sisters. The title and poster say it all. Quentin Tarantino has rereleased the video on his Rolling Thunder imprint, and the DVD full of cool stuff, including a fun audio commentary with QT and hill. Great cheezy 70s outfits, and action sequences that include a hilarious shootout in a roller rink make this movie a special treasure. According to the IMDB, "when Hill was interviewed at the 1996 re-release of the film, pointed out that it did have some authenticity - he interviewed girl gang members and rewrote the script. "But the idea of doing a realistic movie about street gangs with beautiful blondes in hot pants was preposterous, so we tried to make it a wacky fantasy." If you like Women in Prison style films, you can't go wrong with this gem. As an X-E aside, Robbie Lee, who plays the gorgeously cleavage-freckled leader of the gang, went on to do the voice of Q*bert's girlfriend in the short-lived Saturday morning cartoon, as well as several characters in Rainbow Brite. Late comic legend Lenny Bruce's daughter, Kitty, plays a donut eating fat girl named "Donut" in this gem as well. You also might notice Don Stark, who plays the big afro'd dad married to Tanya Roberts in That 70s Show, too. This film is clearly the most star-studded career launching pad since Meatballs 2.

#13: THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)

"To a new world of gods and monsters!" -Dr. Pretorius

Though the first Frankenstein film is clearly a thing of beauty, I've always enjoyed The Bride of Frankenstein (one of the first and best sequels in film history), to be far superior. Several scenes from Mary Shelly's novel like the befriending by the Blind Man, and of course the creation of his mate are all here. Boris Karloff's performance adds new layers to the monster, making him both sad and scary all at once. When you consider that he broke his legs during the production, but continued one with metal braces on his legs, it's an even more amazing performance. Elsa Lanchester is equally remarkable as The Monster's bride, with her freaky hairdo, and frightening scream. The monster even gets philosophical at the end, pulling a big switch on the wall to collapse the castle after saying, "We...Belong...Dead!" (Of course, as Roger Ebert pointed out on a TV show a long time ago, why anyone would have a switch that would collapse the building on top of you is a pretty weird thing). Another damn good Frankenstein film that's worth checking out if you can find it is the made for TV Frankenstein: The True Story, which is about the most faithful version of Shelly's tale out there. But ignore the crap remake starring DeNiro, and the horrible Sting/Jennifer Beals The Bride at all costs.

#12: FIGHT CLUB (1999)

"How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?" -Tyler Durden

Who knew David Fincher would turn out to be such an incredible director.  After bringing a visually amazing style to Madonna videos, his first film, Aliens 3 did little to impress.  But with a follow up one two punch of Seven and Fight Club, he showed he's one of the best things going on.  Fight Club is deceiving film in every sense.  Marketed as a flick featuring urban gladiators who love to beat the shit out of each other in organized fights, the film has some of the most biting social commentary and bizarre head games I've seen.  Just take a look at some of these awesome quotes from the film.

"Our generation has had no Great Depression, no Great War. Our war is a spiritual war. Our depression is our lives."

"We are a generation of men raised by women. I'm beginning to wonder if another woman is what we really need." 

"You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world."

"We're designed to be hunters and we're in a society of shopping. There's nothing to kill anymore, there's nothing to fight, nothing to overcome, nothing to explore. In that social emasculation this everyman is created."

"You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else." 

"Losing all hope is freedom."

Powerful stuff for sure.  I used to get my ass kicked in all the fights I had growing up, but there's a primal thrill to the fight that this film explores beautifully.  Brad Pitt really emerges as a great "Man's Man" actor in Fight Club, transcending the pretty boy Dicaprioesque trappings of many male actors, and becoming something uniquely cool.  And Norton's everyman performance, especially dealing with his corporate hell and pitchfork jabbings are fun as well.  A scene where he beats himself up in his manager's office to make it look like he was attacked is hilarious.  

The 2 Disc DVD package for Fight Club is one the better uses of the medium I've seen.  From the box, to the book it comes with, to the TONS of extra footage and notes within, you'll hardly find time to experience it all.  Look for a teaser trailer blooper where Pitt tells you not to smoke, then reminds you that you can drink your own pee.

#11: MULAN (1999)

Mulan is my favorite Disney film, as well as my favorite movie to watch with my daughter, Sierra.  It's beautifully animated, and the voice cast featuring Ming Na Wen, George Takei, and many others is a treat as well.  For some odd reason, even Eddie Murphy as the streetwise dragon Mu-Shu is forgivable.  Though much of this is your standard Disney fare, it's nice to see a female lead character break the mold of the poor little girl who gets saved from a dangerous situation and ends up marrying a handsome prince.  As The Emperor says about Mulan, "You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty."  In fact, as Mulan has both a Mother AND Father who for some un-Disney reason remain ALIVE at the end of the film, it's a very different Disney film indeed.  There's an amazing battle scene with hundreds of horses running down a snowy hill that are soon overtaken by a fantastic avalanche, but the part that really does it for me every time is the final moment when Mulan's father, Fa Zhou, tells her, "The greatest gift and honor is having you as a daughter."  Chokes me up just thinking about it.  This film was eventually released in China long after the US release, which was daring considering how it questioned the traditional roles of females in Chinese society, but it's box office failure there was due instead to the massive movie piracy which had copies of the film on video months before.

#10: GLENGARRY GLENROSS (1992)

I spent about a year telemarketing for credit cards and long distance companies, and it was the biggest hell of my life.  Glengarry GlenRoss captures the misery of life as a salesmen far better than any other film.  If you've seen Boiler Room or The Big Kahuna and enjoyed them, you're doing yourself a tremendous disservice by not checking out this one. You get Pacino, Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, and Kevin Spacey!  The David Mamet script is dead on.  If you've ever been in any kind of sales environment, you have to see it.  Check out this awesome dialogue:

"We're adding a little something to this month's sales contest. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anybody want to see second prize? [Holds up prize.] Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired."

"Your name is "your wanting," and you can't play the man's game, you can't close them, and then tell your wife your troubles. 'Cause only one thing counts in this world: get them to sign on the line which is dotted. Got that, you fuckin' faggots?"

"That watch costs more than you car. I made $970,000 last year. How much you make? You see pal, that's who I am, and you're nothing. Nice guy, I don't give a shit. Good father, fuck you! Go home and play with your kids! You wanna work here, close! You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker? You can't take this, how can you take the abuse you get on a sit?"

"These are the new leads. These are the Glengarry leads. To you, these are gold; you do not get these. Because to give them to you would be throwing them away."

"A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing, always be closing."

Man, I heard this kind of shit non stop when I was a telemarketer.  Can you believe I was given a Salesman of The Week Award AND put on written warning for not making sales goal IN THE SAME FUCKING DAY before? You can see why this movie hits so hard for me.  

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